Earlier this year, Rangerstaxcase.com explained the meaning of ‘Succulent Lamb’. It was a phrase – referring to the art of journalists who accept what they are told (right or wrong) in return for privileged information – that became a well known euphemism for ‘bad journalism’.
Unfortunately, the death of Rangers FC has not changed the ‘bad journalism’ prevalent in the Scottish red top media.
The ‘code of practice’ for journalists states:
…public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist’s credibility.
The highlight in bold above is my emphasis. Let us now apply this to a story which was published earlier this week, about the poor Falkirk Tannoy Announcer who was ‘suspended’ by Falkirk. His crime? Reading out the half time score as ‘The Sevco Franchise v East Stirling’
Let’s look at one example of the Succulent Lamb journalists in action:
The Herald:
FALKIRK have suspended their stadium announcer for referring to the newco Rangers as “The Sevco Franchise”. Fans of club reacted angrily to the comment, made during Saturday’s game against Raith Rovers. Dave McIntosh used the term to poke fun at Rangers’ financial troubles after they were liquidated. Falkirk have ordered him not to return until an internal investigation has been carried out.
Now, a reader of TSFM decided to do what all journalists should do… research. How, by simply asking Falkirk why he was suspended. Thanks to ‘Senior’, here is the email (all names removed to protect privacy):
Not only are the MSM failing to report the facts, they are failing to “seek truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues.” Surely the real story is why does a SFA member club feel the need to protect the safety of an employee from the actions of another member club. Isn’t that the question that the MSM should be asking?
And why are credible threats from one new member to another older member being tolerated, without charge, by the very organization tasked with protecting OUR game. Another in a long line of questions that the SFA need to be asked.
—-
15.2 That the Joint Administrators may draw remuneration of £362,389, on account of the time
costs incurred from 30 June 2012 to 10 August 2012, being £362,389.
====
Not bad for sitting twiddling your thumbs.
Which rather begs the question why Falkirk felt the need to apologise to Sevco…er I mean The Rangers.
http://www.falkirkfc.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6076&Itemid=320
AUGUST 24, 2012 BY STEVENSANPH
==============
It does not help when Regan says that the statements made in regard to the SFA were only done to encourage season ticket sales.
This gives a feeling of impunity to Newco to say what they want to any and all.
EBT Case – Big Tax Case
13.17 The Big Tax Case is disputed by the Company and is subject to a first tier tax Tribunal. An outcome has yet to be determined by the Tribunal and is expected in September 2012.
Er, no!
The behaviour of the MSM media within Scotland has been nothing less than scandalous with regards to the Sevco/The Rangers/Whoever fiasco that has brought shame on Scottish Football
during the last 12 months.
The continual untruths, misinformation and inability to ask sensible questions to the relevant people involved in this scandal are beyond contempt.
Any professional journalist worth his/her salt would be salivating at the thought of this situation, to ensure that the truth was discovered and their readers/listeners informed accordingly.
With a few individual exceptions, the remainder of the MSM media should hang their heads in shame at the continual untruths that they are trying to brainwash their readers/listeners with in
connection with Sevco/The Rangers/Whoever.
Does anyone seriously believe anything that they write in their daily rags or speak on the radio.
It is imperative that all “Internet Bampots” continue to investigate this fiasco to ensure that the truth is eventually uncovered and that justice is seen to be done.
I t will not be easy to find the whole truth, but it is essential for the long term future of Scottish Football that it is discovered and all guilty parties are dealt with appropriately.
I hereby refer to the sevco franchise as the sebco franchise. Licensed to bring the Olympic Games back to sev-sebco land. This info has been wiki- leaked onto the Internet so it’s now legit.
My name is Assange-feel free to abuse and threaten me
Answer is no. Pure and simple.
Which explains why they are losing readers, the only language that will actually make anything change.
“Now, a reader of TSFM decided to do what all journalists should do… research”
Best one liner of the week in my opinion and what this blog should adopt as it’s raison d’etre.
Great stuff
M8. One problem with your arguement. Turkeys don’t vote for Christians….Er, Christmas.
Or
Why kill the golden goose
Or.
He who pays the piper….I’ll get my proverb dictionary!
TSFM,
Got me thinking now,what about a comment of the week award?
(Apologies for going off topic)
I know what you mean, but the MSM media will not survive with only Sevco/The Rangers/Whoever buying their rags or listening on the radio.
They will eventually get what they deserve.
bangordub says:
August 25, 2012 at 00:43
0 0 Rate This
TSFM,
Got me thinking now,what about a comment of the week award?
(Apologies for going off topic)
__________________________
What about a post of the week award- possibly becoming the next blog piece.
I was thinking about this whilst cycling back and forth to Lanark this evening. Someone used the phrase ‘cognitive dissonance’ to encapsulate the idea of the schizophrenia being experienced by Rangers fans. Two things existing at once in the same time and place. My mind ticked over randomly with the pedals to the thought of how Northern Ireland is currently reported. I know from a work colleague whose husband is on an army posting there that there is still low level violence. When the currrent peace agreement first came about I was desperate for it to succeed and would have looked dimly upon journalists focussing in on continuing problems and possibly inflaming passions. The parallel with the Scottish media is that, like me, they want everything to be alright. Too much information might do more harm than good. However everything will not be alright until the FUNDAMENTAL issues are resolved. There are so many worms in this can that its hard to pick out the fattest ones. Like a builder reviewing a crumbling edifice, perhaps concentration need initially to be placed on the elements that will securely prop up Scottish Football. If these ‘pillars’ are easily recognisable for all concerned then maybe a concensus can be reached and we can consider the walls and the windows and the roof etc in due course. The MSM don’t deal in detail. Their customers want a simple story that is easily understood. So perhaps it would be appropriate to concentrate on the things that underpin the sport initially. If confidence can be gained that the whole edifice is not about to collapse then perhaps more people will get onboard the rebuilding project.
This goes to the heart of the disinformation being spouted through the MSM so there can be a Rangers for them to sell papers and ad space to tens of thousands of bears.
I heard one on SSB saying to the caller who after careful explanation of the legal and football reasons why Sevco is a new club that because they wear blue, play at Ibrox and have Rangers in the name, they are Rangers 1872.
It is that sort of pap that the hard of understanding take as gospel and when challenged some resort to violence.
I find it astonishing that Rangers fans cannot see that the real crime here was their club was destroyed in front of them and then bits of it auctioned to any passing shyster with a few quid in his pocket.
Scottish football is subjected to ill informed, ill researched, first thought into the head, often partisan comment by poorly educated pundits.
The MSM allowed the Rangers fiasco to happen, its allowed our game to decline horribly and it offers nothing to bring about about its renaissance.
If editors want us to buy their content in hard copy or online they need to address the quality of output to the Scottish football fan. The success of RTC should have made this obvious.
I despair at the continuing asinine drivel from print, radio & TV (Spence, Daly & few others excepted).
Its not good enough.
nowoldandgrumpy says:
That the Joint Administrators may draw remuneration of £362,389, on account of the time
costs incurred from 30 June 2012 to 10 August 2012, being £362,389.
====
Not bad for sitting twiddling your thumbs.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Who thinks they are merely sitting twiddling them?
Anyway……..
Great post from STEVENSANPH – this is what we need – more of this expose of the single fish spouted by the media.
Here’s another brilliant example, for those who may have missed it.
http://tinyurl.com/canqwr7
owoldandgrumpy says:
————————————
STEVENSANPH
==============
It does not help when Regan says that the statements made in regard to the SFA were only done to encourage season ticket sales.
This gives a feeling of impunity to Newco to say what they want to any and all.
——————————————————————————————–
It would be interesting to compile a list of incidents where players, managers, board members have spoken out of turn/made ridiculous accusations and how quickly and how hard the SFA came down on them.
And then wait and see how long it takes Regan to react to the bile spouted by Green.
More international distraction appears just a day after it was revealed that Brian Stockbridge — only a few weeks after being hired by Zeus Capital — was sent to Glasgow and put up in a house in Bearsden in early March.
That was two weeks before even the first deadline for RFC PLC RIP bidders had elapsed.
Stockbridge immediately set up an investment firm in his own name and registered it to the Bearsden address.
Soon afterwards prospective bidders (including the Blue Knights) were engaged by “representatives” from Ticketus in discussions about joint takeover bids.
In early May Ticketus announced they were stepping back from dealing with potential bids.
Days later it emerged that Charles Green (hired by Ahmad and Stockbridge) was not only a bidder, he had secured a takeover no matter what happened.
Ignore the distractions . . . Ticketus is the story.
PS, As for Whyte, the Update from Fudd and Duffer (which admits unsecured creditors will get F*** All) shows the value of Heritable Property was £1.5m.
It states the Newco bought the RFC business, history and “certain assets”.
Later it adds that Murray Park and Ibrox were sold, but is non-specific about who they were sold to.
And as regards Rangers FC Group (formerly Wavetower), the Update reveals that there is “no indebtedness” to RFC Group.
Could it be that the “indebtedness” to RFC Group was satisfied by the sale of Murray Park and Ibrox?
http://www.rangers.co.uk/images/staticcontent/documents/administratorsinformation/Rangers%20-%20Progress%20Report%20-%2024%20August%202012.PDF
Haven’t seen this posted but apologies if already listed.
Pretty important “factual” information.
From D&P’s document.
RFC 2012 P.L.C. (Formerly The Rangers Football Club Plc)
Company number SC004276
Here’s the old club for those interested:
http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/SC004276
What seems incredible to me, a layman, that a company in administration and knowing that it will shortly be liquidated, can change its name. Not only that but it is allowed to change its name, so that another company who (may) have bought its assets, can use a name very similar to that company being liquidated.
It may not be an important issue in the grand scheme of things, but what it is doing is allowing the MSM, SFA, SPL, SFL and Sevco supporters to continually refer to Rangers, as if it is the old company.
Sorry but I cannot get my head around this. I struggle as a non business person to understand how that could be legal.
This is amazing, you can now sell history????
From Duff and duffers progress report or should that be milking the dead dog report, no laughing:
6. Sale of the Business and Assets
6.1 A detailed outline of the marketing process undertaken by the Joint Administrators which
preceded the sale of the business, history and certain assets of the Club to Newco on 14
June 2012, was provided in the previous report to creditors dated 10 July 2012.
Sugar Daddy says:
August 25, 2012 at 00:52
This goes to the heart of the disinformation being spouted through the MSM so there can be a Rangers for them to sell papers and ad space to tens of thousands of bears.
I heard one on SSB saying to the caller who after careful explanation of the legal and football reasons why Sevco is a new club that because they wear blue, play at Ibrox and have Rangers in the name, they are Rangers 1872.
*************
So to take this nonsensical rebuttal from SSN further, if QPR play a friendly at Ibrox, woudl this confuse everyone further – they also play in blue and have Rangers in ther name. What woudl happen if they sold Loftus Road and moved to play at Ibrox instead (could be possible!), they would have also the right to cliam the history of the Ranger NIL – is that what SSN is proposing?
If this is true, what is to stop Manchester City buying Nottingham Forrest just so they can say they won 2 European Cups to annoy their rivals Manchester Utd? They can wear 2 stars.
Could SDM not have been better to use his millions to buy Steau Bucherest to emulate Jock Stein? Maybe if Hibs bought East Fife, they could then stop hearing about 1902….
Sems to be as we all know a nonsense arguement.
Its really a simple choice…
You want to be the old club – then take al the consequences of the old club.
You want a new start – then take a new start and move forward – but this means leaving everythign connected with old club behind.
Anything else is cherry picking what you want. Which in life is not possible (or so I thought until this summer!)
Is this legal and if so, I’d be pissed if I was a creditor to RFC(IL):
8.10 As noted at paragraph 6.4, the Company‟s interest in these monies and any other monies
owed to the Company by the SPL was sold to Newco under the terms of the SPA.
Sold to the newco, monies owed, surely if your gettting the money, you should be paying the debt.
Can I ask a question here that may seem nonsensical at first but drives at the heart of this debate of oldco/newco.
If I was a Rangers NIL and was very relieved that the football club had survived the demise of the hoding company (stop laughing and pay attention at the back!), my question is
What company am I buying shares in?
If this “holding company” decided it was bored with T’Rangers and sold to another holding company, I would no longer have any connection to T’Rangers. If it went into another line of business, why would I want to keep my shares – but maybe the new holding company is self sufficient and won’t allow me to participate in purchasing their shares.
So why would I want to buy shares in a company that has no guaranteed attachment to T’Rangers.
However, if I am buying shares in the club and not a holding company and it is guaranteed that my shares purchase will always be connected with T’Rangers, then how come i as maybe a debenture holder, I would be asked to be buying twice in T’Rangers – my original investment for the club that is living on – or the club that died and lost my initial investment and needs me to put my money into a different one. Can I transfer my shares from RFC-1872 over to this since its the same TRFC – plays in blue at Ibrox and has the same history after all…..
I think CG will have an interesting time trying to sell this share issue explaining that its all for the old club but not really and oh by the way, it really is the same but not really….
Fortunately he ahs the MSM to help his Jackanory stories….
Unfortunately he has the internet bampots hanging on his every workd of explanation….
I’ll get ma popcorn!
So BDO may find that a Ticketus led cabal have organised various sweetheart deals to maximise their collection of the crumbs of the table at the expense of HMRC and the small creditor, aided and abetted by D&D in their conflicted and compromised connections.
Wonder what will happen next?
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/sfl-division-three/ally-mccoist-is-confident-of-four-or-five-new-signings-for-rangers-1-2488900
http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/embargo-forces-mccoist-to-gamble.18683944
http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/black-and-blue.18687450
http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/reid-berwick-heroes-have-been-forgotten.18682122
http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/spl-make-belated-payment-but-clubs-still-short.18670974
Reblogged this on A Saintee in Asia… and commented:
Originally posted on the Scottish Football Monitor…
alan280170 says:
August 25, 2012 at 04:53
2 0 Rate This
6.1 A detailed outline of the marketing process undertaken by the Joint Administrators which
preceded the sale of the business, history and certain assets of the Club to Newco on 14
June 2012, was provided in the previous report to creditors dated 10 July 2012.
————–
It’s all smoke and mirrors on the sale of history. And a great point above by The Invisible Line about buying shares twice – if oldco is being punted as newco. Green wants oldco when it’s useful and newco when it’s practical (for removing those ugly debts, former shareholders, and so on).
On the media, listening to the Clyde1 phone-in’s is quite an education. The line trotted out (as Sugar Daddy mentioned above) is that the evidence for Rangers continued existence can be seen by observing the team in blue playing at Ibrox! Sounds like the logic of a Primary 3 class. And I noticed yesterday that the ‘Why are Celtic fans so obsessed by who Rangers are?’ line was being repeated. Well, it’s not just Celtic fans.
The studio hosts see it as mere nitpicking, when seeking clarity on Rangers. Yet none of them address the massive debts accumulated by oldco when pointing out that Rangers are still Rangers. Is it ignorance? Do they do any research or preparation for these shows? Some of the callers make them seem like complete dunces!
By the way, the protests at the talk of titles being removed seems to imply that those currently running Ibrox believe that the new club, which is barely a month old, holds these all of these titles and trophies. Basically, it’s one big Green Spin Machine, isn’t it? Is this part of the legacy of the Blair years, in the same way that David Murray was a ‘son of Thatcher’?
6.4.4 that the Purchaser is required to assume liability for all football-related creditors, being all creditors of the Company that are football clubs, the Football Authorities or clubs of the other national football associations. This includes outstanding transfer fees and SFA disciplinary fines arising from the SFA Disciplinary Tribunal commented on in previous reports.
So the MSM and CG is proved to be dishonest – the 5 way Agreement (invisible) is not that all Scottish teams are apid up but also Rapid Vienna etc……….
So CG stating “we paid all Scottish clubs and are now debt free” is utter rubbish!
Sugar Daddy says:
August 25, 2012 at 00:52
10 0 i
Rate This
It is that sort of pap that the hard of understanding take as gospel and when challenged some resort to violence.
I find it astonishing that Rangers fans cannot see that the real crime here was their club was destroyed in front of them and then bits of it auctioned to any passing shyster with a few quid in his pocket.
Its not good enough. (my edit)
================================================================
Sugar Daddy…a few nails hit squarely on the head there.
I have posted (on RTC) previously re my late father, who banned the DR from the house 35 years ago, as much on the grounds of quality of reporting as accuracy of reporting or fairness.
He also had an expression which I think still applies to the MSM…”…nearest to heart, nearest to typewriter…”.
So not much change there then…?
After getting SSB on the Ipod for my flight to Asia, I was amazed that they let some really drunk/stupid callers on. The presenters were not much better though.
The level of the Sevco love fest was amazing, no mention of the shocking level of debts they have left in there wake, just that Div 3 football is now the center of the universe.
On a plus note it is funny when the drunk folks ring in and totally make a tit of themselves.
On another point, are tennents still sevco sponsors, would have thought they’d have distanced themselves from the phoenix of the dead club?
Sugar Daddy says:
August 25, 2012 at 00:52
13 0 i Rate This
I find it astonishing that Rangers fans cannot see that the real crime here was their club was destroyed in front of them and then bits of it auctioned to any passing shyster with a few quid in his pocket.
==================================================================
SD…I commenced my CA studies in Glasgow some 40 years ago and amongst that group of guys ( not many gals in those days!), were followers of the two main Glasgow teams as well as the odd Thistle or Clyde fan.
Over the period of our studies and beyond, we all became friends, if only “pub pals” and football usually came to dominate conversations, the usual “banter” given and taken by all.
What concerns me most in this tragedy is that I cannot believe that those people I referred to above, whose integrity I would never question, would as Sugar Daddy says, watch as “their club was destroyed in front of them” and say nothing, and over a period of 25 years under Murray. Surely basic superficial reading of the annual accounts would provoke so many questions?
Additionally, and this is the worst part, I ask how they could watch as Charletan Green, a front man for so many shady characters, perpetrates the greatest leagal and commercial outrage in the history of football, possibly even world football. Perhaps they did not watch and had already “walked away”.
So the question must be asked: is the current situation being kept alive by a complicit MSM/SFA/SPL and or do the “decent” fans not really care about honour or integrity as long as they can witness the blue side continuing in any shape or form.
I weep for my city and country.
The MSM role in this whole saga has been and is a continuing cause for concern. It has led me to question what I read in the papers and see in the media on any issue to an even greater extent than it has before. It is one of the important areas where people will look to sites like this to continue to take the lead in holding them to account.
I would encourage everyone who doesn’t already do so, if you do see an article In the printed media that is clearly a distortion of the factual position to suit an agenda, to comment on line where possible to correct the position and suggest that the sales of the paper in question will continue to be undermined if they don’t stop trying to follow their own agenda.
In a way a greater concern is the BBC. Jabba, Chick and Billy Dodds are all there again as if nothing has happened! I used to think the fact that one was alleged to support Airdrie and another St Mirren was just an “in joke.” Now I wonder if having three Rangers supporters in their regular team would too clearly be at odds with a service that is meant to provide balance? Traynor in particular seems happy to continue to talk down the SPL as if the loss of Rangers were a disaster for Scottish footballl. At least Cosgrove was on Your Call with him recently to keep him close to the facts. I’m hoping that is a permanent development just as I’m sure Traynor hopes not!
No more time to post now. People shouldn’t get too hung up on here about a relative lack of posts from previously regular posters. I think many were pushing the envelope of time taken from other aspects of their lives by the time they spent on RTC (just as RTC probably was) but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t watching and ready as and when the next big issue arises where scottish football fans will force their voices to be heard. Now what are the proposals to ensure fan representation and consultation as part of the review into league reconstruction?
Great to see the blog in forensic mode. This is what it is all about.
I have no information at all on this, but would it not be funny, if Sevco investors, just happened to be some of the clients involved in the Ticketus deal with CW.
Well at least one thing in this whole sordid affair has come to light, and that is that there is no decent young talent in Scottish football. If there was, I am sure Ally would have tried to sign them.
Or, maybe it is easier to fool foreign players, with the myth that they are still Rangers?
Can anyone clarify what they should be called, legally? My understanding is that “Glasgow Rangers Football Club” and all trademarks of them (I can only be naive in assuming it means “Rangers Football Club” and “The Rangers Football Club” too). So while “Glasgow Rangers FC” are still in liquidation, surely newco cannot be called that or any of their trademarked names?
Why I think this is important is that by calling themselves a similar name to the old company, they could be regarded as a pheonix (rightly so) in the eyes of the law and be asked to pay some of the money the old company was required to. Is this right? If so I don’t think fans of the old or new club would like that.
And fair point about not researching. The Hearld isn’t one of the red tops and I think it does a decent job, but they should have asked a little more My guess is this was a quick column filler with a bigger article also being written and researched.
6.1 A detailed outline of the marketing process undertaken by the Joint Administrators which
preceded the sale of the business, history and certain assets of the Club to Newco on 14
June 2012, was provided in the previous report to creditors dated 10 July 2012.
======================================================================
Preceded the sale of the business, history (pmsl) and CERTAIN ASSETS of the club .
Are these CERTAIN assets listed ,why not the assets of the club .
who got the other assets ,I thought Chico was the only show in town and was buying the lot for 5.5m
BDO are waiting for the tangled web to form, no doubt they will be toothless.
Ticketus, will no doubt be alright in the end.
all the SFA and SPL punishments for major rule breaking will amount to a slap on the wrist. In fact newco will be rewarded with a fast track back.
There is two areas that the focus must remain.
SFA/SPL – we need complete change at the top and if factual reporting in Scotlands newspapers does not exist then free speech at football grounds does. If we do not demand change, the 3 involved will ride into the sunset with large cheques. We should have a common chant at all grounds. SPL change SFA change.
UEFA, we must hope that when the fast tracked newco are back to compete in europe, UEFA will show them as the new club that they are.
Have the MSM learned anything? No.
Integrity and credibility remain off limits for the Herald’s Sevco correspondent. Two column’s in so many days, eagerly anticipating his teams inaugural visit to Berwick on Sunday. (He claims they were there in a past life in 1967, but there’s no record of it in any almanac that I can find).
His columns of late are packed full of so much ‘salty yellow water’ that it beggars belief how they manage to survive the daily dialysis of a Sports Editor.
They’re in a ‘transition’ period he tells us. No they’re not Richard, they’re only just starting out. ‘Recovering’ he says. Yep, I agree, but only from a near miss at Peterhead.
Richard, controversy sells papers, subservience and drudgery merely pays homage to your ageing peers. But their number’s already up. It’s time you got back to the basics and focused on the real stories out there. It’s time you had that moral epiphany.
Slightly OT, but bear with me.
Over 100,000 people have apparently signed an e-petition protesting against Virgin losing the West Coast Rail franchise. As a consequence, the issue is likely to be debated by the British Parliament. I suspect that very, very few of the people who signed the petition will be ex-railwaymen, however, it did make me wonder whether we could do something similar in respect of the parlous state of Scottish football.
Thoughts on a postcard to Henry McCleish, please!
In any crisis, controlling the narrative – the dialogue that interprets the past and shapes the future – is of critical importance. Those of you old enough to remember may recall the oft reported sound bite from a speech by Margaret Thatcher that was pivotal in shaping how the Irish Hvnger Strike was portrayed. The sound bite was, of course, “crime is crime is crime”.
As we thrash around in the aftermath of Rangers’ demise and the turbulence this has created for those charged with running – and reporting on – our game, it’s clear we’ve entered a period of revisionism; a period where the past is repackaged and presented to us in a way that those peddling the myth consider to be more palatable. The key to success in revisionism like this lies in controlling the narrative. And, guess what, there’s no shortage of takers in our mainstream media when it comes to proclaiming the good news!
To illustrate just how quickly revisionist history can take root, one need look no further than the “Rangers” supporting community itself. From the very outset of the administration process, liquidation was perceived as anathema by the Bears; something that simply couldn’t be countenanced under any circumstances. 50,000 of them made their views crystal clear by mobilising to “show liquidation the red card” during the game against St Mirren on 7 April. The Rangers’ Supporters Trust, who believed liquidation would see the club “die”, said, “You won’t simply reform a newco and everything’s bright and rosy, not a chance in hell”.
A few weeks later, Brian Kennedy, on hearing that preferred bidder status had been conferred on Bill Miller, commented, “Miller plans to have a newco, Rangers 2012, playing in the SPL next season while the oldco – the Rangers which means so much to so many – is sitting on a shelf somewhere gathering dust and cobwebs, perhaps never to be seen again”.
Even at the eleventh hour, with the axe about to fall, Charles Green responded to Dave King’s call for creditors to reject his CVA proposal by saying, “If people actually listen to him and do what he’s recommending — which I can’t think for a second they would — then all the history and tradition that we’ve been desperately trying to preserve would be just swept down the drain”.
There you have it then; an unequivocal and unanimous understanding that liquidation marks the end of an era, with any subsequent reincarnation being clearly seen as a start from scratch. Yet only a few months later the narrative has shifted, and dramatically so. Liquidation is no more than a mere technical blip. It’s rationalised away; the club is separated from the company, the brand is seen to be distinct from the business, and collective responsibility is divorced from individual action.
As a result, tradition and history march on, seamlessly preserved through a process of smoke and mirrors, aided and abetted by a compliant media. To paraphrase the Mash theme tune, suicide – in Rangers’ case – has indeed truly turned out to be painless. The media and the football authorities, in failing to challenge assumptions or provide definitive clarification, are acquiescing in the conspiracy, perpetuating confusion and establishing a platform to make the rules up as they go along.
I believe it’s this failure to confront the true meaning of liquidation that has allowed the current fudge to take root; a fudge that is now creating untold confusion on a number of fronts – SFA licensing, liability for potential registration misdemeanours, liability for the consequences from the FTT ruling, the use of five stars on jerseys and even the terminology used to describe the entity in question (as demonstrated at Falkirk last weekend).
Where doubt and ambiguity exist, the bold – in this case the old world order – seize the initiative and start driving the narrative. Maybe we need to take a leaf out of Thatcher’s book; liquidation is liquidation is liquidation.
If the Rangers supporting community – who, admittedly, have a vested interest in delusion – can be turned around so easily, what hope is there for the rest of us? And will revisionism stop at liquidation? I fear not. It may only be a matter of time before we’re asked to believe that the EBT tax avoidance scheme was legitimate business practice, that player registration breaches were minor procedural oversights and that the deliberate withholding of PAYE and NI was the rogue act of an individual saboteur. Follow that narrative through and you end up in a place where the villain turns out, in fact, to be the victim. Maybe, in time, the winners of the next three SPL titles will be stripped of their honours, with the record book duly amended to show “Rangers” as the rightful owner.
They say in war, it’s the winner who gets to write history. It’s therefore time to get the tin hats on. Over recent days an air of uncertainty and despair has settled on this forum. Some people, understandably, are losing faith in our collective ability to focus and to retain the cutting edge that characterised the Rangers Tax Case blog. Let’s keep the faith and take heart from what’s already been achieved through persistence, informed insight and a refusal to be anaesthetised by crude attempts at misinformation.
It’s early days for TSFM. As has been pointed out by a number of posters, most, if not all, of the big revelations are already out there, so genuine “news” is thin on the ground. But, it’s not just about unearthing and dissecting new information; it’s also about ensuring that the narrative around what’s already been revealed isn’t twisted and distorted, something that’s now beginning to happen.
PS – for the avoidance of doubt, I’m no fan of Thatcher, and cite this example simply to illustrate how narratives are constructed and reinforced.
Well, My old uncle died in Canada,he left me £2 billion,after buying the usual toys ,yachts,cars and so on,I think “what next” Ah i know i’ll buy a football club.There is a club IA in Scotland,not dead but on life support,I pay off ALL debts of said club through the administators and the tax man,who’s delighted,public chuffed to bits,supporters of said club walking about with head held high after all debts paid. I now own said club which was formed in 1873,I dont have a stadium,training ground or a car park (for my fleet of BMW’s) but hold on a minute,where’s my feckin’ history,what the feck do you mean you’ve sold it you muppet.I have paid of the debt i own the club that was born in 1873,is that correct muppet,well, yes says the muppet.Well in that case how can 2 clubs have the same history .You get your own.
In other simpler words for all the people who are arguing that you can buy history,you are a muppet.Rangers (IA) are NOT DEAD,they are on life support,soon to be dead i grant you.but not quite there yet (shame).While they are not dead there is a chance (snowball in hell ) that somebody can pay off the debt and buy some players,find a stadium,or build one,and start playing football as the club that was born in 1873. Unfortunately i cant do pictures on this blog,but i think you get the message.
Wait a minute – Ashley is getting 9% of the club for 1 million quid (note the 10 million quoted last week seems to have a missing zero with no one questioning this from the MSM) yest Swally who is the most beloved of all greatest peepil who have ever been the greatest legends that were legends gets 4.5% – meaning 500K.
Now bearing in mind 1 month ago, this man of virtue said in all honesty he could not recommend anyone buying a ST – note not investing but buying something from them – and the month before beign involved with Cardigan in quitting and aligning himself with Lord Cardigan of Hee Haw – has now invested the princely sum of 500K in them.
now granted that is only suffice for a CO weekend party (2 x 280K parties) – however that is a fair parting of money on Swally’s part.
Or is it money due from his contract not been paid that has been negociated this way with a piece added on to help part the dosh from the peepil once they see the greates living legend ever that once lived has seen the light and invested his moeny.
Simple question here for the MSM:
Is that your own money invested in Rangers and can you show the details of the financial transaciton?
Since we all (including you Swally may I haten to add) demand transparency from all sides, we have a right to know surely.
The one line in the latest Creditors Report that struck me was Media and PR costs of £141,441.
Now why would an Administrator working in the best interests of the creditors need to spend £141K on PR on behalf of the oldco. It beggars belief.
The Invisible Line says:
August 25, 2012 at 06:53
6.4.4 that the Purchaser is required to assume liability for all football-related creditors, being all creditors of the Company that are football clubs, the Football Authorities or clubs of the other national football associations. This includes outstanding transfer fees and SFA disciplinary fines arising from the SFA Disciplinary Tribunal commented on in previous reports.
So the MSM and CG is proved to be dishonest – the 5 way Agreement (invisible) is not that all Scottish teams are apid up but also Rapid Vienna etc……….
So CG stating “we paid all Scottish clubs and are now debt free” is utter rubbish!
_________________________________________________________________-
As 6.4.4 has nothing to do with the 5 way agreement and is in fact part of the ‘sale’ agreement between D&P and Green, why was it considered to be a condition of Sevco’s admission into the SFA? Under the terms of the sale, Sevco had to settle those debts regardless of whether or not they got admission into any league or football association.
More and more, this 5 way agreement appears to be no more than window dressing to make it appear the SFA were acting tough. I wonder if any of the succulent lamb brigade will ask the SFA why it was felt necessary to include it in the agreement when it was already there, in an apparently watertight legal document, that the payments would be made. Payment of these debts is not a condition of membership of the SFA, it is a requirement of law, and therefore a condition of their very existence.
The buying policy at Ibrox at the moment reminds me of Doncaster Rovers last season and a transfer policy led by agent Willie McKay and his clients. I know this has been alluded to before on here. It ended in disaster at Donnie…
Some great stuff on the site keep it going ,re the msm would it not be better to embrace them and copy them in by email or otherwise on the day of breaking info ,this would be all the way from bottom to top rung of the ladder [this would be the first ladder in previous mentioned game of snakes and ladders]and wait and see who is the first to grow and set and include this blog in their reporting ,freedom of press and all that,if they fail the supporters can then claim that they are worthless as an msm ,they way forward for the editors of these rags would then be to pay a remuneration to the blog to have any information copied to them before posting and have it printed at the same time as posting and let them get rid of the useless reporters that they employ ,the radio pundits would have to walk away as the callers would then know more than they would after a day of research ,would then be fun to tune in and hear Shug saying ,you have been reading the papers haven’t you ,we cannot legaly comment on what they print.
Ah if only
As a side issue ,do you think Sevco can be the first team to win a trophy with a team of jobless players ,every player they are signing where all out of contract and dont seem to have paid out any monies to clubs ,one or two injuries to the few originaly contracted players and its on.
forgot to tick the box
“Haywire on August 25, 2012 at 09:42
7 0 Rate This
Slightly OT, but bear with me.
Over 100,000 people have apparently signed an e-petition protesting against Virgin losing the West Coast Rail franchise. As a consequence, the issue is likely to be debated by the British Parliament. I suspect that very, very few of the people who signed the petition will be ex-railwaymen, however, it did make me wonder whether we could do something similar in respect of the parlous state of Scottish football.
Thoughts on a postcard to Henry McCleish, please!”
^^^^^^^ this, great idea. Think we are at stage of needing a full public inquiry into SFA etc.
FIFA Re injuries,An injury to Little looks as if it could be catastrophic to the promotion hopes,he looks like the only goalscorer.
Speculation on my part, but I expect McCoist has actually invested nothing in Sevco – or if he has, it will be a token amount into a share match plan (buy one get X free type of scheme). Resulting in his current shareholding.
The bulk, if not all, of his holding will likely have been a gift to him. Remember the reporting of the spat between him and Green? Remember the speculation that his salary will have dropped significantly from his previous job as manager of the SPL club, Rangers?
When a manager is sabre-rattling because of his own financial situation, but you need him on board to sell your new company to the compliant masses as the same as the old, you need him because, for some obscure reasoning about being a legend, he is popular with the folk whose pockets you want to dip in the near future – how do you keep him there? How do you get him to swallow his….er …..dignity?
Simple. You put him on a retainer. You gift him shares to the value of 4.5% of the total holding, providing he stays on while you do the pocket-dipping. You make the shares conditional on that retention. If he stays for a certain period to guarantee your income from those willing to throw their money at you, fine and dandy. If he leaves in that period or causes ructions, he loses the value of the shares. If he stays and remains compliant, well the value he has ensured is worth the £500k pay-off (or whatever they are worth at that point) that he will be entitled to by selling those shares he was gifted (and after a period of time, they will be “tax efficient” when he sells – quelle surprise).
All McCoist has invested is the time to have a conversation with Green to arrange this pay-off guarantee – utilising the only currency Green is willing to part with, shares.
Funny how McCoist is now making noises that Green is alright now, eh?
D&P Report – “4.6 As part of a wider agreement with the Joint Administrators which was finalised prior to the CVA meetings, Newco was obliged to purchase the business, history and certain assets of the Company should the CVA fail. Accordingly a going concern sale to Newco completed shortly after the meetings, which has resulted in the Joint Administrators achieving the second objective identified on the previous page, as a better result for creditors has been achieved than if the Company had been wound up without having first being in Administration.”
Am I reading that correctly? – “a going concern sale to Newco completed” – WHIT???
D&P Report – “5.2 Following the sale of the business and assets of the Company on 14 June 2012, the responsibility for maintaining all trading operations passed to Newco which continues to operate Rangers Football Club.”
Fantastic news for the creditors! Rangers are still there after all, a fully operational going concern! What a relief! The creditors will be getting fully reimbursed as part of “the responsibility for maintaining all trading operations” then, obviously.
I can’t read any more of this nonsense.
Now we know why D.C Thomson are stopping printing the Dandy – they’ve replaced it with the D&P comics.
I didn’t really want to start the “history” debate again, I think that’s done and dusted as everyone other than some Rangers fans see Sevco as a legally new and separate company/club. I did like Invisible Lines’ post on the more absurd possibilities such an argument posits though.
The use of the Clyde 1 SSB example was to show the appalling quality of information given out & taken as being the truth. It is on point of quality I wish to take the MSM to task on.
We need less pundits babbling off the cuff in sphincter clenching clichés on matters they do not understand or have not bothered to read up on.
I just want the facts, in context, with a reasoned, researched argument. I don’t mind that media houses colour the argument to suit their audience, I can decide where the spin is in the story.
The MSM insult our intelligence by dumbing down to the lowest denominator, regularly contradict themselves, make basic factual errors and neglect to ask even mildly searching questions of their subjects.
It is a skill to explain complicated or technical matters in simple terms quickly. My challenge to editors is to find or train individuals who can do that.
You will find a large audience waiting for you.
In short, less Guidi, Keevins, Dodds et al and more Spence, Cosgrove & Daly.
Fans Against Corruption says: August 25, 2012 at 10:50
I wonder if any MSM person will actually ask Sally if the shares were gifted to him, then ask the obvious follow-up question of whether or not he has paid tax on the benefit in kind.
alan280170 says:
August 25, 2012 at 04:53e This
This is amazing, you can now sell history????
From Duff and duffers progress report or should that be milking the dead dog report, no laughing:
6. Sale of the Business and Assets
6.1 A detailed outline…
______________________________
A “detailed outline”. WTF???
Sugar Daddy:
“We need less pundits babbling off the cuff in sphincter clenching clichés on matters they do not understand or have not bothered to read up on.”
=========
A good example of the point you make was when SSB spent most of its time batting off callers who were telling Spiers that he was wrong about the majority needed to block a CVA.
Two hours of airtime, two other MSM in the studio and whatever number of production staff in the background insisting that black was white.
Spiers was, of course, wrong.
He had the good grace to apologise later.
I was astounded to hear on the news that a £38 million new stadium plan for aberdeen had ran into trouble with the local authorities. Where did this investment spring from? Up until this point i had never heard of this plan. Why when football is at such a low, according to the msm churnalists, was such an investment in Scottish football not splashed across the back page of every red top and broad sheet. Thanks again msm, you never fail to disappont.
Morning guys,
Loving the new site.
Yeah, what George Bush said:
Fool me once…. ah feck it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjmjqlOPd6A
WB.
Hi Folks,
Sorry if I missed somebody else making this point but in the progress report section on definitions it says
Rangers / the Company / the Club
means
RFC 2012 P.L.C. (Formerly The Rangers Football Club Plc) (In Administration), Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow, G51 2XD (Company number SC004276);
Does this not end all debate on “the holding company” lie?
Also in the main body of the report it refers to the sale of assets and history but in the breakdown of realisable assets there is no mention of history.
Could an accountancy person (I’m looking at you Essex Beancounter) please explain.
Thanks
Good Afternoon.
just catching up
……………………….
alan280170 says:
August 25, 2012 at 04:58
Is this legal and if so, I’d be pissed if I was a creditor to RFC(IL):
8.10 As noted at paragraph 6.4, the Company‟s interest in these monies and any other monies
owed to the Company by the SPL was sold to Newco under the terms of the SPA.
Sold to the newco, monies owed, surely if your gettting the money, you should be paying the debt.
//////////////////////////////////////
In my opinion not legal, this is money rightly and properly due to the old company and as such the creditors. If I were a creditor I would be suing.
Typical of the strokes which have been pulled to leave the creditors high and dry while the fat cats get the cream.
BDO must unravel stuff like this.
I think we owe a great debt of thanks to Senior and to StevensanPH for the information in this post.
There has been some mind-boggling analysis of the current situation taking place on TSFM since it began, but the outing of another deliberate misdirection shows that with the pool of talents and skills available to us, we can get the truth out there, despite the myriad vested interests which would stifle it.
What Senior and StevensanPH have done is exactly what it says on TSFM strapline. They asked the questions that the media didn’t ask.
Thanks guys.
I think 99.9% of the credit needs to go to Senior for asking the question and then allowing it to be published. The point it does make though is this site doesn’t belong to one person like RTC seemed too – it is the voice of all of us, and for it to be successful we need to keep working together and asking the questions the media don’t.
Incidentally, when I posted the link on twitter earlier on I got this reply from Richard Winton who is the assistant sports editor at the Herald
Richard Winton @richardwinton
@stevensanPH @TheSFMonitor It wisnae us! Story in the news pages from a freelancer.
Never having been involved in the media, can I ask a basic question? Who is responsible for deciding what gets printed? Isn’t that the editors job, and therefore, isn’t it the editors job to ensure what he is printing is factually correct?
The latest D&P report is yet another example of the barefaced sham of the plan being executed before us.
You can sell “history”??? What utter nonsense.
The “club” and business was sold as a going concern? Pray tell us then why that same club and business is being liquidated? What exactly is being liquidated? if it was sold as a going concern then why does anything need to be liquidated?
I cannot for one minute believe that this fiction above could be allowed to stand under any serious legal challenge.
Which is why, I suspect any route to such challenge appearing is being delayed as long as possible as part of the plan. Hence the delay in the FTT, Lord Hodge and BDO taking over. Which all seems awfully convenient. Remember there are no such things as coincodences in this whole saga.
The plan is being executed, and apart from not being able to control the fans of non sevco clubs, every other player in this plan is playing their alloted role.
Sickening.
Hoopy 7 says:
In my opinion not legal, this is money rightly and properly due to the old company and as such the creditors. If I were a creditor I would be suing.
Typical of the strokes which have been pulled to leave the creditors high and dry while the fat cats get the cream.
BDO must unravel stuff like this
_______________________________________________________
This is the bit that continues to puzzle me. The lack of the challenge from creditors in the courts to all of this. They can’t all be die-hard sevco fans, unwilling to rock the boat.
Has pressure been applied? Are they afraid of physical harm? I can’t believe not one of them has broken ranks and gone to the courts.
Are they all expecting BDO to unravel the scam? I sincerely hope they are right, but I wouldn’t count on it.
As mentioned previously it is now clear as to why Sally has had a quite amazing turnaround in his attitude to Green.
He has a cool half million in shares invested in Charlie Greens success.
Now is that your pennies Sally or was it a gift? I hope it was yours Sally as, and I`m no financial expert here, but wouldn`t there be a tax implication if the shares were gifted.
We demand to know Sally.
Jacko.
so far Levein wont play Scotlands most expensive footballer and he wont play Scotlands most in form striker.
I am worried for Tony Watt, if he starts becoming successful he too will have no chance of a game for his country
SFA, not fit for purpose.
The Invisible Line says:
Can I ask a question here that may seem nonsensical at first but drives at the heart of this debate of oldco/newco.
If I was a Rangers NIL and was very relieved that the football club had survived the demise of the hoding company (stop laughing and pay attention at the back!), my question is
What company am I buying shares in?
__________________________________________________
Great point IL. I am really looking forward to seeing what name appears on the prospectus and share certificate for this share issue.
I wonder if it might be The Rangers Football Club Ltd? I find it hard to believe they could get away with just putting Rangers, or Rangers Football Club as such an entity doesn’t legally exist.
And yet they claim they are selling shares in the club. Which is a separate nebulous entity floating beneath whatever holding company exists at that time of day.
And yet I would assume that as such entity doesn’t actually exist in law, but is merely a fiction, they would have to put the company name.
Thereby in black and white acknowledging the reality that the club is the company and vice versa.
And thereby acknowledging also that the previous “holding” entity Rangers Football Club PLC was also very much the club, despite their false and fraudulent statements denying this.
Thereby, surely also providing definitive evidence to creditors and BDO (if they were so inclined) to challege the stitch up and unravel the Green deal as gratuitous alienation.
I have no great confidence in the legal system, but the paradox above surely would not stand in even our courts.
Jacko says:
As mentioned previously it is now clear as to why Sally has had a quite amazing turnaround in his attitude to Green.
He has a cool half million in shares invested in Charlie Greens success.
Now is that your pennies Sally or was it a gift? I hope it was yours Sally as, and I`m no financial expert here, but wouldn`t there be a tax implication if the shares were gifted.
We demand to know Sally.
________________________________________________
Indeed Jacko, indeed.
I challenge any member of the MSM to have to have the balls to ask Sally that one simple question. Here I’ll even spell it out for you:
Q – Mr cCoist, did you purchase your 4.5% investment in The Rangers Football Club Ltd with your own money or was it gifted to you?
If the answer is Yes, I purchased the investment with my own money then all well and good. If the answer is NO then the follow up question is:
Q – In that case Mr McCoist have you declared (or will you declare on your next tax return) this as a Benfit in Kind and pay the appropriate income tax and NI on this?
If the answer is Yes, then I would take him at his word and all is well and good.
If the answer is NO then a whole other avenue of investigation beckons.
If the answer is “No comment” or “None of your business” then the follow up question should be:
Q – Mr McCoist, given your previous public calls for transparency for the sake of the rangers fans, do you not feel that they have a right to know about such transactions given past events and given your stance on transparency?
I’ll leave the aspiring journalist to think of their own responses after that.
See all you MSM churnalists out there. Simple isn’t it? And I’m just a humble IT Project Manager, not a highly qualified, trained and experienced journalist like you! Go on, I challenge one of you to go for it.
I won’t hold my breath. For one thing the diference between you and I is that I am not owned lock, stock (pun intended) and stinking barrell by Sevco/”The Rangers”.
If any of the real journalists who have served us so ably to date, the honorable Alex Thomson, the venerable Stuart Cosgrove, the plucky Jim Spence or the magnificent Mark Daly are reading this and have a few spare minutes, would you consider asking these questions for us please? Because I’m afraid your churnalist “colleagues” will never consider it.
Allyjambo Taxpayer says:
_
More and more, this 5 way agreement appears to be no more than window dressing to make it appear the SFA were acting tough. I wonder if any of the succulent lamb brigade will ask the SFA why it was felt necessary to include it in the agreement when it was already there, in an apparently watertight legal document, that the payments would be made. Payment of these debts is not a condition of membership of the SFA, it is a requirement of law, and therefore a condition of their very existence.
___________________________________________
Exactly AT, exactly.
In fact, as appeared to slip by unnoticed after this magnificent edifice was unveiled at 9pm on Olympics opening ceremony night, Stewart Regan let slip words to the effect that the SFA’s role in all this was to “act as a facilitator between the parties”. Or words to that effect, I can’t find the actual quote. If anyone can post it here that would be great.
I found that astonishing. The CEO of the governing body of Scottish Football publicly stated that he had abdicated their role as guardians and executors of the rules of the game, and were instead a bunch of glorified meeting invite holders and minute takers.
I’d really like everyone else’s opinion on this statement as it seemed to slip by at the time.
By the way AT, can I as a Hibs fan, congratualate Hearts on their performance against the frankly, disrespectful Liverpool, and wish you well in the second leg. Partisanship will not prevent me from saying you did Scotland proud.