Good Evening,
Whilst it is understandable that the continuing events at Ibrox remain a hot topic among all Scottish Football Fans — especially given the views of some sections of the press on such events– the never ending rush down the marble staircase is certainly not the only show in town.
The other morning we were treated to the “scoop” that Alistair Johnstone is afraid that Craig Whyte– the once proclaimed Multi Billionaire from Motherwell- may well still be pulling all the strings at Ibrox! This is a fear which is shared by those who walk the corridors of Hampden Park as they, too, are terrified of the prospect of Whyte returning in some shape or form and coming back to haunt them, especially as he has been deemed unfit and proper, banned sine die, and generally ridiculed for his past actions.
However, the Hampden jackets know fine well that their realm only stretches so far and that if by means of the proper application of company law, contract or some other piece of paper Whyte controls the shareholding of the self proclaimed “parent company” to the football club then they are in a fix. In fact, I will wager that they just would not know how to deal with such a situation as after all RIFC PLC neither holds a licence to play football nor is a member of the SFA and so, on the face of it, who owns it has nothing to do with them.
At this juncture, no one in authority knows who Blue Pitch Holdings are and, strangely, no one in authority knows who Margarita Holdings are either! Yet these two “holdings” whoever they may be, may well hold all the power down Govan way…… with the SFA completely powerless to find out who they are let alone get into any dialogue with them. All the SFA can do is talk to the appointed Directors and officers of The Rangers Football Club Ltd.
This, is a most unsatisfactory state of affairs.
Meanwhile, they will have no difficulty in finding out who the new shareholders of Dunfermline Athletic are. Those shareholders will come from the fanbase and will be clearly registered at Companies House, with the result that ultimately those fans/shareholders will appoint Directors who will then attend meetings and speak and opine on their behalf and in essence be the ” Voice of Dunfermline” at Hampden.
Perhaps, similar will follow from Heart of Midlothian?
However, those at Hampden — if they have any sense at all– will be most wary of events happening in the east end of Glasgow come November.
In the middle of the month, Celtic PLC will hold its AGM and amidst the items on the agenda is the fan driven notion that the Club— through its Directors—- should go further in holding the SFA to account and enquire into the granting of club licences, and in particular how it granted Rangers a club licence that allowed entry to the Champions League in 2011 when the small tax case was outstanding.
The Celtic board have deemed this motion as “Unnecessary” and in support of that contention have released documentation showing that they raised this very issue with the SFA on behalf of the shareholders and fans. Further– and here is the rub— The Directors reveal that they were not satisfied with the SFA response and have disclosed that they took the matter further and wrote to UEFA.
Ultimately, UEFA also provided a reply, which backed the SFA approach and which Celtic had little option but to accept in the absence of admissible contradicting evidence..
It is on this basis, that Peter Lawell and Co say the AGM motion is not necessary. Note that saying that the motion is not necessary, is not at all the same thing as saying that what the motion seeks to achieve is not necessary or does not have the support of the board!
There will be those at Hampden who severely hope that the Celtic Board are successful in voting this measure down as obviously they deem their original reply sufficient and would like to end the discussion there.
However, my own view, is that whether the motion is successful or not, there are those within the SFA who will recognise there is trouble staring them in the face here. Real Trouble!
Let’s recap for a moment and draw some threads together.
Celtic’s past Chairman, Dr John Reid, said only a couple of years ago that the SFA was clearly not fit for purpose. He did so in the context of events surrounding Neil Lennon and other matters, but was unshakably robust in his condemnation of an institutionalised uselessness which he saw pervaded the Hampden ranks.
Prior to that, Henry McLeish produced a report which stated that he too had concerns about the Governance of Scottish Football and called for openness and transparency.
In the intervening period, we have seen Mr David Longmuir, former Chief Executive of the Scottish Football League, find himelf without a position following reconstruction– and this partly as a result of club chairmen being apparently kept in the dark about his payment, bonuses and expenes. I understand that there was considerable anger from some at the way in which they had been treated by Mr Longmuir.
Then there is Mr Campbell Ogilvie, El Presidente, who himself benefited from a Rangers EBT and who held sway at Ibrox during a period of time when Rangers– by their own admission— made unlawful and illegal payments to three high profile players in breach of tax laws and SFA/SPL rules. It is these breaches and the consequent Wee Tax Bill which has caused all the angst among Celtic fans and has lead to the highly regulated legal step of tabling a motion at the club’s AGM.
Basically, the position seems to be, that as at the due date when the appropriate documents and declarations were made for a Euro Licence by Rangers for 2011, the wee tax bill was outstanding and due. If it was overdue, then the SFA could not and should not have granted them a licence……. and potentially Celtic should then have been put forward as Scotland’s representatives in the Champion’s League.
However, that did not happen, and Ranger’s were granted a licence– something that the Celtic Directors clearly felt was not correct.
They may have disagreed with the awarding of the licence because there were those at Rangers at the time who declared that a payment to account had been made to the tax office– allegedly £500,000– and that they had entered into an agreement to make payment of the balance by instalments. Had that been so, then all would have been hunky dory and no more would have been said.
Alas, however, no such payment appears to have been made at all, and no such agreement was entered into and so, on that basis, the tax bill was overdue and outstanding as at 30th June in terms of Article 66 and as such no Euro Licence should have been granted.
However, the argument does not end there.
Auldheid, has posted frequently on these pages about the ins and outs of the licensing provisions and the mechanism and so I will leave that detail to him as he is far more expert in these areas than me.
Now, one of the SFA functions is to have an auditor– someone who can check books, contracts, paper work and so on, and it is part of the SFA licensing function to be satisfied that all the paperwork is of course correct and in proper fashion before they issue any licence.
In this case, it is alleged that the SFA did not perform their function properly.
In relation to the wee tax case, it is said that either they did not make sufficient enquiry of Rangers re the payment to account or the agreement which they were told was in place. At the time it was mooted in the press that no such agreement was in place as at the relevant date ( June 30th ) and a simple check with the revenue would have shown the truth of the matter.
Yet, for whatever reason, no such check appears to have been made, and if you recall a Radio Scotland interview with Alistair Johnstone, Rangers submitted the forms, the SFA replied with one or two enquiries about the BIG tax case which were answered, and thereafter the Licence appears to have simply dropped through the letter box without further ado.
You will also recall that the existence of the wee tax case became known BEFORE Craig Whyte bought David Murray’s shareholding in May 2011. In fact it was the subject of News Paper headlines weeks before the deal was completed, and so the fact that there was a wee tax bill was well and truly in the public domain.
When it came to filling in the appropriate forms,either, the SFA were mislead by those then at Rangers with regard to that tax bill, OR, they simply failed to do the requisite checks and make reasonable enquiries before they issued the licence.
However, the uncomfortable fact also remains, that one of the chaps who must have been in the know re the admittedly unlawful and offending side letters, contracts and payments to the three players concerned was Campbell Ogilivie who was on the Rangers Board at the relevant time when the contracts and irregular payments were made under the Discount Options Scheme from 1999 to 2002/3. Indeed he may even have initiated the first payment to Craig Moore in 1999. I reiterate that no one has ever contested that this was an unlawful scheme, and the irregular payments and paperwork are not denied in relation to that scheme.
There are Celtic shareholders who believe, rightly or wrongly, that when it came to the granting of the Euro Licence, the SFA did not play them fair on this occasion and that the wheels within Hampden were oiled in such a way that Rangers were favoured and Celtic were disadvantaged. It is a point that looks to have already been considered by the Celtic Directors in 2011, with the result that they concluded that they should formally write to the SFA and seek clarification.
However, we now have the prospect of those same directors having to go back to Hampden and say ” Sorry, but I am forced to bring this up by my shareholders. I have a legal duty to them to enquire further”. Even if the motion is refused, the point has been made– there are shareholders who are demanding answers– just as shareholders of other clubs demand answers about the ever so secret 5 way agreement and other matters which have hitherto been not for public consumption.
The SFA have nothing to fear of course as they can simply repeat their previous answers,demonstrate that all was above board, and rest easy in their beds.
Except that answer did not satisfy the Celtic Directors on a previous occasion as they decided to take the matter to UEFA, and it would appear that some Celtic shareholders remain dissatisfied with the known stance of the SFA and so they want the Directors of the club to delve further. Without wishing to point out the obvious, if it turns out that the 2011 Licensing process was somehow fudged and not conducted rigorously or that those at Hampden were in any way economical with the truth or omitted certain details from the previous explanation, or covered up a failure in procedures—- well such omissions have a habit of becoming public these days whether that be through the internet or otherwise.
The point here is that the actions of Hampden officials are coming under organised, legal and planned corporate scrutiny over which they have no control. The Blazer and club mentality that was once so widespread within the governing bodies is under increasing attack and is being rendered a thing of the past.
In short, the move by Celtic shareholders, is making it plain that they will demand proper corporate governance from their club in ensuring that any alleged failure in corporate governance by the SFA or SPFL is properly investigated and reported on.
Of course, if it turns out that the 2011 Licensing process was somehow fudged and not conducted properly for whatever reason, then it could be argued that Celtic were disadvantaged in monetary terms along with other clubs who may have been awarded Europa League licences, then the consequences could be cataclysmic. Hence a tendency to circle the wagons rather than admit to failures in the process that need addressing.
It is this reluctance to come out and accept that the licensing process appears to have failed, say at what point the process failed and what needs to be done to address those failures that in many ways has driven the resolution. It is clear to all that something is amiss but the SFA will not admit it, probably from fear of the consequences of doing so? Perhaps some form of indemnity, a lessons learned enquiry with no prejudice might help?
It would come as no surprise to me at all if there were those at Hampden who live in dreaded fear of admitting that their processes were flawed and that a grave mistake was made. Under these circumstances, there may well be those at Hampden who simply wish that Celtic and their fans would just go away!
How is it possible to insist that everyone wear a poppy without suffering cognitive dissonance.
Good afternoon.
Given the nature of the posts today I thought I would share this — even though it is not football related.
If you think it is inappropriate for here– then my apologies.
However, it is something that has been with me for a lifetime.
http://wp.me/p1G95H-17R
Death on the Clyde — The Politicians Poppycock.
Remember Clydebank
Now that Ally has endorsed somers, I guess somers won’t be unpacking the brogues!
BRT
Great posting -it’s funny, what perspective brings to situations.
I think “The poppy police ” are just an example of our society where being seen to do the right thing is more important than doing it.
Sadly Its an element of the tick box culture we live with.
And it allows people to be seen to do the right thing rather than actually do it.
For what it’s worth my grandfather who was a Great War veteran and was gassed at Ypres and The Somme wouldn’t wear a poppy and despised anything to do with Earl Haig as the poppies used to be the Earl Haig Fund.
My late dad a WW2 veteran thought that poppies allowed the politicians to get away without actually doing anything – apart from wearing poppies and being seen to march.
He wouldn’t wear one either.
I don’t feel strongly but am aware that people wear them just because they think they have to and that is wrong.
I have no comment about the blue clubs “Special Relationship” with the armed forces apart from saying they don’t have any more right to this than any one else in football -and the facts show their links are more modern and to do with the nonsense of Northern Ireland in the recent past.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24890471
Regan ‘at it’ again !!?
Maybe this will be a good reason to get shot…
That picture of Regan and Doncaster should be the basis of a caption contest. The undying love seen in Doncaster’s eyes says it all for me. 🙁
broganrogantrevinoandhogan says: (216)
November 10, 2013 at 3:52 pm
15
2
Rate This
Good afternoon.
Given the nature of the posts today I thought I would share this — even though it is not football related.
If you think it is inappropriate for here– then my apologies.
However, it is something that has been with me for a lifetime.
http://wp.me/p1G95H-17R
Death on the Clyde — The Politicians Poppycock.
Remember Clydebank
=======================================================
Not quite sure what point is being made here, the original blog is however obvious, but… in case there is any misconception that these tragic occurrences were never re-visited by today’s media, perhaps never dealt with because it occurred north of the border – I remembered seeing this BBC documentary in 2011, one which I thought at the time showed in great detail the stark reality of what happened to Clydebank . An excellent documentary on a subject that I had known nothing about until then.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00zhzlw
Looking at the deal by BT to virtually double Champions League money from 2015 for British clubs, I wonder how this will fit with the business model down Govan way.
RFC were willing to bankrupt themselves in pursuit of £10M group stage money, how quickly will ‘The Rangers’ go bust again to achieve £20M?
That is even if they survive to get to the premier division. ‘The Rangers’ model is speculate to accumulate even when the benefits are not guaranteed when winning the league.
It will be interesting to watch the ‘finessing’ of ‘The Rangers’ to an premier title by the SFA to ensure their survival. The problem for the SFA now is that it is clear that they are not an independent arbitrator of our sport which leads most people to assume that their employees, the referee’s, are not either.
Conversely what will this increase in prize money do to the top league if, Celtic say, qualify for the group stages for two or three years in a row?
The resulting financial income would be tremendous for Celtic but a calamity for everyone else attempting to produce a competitive product.
It is bad enough just now and, while this is not a problem of Celtic’s making, it is still a problem for our domestic game.
This could prove an even more serious financial disparity for the top league and therefore our sport in general.
Taking my Celtic shareholders hat off for a second.
Here’s a suggestion . European monies earned in excess of €15 million a year should be shared 50/50 between the club and the national association. The money paid to the national association should be paid to member clubs to be spent on youth development. This should be split 50% to top tier clubs, 25% to next tier clubs, and 25% to the rest of the pro league clubs.
This needs to be a Europe wide rule, and therefore wouldn’t reduce the competitiveness of the top club in each country in relation to it’s European competitors, but would enhance the development of other clubs in the leagues
Or we could just take the lead and divvi up ALL the loot (excluding home gates,transfers, matchday revenue, shop sales etc.) and build a competitive league that may just have a value in the global TV world? It’s only for a wee while until the inevitable Sky/BT/etc bubble is burst. It’s what happens with all artificial markets eventually.
BUT.. I’m sure we’ll just keep doing the same stuff with the same outcomes.
The Allsvenskan has had seven different winners in the last ten years, and three different winners in the last three years, with Malmo winning the 2013 title last week. Fair play, but how much appetite is there internationally for Swedish football?
Competitiveness for its own sake isn’t universally attractive, as Jock Stein once said (more or less).
Barcabhoy says: (268)
November 10, 2013 at 6:25 pm
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💡 Great idea Barca! But too good and simple to catch on though 🙁
ernie says: (15)
November 10, 2013 at 6:36 pm
6 1 Rate This
Or we could just take the lead and divvi up ALL the loot (excluding home gates,transfers, matchday revenue, shop sales etc.)
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So a team that has 20,000 going to it’s home games should have the same income as a team which has 2,000 fans going to it’s home games.
Barcabhoy says: (268)
November 10, 2013 at 6:25 pm
I would normally agree with you but I simply would not trust the SFA to administer such a process.
Remember they consistently say that governance is not their job.
The SFA would probably spend the money of a series of ‘good nights out’ for the chosen few.
They can’t put in place a process to check that all clubs are up to date with their tax and your proposal is to give them possibly up to £7M to not only distribute but ensure that it is spent on youth development. How would you check that it is being spent in such a way?
An unscrupulous club may, with the assistance of a good accountant, could present figures saying black is white and vice versa.
I think however this is a good idea and should be adopted by this board as a policy for the betterment of our sport along with the quarterly tax check on all clubs.
Does this board have such a thing?
While we are all very suspicious of the people governing, running, and reporting on our sport I believe we should offer alternatives where proposals for change can be put forward, possibly even voted on, and adopted as our manifesto for change.
Tif Finn says: (751)
November 10, 2013 at 7:06 pm
2 0 Rate This
ernie says: (15)
November 10, 2013 at 6:36 pm
6 1 Rate This
Or we could just take the lead and divvi up ALL the loot (excluding home gates,transfers, matchday revenue, shop sales etc.)
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So a team that has 20,000 going to it’s home games should have the same income as a team which has 2,000 fans going to it’s home games.
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No, have another read. Clubs keep there home gates and all the other revenue they raise as individual clubs and all the tv and prize money is pooled.
Don’t worry, it’s only a conversation!
justshatered says:
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“This board” may wish to adopt such a system as policy.
I don’t.
timomouse says: (1)
November 10, 2013 at 11:28 am
Interesting point.
I was intrigued about the TV rights deal with China.
It made me ask what the SPFL and the SFA do about media rights Beyond the UK.
There are companies who do nothing other than sell video content into foreign territories and football sells– even Scottish Football.
As can be seen from the China deal, money can be gathered from this source and if the SPFL or whoever have not been looking at broadcasting rights beyond the UK before now they are crazy.
As for You Tube Monetisation– that is certainly one way to go but the increase in internet broadcasting is massive and there is absolutely nothing to stop the SPFL having their own digital channel and making revenue that way.
The BT deal may result in more money for the EPL but what occurs to me is that both ITV and SKY are going to be short on content re European Football and will have to fill their airtime with replacement content.
This could be an opportunity for the SPFL as SKY may well struggle to retain domestic customers especially those who take BT broadband– the sales of which I would expect to increase.
ernie says: (16)
November 10, 2013 at 6:36 pm
9 4 Rate This
Or we could just take the lead and divvi up ALL the loot (excluding home gates,transfers, matchday revenue, shop sales etc.) and build a competitive league that may just have a value in the global TV world? It’s only for a wee while until the inevitable Sky/BT/etc bubble is burst. It’s what happens with all artificial markets eventually.
BUT.. I’m sure we’ll just keep doing the same stuff with the same outcom
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WHAT ?
you are kidding right !?
do you really think UEFA would want that ?!
look what UEFA are doing just now and have been doing for a long time.
they have watched teams like man-ure, real [boring] madrid, chelski et al, rack up the debts and the best UEFA could come up with is the much vaunted FFP — we’ll see how that works.
UEFA, FIFA, the SFA et al, are all driven by cash and if more cash “is coming in” then they regard that as
“success” !!
For any mere football club (or company) to claim ownership of Remembrance Sunday, in the way Sevco do, is crass and tawdry…..do they really think no other club has lost players, officials, fans and loved ones in war? As for the poppy tops..profiteering from Remembrance Sunday is the action of an institution devoid of morality or ethics, yet they just don’t get it….they can’t all be that stupid?……can they?
arabest1 says
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To demand that everyone wear a poppy is to disparage the thing they claim to be commemorating. People sacrificing their lives to ensure the freedom of others.
How is there freedom if anyone who does not do what they want is hounded and abused.
If anyone is showing disrespect it is those who seem to think that wearing a poppy should be made compulsory.
Just saw a clip from Ibrox yesterday filmed by the sons of struth,in which Malcolm Murray is interviewed inside Bar 72 and ends with the immortal words”no surrender”.
I’ve posted the whole thing but Murray is near the end if you don’t want your ears assaulted by the Sevco protest songs.
http://t.co/XlbgpD4hCj
chancer67 says:
================
What … neither Murray said “We Are The People”.
I’ll not bother watching it then.
In other thoughts. Is Bar 72 not actually inside Ibrox Stadium. Did the board allow two former board members, who are currently trying to organise a coup, to be interviewed by the fans group trying to oust the current board.
That seems a bit strange.
justshatered says: (247)
November 10, 2013 at 6:04 pm
I agree. It was the foolish pursuit of Eurogeld that indirectly brought about Rangers demise. There has to be a much more equitable method of distribution that takes the money out of the few highly paid players bank accounts and spreads it over the game, including supporters bank accounts in the form of cheaper ticket prices. That becomes even more essential with the BT deal.
Barcabhoy’s redistribution suggestion is on the lines of one I have been making but with suggestions of how the extra cash should be distributed to stop rich young men becoming even richer.
The problem is all the power lies with players and will do until supporters take it away and demand a European wide wage ceiling.
chancer67 says: (89)
November 10, 2013 at 8:39 pm
Just saw a clip from Ibrox yesterday filmed by the sons of struth,in which Malcolm Murray is interviewed inside Bar 72 and ends with the immortal words”no surrender”.
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It’s always great to see this, that and the classic “we are the people”. These are the 2 great motivators for ensuring the SFA old guard is dismantled, brick for brick…. This is required because there are so many people currently working for that organisation that believe these sayings actually mean anything.
They are not said just to get the rank and file onboard, they are said because these guys actually believe it.
I totally agree about one team profiteering from Remembrance Day, it’s pretty awful. Venturing wildly off topic again but I do not like the poppy being shoved down my throat every time I switch on BBC News, BBC Breakfast of Sky News. This week I saw a little girl aged about four sitting with her Mum chatting to Eamonn Holmes and they’d even planted a poppy on her. On BBC I saw a farmer being interviewed in his work gear, on his farm, with a poppy on his jumper. A couple of years ago a BBC reporter was down a pot hole in a cave wearing a poppy, I saw a reporter in the street in China wearing one. Fair enough if BBC rank and file are told to wear one but why must Joe Public just because they are being interviewed? Guests must feel under pressure to wear one and occasionally one doesn’t, I believe Joan Bakewell refused and famously Jon Snow refuses but does wear one away from the studio. Who wears their poppy on their shirt or pullover anyway? They should say, I have one on my jacket, you’ll see it when I leave the studio, that’s good enough for me and it should be for you.
I haven’t read all of the past 48 hours comments so apologies if I am repeating something someone has already remarked upon.
And it is this, why has football, alone of all sports, been visited with this poppy fascism? Who is it that has infiltrated the FA, the EPL, the Football League, the SFA, SPL etc. over what seems to be just the past 5 years and started insisting on, first a minute’s silence, then poppies on shirts, then the presence of armed forces, abseiling troops, field guns and all the rest of the military parphernalia?
Why are the darts players not wearing poppies? What about Rafa Nadal – does he care not a jot for our armed forces? What about the players in the Rugby Union internationals or the Rugby League World Cup?
No, it is only football that has been singled out and you are left to wonder if in fact it was television – either Sky or the BBC which initiated this. It is quite absurd (quite apart from offensive – perhaps to everyone???) to see German, Italian Chinese or Japanese footballers being forced to wear a shirt with a poppy on it.
As upthehoops says, people like my own father fought in the second world war precisely to afford us the freedom of expression.
As far as television is concerned, the only two people I have seen not wearing a poppy over the past week are John Snow and Gordon Brewer – though he did wear one on one of the Newnight programmes.
And what commentators and critics also fail to recognise is that whilst 20 or 30 years ago most people were happy to pay tribute to the conscripts of two world wars, nowadays we are being asked to pay tribute (and contribute financially) not to conscripts but to career soldiers who are well paid and have excellent pensions – most of those veterans of the 2 world wars having died.
Also many of the career soldiers have fought not in world wars but in “wars” which not everyone necessarily approves of or feels was necessary – Ulster, the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan.
I tend to think most of the conscripts of 1914-18 and 1939-45 would be truly appalled at the posturing, hypocrisy and arrogance of politicians and other “influencers of public opinion” in 2013 and the way in which they have turned what was once a simple, poignant gesture into something which is so divisive.
Auldheid says: (1017)
November 10, 2013 at 8:56 pm
1 0 Rate This
… including supporters bank accounts in the form of cheaper ticket prices.
================================
Like taking £100 of all season tickets, a nice bonus for the fans, and a good incentive for people to get them. Helping the club by maintaining levels.
What we will now see unfold ,strangely enough, is the lean towards a break away euro league ,funded strangely enough by a breakaway satelite company under the name … …… [to be filled in at later date]
my backside .this now gives even more cash to the backers of English football and on you go guys ,armageddon is on its way to English football,I believe that a lot of this additional monies should be aimed at funding policing of clubs with bad fan history and sorting out our game for good,if they are in any Euro competition ,any ,and I mean any fan wrong doing there participation money is taken away from the club that has any fans involved ,also their respective associations are fined and respective clubs banned for periods until their act is cleaned up,only allowance will be given to a certain member association that has diffucultity understanding any rule book,if they had one in the first place.
Auldheid says: (1017)
November 10, 2013 at 8:56 pm
‘….The problem is all the power lies with players and will do until supporters take it away and demand a European wide wage ceiling..’
——–
I find myself very much in two minds on this point.
On the one hand, there is an ( instinctive?) belief that a worker should be free to market his services and/or talents to the highest bidder. Provided the bidder is prevented from breaking finance or sporting rules in order to bid!
I remember being astonished as a boy when I learned that there was a maximum wage for footballers! I think it was right that Jimmy hill and others managed to get that rule/law rescinded. Just as it was right for Bosman to end the restrictions on freedom of movement.
Football players are workers in the entertainment industry, after all.
On the other hand,though, they are not solo performers: they need to be in a team. And that team needs there to be other teams ( unlike other businesses that would cheerfully see all their competitors go under!).
And if those other teams are so squeezed out as to become non-viable, then the whole football entertainment industry would sooner or later die the death.
Somehow an equitable balance has to be found between the ‘rights’ of talented players and ‘needs’ of clubs.
The huge problem ( as I understand it) is that European Union law seems not to be able to treat football, football clubs and football players as being entitled to any special exemptions from the laws that apply in other industries.
Finding a solution that would be binding on clubs but did not contravene EU law is the stumbling block, even if the principle of imposing a European-wide maximum salary were to be conceded.
I doubt if fan action alone would be enough give UEFA sufficient clout with the EU Commissioners etc.
I get the impression from UEFA’s general drift that they would like to be able to do something, but can’t think how to achieve the more level playing ground that some kind of control over spending on players would provide.
Ahem
Who at BT or Eufa said the “extra” money was going to the clubs? No one.
I for one will be glad when today is over.
I will never understand what the wearing or non wearing of poppy has to do with football and why it seems to be a topic of serious conversation within forums such as ours.
If you are for it, wear a poppy and observe a minutes silence.
If you are against it then don’t wear one or take up the option of the white ones.
Come the minutes silence keep your trap shut and allow those who want to mark the occassion to do so.
It is only one or two minutes of the 525600 we have in the year.
Hi-jacking it for other purposes or wearing ‘bling poppys’ on TV just show people up for the ar***oles that they are.
If we are all still here next year can we just gie it a miss as the whole thing gies me the dry boak?
ianagain says:
November 10, 2013 at 9:57 pm
Ahem
Who at BT or Eufa said the “extra” money was going to the clubs? No one.
==========================================================
As they currently distribute 80% of revenue from media rights and commercial contracts to participating clubs and given their fear of a breakaway I’d say it was a fair bet that any additional Champions League revenue will go to the usual wothy causes; Man U, Barcelona, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid etc etc…
wottpi says: (1264)
November 10, 2013 at 9:57 pm
‘..I will never understand what the wearing or non wearing of poppy has to do with football ..’
—–
With the greatest respect, many of us on this blog were deeply offended earlier in the year when our Armed Forces allowed themselves to be used to bolster a very sectarian notion of patriotism.
The shameless misuse of poppy day by a reek of rotten spivs trying desperately to cloak the misdeeds of many associated either with the dead football club or with the struggling new football club gives me more than the dry boak!
I thought of my badly wounded da,now deceased, and heard him, as it were, saying ‘ for that f..king lot? you must be kidding’
That image of those cavorting troops at Ibrox is imprinted indelibly in my mind.
I did not wear a poppy today.
Apologies if this has been picked up on before (I had a quick check and it appears to have been missed in a sea of poppies 🙂 )
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/spfl-sfa-go-war-over-2715907
By Gordon Waddell
10 Nov 2013 09:04
SPFL and SFA go to war over £1m league reconstruction bill
BOSSES of the two organisations are on collision course due to a fall-out over who was to foot the bill for the summer’s big switchover.
THE SPFL and SFA are on a collision course over the £1million tab for league reconstruction.
MailSport understands fuming league bosses are claiming SFA chief executive Stewart Regan and president Campbell Ogilvie are reneging on an agreement to foot the full bill for the big switch-over in the summer.
However it’s believed Regan is equally adamant that was never the deal they agreed and has the email trail to prove it, leaving the two bodies at loggerheads.
The matter has been discussed both at SPFL board level and at a meeting of the 10 Championship clubs within the past 10 days.
Former SFL chairmen in particular insist the SFA supremos gave them an unequivocal commitment to foot the bill for the nuts and bolts of the move to one league body at a meeting.
At the time the SFA were desperate to see the two bodies unified and a pyramid system in place, putting another brick in the wall of their 2020 vision for the game going forward.
But with the legal and accounting costs of dissolving the SFL and SPL, as well as creating the new set-up, the bill has skyrocketed close to seven figures.
However, the SFA have issues with what it contains.
It’s understood a six-figure pay-off for departing SFL chief executive David Longmuir is included as a “cost” of the reconstruction, one which will be hotly disputed, as well as the accountancy costs of the SFL’s due diligence into the top flight.
The SFA’s understanding of their offer was to partially fund the legal costs but to make a wider contribution to the cost of the play-off system, pyramid set-up and parachute payments for SPL teams taking the drop.
That deal would have exposed them to a figure in excess of the £1m mark but over a longer period of time.
MailSport, however, believes several league chairmen want a hardline stance taken in any negotiations, despite the fact their coffers have swollen in the past week with a £2m a year deal with Chinese TV.
It’s also understood the probe commissioned into secret bonus payments made to Longmuir during his SFL tenure is ready to be presented to clubs at the end of the week.
The payments – totalling more than £400,000 – were discovered during the reconstruction process.
Then-president Jim Ballantyne claimed to have the discretionary power to award the cash without SFL board approval.
It’s believed some of the money could already have been paid back – however that may not be enough to satisfy the clubs awaiting the report.
Very hard to hear Malcolm Murray in that clip. I was hoping he would explain why he had a picture of Jacques Brel behind his left shoulder, but alas, no.
What I would really like to know is what he and his fellow travellers are worried about.
If their club goes into administration and even liquidation, recent history suggests they will just pretend it never happened and that the football authorities and Scottish mainstream media will go along with the charade. So what’s the problem?
john clarke says: (1341)
November 10, 2013 at 9:50 pm
I’ve written about player power in the past for CQN Mag see copy at
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kpMnLxNJhhK3i2dsLpd9oRHxjvDrS8GLGhNNVKEldRw/edit
and I take your point about sport and EU law clashing, hence the specificity of sport argument that allows certain EU laws to be swerved, e.g why it is acceptable that Torres cannot be selected for England or Scotland or anywhere but Spain). There appears to be no specific policy determined since the White Paper on Sport in 2007 set the course with individual issues being settled on a case by case basis in courts of law.
It seems that any solutions (like a wage ceiling) must be in proportion to the sought benefits. I can think of no greater benefit than saving football from itself.
I appreciate the aims of FFP and how it came about, but it seems to me a complicated set of instructions to ensure a driver only drives a car at a maximum desired speed when the alternative of regulating the accelerator would produce the same result and avoid human temptation to travel faster.
Absolutely shocking from Malcolm Murray. Last question was “What is your message to the Rangers support”
Murray replies “”No Surrender””
Fabric of our society right there in those 2 words.
parttimearab says: (65)
November 10, 2013 at 10:16 pm
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ianagain says:
November 10, 2013 at 9:57 pm
Ahem
Who at BT or Eufa said the “extra” money was going to the clubs? No one.
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As they currently distribute 80% of revenue from media rights and commercial contracts to participating clubs and given their fear of a breakaway I’d say it was a fair bet that any additional Champions League revenue will go to the usual wothy causes; Man U, Barcelona, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid etc etc
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Minus the usual “fees” for “admin” dinners and the rest as you point out more money for the rich.
valentinesclown says:
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At least the prospective board members aren’t playing to the lowest common denominator supremacist nonsense like previous people have.
Oh wait.
And I would actually like to see someone analyse the incomings at EUFA viz outgoings. Could be interesting just seems to be accepted as true.
chancer67 says: (89)
November 10, 2013 at 8:39 pm
…
I’ve posted the whole thing but Murray is near the end if you don’t want your ears assaulted by the Sevco protest songs.
http://t.co/XlbgpD4hCj
==================
Thanks for posting that chancer67.
I had not heard either of the Murrays speaking before now – and it was enlightening watching them talk in a relatively relaxed / informal setting.
I was unimpressed with Malcolm Murray, regardless of his signing-off ‘soundbite’.
…and perhaps surprisingly, [well, to me anyway], I was even less impressed with Paul Murray.
The TRFC fans must be desperate if the majority – allegedly – are looking at these 2 characters to be significant players to ‘save’ their club.
So no other, sensible, successful, ‘forward thinking’ TRFC fans want to step forward to save the Govan club ? They probably know too much…and know it’s not worth the time or grief. Hence characters like the Murrays are feted unquestioningly as potential saviours.
As that other Murray comedian, [Al], says: “Oh dear, what a pity, never mind… ” 🙄
This is Jack’s busiest period. Celtic at Ajax, appoint an actor, ‘Poppy Day’ , Ally’s ‘guy who understands this club’ announcement, Hearts, Dunfermline AND keeping discussion of the board off RM, he must be cream crackered!!!!
If I was him I’d hire a PR guy.
Is anyone going to analyse/investigate the Ballantyne/Longmuir bonus scam?
should he not be saying “we’re definitely not surrendering this time or walking away again, unless of course we lose the vote, obviously then we might have to, but even then, no surrender”
pau1mart1n says:
==============================
Let’s assume that Paul Murray et al are voted onto the board, and the current incumbents are voted off. A whole new board for Christmas, all three of the current people off.
What next, how does a PLC with a £14m trading loss in the last accounts, little or no money in the bank, costs they can’t afford still there, and few ways to increase turnover and move forward.
What, as they say, is the plan.
I genuinely don’t see it.
Tif Finn says: (757)
November 9, 2013 at 10:31 pm
This is the current Rangers board
http://s10.postimg.org/squuxwu7t/Rangers_Board.jpg
How happy would you be if that is the group who were running your club.
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Sorry but that isn’t the Rangers Board for the simple reason that there are two shadow Directors missing.
GeronimosCadillac says:
=================================
Who would that be.
jean7brodie says: (347)
November 10, 2013 at 11:35 pm
‘…Is anyone going to analyse/investigate the Ballantyne/Longmuir bonus scam?.’
———
Jean, if the big bad sharks are not being investigated, the shabby little minnows can for the moment swim safely.
What we have to remember is that the baddies are ALWAYS on the back foot-because they know they are baddies!
They can never really enjoy their ill-gotten gains, or imagined status.
They sweat it out, relying on legal technicalities to save them.
They know that their ‘friends’, their neighbours, their kids, their grandkids, and thousands of others KNOW, or will know, that in the eyes of the world they are scumbags without honour.
That’s a high price to pay for a few illicit bob.
And they will pay it.
Tif Finn says: (758)
November 10, 2013 at 7:18 pm
justshatered says:
============================
“This board” may wish to adopt such a system as policy.
I don’t.
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Typical Big Club mentality. Take a moment to think about what happened to your former business partners before rejecting the policy. The Mighty can fall.
parttimearab says: (65)
November 10, 2013 at 10:35 pm
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It would be good if this went to Court – in that way many closely guarded documents could be made public.
That would be good for the cause of Transparency in the Scottish game.
upthehoops says: (636)
November 10, 2013 at 2:52 pm
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Allyjambo says: (659)
November 10, 2013 at 1:24 pm
===================================
I too wonder what defines the ‘relationship’ Rangers often speak of with the Armed Forces
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It is fairly straightforward…
We, all of us, will owe our armed services a massive debt for all of eternity… a debt we can never hope to repay.
Whereas, Rangers will owe all of us …
slimshady61 says: (295)
November 10, 2013 at 9:14 pm
And what commentators and critics also fail to recognise is that whilst 20 or 30 years ago most people were happy to pay tribute to the conscripts of two world wars, nowadays we are being asked to pay tribute (and contribute financially) not to conscripts but to career soldiers who are well paid and have excellent pensions – most of those veterans of the 2 world wars having died.
Also many of the career soldiers have fought not in world wars but in “wars” which not everyone necessarily approves of or feels was necessary – Ulster, the Falklands, Iraq and Afghanistan.
I tend to think most of the conscripts of 1914-18 and 1939-45 would be truly appalled at the posturing, hypocrisy and arrogance of politicians and other “influencers of public opinion” in 2013 and the way in which they have turned what was once a simple, poignant gesture into something which is so divisive.
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A couple of things.
“Career Soldiers” as you describe them are not well paid. They don’t have great pensions and as with the previous conflicts the State leaves them to deal with their own physical and mental injuries.
These “Career Soldiers” are just working class guys who join the Army for a job, a trade or to get way from a lack of opportunity, a life of crime, poorly paid casual labour or bad family situations.
I too don’t approve of the wars they fought in the places you list but the ones who died in those lands still deserve to be remembered and looked after by us.
John clarke says: (1343)
November 10, 2013 at 10:31 pm
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wottpi says: (1264)
November 10, 2013 at 9:57 pm
‘..I will never understand what the wearing or non wearing of poppy has to do with football ..’
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There is the seeds of a movement afoot in some quarters to provocatively stop wearing poppies until the values for which our servicemen died are restored, and politicians and others stop using the poppy as a badge of convenience and start building the society and freedoms that so many gave their lives to protect…
This has become tied up with the attack on the disabled & vulnerable masquerading as welfare reform. The poppy fundamentally symbolises the strong protecting the weak, something that has been subverted beyond all recognition lately, and salutes and remembers those who paid the ultimate price in the furtherance of that aim.
Like the ticking of a clock that stops, I think this movememnt could make a powerful statement.
And this man – as a wounded WW2 veteran – has more right than the David Cameron’s and Ally McCoists of this world, or you or I for that matter, to make such a statement.
And I think the ‘to do with football’ element comes in to the subverting of what the poppy really stands for into some crude marketing emblem, by those who have no idea of what it underpins, to appeal to a certain demographic, for whom ‘the strong protecting the weak’ could not be further from their aims or ideals.
This is a charge that applies to one football club in particular, as well as a whole raft of politicians.
This is my opinion. But food for thought I hope.
Meant respectfully to all (inc. TRFC fans btw).
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/08/poppy-last-time-remembrance-harry-leslie-smith
timomouse says: (1)
November 10, 2013 at 11:28 am
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Oddly enough, in spite of having been on here before, the site decided to completely forget my details nor be able to send me retrieval emails,
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Oh cr*p, he’s found us, guys! 😀
Upsticks. New secret URL in the usual place.
____
Only Joking… clearly!
Could be your computers cookies changes etc… whatever…
Doubtless there are many others still swearing at the screen struggling with logins and IDs and URLs etc.
Check out the FAQ bit.
Then email the mods via Contact support or Contact Admins. They have done well, but are working on a shoestring, doubtless!
GeronimosCadillac says: (56)
November 11, 2013 at 1:39 am
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slimshady61 says: (295)
November 10, 2013 at 9:14 pm
_______________________
You make some goodpoints. About the politicians, but not the soldiers.
Jewish, Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian, Muslim…. once they join up, they are all the same.
A bit like TRFC, Celtic, Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen and who knows, maybe even ICT, when on Scotland duty?
As it should be.
Machine gun bullets respect neither race nor creed.
redlichtie says: (280)
November 10, 2013 at 1:31 pm
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The irony of his club having evaded and failed to pay taxes to support our Armed Forces seems to elude Mr McCoist.
___________________________________
Can’t help thinking that if it had instead eluded paying Mr McCoist in order to pay its taxes (i.e had a proper adminsitration) , this might have altered his perception.
.
1978 – Scotland’s World Cup referee, John Gordon, and linesmen, Rollo Kyle, together with David McCartney, are suspended by Scottish FA after admitting they accepted presents worth £1,000 from Milan before a UEFA Cup match with Levski Spartak. Milan, fined £8,000 by UEFA, had drawn 1-1 in Bulgaria and won 3-0 at home.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Good to see the SFA acting on this one in Scotlands World Cup year. Same year BFDJ cheated in the Semi at Hampden.
For those who do not want to listen to the protest chorus here is an edited down link with just the tail end of MM….
http://youtu.be/bsH2oGuEz_k
• Use of the word “dignity”…check!
• Bizarre reference to Winston Churchill in 1939 – check….
• …and finally to round it all off …a nice sectarian “No Surrender!”
WTF?
….I am astounded at the lack of self-awareness and judgement shown by all these clowns….
In my view this is nothing short of the equivalent of someone of Peter Lawwell’s standing signing off an interview with an “…up the ‘RA”….
…will we see a cheep of this in the MSM?…I doubt it….
Consider this….when Charles Green gave an interview to Clyde 1 at the height of his pomp he was asked exactly the same question…..i.e. his message to the Ranger’s fans:
Reply…”No Surrender”
However…Clyde 1 in it’s infinite wisdom edited this out from the broadcast interview…….however scroll on a few months when Charles is no longer the current flavour of the month down Govan way…
Clyde 1 suddenly find this in their archives and then inexplicably decide to broadcast it on SSB….
Go figure…..
This is getting beyond scandalous…God only knows where it will end…. What is it going to take before someone calls time on this entire sorry episode…..
EDIT – for anyone in any doubt of the origin of this term:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Derry
double post…apologies…
Tif Finn says: (758)
November 10, 2013 at 11:56 pm
Let’s assume that Paul Murray et al are voted onto the board, and the current incumbents are voted off. A whole new board for Christmas, all three of the current people off.
What next, how does a PLC with a £14m trading loss in the last accounts, little or no money in the bank, costs they can’t afford still there, and few ways to increase turnover and move forward.
=========================================
I imagine in the event they are voted onto the board talk will once again very quickly turn to Dave KIng. There will of course be absolute outrage at anyone who questions his fit and proper person criteria, but like an invading army the tide of intimidation and anger will sweep him in and the SFA or any other authority is unlikely to do anything about it.
Reading the reports of how the Govan team ‘celebrated’ Remembrance Sunday I found myself having to check the Calendar to make sure it wasn’t actually April Fool’s Day!
Is there, literally, no one at the Clumpany who understands what the whole thing is about? I mean, really?
Laying a wreath at a statue of a footballer? Born in 1942? Who is still ALIVE? And wasn’t EVER in the Forces?
Now I know his statue is a memorial to those that perished on Stairway 13 but that has nothing to do with Rembrance Sunday either, and indeed those that lost their lives are worthy of their own remembrance.
But as if this wasn’t quite bad enough we have McCoist up to his usual tricks of heaping extra special Rangersness praise on SERVING personnel, when, in fact, Ally it’s actually not about them, it’s about Grandads, Great-Grandads and so on who were ordinary men who did extraordinary things for all of us to enjoy today’s freedoms.
Railway Stations, Golf Clubs, Football Clubs, including my own, and my Cricket Club, even, have a War Memorial, a permanent record of the names of brave young men. ‘Rangers’, they lay their wreath at the feet of John Greig. I find my toes curling in embarrassment.
thirdmanrunning says: (102)
November 11, 2013 at 8:28 am
I felt embarrassed for them when I read that.
Do they not have an embarrassment gene? Was there no one who thought “Wait a minute, this doesn’t feel right”
John Greig has nothing to do with fallen soldiers.
Beyond parody.
I am sure like many others I got the impression Malcolm Murray was a quiet decent man trying to professionally go about the business of helping run the ‘footbal club’ he loved.
However the ‘No Surrender’ quote just goes to show what we are dealing with.
I have long said that as soon as you walk up the marble staircase someone must jump out and inject you with a severe dose of bile. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do, the bile runs deep in many a Bears vein.
Who in their right mind thinks that in the 21st century there is a place for such utter nonesense within Scottish Football or indeed in any professionally run business.
Similarly I have long said since the days of RTC that a large broom needed to clean out anything that remained of the old ways at Ibrokes before the club could move forward.
Until that changes the reality is that the ‘club’s’ image only has the potential to attract two types of owners.
Spivs and/or Bigots.
The people who think they are, actually believe that everything is about them. Their sense of entitlement and perceived place in society as part of the establishment, knows no bounds. Therein lies the crux of all of their problems. They simply believe and continue to believe that what they do is acceptable, whatever the context.
thirdmanrunning says: (102)
November 11, 2013 at 8:28 am
tmr, I hadn’t given much thought to the laying of a wreath at John Greig’s statue, but now you raised it, it absolutely disgusts me. What could the rationale possibly be? (I know, more WATP without actually saying it) Could they, in some way, be comparing the Ibrox disaster (terrible though it was) with a war situation? Do they actually see themselves at war, in a scenario where they are the saviours of all things British, Protestant, right etc against a conspiracy of all things you know what? Are they ALL really so deluded?
This sham ceremony was carried out by their supposed leaders; if they believe in this delusion, what chance is there for TRFC led by such deluded individuals? But this pales into insignificance when we see, and hear, one of their proposed leaders, a true Rangers’ man, considered to be of a higher calibre than your run of the mill football supporter, a leader in commerce, educated and accepted in all the right places, yet still he reaches up to find the gutter with his ‘No surrender’ call to the ‘faithful’.
I am put in mind of a fellow pupil in my history class, many, many years ago. A Rangers fanatic. I’d never really had a proper conversation with him, so knew little of his background nor just how ingrained he was in Rangersness. Until, one day, he took umbridge with our teacher’s revelation that the Pope had sent 300 of his finest troops to help King William at the Battle of the Boyne. The teacher, a very nice guy, born and raised in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe to out younger readers 🙄 ), seemed totally bemused by his reaction. And it got worse when he revealed that Holland was an ally, at the time, of the Vatican as both states were at war with Phillip of Spain. The teacher’s jaw dropped as the lad stormed out of the classroom in a rage.
My introduction to sectarianism was quite amusing and I put it down to him not being the brightest of people and have mostly since assumed that the vile delusion of Orangemen was mainly held by the working class masses and that middle to upper class Rangers supporters would be more aware of the reality and, at the very least, refrain from showing their bigotry to the world. Messrs Johnston, Murray (how many are there?) and others have cleared that misconception up for me. Sad, sad individuals!
If the best these people can do to give hope to the bears is to pander to their bigotry, heaven help them! Coz these guys won’t.
Thirdmanrunning @ 8:28am.
(Mods, please remove this if you deem it inappropriate but sometimes they really sicken me and this is one of those times.)
Everything they touch, they pollute.
It’s as if they have nothing of any true worth in their lives and the only way they can compensate for this is to latch on to something, anything, that is decent and twist it to fit their need for attention.
They cannot just be part of something, they have to be in charge. They have to be the biggest. If this involves destroying the essense of whatever it is they have turned their attention to then so be it.
It is bad enough that they continue to do this to something as ultimately trivial as a game involving kicking a ball around for a while.
It is completely beneath contempt that they do it to the simple act of remembering the dead of two World Wars.
I see Richard Wilson at The Herald is reporting on a lower league game again this weekend. He’s been at the paper a while now, shouldn’t he be given a chance to report on more senior matches? I think it’s time the Sports Editor gave the guy a break.
Kilgore Trout says: (93)
November 11, 2013 at 9:31 am
KT, excellent post and I doubt it will be removed. Only someone who can’t face the truth could take offence.
wottpi on November 11, 2013 at 9:26 am says:
Spivs and/or Bigots.
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Spigots? 😀
I’ll get my coat…
TommyB says: (50)
November 11, 2013 at 9:28 am
The people who think they are, actually believe that everything is about them. Their sense of entitlement and perceived place in society as part of the establishment, knows no bounds. Therein lies the crux of all of their problems. They simply believe and continue to believe that what they do is acceptable, whatever the context.
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To be honest with you I reckon the stuffing has been well and truly knocked out of them and all that is left is empty defiance.
very poor attempt at humour, i apologise
GeronimosCadillac says: (57)
November 11, 2013 at 2:42 am
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1978 – Scotland’s World Cup referee, John Gordon, and linesmen, Rollo Kyle, together with David McCartney, are suspended by Scottish FA after admitting they accepted presents worth £1,000 from Milan before a UEFA Cup match with Levski Spartak. Milan, fined £8,000 by UEFA, had drawn 1-1 in Bulgaria and won 3-0 at home.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Good to see the SFA acting on this one in Scotlands World Cup year. Same year BFDJ cheated in the Semi at Hampden.
The old memory is playing tricks on you, it was 1976 that BFDJ took a dive, and JPR Gordon awarded the penalty from 50 yards away, having just denied us a stonewaller, when ‘The Greatest Ever Ranger’ flattened Wullie P
fergussingstheblues says: (86)
November 9, 2013 at 10:15 pm
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parttimearab says: (58)
November 9, 2013 at 9:43 pm
Tif Finn says: (739)
November 9, 2013 at 8:05 pm
What other type of business in administration would try to be allowed to pay one group of creditors, ahead of everyone else, including the secured creditors.
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To state the obvious any type of business that thought/knew they would get away with it!
The “football creditor rule” has in important role in club finances though. By providing some measure of security in the transfer market it allows clubs to accept staged payments from other clubs with a less than sound creditworthiness (which probably accounts for most clubs!!).
Without this monies would be required “up front” diluting the number of prospective purchasers and/or lowering transfer fees – less than an ideal scenario for clubs who rely on transfer income to reduce debt or balance the books.
Not very businesslke but if most football clubs were run as businesses hey would have been shut down long ago.
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Maybe it would persuade clubs to join the real world and actually attempt to run on a sustainable basis. This applies mostly to EPL clubs as many others no doubt do, give or take the odd sleeping “giant” chasing promotion to the EPL.
Prioritising football debts over others is morally unjustifiable, end of story.
upthehoops says: (637)
November 11, 2013 at 7:07 am
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Same question … what then.
Short term, does King lend them money just to be lost.
Is there another share issue, just to pay running costs.
Do they sell assets and then lease them back. Who is going to buy them.
Longer term, how do they plug the £10m a year hole in the accounts.
It’s all very well people discussing who is going to control Rangers. There’s not a lot being said or done about how to actually fix it.
Allyjambo says: (661)
November 11, 2013 at 9:28 am
This sham ceremony was carried out by their supposed leaders; if they believe in this delusion, what chance is there for TRFC led by such deluded individuals? But this pales into insignificance when we see, and hear, one of their proposed leaders, a true Rangers’ man, considered to be of a higher calibre than your run of the mill football supporter, a leader in commerce, educated and accepted in all the right places, yet still he reaches up to find the gutter with his ‘No surrender’ call to the ‘faithful’.
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I don’t believe for a moment that this is anything other than a seedy pantomime aimed at the gutter element of the Ibrox faithful.
Please, please don’t tell me that any sane, well educated individual would be involved in this mockery for anything other than money. The fact that they do it for money makes them sleaze balls, no doubt about that, but they surely cannot have had successful business careers and actually believe any of the puerile WATP guff that they spout.
Laying a wreath at John Greig’s statue? Must have sent a shiver up Greig’s spine. This circus was no doubt orchestrated by Jack Irvine, whose true opinion of Greig is pretty well known!.
This lot are certainly taking dignity to new levels- subterranean ones, unfortunately. Can they really not see that “dignity” involves more than a blazer, a club tie, and a pair of brown brogues? They really just do not get it. Truly a national disgrace.