Now that we are at the end of the league season, and with respect to the job still to be done at Tannadice and McDiarmid Park, it seems like a good time for a post holocaust report.
Fig 1 Average Weekly Attendances SPL 2011-2014
Peppered around this page are three charts and a table* showing the attendance figures for the SPL in the last three seasons. A school kid could tell you that there is a positive trend in those charts and figures, but the people who run our national sport will look you straight in the eye and tell you “that can’t be right – Armageddon is coming!”
It is one of the most ridiculous and mendacious situations I have ever come across. The people who run our national game, aided and abetted by those in the MSM (sans the eye contact though) are actually trying to persuade us of how awful our game is and how unsustainable it will be in the absence of one, just one, club.
Think about that. The SFA and the SPFL trying to talk us out of supporting the game unless we all recognise the unique importance of one, just one, club. That is what has happened, no matter how they try to spin it. And despite evidence to the contrary contained in these figures, not one of them has admitted to an error, never mind the downright lies that they told to support the position they held, the one where anyone speaking of sporting integrity was mocked and ridiculed.
Whilst growing up as football supporter in the 60s, one of things I was constantly bombarded with via the medium of the tabloid newspapers was that football clubs should be grateful for the publicity afforded them via their back pages. These were probably reasonable claims, especially in the light of the relative lack of access to players and officials conceded to the hacks in those days, and the pre-eminent cultural position in which they helped to place football. Alongside that, the broadcast media, particularly Archie Macpherson’s Sportscene and Arthur Montford’s Scotsport could be relied on to talk the game up. Of course, there was something in it for the papers – sales. The more column inches devoted to the national sport, the further northward their sales, and consequently advertising revenues travelled.
Fig 2 Avg. Attendances excl Celtic & Rangers
The situation was further cemented by the fact that the press in that ante-interweb era held a monopoly over the exchange and dissemination of information. That symbiotic, win-win relationship between football and the press was as much a part of football reality as the Hampden Roar. It also endured for decades. The press would talk up the game to such an extent that folk often remarked that they hadn’t realised how much they had enjoyed a particular match until they had read Malky Munro or Hughie Taylor’s report the next day. Archie Macpherson is on record as having said the same thing about legendary commentator David Francey, “It was a much better game to listen to than to see!”
Today that symbiosis is broken. The press themselves, in print and in front of microphones consistently belittle the product, talk of crises and Armageddon, of our own version of the Eisenhower domino effect of clubs going to the wall one after another.
Aided and abetted by the two chief bureaucrats in charge of Scottish football, Stuart Regan and Neil Doncaster, who have consistently helped to hammer home the message that Scottish football is not good enough, and cannot sustain itself financially without Rangers, a club that could not itself sustain itself financially to the extent that it is being liquidated.
At a time when Scottish football was clearly in crisis, and badly in need of sponsorship which could mitigate the effects of that crisis, the press and the authorities sought to strengthen their own negotiating hand by making negative claims about the state of the game which never came to pass, and for which they have never apologised. The actual situation, which would not have been hard to predict had anyone actually bothered to analyse the business of Scottish football, is summarised quite easily by saying this;
- Since Rangers’ liquidation and subsequent absence from the top league, the average home attendance of the other clubs has INCREASED overall (See Fig 2).
- In this season, the other clubs have added 50,000 fans to home attendances compared to 2011-12 (the last year Rangers were in competition).
- In that time the league has been won (twice) by Celtic, and the other honours have been claimed by St, Mirren, Aberdeen, Celtic and (either) Dundee United or St Johnstone.
- In that time, both Dunfermline Athletic and Hearts (who both had historical financial problems) entered – and exited – administration after fan-led buyouts.
- Dundee United have cleared off their bank debt.
- Kilmarnock have restructured their bank debt, freeing the club from a precarious long-term situation.
- League reconstruction has allowed some money to trickle down to the second tier clubs in an attempt to mitigate the immediate effects of relegation and to reward ambitious clubs.
Looking at the table of attendances above, it is pretty clear that immediately upon Rangers exit, the overall figures took a dip. However there was little difference the in the figures if you leave Rangers out of the equation (Fig 3) – despite Celtic’s attendance taking a hit that year (down by around 5,000 per home match).
Taking Celtic out of the calculations, it is clear that there is a 6,000 uplift in this average (Fig 2).
It is still undeniable that less people overall are watching football (Fig 1), but the trend is upward if one leaves the Ibrox club out of the picture.
Furthermore, this statistic exposes the double edged sword that is retention of home gates. The fact that gates are not shared is predicated upon the notion that the bigger clubs do not depend on the smaller clubs for income. And since the smaller clubs are no longer recipients of big club largesse, their fortunes are not affected, at least not as much as was suggested by the Regans, Doncasters and Traynors of this parish. The “Trickle-Down” theory of Reganomics said otherwise – but clearly and demonstrably it was wrong.
The abandonment of gate sharing has made Scottish football less interdependent than it once was, but the irony is that it works both ways. There is hardly a club in the country that depends on Rangers for their own existence, and here is the news; small clubs are no longer financially dependent on the former Old Firm.
Fig 3 Excluding Celtic
The fact, that is F-A-C-T, is that Scottish Football attendances in the top division are on the increase. The absence of Rangers has made no appreciably negative difference to any other club, far less caused a catastrophe of biblical proportions.
Even if the fools who were the harbingers of our doom were simply guilty of making an honest mistake, it is clear that they are uncontaminated with the slightest notion of how the game in this country operates. The Old Firm may be dead, but the OF prism is still being peered through by Stuart Regan, Neil Doncaster and the vast majority of print journalists. The latter who failed to honour that age-old football/press symbiosis because they believed, erroneously that David Murray’s dinner table was the hand that has fed them for over a century.
The irony is that as job opportunities diminish in the print sector, so too will the fine dining and patronage. I think they call that evolution.
Two years ago, in the wake of the fans’ season ticket revolt which saw the new Rangers forced to apply for membership of the league and begin at the bottom, those same MSM hacks taunted fans about putting their money where their mouths were. The fans responded splendidly as our statistics demonstrate, but typically there has been no recognition of this either at Hampden or in the media.
And the message from those fans is this: Scottish football is not dying. Not any more. At least not as surely as it was when David Murray started to choke the life out of it in the late 80s. The supporters are returning in numbers to see a competition untainted by the outrageous liberty-taking and rule-breaking of the last couple of decades, and all but one club has emerged from the mire of the Moonbeam Millennium looking forward to a new era.
If authorities allow the new era to thrive by restoring sporting integrity to the agenda, then the numbers, like the opportunities available to more and more clubs, will grow. The question is … will they?
Admittedly, these figures, like any set of statistics, can be cherry-picked to suit almost any argument that you care to construct. The fact remains though, that whilst it would be fanciful and ridiculously over-optimistic to claim that they bear witness to a burgeoning industry, it is utterly dishonest to conclude that they represent financial Armageddon. Armageddon? Aye right!
@HirsutePursuit Good post the last questioning statement you’d think would be a good story for a young intrepid journo but as you know these areas are NOT to be explored. Probably covered in the 5WA a document that has probably seen more edits than the next star wars movie..
Does anyone have the docs that describe the comp system in these circumstances? I am sure the doc would clear things up and be very clear and concise. 😎
sannoffymesssoitizz Here Here mate…Only need to check the first couple of posts on the bears den (regards the article) to see these cretin for what they are.
Campbellsmoney
Some new £70 `Investors` and a couple of TUPEs
• Campbells Money – Uruguay
• SteveBC – USA
• ChristyBoy – Italy
• Ryan Gosling – Argentina
• Kicker Conspiracy – Germany
• MCFC – England
• Brenda – Spain
• Redlichtie – Brazil [somewhere in Arbroath? 😉 ]
• Ianmacant – Chile
• Smartie1947 – Scotland
• Andy – Brazil
• Barcabhoy – Argentina
• Cowanpete – Belgium
• Taratanwulwer – Belgium
• ClusterOne – Mexico
• ParaHandy – Netherlands
• Doonhammer – Portugal
• DanishPastry – Denmark 😉
• twopanda – France
• Macfurgley – Uruguay
• Castofthousands – Ghana
• JohnClark – Chile
• Peterjung – South Korea
• Sannoffymesssoitizz – Colombia
• Resin_lab_dog – England
• Upthehoops – Germany
• Paulmac2 – Spain
• Mattyroth – Cameroon
MSM take N. Korea
SFA/SPFL will take anything with a non-extradition treaty
Any more ` Investors` ?
[Don`t tell`em about a share issue CM]
sannoffymesssoitizz says:
June 8, 2014 at 2:04 pm
if their article’s inherant tone of incitement should any illegal acts be threatened or carried out against Stephen Thompson or Dundee United FC for their perfectly reasonable interpretation of employee contract law.
One would have thought a leading article in a newspaper synonymous with Dundee , in fact a veritable institution in the city, would have adopted a more even-handed approach or even a Tannadice slant on such a matter.
Paw Broon must be turning in his grave to witness such a craven stance in this former bastion of journalism, one of Dundee’s iconic 3 “J”s
May I have Ivory Coast please?
Twopanda Argentina for JB
twopanda says:
June 8, 2014 at 2:17 pm
Put me down for Spain
JimBhoy says: June 8, 2014 at 2:14 pm
Cheers mate, but no need for me to visit the death star to assess the levels of permarage of the deluded. 😉
JimBhoy says:
June 8, 2014 at 2:07 pm
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@HirsutePursuit Good post the last questioning statement you’d think would be a good story for a young intrepid journo but as you know these areas are NOT to be explored. Probably covered in the 5WA a document that has probably seen more edits than the next star wars movie..
Does anyone have the docs that describe the comp system in these circumstances? I am sure the doc would clear things up and be very clear and concise. 😎
============================================
The SFA Registration Procedures set out the mechinism. The exact costs seem shrouded in mystery; though, the Telfer case suggests around £25k per year.
http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/resources/documents/SFAPublications/SFAHandbook/13%20RegProced.pdf
I missed this article from a few weeks ago; though it is something that has been simmering for 3 or 4 years now since a boy was forced out of the game for a year because his previous club was enforcing its right to compensation.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-27467443
Smartie 1947 says at 8 June 2014 at 2.22pm
I I haven’t read the Sunday Post since my ma (God rest her) stopped giving me the Broons or Oor Wullie books for Christmas. My recollection is that many articles began “a Sunday Post reader overheard this on a bus” It would seem that there has been little improvement in its standard of journalism.
Ps to twopanda can I go for Argentina?
Well OT but I thought this sort of political stuff was frowned upon. Last time I looked, ‘The Falklands’ wanted to be under British rule and are still? I suppose the Argentinian football side like to be used as tools for their government. I suppose the bigger you are, the more FIFA bottle it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27383488
That Sunday Post story could become very interesting!
Wish I had been a fly on the wall if it had been Thompson who personally delivered the put down to TRFC: did he smile?
You would think TRFC would grab the offer – and ensure there was strict confidentiality on amount paid.
And ultimately, Dundee United have the option of appealing to the Court of Session in Edinburgh – without fear of any SFA punishment for doing so…as TRFC itself set that useful precedent… 🙂
I’m probably too late, twopanda, but since Albion Rovers isn’t a choice I bags Spain 😉 I will watch their game with The Netherlands whilst over here in the scorching heat 😎
http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=2986&newsID=13396&newsCategoryID=1
A statement from Regan!!! We’ll be hearing from Ogilvie next.
As I said earlier, TUPE only relates to the protection of employees, and not to the employer. Long before TUPE was ever introduced laws existed that covered commercial transactions. TRFC, under Green, have already come a cropper to the misconception that the buyer of the company was in someway protected by the TUPE regulations. Regardless of TUPE, or even the SFA rules, the ultimate decision (if it gets that far) rests with the Courts and the insolvency laws. Now it’s hard to imagine that the insolvency laws would cover a situation where compensation is to be paid under a sporting body’s rules but is not enshrined in law, but they may well do so. If they do, it will be a simple matter for TRFC’s lawyers to ascertain that, and the matter will be solved. It may well be necessary for TRFC to show that they paid this compensation to the administrators and the cash sum would probably have to be documented as compensation for Telfer, I doubt this will have been detailed (Charles probably thought it was covered, if he even thought of it, under TUPE). I think this will only become a major problem if the SFA back TRFC in the dispute, and, if they have any sense, they won’t. If they do, it will then come down to DUFC’s determination to see the matter to it’s proper conclusion, and inflammatory articles, by TRFC sympathisers in newspapers, are unlikely to help TRFC in the long run.
Wouldn’t it be nice if the, relatively, small matter of £100,000 saw the downfall, not only of TRFC’s ‘same club’ mantra, but also the men at the SFA who have gerrymandered their own rules to suit the Govan club!
SFA beware, for none of you are as clever as you think you are!
Never too late Jean – Spain it is! 😉
Now looking for a home for;
Monaco
Liechtenstein
British Virgin Islands BVI
Any takers? – its only 7m quid a pop [+ VAT]
I don’t know if it adds to the Telfer discussion, but here is a copy of a letter from D&P authorising Sevco/TRFC to play players registered with RFC (IL) from 27 July 2012. Charlie Telfer is one of those named, for whom the transfer of registration is requested.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/228655347/2012-07-27-Transfer-of-Player-Registrations
The request for dispensation was made referencing SPL Rule D1.16, pending the transfer of the SPL share to Dundee. The SPL rule, at that date, read as follows:
D1.16 A Registered Player must not, except with the prior consent of the Board and the Club to which he is Registered, play Football for any other Football club in any competition or except with the prior consent of the Club to which he is Registered, train with such other Football Club.
neepheid says:
June 8, 2014 at 4:12 pm
http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=2986&newsID=13396&newsCategoryID=1
A statement from Regan!!! We’ll be hearing from Ogilvie next.
=================================
Regan has a neck on him considering the amount of courteous e-mails and letters he ignores from people asking for explanations on certain things. Worse still, he is a man who attempted to force the Rangers newco directly into the top league, then failing that the 2nd tier. Mr Regan, if you are reading this you are completely unfit for purpose and should have resigned over your disgraceful attempts to promote the interests of one club over all others.
neepheid says:
June 8, 2014 at 4:12 pm
http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=2986&newsID=13396&newsCategoryID=1
A statement from Regan!!! We’ll be hearing from Ogilvie next.
Must have got them where it hurts
The exceedingly low profile of Regan is a disgrace.
What he ignores is a disgrace.
What he responds to is a disgrace
Doncaster and him have virtually gone a full season hardly uttering a word. (Probably bunkered down waiting for Armageddon to pass). Both a disgrace.
re Charlie Telfer compensation payments and the OCNC issue.
Stewart Regan has previously dodged the question, saying “it is for the fans to decide”. I wonder how long he can maintain that stance.
Back in 2012 it was nothing more than Neil Doncaster’s perceived financial imperative to keep the Rangers brand alive in the SPL that allowed the franchise idea to gain traction.
I am completely unwavering in my view that the LNS “enquiry” gave a mis-interpretation of the word “Club” from the Articles & Rules of the SPL. It was his dodgy terms of reference [to LNS] and the SFA Board’s weakness that allowed the situation to develop as it did. If you see it for what it is, it doesn’t really matter that much.
It seems to me that the circumstances are now quite different.
Firstly, whether or not player development compensation is due to TRFC from the period prior to 2012 relies on the SFA’s interpretation of “club”. The SPL’s determination that the “Club” franchise could survive liquidation is probably just a step or two too far for the SFA rulebook. I think. If the SFA were ever going to make a definitive statement in favour of the same club argument, it would probably have happened a very long time before now. If they are pushed into a corner, it is really difficult to see how they can argue that TRFC’s membership of the SFA extends back to a time before they existed.
Secondly, with regard to the financial imperative. Has there been Armageddon? Financial or otherwise? Would a determination in DU’s favour now, be a fatal blow to the new club’s survival? I think not.
That said, my prediction is fudge along the lines of:
“An insolvency event in 2012 caused an “interruption in membership” – as defined by UEFA’s financial fair-play rules – meaning certain financial activity prior to that event (including investment in its youth set-up) must be clearly separated from Rangers’ current activity.
As the company that incurred the costs, only RFC 2012 plc (formerly the Rangers Football Club plc) can claim compensation payments for youth training costs incurred by the club prior to its insolvency event in 2012.”
This proclamation will only be made after the 21 days limit for [BDO] claiming has passed.
The SFA will not ever – under any circumstances – describe Rangers in terms of “old club” and/or “new club”.
MercDoc thanks for sharing that story, very interesting, made me very angry actually. I remember Celtic getting in trouble this season from uefa I believe for flying a political banner in the stands. This is obviously a different competition under a different authority, but the players posing with a banner before a game is far, far worse than fans having a banner in the stands. I actually think that picture was disgusting, and an insult to the British people of the Falklands. It also is relevant here I believe given the previous discussions when Celtic were fined for a far less explicit banner.
With regard to the “inflammatory” article, I disagree with some of the commentary on that. I believe the quote was that the statement from dundee United had infuriated the club and would provoke a similar reaction from the fans. I doubt anyone would argue that it would provoke a similar reaction, particularly from the usual undesirable element of the fans, so is that not just a factual statement rather than inflammatory reporting?
HirsutePursuit says:
June 8, 2014 at 5:22 pm
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“…is probably just a step or two too far for the SFA rulebook….”
You think???
The SFA rule book is pure ‘humpty dumpty’* as has been proven on numerous occasions. I hope I am wrong but I think your confidence misplaced.
* From Alice through the looking glass by Lewis Carroll:
“When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.”
“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”
“The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master— that’s all.”
Okay then, I’ll have Croatia as nobody seems to have taken them.
“Stewart Regan, Scottish FA Chief Executive said: “It seems that Jim Murphy is content to deliver soundbites in the media, but he has not made any effort to contact me on the matters raised by the Sunday Mail, either formally or informally.”
So Mr Regan sees merit in engaging in discussions on matters of importance. In fact he is narked that he has not been allowed to.
This is good to hear as TSFM will now wish to hear his responses to a host of questions. In fact can Mr Regan be invited to take part in our next podcast so that he has complete freedom to clarify a whole range of things.
Scottish Football needs a strong Arbroath.
Still on Mr Regan, he takes umbridge with Jim Murphy for communicating through the media and asks why he do not communicate with the SFA first. Perhaps Auldheid can advise if Mr Regan has responded to resolution 12 yet. It is not being played out in the media and communications have been made with the SFA. Has Regan responded yet?
As for the media, they chose to distort and misrepresent resolution 12 at the time of the last Celtic AGM, which to me is a clear indication they fear the consequences of it being successful.
HirsutePursuit says:
June 8, 2014 at 5:22 pm
………………………
It will be a fudge on a doncaster level…it will use language and phrases never seen before to explain their view without actually defining the issue one way or the other..
That is what they have done since 2012 and will continue to do…as to do otherwise would deconstruct their efforts so far to continue a lie…
The fact is…if it was legally and factually correct to declare and explain how the club today is the same as pre 2012…it would have been pushed at every opportunity by the SFA…it hasn’t and they can’t!…therefore it will be a fudge along the lines of….
“we have reviewed the overall fiscal capability of the Quantum accountability as determined by the indepedantly appointed control committee to the accounts forum, who have accepted the view that there is a factored amount due based on the overall compilation of information available. Therefore this is a private matter between both parties”
I think Stuart Regan has not been paying attention to SFA procedure. Why a FIFA re-draw, I ask myself? At the time of the draw there was no evidence of wrongdoing and the World Cup was awarded to Rangers … uh … Qatar, in good faith. That information later emerges about concealed payments, cheating, and corruption involving Ibrox … er … FIFA, this can not mean that Qatar will not be awarded the 2022 World Cup.
RyanGosling says:
June 8, 2014 at 5:30 pm
Ryan,
I was going to give you a thumbs up for your post as I agree with what you say re the Argentinian nonsense in comparison to what happened to Celtic over a fans’ banner. Your second paragraph put paid to any idea to give that TU. Your comment on the Telfer matter was just pure mince, justifying the churnalist’s words by saying he was only reporting on the TRFC reaction. The following list of what the writer says, helpfully provided by sannoffymesssoitizz (I presume you must have overlooked it) does not suggest mere ‘reporting’ but is clearly the writer’s, or his editor’s, own thoughts on the matter, written in a manner that reads like a suggestion that the bears should be very angry. Put another way, any bear who hadn’t considered it a challenge to their same club belief/dogma, undoubtedly will now, if they read the piece. What’s more, the following paragraph, from the article, is particularly inflammatory, and made up – “Dundee United have pushed relations with Rangers to breaking point. They have declared: “You’ve only got two years of history.” – for when reading the rest of the article he only claims, quoting nobody, that Stephen Thompson, ‘…dismissed all but the last two years as irrelevant — because in his eyes Rangers only came into existence in 2012.’ You will also note that, at the top of the article, his misquote is highlighted in quotation marks, suggesting it is a direct quote, but he never credits Thompson with actually saying these, or any, words. He’s just stirring it, plain and simple.
_____
“Yet if the failure to hold onto the midfielder irked some Rangers fans, it should be nothing to the reaction to news of United’s inflammatory stance in subsequent compensation talks.”
“Dundee United have pushed relations with Rangers to breaking point. They have declared: “You’ve only got two years of history.”
“Tannadice chairman Stephen Thompson delivered the incendiary put-down to Light Blues Chief Executive Graham Wallace in negotiations over youngster Charlie Telfer.”
“That stance has infuriated the club and will provoke a similar reaction from the Light Blues support.”
_____
The whole piece is written like a post on FF from an angry bear, interpreting what has happened in a way aimed at gaining maximum support from other bears. He probably has achieved that dubious honour now, and, I expect, lauded as a ‘brave’ journalist in a sea of ‘Rangers haters’.
Reading between the lines…Regan’s statement really means;
“I only respond to inquiries from those who get media coverage. As for those thousands of emails, letters, and phone calls from the paying customers – well they can all just p*ss off because they just don’t understand.”
An ignorant CEO teamed up with a dodgy President. 🙁
Allyjambo says:
June 8, 2014 at 6:52 pm
2 0 Rate This
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Indeed. Embarrassing and completely irresponsible ‘journalism’.
While giving no details of TRFC’s finances, Graham Wallace manages to reassure ‘1,000 fans at the North American Rangers Supporters Association in Toronto’, over the Govan club’s future. Or does he?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27756109
Yet again, clearly a TRFC puff piece only saying what TRFC want to be heard. No mention of how his words were welcomed, no notion of whether supporters were allowed to ask questions, and if they were, what was asked. If what is said in the piece was all he could come up with, you have to ask, why bother? Once again, in the boldest thing he says, ‘”I’ve repeatedly come out and said there’s no threat of administration’, he fails to make it clear if it is TRFC Ltd he is talking about, and not just the company he is CEO of, RIFC plc. I wonder why that is?
Allyjambo- fair enough, yeah I missed most of the stuff you quote there. The bit I quoted and commented on I thought was just fair comment. It wasn’t selective reading however, I’d just commented on the bit that jumped out at me. On reading what you quoted I wouldn’t argue that it’s inflammatory and he’s stirring it. I’d be pretty disgusted though if any Rangers fan used this as an excuse to do anything beyond singing about it at the next meeting of the two sides.
Allyjambo says:
June 8, 2014 at 7:15 pm
============================
I read that piece earlier. Might the burden of Murray Park be getting shed in the near future right enough, given his assertion they are now in a decent position financially?
Just got Portugal in office sweepstake, consistent underperformers in international football imo, got to be worth a fiver e/w 🙂
Grecian Urn I reckon Portugal and Belgium are two serious dark horses. Think at least one of them may make the semis. Belgium have a lot of exciting players while Portugal, on top of having a decent team, have Cristiano Ronaldo. I’d say that’s well worth your fiver.
In a perfect world, the big five European football nations would combine to form their own Association.
Abandon FIFA and see what EUFA do.
They could form their own national leagues and invite any non corrupt countries to join them.
That, of course is in a perfect world.
If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.
upthehoops says:
June 8, 2014 at 7:31 pm
The sale of Murray Park, or potential sale, might give him the lee-way to state that they are OK financially, but how would that sit when it comes to raising more working capital on the stock market? Their second most valuable asset will be gone, along with most, or all, of the money raised from it’s sale (by the time it comes around). There would be, one would reasonably expect, a backlash from the supporters that would undoubtedly impact on any possible ST sales, or even half season sales, which just won’t look good on any prospectus. Any sale of Murray Park must impact heavily, not only on a share issue, but also on the share price, having turned a fixed asset into a, very, liquid one. There would be a similar effect on the balance sheet. What’s more, the support would only be placated, in a small way, over the sale of MP if they see the money raised being used to strengthen the team with ever more expensive players. To me, it appears, that whatever game they are playing, it is a very dangerous game, one in which every aspect of it must come to the very best outcome.
The last throw of the dice, perhaps? Snake-eyes, anyone?
Allyjambo says:
June 8, 2014 at 7:52 pm
===========================
I suppose Wallace may simply be playing the PR game and the financial issues remain as pressing as they were. The points you make about Murray Park are valid. If I recall correctly only last year Craig Mather was in the States telling the same group of people they would never forget the ‘enemies’ of the club and would ‘strike back’ when the time is right. Perhaps they just feel being thousands of miles from home we will never find out what guff they have been spouting!!!! The bottom line is if season book sales are low they can’t dodge the flak for ever.
Campbellsmoney says:
June 7, 2014 at 11:12 pm
twopanda says:
June 8, 2014 at 2:17 pm
John Clark says:
June 8, 2014 at 12:43 am
“Chile has been arbitrarily claimed by and awarded to Iamacant, before the rest of us got a chance! Will we see a word about this in the MSM? Ha!”
———————————————————————————————————-
JC, I can quite categorically state that my awarding of Chile was done without the passing of any brown envelopes or payments made by EBT or any other tax avoidance scheme.
My lawyers are working on this at my chateau this weekend as I type and will issue a statement in due course.
upthehoops says:
June 8, 2014 at 8:10 pm
I’m sure you are right about the PR game, made easier across the pond with no churnalists there to report on the meeting, the mood, reaction etc, itself. In years gone by there would most likely have been a posse of hacks there, but not now with the cut-backs, PR heaven 🙄 But if that puff piece covers all the good news, what must the bad news be like?
Spiers happy to let someone else say it
@grahamspiers
He is very funny and refreshing, Stephen Thompson at Dundee Utd. He just cuts through all the pretence… http://t.co/kCuKDKYX5g
Allyjambo says:
June 8, 2014 at 8:30 pm
2 0 Rate This
upthehoops says:
June 8, 2014 at 8:10 pm
@scotzine: Seems that the NARSA convention over the pond wasn’t as cosy as Rangers would have you believe. Some elements booing and heckling Wallace,
@scotzine: while others arguing and shouting at fellow fans for their behaviour. Seems that some of NARSA fans didnt like the actions of SoS/UoF reps.
Whatever his reasons actually were. Does anyone here think Regan’s motives have anything to do with benefitting Scottish football?
Maybe one of Regan’s close mates is looking for a leg up into a new job and coming out with this statement was useful to him. Sounds like the kind of abuse of position that would mean he’ll fit right in.
iamacant says:
June 8, 2014 at 8:15 pm
JC, I can quite categorically state that my awarding of Chile was done without the passing of any brown envelopes or payments made by EBT or any other tax avoidance scheme.
————————————————-
Can I then mention that, although I’ve backed Belgium (I’d prefer Argentina), I am more than willing to consider switching to the country of anyone’s choice, should any request to do so be accompanied by a little something to sharpen the mind. Brown envelopes will do nicely!
Upthehoops
I have not heard that SFA have replied to Celtic but they have been talking about the events at 30 June and thereafter up to 30 September.
It seems that the NARSA meeting with Graham Wallace was a stormy affair
http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/06/09/original/ade9y3u2.jpg
Beeb touching on it but running with the Wallace ‘message’
Rangers ‘in a good place’ – Wallace
8 June 2014 Updated 18:52
Rangers are “in a good place”, chief executive Graham Wallace has insisted despite continuing concerns over the League One champions’ finances.
The Union of Fans group has urged supporters to withhold season ticket money in protest against the board.
It led to question marks over the ability of the club to meet the sales figures required for next season.
But Wallace said: “Fans should be confident and comfortable with the club’s long-term stability.”
Speaking to more than 1,000 fans at the North American Rangers Supporters Association in Toronto, the chief executive also revealed that the club was moving closer to creating its first “fan board”, which will act as the body to represent the fans with the club.
The Sons of Struth fans group said on Twitter that “Mr Wallace received a hostile reception”.
Wallace insisted that the club’s finances had improved since taking out an emergency £1.5m loan from two shareholders last season.
“Almost since the day I came to Rangers, we’ve been operating in an environment where there have been consistent questions about the financial stability of the club,” he told the convention, according to the club website.
“I’ve repeatedly come out and said there’s no threat of administration and we’ve built a very solid base now which we’re moving forward from.
“The fans should take reassurance and comfort from that. We are moving in a way that allows us to grow and develop the business.
“The long-term financial stability of the business is well in hand and we are in a good place now.”
After taking charge in November, Wallace carried out a review of the Glasgow club’s finances, reporting in April.
He has admitted that mistakes were made under his predecessors following administration in 2012, but his report was not enough to head off fan protests.
The Union of Fans has been advising supporters to pay their renewal money into the Season Ticket Fund, an initiative backed by former Rangers captain Richard Gough and former Ibrox director Dave King.
Rangers have yet to respond to a demand from the coalition of fans groups to reveal the sales figures.
However, despite manager Ally McCoist having admitted to concerns about his playing budget for next season, former Scotland striker Kenny Miller has already secured his return to Ibrox.
“I’ve been in position now for a little over six months and, in that time, it has been extremely challenging,” added Wallace.
“There have been so many legacy issues we have had to deal with and we spent a considerable period of time looking at the condition and the state of the business.
“We have done a tremendous amount of groundwork and we’ve addressed a significant number of issues.
“In the vast majority of areas, I think we are moving in the right direction and it is business as usual at the football club.
“We are now in our best position financially in my time at the club, so that’s positive and we are placed very well for the start of the forthcoming Championship campaign.”
Wallace added that the fan board was the result of Rangers’ “Ready To Listen” fan engagement survey and a set of detailed focus groups.
Mr Regan says :
“With respect to the allegations of corruption relating to the FIFA World Cup 2022 bid process we have made our feelings known on this matter – if any wrongdoing in the awarding of the World Cup to Qatar is proven then there must be a re-draw. ”
—
Well and spiritedly said, Mr Reqan!!!
Hokum is as hokum does, and nobody does it better than the SFA.
What a pity, Mr Regan, that you did not adopt that attitude to the PROVEN ‘sporting wrongdoing’ of RFC(IL)!
No, indeed.
Instead, you brokered and/or agreed to a secret[ blood-oath- between- brethren has nothing in it by comparison!] 5-way agreement to ensure that a brand new, illegitimate club, whose CEO incidentally was guilty of serious charges of bringing the game into disrepute [ and may be guilty of a whole lot more] had his outrageous demands accepted: namely, to be treated, as regards honours and titles fraudulently won, as if it was a continuation of RFC, but as regards the responsibility for the debts and huge damage done to creditors and to the good name of Scottish football, as a brand new, unconnected club.
Look to your own immediate sphere, Mr Regan. Own up to the disgraceful deeds of compromise and, yes, double-dealing, that the SFA was guilty of and remains stubbornly wedded to, in SPITE of the the proof and evidence before them, before you start mouthing off in support of the need for the ‘allegations’ against the Qatar ‘fixers’ to be ‘proven’
The older I get, the more I realise that all the old saws and proverbs express fundamental truths. ” Like calls unto like”, ” birds of a feather flock together”, ” a man is known by the company he keeps”.
The SFA is so far steeped in iniquity that it is now psychologically impossible for them to be redeemed.Like Macbeth ( sorry, EB, but Shakespoke knew about these things) they are so far down the path of deceit and dishonesty that they cannot retrace their steps, or confess their guilt.
And for such people, there is no hope.
easyJambo says:
June 8, 2014 at 10:53 pm
Easy,
I wonder if we might read or hear of how those there to listen viewed what Graham Wallace had to say? I wonder, too, if this type of disruption might have handed Wallace a handy distraction to deflect from a lack of substance in his talk? The puff piece published on the BBC website isn’t exactly full of facts and figures (in fact there are none) and is basically Wallace saying ‘trust me, everything is alright’. This fracas could be the main talking point for many who attended, rather than them having a discussion on what was said, or rather, not said with no one dissecting anything. Probably quite a good result for the board of TRFC.
Hirsute Pursuit
With regard to the paperwork held in SFA vaults, would The Rangers FC have to register it’s players contracts along with remuneration details with SFL/SFA in 2012 or are the contracts that Rangers registered for the same players e.g McCulloch the ones the SFA still hold?
To make it simple if a contract was on paper headed Rangers FC (oldco) or they are the employing club named in the body of the contract and that is the paper on which full registration and remuneration details are held for McCulloch, does McCulloch have a contract he can hold TRFC (newco) to?
If on the other hand and to protect McCulloch his contract is on TRFC headed paper ( or they are named as such in the body of the contract,) then does that not mean the SFL/SFA correctly registered the player as playing for two different clubs in 2012.?
If it’s the same club one contract and one registration only would be in the SFA vaults surely?
Unless of course player registration rules were suspended in 2012 and none are held at all in a huge administrative oversight. AwNawNoAnotherWan 😆
Auldheid says:
June 8, 2014 at 11:21 pm
If the players genuinely TUPE’d over, then I’d imagine there would be no new contracts signed, as that would signify a break in service and, probably, nullify the players rights under TUPE. From experience of being TUPE’d, we didn’t have to sign new contracts of employment with our new employer. On the other hand, it is Sevco…
The tupe regulations do not apply to TRFC and the players or staff who were employed by the company now in liquidation. The fallacy of tupe was a deliberate argument by CG to “convince” players to “tupe” over to newco and perhaps coin in the transfer fees. CG chose to employ those staff and players on the same wages and conditions but there was no legal obligation to do this unless it was part of the conditions of the sale of the assets?
http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1655
upthehoops says:
June 8, 2014 at 8:10 pm
‘…. Perhaps they just feel being thousands of miles from home we will never find out what guff they have been spouting!!!!’
—————
If they were all old guys like me, I could understand that!
My son in Australia texted me the news about the appointment of a Scottish team manager several minutes before I heard it on Radio Scotland!
But surely to God none of the new club’s entourage are unaware that every public utterance ( and a whole lot of private utterances!) will be relayed instantly?
As for that contemptible BBC ‘report’. A puff piece, pure and simple.
Which is NOT what we pay our licence fees for.
What we pay for is critical objectivity.
If the BBC covers an event at all ( and, clearly, the decision as to which event they cover and report on has, in the main, to be left to them) then the coverage should be complete, and report what actually happens, what is said, and who said it and so on.
It should most definitely NOT be the broadcast version of a ‘press release’ handout.
I use ‘BBC’ , but really mean BBC Scotland, of course.[ BBC England ( leave aside the Referendum issue) is pretty balanced]
What I don’t know is, who in BBC Scotland is responsible for the BBC online input?
Is it Mc Quarrie , the radio man? or is it someone on the TV side?
There is , and has been, a difference in approach.
It was BBC Scotland (TV) that did such sterling work on the EBT stuff.
It is BBC Radio Scotland ( McQuarrie’s brief) that employs/ed the Chicks and the Traynors and the EBT former players, and the Kenny (geez, what’s his name?) McIntyre?, and the Speirses.
And it is McQuarrie’s people who have so signally failed to act as professional BBC people. There has never been any Radio Scotland forensic, Paxman or Alex Thomson-like grilling of Campbell Ogilvie, or Regan, or any questioning about the 5-way agreement, or the apparently horrendous financial state of the finances ( been mentioned, yes, but not investigated ).
So, who in BBC Scotland is responsible for the dissemination of Wallace propaganda? McQuarrie’s people? or his counterpart in TV?
Auldheid says:
June 8, 2014 at 11:21 pm
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Hirsute Pursuit
With regard to the paperwork held in SFA vaults, would The Rangers FC have to register it’s players contracts along with remuneration details with SFL/SFA in 2012 or are the contracts that Rangers registered for the same players e.g McCulloch the ones the SFA still hold?
To make it simple if a contract was on paper headed Rangers FC (oldco) or they are the employing club named in the body of the contract and that is the paper on which full registration and remuneration details are held for McCulloch, does McCulloch have a contract he can hold TRFC (newco) to?
If on the other hand and to protect McCulloch his contract is on TRFC headed paper ( or they are named as such in the body of the contract,) then does that not mean the SFL/SFA correctly registered the player as playing for two different clubs in 2012.?
If it’s the same club one contract and one registration only would be in the SFA vaults surely?
Unless of course player registration rules were suspended in 2012 and none are held at all in a huge administrative oversight. AwNawNoAnotherWan 😆
==================================================================
Allyjambo says:
June 8, 2014 at 11:32 pm
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Auldheid says:
June 8, 2014 at 11:21 pm
If the players genuinely TUPE’d over, then I’d imagine there would be no new contracts signed, as that would signify a break in service and, probably, nullify the players rights under TUPE. From experience of being TUPE’d, we didn’t have to sign new contracts of employment with our new employer. On the other hand, it is Sevco…
=======================================================
I agree. The contracts of employment lodged at the SFA by RFC would be (correctly) unchanged by Sevco.
What they should have though, is Player registration forms completed by the new club in 2012.
The 5WA says:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/164650989/5-Way-Agreement-as-Issued-to-All-Parties-for-Signature
Few important points to note about the time the 5WA agreement was written :
1. Sevco had already been admitted to the SFL
2. SFL membership automatically grants SFA REGISTERED membership
3. RFC still held a share in the SPL and retained FULL and REGISTERED membership status of the SFA
The transfer of player registrations was a transfer between two member clubs of the SFA
However, the plan to deal with the “Player Registrations as if “Rangers FC” had been relegated from the SPL to the SFL”, almost certainly means that player registration forms were not completed by Sevco and consequently will not have been submitted to the SFA.
Has Keith Jackson had sight of the latest BDO report on RFC 2012(IL)?
keith jackson @tedermeatballs · 1h
Why would BDO spend over 600k in legal fees liquidating RFC? I suspect they’re speculating to accumulate. Bad news for craig whyte.
The BDO fees from the last report as at November 2013 had their fees running at £463K.
There is no update on the BDO website as yet.
http://www.bdo.co.uk/services/business-restructuring/rfc-2012-plc-formerly-the-rangers-football-club-plc-in-liquidation
eJ – you are being too generous to Keef, 3IAR Award winning churnalist…IMHO. 😉
He has added nothing of value – IIRC – over the last 3 years or so wrt RFC/TRFC.
Admittedly, he has been a source of amusement re: ‘the unknown Motherwell Billionaire’ – and the flow of his ‘Exclusives’ – which appeared several months after the Internet Bampots had dissected the story.
Could simply be that Keef is just speculating…because he doesn’t really know how a proper journalist investigates a story.
If he actually has something of value to add to the TRFC saga – I will be gobsmacked. 😯
The BBC “puff piece” that people are referring to has been lifted directly from Sevco’s website, written by Andrew Dickson, aka @rfc_dickson on twitter. The website article includes the following:-
“Copyright 2014. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and hyperlink to http://www.rangers.co.uk”
Needless to say the Beeb haven’t given any “source credit” or “hyperlink” and I’m confident that Dickson will blow a gasket when he finds out. I’m also pretty sure there are some at the Beeb who do this purposely, simply to wind him up.
It’s usually quite funny to see his reaction.
The stuff Keith Jackson putting out on twitter implies some serious intent from BDO concerning Craig Whyte.
Auldheid says:
June 8, 2014 at 10:53 pm
I have not heard that SFA have replied to Celtic but they have been talking about the events at 30 June and thereafter up to 30 September.
================================================
Thanks Auldheid. You have allayed my suspicion that they have completely ignored it, like they do with many other things. I have only heard Regan speak on the matter once, when the BBC gave him the easiest of easy rides and accepted his party line without challenge. I’m no lawyer, but the case put forward seems pretty rock solid even to a lay person. My personal view is they may have admitted a mistake by now had the potential fall out from such an admission not been so great for them. What really concerns me is if they had serious doubts at the time yet still proceeded.
Danish Pastry says:
June 9, 2014 at 6:01 am
The stuff Keith Jackson putting out on twitter implies some serious intent from BDO concerning Craig Whyte.
======================================
…as if everyone else involved at Ibrox since 1999 is completely innocent of wrongdoing.
upthehoops says:
June 9, 2014 at 7:18 am
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Danish Pastry says:
June 9, 2014 at 6:01 am
The stuff Keith Jackson putting out on twitter implies some serious intent from BDO concerning Craig Whyte.
======================================
…as if everyone else involved at Ibrox since 1999 is completely innocent of wrongdoing.
———–
Quite. Though he’s now tweeting that ‘the net’ is much wider.
Technically, I suppose this is a good news story for Ibrox:
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/police-say-there-is-no-proof-of-criminality-at-rangers.24441303
Auldheid says:
June 8, 2014 at 11:21 pm
…………………………..
If a Football club can issue and create contracts for players…then that Football club can hold debts…and if it can holds debts it can go bust..
One thing that is a puzzle…if as some would have you believe club and Company are 2 seperate entities…then why did the club need a Company in order to cintinue playing football?
Danish Pastry says: at 7:48 am
Technically, I suppose this is a good news story for Ibrox:
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/police-say-there-is-no-proof-of-criminality-at-rangers.24441303
“no criminality was established”.
“Rangers legal advisers had insisted the application was time-barred, in that they needed only to show service contracts for the previous 12 months.”
Well that`s all right then – isn`t it
Danish Pastry says:
June 9, 2014 at 7:48 am
‘Technically, I suppose this is a good news story for Ibrox:’
Though no doubt it provided a nice little earner for TRFC’s legal advisors.
I wonder what the total is, over the last few years, of the costs met by the club for various actions carried out against it by it’s own supporters! Must be a fair few pounds!
So once again no action will be taken against a Rangers. Must be some ‘Get Out Of Jail Free Card’ they hold 🙄 Now, did the card TUPE over, or is it just part of the ‘history’ Charles paid for?
A local East End Glasgow MP is the latest in a long line of public servants to be harassed by the so-called Rangers Land ‘experts’ because she is suspected of being a Celtic supporter/ST holder/shareholder. Any one of these is enough to brand her as an ‘enemy’ as well as anyone else associated with her such as family, friends, staff and colleagues. This means they too can be attacked and harassed.
And so what if she actually is all of these things? Why would that impact on her integrity? Only in this benighted bitter land of Scotland do a dying remnant of a fading culture still think these issues are of any importance to a modern country which is becoming more inclusive and tolerant. It’s a long slow process but anyone with any sense and hope for the future knows it’s the path we all must tread together.
This very MP was actually one of the first to implore the HMRC to go easy on Rangers back in February 2012 and yet now she and her staff are being subjected to a co-ordinated attack designed to intimidate. Personally I think she was wrong in attempting to influence HMRC but I have a fair idea why she did it and it has no implications IMO on the State Aid story or her role wrt WSHA.
So what ‘crime’ has she actually committed? Allegedly she has been guilty in the eyes of the deluded Bears of involvement in dunning the West of Scotland Housing Association (WSHA) whereby Celtic obtained land on the cheap. Having attempted to understand the Bear allegations I genuinely don’t have a clue exactly what piece of land they actually mean – as WSHA had two separate plots within the Celtic Triangle one of which was compulsorily purchased by GCC and the other, which wasn’t, remained in WSHA’s ownership.
I don’t think the Bears are too sure either about which plot they are talking about and I strongly suspect they wrongly believe there is only one plot. I have also yet to see any proof whatsoever that Celtic got any land ‘on the cheap’.
So how did a local MP get herself dragged into such a nightmare? My previous post explains the narrative up until the point where a senior official of the WSHA expressed his concern over a District Valuer having put a £555,000 price tag on a tiny piece of ground the WSHA owned within the Celtic Triangle and which the housing association would have been happy to accept £75,000 for according to its senior official.
The senior official had worked with a District Valuer during this negotiating period and the WSHA Briefing Note states the senior official had: “Formed the view that there was a ‘history’ between this individual DV and CFC.”
The Land Bears have automatically trumpeted this remark to mean the DV was ‘partial’ in his dealings with Celtic. As I explained in my previous post that isn’t necessarily the case and could just as easily mean his partiality extended elsewhere and other pointers exist to support the latter scenario.
However the Bears have provided no evidence of corruption, wrongdoing or even lack of professionalism on anyone’s part including the DV, the MP, CFC and officials or members of WSHA. As usual, all they have done is spun a web of deceit to suit their twisted agenda.
However back to the MP! The Briefing Paper noted that after the DV had set the sale figure of £555,000 that:
The Briefing paper went on to explain how the MP tried to break the deadlock and stated.
In reality the area of land sold by sold to WSHA by Celtic was 10,150 sq metres and the land sold by WSHA to CFC was 2,620 sq metres – which represents a gigantic 100 metres x 26 metres 🙂 and 4 x smaller! This look to me more like Postage Stamp Purchase Aid than an illegal State Aid transaction which could rock the very foundations of European competition rules 😆
So back yet again to the MP – IMO she acted as an honest broker to resolve an issue which was creating uncertainty and was detrimental to the local community, the WSHA as well as a major local employer and wealth generator in the shape of CFC.
But the Land Bears claim that the MP was up to something – well I suppose if she was she must have been very secretive about what she was doing? Surprise, surprise – she wasn’t!
As well as her participation having been explained in the WSHA Briefing Paper of 20 January 2014 it was also clearly explained in the papers presented to the WSHA Management Committe way back on 23 October 2013 prior to the WSHA being aware its pretty mundane land dealings were later to land centre stage in an EC preliminary investigations into allegations of the part it played in allegedly facilitating illegal State Aid.
Looking back it’s possible CFC and perhaps WSHA wished to excise this taint of ‘history’ which rightly or wrongly seems to have attacherd itself to the DV involved. Obviously there could be very serious connotations indeed arising from such an allegation if true. Therefore if the MP’s intervention was acceptable to all parties – and it appeared it was – and she managed to get the stalled negotiations moving – which she did – then her intervention can only be seen as positive.
Of course no evidence of any anti-Celtic ‘agenda’ by the DV has been produced and it’s even possible that all that CFC were peturbed about was conducting negotiations with a DV who had put a ludicrously high sale tag of £555,000 on a tiny plot of land. It appears even WSHA, who owned the land, would have been happy with £75,000 which they actually ended-up accepting from CFC ( I will deal with this in more detail in my next post. OK I can hear the groans : 🙁 Sadly the truth is usually boring but it’s worth putting on the record to provide a backdrop of sanity to the fevered haverings of the Land Bears who are all at sea on this one while SS Dignity continues to slip below the waves unnoticed by those digging for victory around Parkhead but only finding dross. We ate the potatoes a long time ago although I believe a fine crop is still harvested in the Westthorn Allotments.
It may also be the case that CFC was unhappy with the DV because he/she apparently was unaware that the actual size of the land being sold to Celtic was much smaller than he/she thought it was. I’m not a DV but I would have thought that one of the most important things when valuing a piece of land is accurately determining its size. But what do I know? I’m just a stoopit bhoy with four immigrant Irish grandparents who made me the man I am and who are always in my heart still imparting their wise and gentle advice.
However the Land Bears haven’t provided a shred of evidence that the DV was dishonest or corrupt as they allege. These people care nothing about the distress or hurt they cause individuals and their families and friends with their wild allegations based on nothing more than a Celtic-hating crusade.
If they have any evidence or belief that public corruption exists then they have a clear duty to report the matter to the police. Of course we all know they won’t because they have nothing but blind hatred for the rest of society – that part which pays its taxes unlike Rangers. Roll on BDO and Lord Doherty!
In my experience those who accuse others of dishonesty without a shred of evidence actually reveal more about their own character failings than those whom they falsely accuse especially when a sectarian agenda is being pursued.
Meanwhile their club is tearing itself apart at Narsa – no wonder the Blue PR agenda supports the nonsensical State Aid campaign. They’ll clutch at any straw to try and divert the attention of decent Bears from what is happening and being done to their club in their name.
Re Telfer compensation
What would a Spiv do to maximise the level of compensation to TRFC ?
1. Sue DU using a spiv Lawyer who can be paid a fee that launders even more cash out of Ibrox?
Or
2. Appeal to Friends of TRFC at the SPL/SFA to invent an appropriate ruling that can be backdated ?
My money is on 2. followed by 1.
That gets the Spivs the most money
Regarding TUPE
I know I must sound like a broken record on this but…
TRFC did not choose whether TUPE applied or not. CG did not choose whether TUPE applied or not. Neither did the players or other employees. Neither did the SFA nor the SPL, nor the players union nor D&P. Nothing any of them wanted or said makes a blind bit of difference.
The transfer of assets from Oldco to Newco and the carrying on of a football business called Rangers from Ibrox was more than enough for TUPE to have applied.
I have no idea what this means for Mr Telfer’s position. That is a matter of football rules.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/the-whyte-files-private-investigation-revealed-1407428
“Revealed: Rangers bosses knew about Craig Whyte’s shady business dealings BEFORE Ibrox takeover”
What a shocker! Exclusive from the Daily Record. Better late than never, I suppose.
Not quite the rallying call ‘enemies of Rangers’ from Mr Wallace, more a hybrid Charles Greenesque Craig Matherism:
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-chief-graham-wallace-insists-3664536
Campbellsmoney says:
June 9, 2014 at 9:38 am
‘I have no idea what this means for Mr Telfer’s position. That is a matter of football rules.’
____
Depending on how determined Dundee United are, then I think it goes a lot further than that. I think it could be more a matter of the insolvency laws, and they trump football rules every time. If the law is on the side of DUFC (and the creditors of RFC (IL)), then I’m sure, if they convince the SFA they are prepared to take it to court, a la RFC(IL), that TRFC will be told to accept United’s offer and ‘to move on’. What’s more, as it’s very unlikely that there will be anything written into the SFA rules on compensation that covers the situation we have here, and so recourse would probably have to be made to the law of the land (outwith the courts) to determine the validity of TRFC’s claim before a ruling could be made. I’m sure the SFA would love to be able to tell United just to pay up like the good little underlings they are, but things are changing, and fewer and fewer clubs are prepared to roll over for the sake of the status quo.
If United are determined, and their motivation is more than just saving money, then I believe they will win. If they are only interested in saving a bit of cash, and have just been manipulating the situation (and I don’t blame them if they have), then I wouldn’t be surprised of they are told to double they’re offer, and TRFC are told to halve theirs.
Regardless of the initial outcome, for TRFC the spectre of BDO still looms, and who could deny the justice in them grabbing the RFC portion of any compensation for the benefit of the creditors?
neepheid says:
June 9, 2014 at 10:02 am
Looks like Whyte must have ‘duped’ Murray by stealing his reading glasses just before the Titon report arrived.
neepheid says:
June 9, 2014 at 10:02 am
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http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/the-whyte-files-private-investigation-revealed-1407428
“Revealed: Rangers bosses knew about Craig Whyte’s shady business dealings BEFORE Ibrox takeover”
What a shocker! Exclusive from the Daily Record. Better late than never, I suppose.
==============================
Regardless of how timeous this is, what is interesting to me is the recent tone of SMSM’s coverage of TRFC.
The sugar-coated puff pieces are being replaced with tales of shady dealings; articles include questions of the current incarnation’s provenance rather than 140 years of history; the authorities are being challenged rather than supported.
The long predicted cracks are appearing in the dam. It will be interesting to see if they can be fixed before the structure is fatally damaged and collapses.
A time for increased vigilance to make sure that those with their thumbs in the cracks aren’t able to fill them with lambs-wool off the back of the Hampden rules lorry…