A spectre is haunting Scottish Football

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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Tom Byrne

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


  1. John Clark says:

    December 14, 2014 at 1:09 am

    John you have mettle. 😀


  2. re Smiths letter and one contributor’s snippet from it.

    I know this blog is the last place I need to labour the point, but therein’s the problem. Rangers have to get promoted, ergo someone else doesn’t. Will it stop when (if?) they get promoted? Well sorry, no. History, not to mention a few share prospectus tells us it doesn’t, they then HAVE to be champions. They then HAVE to be CL group stages. And so it goes on with only the mere trifling matter of who’s paying for it.

    Now, fair play, Arsenal’s business plan is absolutely identical but they have revenues through Sky, plus a handy friend in the UEFA structuring dept, that means the Championship isn’t a prerequisite so a degree of competitiveness is maintained, although I suspect NUFC, Everton et al would disagree.

    “With winning comes stability” claims financial guru Gordon Smith. Back to the golf course my good man and until you accept that its the other way around blumin well stay there!


  3. So, Regan is in the frame for the FA CEO post!
    Having helped, in the view of many people, almost to destroy ‘Sporting Integrity’ in Scotland, he wants to bale out before he’s drummed out.( Sportsound, Jim Spence) a few minutes ago.


  4. Finloch
    Re the Times….Spot on..
    When Spiers was at his best a number of years ago the Scottish football section was readable…not now .i and most others i know ignore it ..it is totally dross
    Re Alexander ..agree it is hard to believe He is allowed to cohabit with some real class sports observers eg Atherton ,Simon Barnes ..also the likes of Walsh etc who almost single handedly brought down Armstrong
    I can only think there is just pure fear in all of the SMSM that they will get the Jim Spence treatment if they even start to probe and bring out the real stuff.


  5. woodstein says:
    December 14, 2014 at 12:39 pm
    ‘John you have mettle.’
    ——
    Not really: just that if there is a question to ask about a football manager’s commitment to his employing team, one may as well ask his boss.And I’m pretty sure Alexander and other Clyde Board members and fans would like Ferguson to feature his own team rather than another, and I’m surprised that they appear willing to let him accept filthy lucre to help the accursed DR keep ‘Rangers’ in the public eye.


  6. Allyjambo says:
    December 14, 2014 at 12:39 pm
    4 0 Rate This

    Finloch says:
    December 14, 2014 at 11:39 am

    I’m just wondering if, as a Hearts supporter, Souness is doing his best to keep his mate, McCoist, in situ. I know I’d be doing the same 😉

    But, in reality, the number of ex players and journos that are feeding off the ‘Rangers story’ is quite phenomenal, and none of them are actually helping, though they probably think they are.

    . . . . . . . . . .
    Best post of the week so far.
    I am scunnered of listening to the absolute – and I mean absolute – pash that the SMSM lamb munchers come away with.

    Why can’t they just make it simple
    . . . Rangers spent more than they earned and went bust.
    SevcoRangers are spending more than they earn and cannot survive living like that, otherwise they will go bust too.
    That is the only solution to the problem!


  7. Finloch says:
    December 14, 2014 at 11:39 am
    20 1 Rate This
    __________
    I only buy 1 paper a week these days (used to be 1 a day and 2 on a sunday)

    Alexander is one of the worst churnalists out there :slamb:

    I stopped reading his stuff over a year ago as it was always just PR nonsense with no criticism whatsoever of what was going on at ibrox

    I just by pass without reading when I see his name on any article


  8. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30463715
    Motherwell: Les Hutchison willing to sell Rangers shares
    //

    More Campbell Ogilvie type conflict of interest issues to come?

    Surely, in order to maintain an appearance of a lack of conflict of interest, those shares would be sold as a matter of course.
    Even a passive holding like that can lead to issues where it is possible to increase the value of one’s holding such as the possibility of the end of season play-off meeting betwen the two clubs, or manipulating the loan market (see also MA qv).


  9. essexbeancounter says:
    December 10, 2014 at 9:29 pm

    54

    6

    Rate This

    arabest1 says:
    December 10, 2014 at 4:26 pm
    63 4 Rate This

    Much has happened over the past while but little has changed. We still have a supine administration who have demonstrated as recently as yesterday where their allegiences ‘lie’ and remain wedded to a twisted version of events underpinned by reasoning which would make a Jesuit blush.
    ============================================================
    Arabest
good to see you post so well
however, I can only assume that the four TDs to your “credit” are from the anti-Jesuit faction of this glorious blog
. 👿

    —————————————————

    Thanks for the reply Beany……the Jesuits are of course never wrong, and their reasoning never subject to scrutiny 😉


  10. howiemac says:
    December 14, 2014 at 12:31 pm

    PhilMacGiollaBhain says:
    December 13, 2014 at 6:16 pm

    “The RIFC ‘Onerous Contracts’ is where the action is.”
    —-
    RIFC? This set me thinking – are the onerous contract with RIFC rather than TRFC? In which case, it is RIFC (rather than TRFC nĂ© Sevco) that would have to be liquidated to get rid of them
 This might explain Mike Ashley’s cost-cutting agenda – is he applying austerity measures to TRFC in order to sell it as a going concern (to Blue Knights or whoever), leaving RIFC as an empty husk and the onerous contracts worthless?

    The only fly in that ointment would be the 'internal' loan. If administrators were appointed to RIFC they would be duty bound to call that ÂŁ16m in, I would think.


  11. howiemac says:
    December 14, 2014 at 12:31 pm

    PhilMacGiollaBhain says:
    December 13, 2014 at 6:16 pm

    “The RIFC ‘Onerous Contracts’ is where the action is.”
    —-
    RIFC? This set me thinking – are the onerous contract with RIFC rather than TRFC? In which case, it is RIFC (rather than TRFC nĂ© Sevco) that would have to be liquidated to get rid of them
 This might explain Mike Ashley’s cost-cutting agenda – is he applying austerity measures to TRFC in order to sell it as a going concern (to Blue Knights or whoever), leaving RIFC as an empty husk and the onerous contracts worthless?
    /////////////////////////////////////////
    Weren’t those contracts in place with TRFC before RIFC was set up as the holding company?
    Hence the concerns about some of the statements in the IPO prospectus that have been raised previously.


  12. Finloch says:

    December 14, 2014 at 11:39 am

    I was a fan of Souness as a player.
    And I accept Souness is not a writer but is there for insight and indeed his pieces are probably ghosted for him.
    Well today Graeme tells us what a nice guy Ally is and that he’s had a tough job to do.
    And how he was a good guy when he was manager and made the dressing room a nice place to be.
    And how Ally always has new jokes to tell.
    And how Graeme himself had bad chairmen but poor Ally has had even worse.
    =========================
    At some point in the early 90s Ally had occasion to revisit his old workplace, the one before he went full time professional footballer with Sunderland.

    McCoist joked about his time under Souness when according to Mark Hately in a 2009 DR article about Kris Boyd, McCoist and Souness did not see eye to eye.

    ” On the face of it, Boyd and Ally McCoist are two peas in a pod.

    When I (Hately arrived in Glasgow to sign for Rangers, Alistair was the Boydy of his day – a striker of questionable work rate who thought he could play for 90 minutes without having to contribute outside the penalty box. But boy did he know where the goals were.

    He had one big problem, however. And that problem was Graeme Souness.

    There’s no doubt about it, McCoist tried it on with Graeme. He pushed all of his buttons. And because of it he ended up on the verge of being booted out of the club – which just happens to be exactly where Boyd now finds himself.”

    http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/kris-boyd-saga-is-just-like-1013554

    When asked about being managed by Souness, Ally told the well used but topical joke of that time in 1990 by asking.

    What is the difference between Graeme Souness and Saddam Hussein?

    One guy is an insane tyrannical dictator, a cruel despot who instils fear and rules with a rod of iron.

    The other is the leader of Iraq.

    Perhaps time has softened Mr Souness’s memory. 🙂


  13. Smugas says:
    December 14, 2014 at 12:54 pm

    re Smiths letter and one contributor’s snippet from it.

    I know this blog is the last place I need to labour the point, but therein’s the problem. Rangers have to get promoted, ergo someone else doesn’t. Will it stop when (if?) they get promoted? Well sorry, no. History, not to mention a few share prospectus tells us it doesn’t, they then HAVE to be champions. They then HAVE to be CL group stages. And so it goes on with only the mere trifling matter of who’s paying for it.
    ===============================

    That pretty much sums it up. Since 1986 a notion has grown that Rangers, in general, MUST be top of the pile more often than not. If they have to live within their means that becomes a tad more difficult. If they can get someone else to pay for it though, life is cool.


  14. I have just Read that Stewart Regan has applied for the job as FA Gen Sec…. I know this will get me lots of THumbs Down, But cant u keep him in Scotland until someone anyone else is Appointed.. From a Hammers Fan 😀


  15. Wasn’t Mr McCoist nicknamed “The Judge”, because he spent so much time on the bench?


  16. The Cat NR1 says:
    December 14, 2014 at 3:52 pm
    ====================================================
    The OnCons for Charlie and the boys are with RIFC.
    The exception is the Superstore deal for MA/SD-that is with TRFC.


  17. The_Pie_Man says:
    December 14, 2014 at 4:29 pm

    9

    0

    Rate This

    I have just Read that Stewart Regan has applied for the job as FA Gen Sec
. I know this will get me lots of THumbs Down, But cant u keep him in Scotland until someone anyone else is Appointed.. From a Hammers Fan 😀
    ///////////////////////////
    Nice try, but even now we’re having a bucket collection to pay for the one-way fare. 😀
    You owe us one after the employment of Doomcaster and keeping him away from the English game. :irony:


  18. Thinking aloud, could that explain why they are ‘saw dusting’ TRFC? To get any future liquidator of RIFC to sign off that the internal loan isn’t worth pursuing? Small problem of a stadium in that calculation!


  19. neepheid says:
    December 14, 2014 at 4:44 pm
    2 0 Rate This

    http://t.co/qjtpDj5vkd

    Regan getting out before all of Craig’s tapes are put in the public domain?

    You would have to suppose that if he was seen and proved (in court) to have presided over the Armageddon of the last few years in the Scottish FA that his position would be untenable in any of the home FAs (should his candidacy prove successful)


  20. I’m tempted to give a little cheer at the prospect of Reagan moving English FA, however I have no doubt whatsoever that a new fixer will simply be put in place to smooth the handling of the establishment club’s special requirements. And our craven SFA will simply carry on with business as usual.

    Whatever Reagan is, whatever his skills he is NOT what Scottish Football needed over the last few years or needs right now. We desperately need a man of principle a man not afraid to stand up in public and speak the truth. Oh and if the new man was a vertebrate of some sort that would advantageous.


  21. PhilMacGiollaBhain says:
    December 14, 2014 at 4:55 pm

    2

    0

    Rate This

    The Cat NR1 says:
    December 14, 2014 at 3:52 pm
    ====================================================
    The OnCons for Charlie and the boys are with RIFC.
    The exception is the Superstore deal for MA/SD-that is with TRFC.
    //////////////////////////////

    Cheers for clearing that up Phil.

    Not for the first time, I got myself confused by trying to rely on memory rather than going back to the original source of information. 🙄

    The “eternal club ethereal spirit thingy”/RIFC PLC/TRFC Ltd conflation claims yet another victim. 😳

    Is anything in the Govan saga straightforward? (Rhetorical). :irony:


  22. weeman says:
    December 14, 2014 at 11:16 am

    Will D stand for Demoted?

    A rather simple solution to the Board’s managerial problem would be to move Ally within the organisation which I believe is covered by “RFCL has the right, at any time after any notice of termination to suspend Mr McCoist’s duties or require him to only perform specific tasks or duties. During this period RFCL must continue to pay Mr McCoist’s basic salary.”

    A job swop with Billy Kirkwood would seem to be the most likely answer. Billy is presently Senior Academy Manager, U17 & U20 Coach and has achieved promotion out of the Division that Rangers are presently in, although a good number of years ago.
    ===================================================================

    Doesn’t work like that and it would allow McCoist to claim constructive dismissal.


  23. The General Secretary role at the FA is a bit different to the Chief Executive role at the SFA, so Regan might possible be all right for it – Greg Dyke does most of the media related stuff and seems to function as an Executive Chairman.

    On the other hand, I also thought Regan would do ok at the SFA after his time at Yorkshire CCC (which was one of the most dysfunctional sporting organisations in the world and which he seemed to make some progress in sorting out), so my track record on this isn’t great.


  24. @ eco. It might give Super a claim for constructive dismissal but would he dare take that course. He would still be collecting his over-inflated wedge and would risk turning the, shirley now minority, bears still supporting him against him.

    BTW I don’t get the argument he’s not interested in money. David de Gea is surely already a millionaire but Manchester United want to up it to pay him a million every 7 weeks to prevent the lure of the gallacticos.


  25. @ Jake YCCC’s disfunctionality was mainly down to merchandising being run at a loss. Maybe an onerous contract or two especially on the supply side. It rings some bells 😉


  26. The Cat NR1 says:
    December 14, 2014 at 5:11 pm
    ===============================================
    Indeed. Life was simpler when there was just football clubs.
    This club/company thing is rather confusing…


  27. A lateral thought
    All the focus to date presumes Ashley is only interested in selling shirts and similar merchandise
    But
    What if Ashleys real focus is on making money out of TRFC 
IN ANY WAY HE CAN ?
    There is an existing template at Ibrox for making money through onerous contracts. It is currently operated by a number of Spivs
    If Ashley can replace these Spivs and take over these onerous contracts he would only need to get TRFC to break even and he would laughing all the way to the Bank ( a road he knows very well)
    Indeed
    Could it be largely the Ashley NUFC template that TRFC Spivs are operating at present ?


  28. GoosyGoosy says:
    December 14, 2014 at 7:05 pm
    1 0 Rate This
    ————

    Yes, why not attempt to buy off Charlie & Friends and then run the whole scaled back show for maximum profit.

    Thing is, if there are legal issues about to complicate everything then it’s a non starter. Phil made a revealing comment about certain investors and padlocked gates 😯


  29. Danish Pastry says:
    December 14, 2014 at 7:15 pm
    ==================================================
    Indeed. It is a mess, a shambles.
    Llambias certainly thinks so….


  30. If Super Salary wasn’t interested in money he could have worked for free. The Bluenoses had already made him a millionaire. Why keep putting your hand in someone’s pocket in their time of need?


  31. And to think that anybody with more than two synapsing neurones could possibly believe TGEF is anything more than the pantomime villain. Murray needs stripped of his nighthood and imprisoned.

    November 19, 1998

    SECRET FEAR THAT DRIVES ME TO WIN;
    10 IN A ROW: Rangers chairman David Murray opens up on the
    highs and lows of his decade in charge of Rangers and
    promises that the best is still to come
    Exclusive James Traynor

    RANGERS owner David Murray doesn’t often allow his true
    feelings to surface, but currently he is finding it difficult to
    disguise a pain which has been gnawing away inside since the
    end of last season.
    After a period of almost total dominance of Scottish football
    during which Rangers racked up 17 trophies the club met with
    failure.
    Celtic won the championship and the League Cup and Hearts
    beat Rangers in the Tennents Scottish Cup final, leaving Murray
    with nothing to show for a massive investment in time and
    money.
    Even now he winces when he thinks of that season, but it is the
    vivid memory, and the pain of defeat with which he now suffers,
    that combine to drive him on.
    Last night as he looked back on a decade as Rangers’ owner –
    come this Sunday, the 22nd, it will be 10 years since he paid
    Lawrence Marlborough pounds 6million for the club – Murray’s
    desire to avoid the miseries of another barren season could not
    be disputed.
    To hear him speak was to listen to a man who believes himself
    to be charged with some kind of great and mighty mission.
    Murray, who chose to talk only to the Record about his dreams
    and ambitions for Rangers, said: “No one should doubt that
    Rangers are the biggest club in the country, but I know that talk is
    cheap in this business and that we will have to prove just how
    big we are.
    “That doesn’t really bother me because as long as I am able to
    influence this club we will be the biggest and we will be the best.
    “I have spent 10 years of my life, and I know that sometimes I
    gave up too much of myself to Rangers, but I am not about to
    give up now.
    “Neither am I willing to stand aside and allow another club to
    overtake Rangers. The failure of last season hurt me a lot and
    that pain was something I didn’t need nor want.
    “It is also a pain which I never want to suffer again, but by God
    that sort of thing just makes me even more determined to
    succeed. I am still as driven, still as enthusiastic and I will
    welcome the challenge of anyone out there.”
    Murray was referring not only to the Kenny Dalglish/Jim Kerr
    consortium who are stalking Celtic, but also the as yet
    uncovered groups who are bound to make bids to buy out
    Fergus McCann.
    If the past 10 years have taught Murray, who is one of Britain’s
    wealthiest individuals, anything it is how to win and he believes
    Rangers will continue to grow and prosper.
    “I look upon these last 10 years as a having been a great era, but
    it is over and Rangers are about to head on into a new era,” he
    said over a glass of the finest red.
    He was about to take in another mouthful of the most succulent
    lamb – anyone who knows Murray shouldn’t be surprised to learn
    he is a full-blooded, unashamed red meat eater – when he put
    down his knife and fork.
    It was like a statement of intent and looking directly across the
    table to make sure I hadn’t yet succumbed to the wine, he said:
    “Bring on the next 10 years, there’s more to come for Rangers.
    “Understand that I care passionately about what I’m doing with
    Rangers and believe that in 10 years time we will still be setting
    the pace.
    “Too many of us have put too much into this club and we won’t let
    someone come along and take it all away.
    “What I’m saying here is that no matter who buys Celtic from
    Fergus, they will need to have the deepest of pockets
    imaginable.
    “The fresh challenge would be good for the Scottish game and
    lift the profile, but Celtic’s new owners had better be prepared to
    spend.
    “In the past, Celtic’s people maybe just haven’t fancied trying to
    take Rangers on financially, but if I have to go in deeper to keep
    my club up there then I will. I have done it too many times to be
    frightened now.”
    From anyone else such talk could be dismissed as no more
    than empty rhetoric, but with Murray you just feel it is more than
    bluster and besides, he does have a track record as a spender.
    There have been times in his 10 years when he has taken
    Rangers somewhere between pounds 15m and pounds 20m
    into debt and he knows that if this season goes belly up like the
    last one he could be looking at a potential debt of pounds 20m.
    However, having taken the value of Rangers from pounds 6m to
    approximately pounds 186m in 10 years he knows how far he
    can gamble in pursuit of success.
    This season alone he has allowed his new manager Dick
    Advocaat to spend almost pounds 30m, but he refuses to lose
    any sleep over it.
    He said: “I don’t because I consider spending as much as
    pounds 5million on someone like Andrei Kanchelskis as a
    necessity. If a club like ours doesn’t do that then we fall by the
    wayside.
    “Look, I have many other businesses so I could find many other
    things to worry about, but I love sport and I want Rangers to be
    successful. I know this won’t be accepted by some people but
    this isn’t about making money.
    “pounds 56m has been invested in the stadium and in my time
    pounds 200m has been turned over and after interest our trading
    profit is minimal. Perhaps as much as pounds 60m has been
    spent on players and I have even paid in about pounds 1m in
    hospitality but never taken a salary from the place.
    “I get six complimentary tickets the same as everyone else and if
    I want extra I have to pay for them the same as everyone else.
    “There are no free lunches for David Murray at Ibrox and I have
    never taken part or been at the centre of any of the numerous
    victory celebrations we have had.”
    Murray disappears to celebrate success with a small group of
    close friends, leaving the roar of the crowd to wash over the
    players and management.
    “Supporters don’t want chairmen hanging around, even though
    they look to people like me to provide some kind of direction and
    the new ways to keep moving the club on,” he said.
    “I hope I can say that in my 10 years so far I’ve been fairly good at
    that, but the day I run out of ideas is the day I’ll know it’s over. I’m
    sure someone will tell me because I have good people around
    me, I always have.
    “But I’m not ready yet to step back and I see enough fresh
    challenges, staying ahead at home and winning a place at the
    European table, ahead in the next 10 years to keep my own
    adrenaline flowing.”
    He knows roughly how much it will cost him and he’s heard the
    rumours that ENIC, who have invested pounds 40m in Rangers,
    are uneasy at the club’s spending policies but Murray claims
    these backers have always been supportive of his methods.
    He said: “They could kick up a fuss but they don’t. Besides, I am
    the owner of the club and so far most people seem to like what
    I’ve done.”


  32. James Forrest says:
    December 14, 2014 at 8:08 pm
    ____________________________________

    Brilliant post James.


  33. Scottish FA chief executive Stewart Regan is being considered for the Football Association’s general secretary role, the BBC has learned writes Jim Spence today.

    How exactly did he/BBC learn this?

    Well, either Spencey reads this blog (http://www.tsfm.scot/a-spectre-is-haunting-scottish-football/comment-page-47/#comment-38358) or Stewart’s PR people have tipped him off that he has submitted his application?

    As applications do not close until Sunday 11 January 2015 does “being considered” mean that receipt of his application has been acknowledged ?

    The FA have a strong track record of promoting from within and only an outstanding candidate will buck that trend for this appointment.

    To help you assess whether Regan is an outstanding candidate I have attached the Selection criteria below.

    There are a few keywords contained therein which may strike a chord or raise a few eyebrows with some regarding his ability to meet them.

    For those who wish to make their thoughts known either for or against his application to both Mel Milner, FA Group HR Director and Simon Cummins, Managing Partner, Global Sports Practice, Odgers Berndtson should use the following:-

    simon.cummins@odgersberndtson.com and info@thefa.com (marked FAO – Ms M Milner, HR Director)

    Attached: Selection criteria
    The successful candidate will be a well-rounded business person who is credible in terms of scale, business experience, achievements and reputation in the eyes of the Council, the Board and a multitude of divergent stakeholders. S/he will act as a ‘talent magnet’ for The FA; motivational skills will be paramount.
    They will bring gravitas and political agility, lead the management team, develop business and influence key stakeholders, ranging across the Professional and Grassroots game, domestically and internationally, government, the media and the broader football community.
    Above all, the candidate must have resilience, impeccable integrity and a commercial track record of growing businesses, ideally with an international dimension.

    Previous business experience

    Substantial and proven success as a senior executive in leading a substantial and complex organisation through a period of multi-faceted transformation with significant P&L and balance sheet accountability. Involvement in consumer-facing businesses (e.g. FMCG, leisure, media, retail, technology or travel & hospitality) would be helpful.
    
    Proven ability to establish a strategic vision for a business and to lead the organisational, management and cultural changes to realise that vision.
    
    A strong track record of delivering against demanding targets with evidence of success in generating growth.
    
    Evidence of involvement in business development and the building of successful commercial and financial relationships with third party partners.
    
    Proven negotiating skills in commercial, legal and financial transactions.
    
    Strong communications skills both orally and in writing.

    Evidence of practical experience of dealing with the media.

    Personal Attributes
    
    Outstanding leadership skills with the ability to motivate and inspire confidence and to work collaboratively, both internally and externally, to achieve demanding goals.
    
    Authoritative, effective, high impact individual and articulate, tactful and open in communicating with others.
    
    A committed and robust individual, prepared to work the necessary hours and at weekends. Leads in terms of commitment and work ethic by personal example.
    
    An analytical, numerate and disciplined thinker who has the ability to think complex issues through and develop effective solutions in a timely manner.
    
    Politically astute, with a high level of integrity and an open style able to build trust and effective working relationships with all of The FA’s stakeholders.


  34. weeman says:
    December 14, 2014 at 8:20 pm

    “Politically astute, with a high level of integrity and an open style able to build trust and effective working relationships with all of The FA’s stakeholders.”
    _____________________________________________________

    Ha!!!! Don’t make me laugh đŸ˜„


  35. RE Bryce Curdy post on 1998 article by James Traynor
    JT has an interesting personality… he seemed to think that having touched the hem of the garment, he understood the garment and this gave him bragging rights (see On Fields Of Green link from James Forrest) over any Davie-from-Cambuslang who called Your Call; he was a one-trick pony but his one trick sustained him in the scottish media until he was nearly 60 (and even got him a year’s work at Ibrox)… it’s funny really – JT disappeared from the BBC and the Record two years ago but it seems longer; like someone that bumptious and patronising could hardly have been there at all …


  36. PhilMacGiollaBhain says:
    December 14, 2014 at 7:57 pm

    Indeed. It is a mess, a shambles.
    Llambias certainly thinks so

    ================================
    And yet, reading between the lines, Mike Ashey still seems to think it may be worth putting money in to keep the show on the road, else why bother having Mr Llambias do the cost cutting stuff in the first place… ❓

    Cut what you can…raise some money by selling players in January…replace with NUFC loanees…show that costs can be cut in the long run to give some confidence for a further share issue…would Ashley’s continued involvement give sufficient comfort to new investors to suggest that Rangers might (long term) no longer be a money pit… ❓


  37. @weeman I stopped reading about 10 words in where it said credible. To be credible you tender your resignation very soon after you realise the “hopelessly conflicted” boss won’t tender his. For the avoidance of doubt that was more than 2 and a half years ago for Regan.


  38. From the Sports Direct website mission statement thingy.

    Were all wrong its all about:

    “Charity

    Sport is our passion. We believe that everyone should have a chance to participate in sports and enjoy the health and lifestyle benefits it brings. We provide a wide range of equipment and clothing to promote sports participation amongst people of all abilities, including those who would not normally have access to equipment and facilities.”


  39. Tykebhoy

    Damn right on that one. Someone somewhere had to fall on their sword for this farrago. For everyone to stand back and say “well I’m not doing it” wasn’t an option, particularly when the patient didn’t recover, apparently then did, and then proceeded to head for the cliff again once more!


  40. Barcabhoy says:
    December 14, 2014 at 11:22 am

    “Some clarification by our legal community would be useful regarding the admission of taped evidence . This is what Lords McCluskey and Sutherland ruled on the matter previously”
    —————————
    Rather than attempting to provide a cogent response I am better able to talk around the subject to exercise the possibilities. As we are talking here only about the mode of evidence rather than the evidence itself then we may have some leeway with respect to contempt.

    There are all manner of covert surveillance material that can be employed in court proceedings. CCTV, authorised phone taps and arrested e:mail communications comprise evidence that has been gathered surreptitiously and without the consent of those entrained so I’m not sure that covert acquisition in itself would nullify such evidence. What might prove problematic is that Whyte’s tapes have been obtained from a partial source.

    Whyte must have realised that he was in league with the devil so sought to indemnify his position by having corroboration of his argument. I’m sure the tapes themselves can be analysed to determine who has said what, at least to a degree that would prove evidential, however we may not have the full picture. It may be difficult to determine whether a taped conversation represents the whole conversation or whether it is a selected extract. This might colour the admissability of such information.

    Some of the audio extracts do seem to represent a continuous stream (pun) of events from lift to toilet and taken alongside diary entries and phone records it might be possible to tie this down to some extent.

    I’d imagine a court would be obliged to at least consider all evidence that might affect its decision. I’m sure that citizen journalism input will have been used in court proceedings. If there is some way of illustrating authenticity then I’d imagine a court would be bound to take such evidence into account. The recording technology may have time information embedded within it that can corroborate events.

    One reason I have never been entirely sure of the source of the Charlotte material is the level of potential self incrimination involved. It could be that Whyte carefully coached himself prior to these audio sessions to ensure he didn’t say anything that would implicate himself. This in itself would colour the evidence in my very humble opinion. However I felt the audio was rather candid and within the limitations of a bag of rattlesnakes, fairly frank.

    I think it was Ryan Gosling that mentioned that we had become vicariously rather pally with ‘Craigie boy’, although this assertion does not stand up so well when compared with epithets of even greater provenance like MBB and TGEF. However the audio and much of the documentation have provided us with an appreciation of his predicament and someone who was at one time vilified is perhaps seen as a victim in these enterprises as much as a protagonist.

    It could prove ironic that if TGEF is Charlotte, his eventual salvation may be provided partly from the investigative hands of RTC/TSFM which he once expressed so much contempt about.


  41. The Sons of Truth et al have always been careful never to join in the criticism of McCoist. He still has a constituency out there and it’s not a shoo-in that the board will be able to sack him.

    If they do I think we will see more of the “it’s not our club any more” such as the below and possibly a new entity being created. #my2c

    http://goo.gl/axTURU


  42. I know someone who is inclined to believe the tapes are CW. He’s got a big red robe, he’s not Santa and if not in Scotland then he will hear them in his court in England regardless as he has instructed legal persons to gather them together for his listening pleasure. And did Craigie say which court he would do the unveiling in?


  43. That guy in the SOS piece, for all his passion, couldnt bring himself to type the L word, and until they do they cant move forward.


  44. parttimearab says:
    December 14, 2014 at 8:33 pm
    =======================================================
    Good question.
    There is certainly an opportunity cost for MA in having DL and BL at RIFC/TRFC.
    Two of his most trusted lieutenants at Ibrox when they could be elsewhere.
    So far his cash outlay is close to zero.
    He has recycled merchandising profits and the loans are secured.


  45. McMurdo now a Celtic Fan – OFFICIAL.

    He’ll be posting on here next!


  46. andygraham.66 says:
    December 14, 2014 at 9:38 pm
    That guy in the SOS piece, for all his passion, couldnt bring himself to type the L word, and until they do they cant move forward.
    ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
    Nope
    That guy in the SOS piece is hurting
    and as the song goes
    He ain`t heavy………… he`s my brother


  47. Just read the sunday papers ( i know i have been busy)
    Davie Provan.. Loved him as a player but as a journalist?

    In one column, Rangers can provide better domestic opposition in the long term.

    And in the other column,rangers are a basket case of a club.

    Maybe he has a ghost writer,or maybe he wrote the two stories on different days. 😕


  48. Cluster One …

    I sometimes feel there is a King Canute quality to the writing of most of the SMSM.

    Even now they can’t quite believe what is happening and what the likely consequences are going to be.

    Scottish Football is doing no bad at the moment, jist a little local difficulty down Govan way.


  49. I see the Driscoll brothers are being mentioned in dispatches. All sorts of derogatory names and comments from all sorts.Apparently they need to be removed forthwith.
    Good luck with that one. I’m sure they’re shaking in their shoes.


  50. The other month T’Rangers said they needed ÂŁ8m. They got closer to ÂŁ3m. Has anything really changed to make it an attractive investment with a return anywhere on the horizon now they are back wanting ÂŁ8m again.

    Can’t see it myself therefore who is going to put money into this omnishambles??


  51. redlichtie says:
    December 14, 2014 at 11:29 pm
    ‘..Scottish Football is doing no bad at the moment, jist a little local difficulty down Govan way.’
    ———
    It is doing very well.
    It would be doing even better if Regan and company on the SFA board, and Longmuir and Doncaster on the then SFL and SPL Boards, had not been so determined to undermine the game by all their bloody nonsense about Armageddon to justify their dirty work in ‘saving’ a ‘Rangers’, and had got on with
    a)the business of dealing with a failed club as properly and appropriately as they should have done,
    b) had not accommodated a very doubtful new club founded by very
    doubtful individuals in very dubious circumstances, a new club which has since presented them with even more problems that they show no balls in dealing with
    and
    c) had had a bit of the entrepreneurial gumption and business drive of a Barry Hearn to FOSTER the bloody game.
    The ‘business’ world of Scottish Football is adapting quite well to such losses of revenue that might have been occasioned by the absence of that most vile fixture that filled our accident and emergency wards.
    And to those who would argue that it is the absence of that fixture that causes difficulties in finding big-money sponsors, I would say, so what? Who wants an aggregation of ‘businesses’ whose business success is founded on such a hate-filled perversion of Sport?
    Not I.
    And, if Regan manages to con his way into the FA, perhaps the rottenness at the heart of the SFA will begin to be seen for what it is, and has been-a cancer caused by the very unhealthy connection, revolving door between the 6th Floor and the marble staircase.A connection that, unfortunately, is still brass-neckedly there.
    In my opinion.
    And no goats or other specimens of wild-life have been injured in the composition of this post.


  52. Castofthousands says:
    December 14, 2014 at 9:05 pm
    ‘…Whyte must have realised that he was in league with the devil so sought to indemnify his position by having corroboration of his argument.’
    ———–
    The last thing in President Nixon’s mind when he recorded his stuff was that the recordings would ever be used in a Court of Law.
    I suspect that whoever recorded the stuff that Charlotte leaked was also NOT minded that the tapes would ever actually be used in Court proceedings, but just to privately settle disputes between one set of crooked lawyers ( his) and another set of similarly amoral lawyers ( those engaged by any backsliding partners in crookedness), albeit with the threat that he might go public.
    In other words, the recorder had to record ‘honestly’ to keep matters in context, even if that might have required that he compromise himself by having to record himself as being party to dodgy dealing.
    But who knows? We’ll have to wait for the book of the film!
    Or, perhaps, the outcome of English court cases.


  53. After the decent Scotsman article on Friday. we now have a piece of mince today from a Stephen Halliday, claiming that Stevie Clark & Rino Gattuso are in the frame to replace McCoist.
    Because Clark is not with a club just now, and Gattuso’s wife is from Glasgow.

    No quotes, or even ‘a source said’ – just a “The Scotsman understands”. :slamb:

    http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/rangers-rino-gattuso-in-frame-to-succeed-mccoist-1-3634350
    ===================================================
    Come to think of it, the best person to easily take over from McCoist and ensure TRFC completes the journey this season…

    is Walter !

    Makes sense for both the Board and the fans, if only to the end of the season.


  54. Bryce Curdy says:
    December 14, 2014 at 8:11 pm
    ===================================

    I remember that article well from the days it was written. There were many similar at the time. Personally I don’t believe we are far away at all from the same thing happening again. The desperate rubbish we were subjected to a few weeks ago about Ashley funding an assault on the Champions League is an example. It wasn’t from just one media source either, it was a widespread view.

    Going back to the era of the article in question, I have a favourite memory. Jock Brown had been appointed as Celtic General Manager, and a few colleagues were having much fun at my expense. I actually thought Brown was wrongly maligned by many for no real reason but that is another story. Anyway, on the day in question one of my colleagues was excitedly telling us all that ‘a car was waiting at the Airport, to pick up Del Piero and take him to Ibrox to sign’. Apparently a Journalist had told him this. I’ll never forget that moment.


  55. Sky/stock exchange

    12 month notice and wages to original figure

    cant see the “super” tag staying long term if he is still there next season


  56. Just saw on the BBC that TRFC have accepted Ally’s resignation and he is now serving his 12 months notice…


  57. “During the Notice Period, Mr McCoist’s salary will increase significantly to GBP 750,000 per annum.

    Unusual statement – never seen one so setting up an employee for opprobrium in today’s difficult financial situation.

    They hope for an amicable solution and expect to make a further announcement before the end of the week!

    Scottish Football needs a strong Arbroath.


  58. Credit where it’s due for a bit of self deprecation from Keith Jackson last night. He’d been tweeting about the Geminid meteor shower.
    “More ‘jokes’ please about these asteroids being on or off the radar. Never gets dull that patter. Keep em coming.”


  59. Famous song says:
    December 15, 2014 at 8:06 am

    And yet he never learns! Still regurgitating PR blurbs instead of doing research. I don’t read much of his, other than posted here, but his tweets seem to be of a higher standard, and show a higher degree of knowledge, than his DR puff pieces.


  60. 15 December 2014

    Rangers International Football Club plc
    (“Rangers” or the “Company”)

    Resignation of the Football Manager

    The Company announces that Alastair McCoist, manager of the first team squad, has resigned. His service contract dated 28 December 2010, which was subsequently amended, has a 12 month notice period (“Notice Period”). The Directors will hold discussions with Mr McCoist to seek an amicable solution in the best interests of the Company, and expect to be in a position to make a further announcement before the end of the week. During the Notice Period, Mr McCoist’s salary will increase significantly to GBP750,000 per annum.

    It’s the ‘subsequently amended’ bit that interests me. I assume this is when he had a ‘bonus’ added. He had bonuses in the original contract which dates back to pre this lot of spiv times.

    But the bonuses were based on European success, winning the triple and such like. Nothing that covered the inglorious slog through the lower leagues no matter what he won. Well maybe the Scottish Cup – I’ll need to check.

    He’s obviously been hung out to dry with the support – a final nail in the coffin. But is it – some fans are much more awake these days and know that everyone’s been feeding deeply at the money trough.

    Oh and there never was a wage ‘cut’. If anything there wasd a deferral which will have to be paid back on one of two triggers. His departure or promotion to the Premiership.

    I don’t think even Black will be making a book on that one 🙂


  61. The bonuses to be paid under McCoist’s original contract.

    Mr McCoist is entitled to bonus payments should the following events occur:

    (i) the Club wins the SPL and an additional bonus if this leads to automatic qualification to the Champions League Group;
    (ii) the Club wins the Scottish Domestic Treble;
    (iii) the Club qualifies for the Group Stage of the Champions League through the
    qualifying route;
    (iv) on qualification as one of the last of the 16 teams in the Champions League, such bonuses as are payable by the Company to the players plus an additional 25 per cent.; and
    (v) on receipt of prize money in respect of the European Competition (other than the
    Champions League), such bonuses as payable to the players.

    RFCL has the right, at any time after any notice of termination to suspend Mr McCoist’s duties or require him to only perform specific tasks or duties. During this period RFCL must continue to pay Mr McCoist’s basic salary.


  62. As I have pointed out repeatedly since Friday there was no way the Board could make any statement prior to an AIM announcement as the resignation of the manager could potentially affect the shareprice.

    Interestingly the Regulatory statement made to AIM this morning fails to point out that McCoist was listed as a ‘Key’ employee of Rangers in the AIM Flotation Prospectus back in December 2012.

    There was only one other ‘key’ employee listed in that document – that was Imran Ahmad.

    It would appear that accepting the key of the door to Ibrox is fraught with danger and should be avoided at all costs – och mibbe getting paid a few million puts some icing on the cake 😆


  63. In the AIM statement, it says

    “”His service contract dated 28 December 2010, which was subsequently amended, has a 12-month notice period.”

    A bit vague on WHY his contract was amended since 2010
    and how can RIFC even claim he has been with RIFC since 2010 as they did not exist then!!!???

    Was it because RFC went BUST ?


  64. jimlarkin says:
    December 15, 2014 at 9:11 am

    A bit vague on WHY his contract was amended since 2010
    and how can RIFC even claim he has been with RIFC since 2010 as they did not exist then!!!???

    ——————

    Continuity of service under TUPE. I was once worked for a company that had been in existence for 15 years and the longest serving employee had 28 years service.


  65. jimlarkin says:
    December 15, 2014 at 9:11 am

    In the AIM statement, it says

    “His service contract dated 28 December 2010, which was subsequently amended, has a 12-month notice period.”

    A bit vague on WHY his contract was amended since 2010
    and how can RIFC even claim he has been with RIFC since 2010 as they did not exist then!!!???
    ============================================
    His 2010 contract with the Rangers that was liquidated was part of the business and assets sold to Green by D&P. As such it was subject to Tupe like every other contract which meant the terms and conditions had to be observed by the new employer which was Sevco Scotland.

    Obviously there are lots of reasons for contracts being amended. In McCoist’s case I have always thought he was well and truly p*ssed off at the bonuses based on football targets paid to all and sundry and yet he didn’t get any.

    If you look at one of my posts above you’ll see the explanation of this.

    The other reason for his contract being amended could have been the reduction in wages. I have always believed that if this actually happened then it was merely temporary and would be repaid by trigger points such as winning promotion to the Premiership or resigning or being sacked as manager.

    If the amendement was about the wage cut then I have always considered that McCoist might have his own separate ‘onerous contract’ that covers football bonuses and I am sure that would have covered previous promotions from the SFL3 base point – but that’s a guess.


  66. Its fair to say that a new beginning is about to see the light of day.

    But as to the beginning of what well that is a good question.


  67. Very interesting game of busmanship, I mean brinksmanship, going on here.

    It looks at first glance as though the board is seeking to force McCoist into accepting terms to walk away, not least by embarrassing him with revelations of the amount he is taking out of cash-strapped Sevco.

    However, what might McCoist have to reveal in return? What embarrassing details might he slip into the public domain as a parting shot? And at what stage will the gloves come off? This could become really compelling.

    I cannot be the only person to have heard tales of a football manager’s previous attempts to embarrass members of his clumpany’s board in public in recent months. Examples include this exchange (I paraphrase):

    Board member: Whit ye daein signing that has-been haddie as a striker?

    Football manager: Listen, pal, I don’t tell you whit bus to put oan for the Kilwinning-to-Beith service, do I? So don’t you try to tell me which players to put in my team.

    How they all laughed.

    But who’s laughing now? And who will have the last laugh?

    Pass the popcorn.


  68. y4rmy says:
    December 15, 2014 at 9:17 am

    So, if Somers does go, and I know it’s only rumour because I read it in a ‘newspaper’, just what percentage of the remaining board will be Ashley’s men? Just how much power will that give him?

    Come on, SFA, try acting before it’s too late, a concept I know is alien to you! You’ve failed in your duties at every hurdle so far, might well be worth your while to try doing something right this time, by sticking to your own rules! If you stick to the rules, whatever the outcome, you will know you’ve done the right thing. You never know, there might be a bigger association keeping an eye on you 🙄


  69. jimlarkin says:
    December 15, 2014 at 9:11 am

    Is it not just the case that he and his contract were Tuped over to the newco therefore they have to refer to it as it applies to his period of employment with bith old and newco..

    Anyway on Off the Ball on Saturday Graham Spiers was pretty clear on three things having known McCoist for over 20 years of being on the job. (Which of course is something not many of us on here can say).

    1) He is a decent guy
    2) He is not a very good football manager
    3) He better watch himself as this latest development could rob him completely of his reputation and legendary status with T’Rangers fans.

    So 2 out of 3 ain’t bad because the question was never raised why a while range of decent guys who found they had gone as far as they could (recent examples being Strachan at Middlesborugh, McCall, Craig) all done the decent thing and went quietly with or without compensation so the team can get on with it, why is McCoist hanging about like a bad smell.

    I am sure McCoist does feel sorry for long term employees who are getting shown the door but unless he can say he is going to use his pay-off in a manner which helps these people or perhaps ‘does an Ahmad’ and says he will give it back to the club, he is going to be seen as just another in a long line of parasites.

    Hard to see how he comes out of this looking good unless he truly walks away without any cash and thus doesn’t have to sign a confidentially agreement so he can get a deal for his story of what went on behind the scenes.

    That is a scenario that may just about keep in onside with the fans, albeit blabbing to the press is apparently not the ‘Rangers Way’.


  70. Could someone clear up my confusion? McCoist originally had a contract that paid 825,000 per year. He then (allegedly) took a pay cut of 50% in October 2013. Now we’re being told he will have a wage hike up to 750,000 for the last year of his contract. Well, unless he signed a NEW contract in October 2013, clearly indicating that his salary would now be 412,500, rather than a voluntary salary reduction, ‘gesture of good will’ on his part, this 750,000 actually represents, contractually, a drop of 75,000 per year. So, did he sign a NEW CONTRACT in October 2013 with lower salary or did his original contract have a clause where his salary would drop for the final year? Is it normal for someone to take a salary cut in their final year? I hope I have explained this clearly, because as I read it, it becomes more confusing.


  71. Jake Cantona says:
    December 15, 2014 at 9:18 am
    1 0 Rate This

    jimlarkin says:
    December 15, 2014 at 9:11 am

    A bit vague on WHY his contract was amended since 2010
    and how can RIFC even claim he has been with RIFC since 2010 as they did not exist then!!!???

    ——————

    Continuity of service under TUPE. I was once worked for a company that had been in existence for 15 years and the longest serving employee had 28 years service
    . . . . . . . . . . .
    Yeah, that’s my point…When he “agreed” to TUPE over, that’s when and where the amendments were made.
    Charles Green needed AMc to TUPE over, that’s when the free shares and other amendments, etc etc were put in place.
    at least the bampots led me to believe such . . . .


  72. Since we are talking matters Tupe etc just a wee reminder for Bill Millar’s man Jon Pritchett writing in Forbes magazine in Aug 2102 why a cull of so within the club was required.

    “As if that wasn’t enough, the analysis of management and executive contracts revealed more grim news. Due to the long-standing largess of the club, fully 70% of the fixed salaries and benefits of the employees were insulated from reduction or elimination. Without the ability to significantly reduce overhead expenses, a commercially reasonable turnaround of Rangers FC was not feasible. From Bill Miller’s perspective, there appeared no possible return on his considerable investment. I agreed with his assessment.”

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