How Celtic Turned the Tables on their Glasgow Rivals by Stephen O Donnell:
A Review by Auldheid.
Stephen’s previous publication, Tangled Up In Blue provided a detailed history of the rise and fall of Glasgow Rangers FC PLC from 1872 until their demise in 2012. Clearly a lot of research had been done to cover the period in such detail and his follow up publication Fergus McCann v David Murray etc carries on with that tradition. It is a smorgasbord of a book with many different issues succulently served up in its 350 pages.
It tells of events under David Murray’s tenure at Ibrox which began in November 1988 and ended in May 2011 when he left Craig Whyte holding the rope that became a noose just under a year later in April 2012 when Whyte was found guilty of bringing Scottish football into disrepute whilst Murray claimed he was duped.
Readers of the book will come to the conclusion that if anyone did the duping it was David Murray and it wasn’t just Craig Whyte he duped but Scotland’s national game. If ever Murray were to be tried for crimes against Scottish football then this book would be cited as evidence.
It was against the background of David Murray’s tenure at Rangers that Fergus McCann first arrived on the scene in April 1989 with proposals to inject £17M of New Capital into Celtic that the Celtic Board rejected as per minutes:
Proposals put forward by Fergus McCann to provide finance for various capital expenditures were unanimously rejected by the Directors’; and then again in August of the same year: ‘Mr McCann’s latest proposals were discussed and it was hoped that this was a final discussion on the subject. Latest proposals were rejected by Directors.
Fergus later returned to the fray and the chapter on how he was successful in ousting the Board in 1994 is an informative read, particularly if in that period single parenting cares took precedence over caring for Celtic.
I was amused reading the tale of discontent aimed at the old Board after a Ne’erday 4-2 defeat to Rangers in January 1994 when a bemused Walter Smith was watching the hostility aimed at the Celtic Directors box, one fan in the main stand screamed at him, ‘What are you looking at, it’s got fuck all to do with you.”
For me anyway there were a few “not a lot of people know that” moments like that in the book.
The contrast between Fergus McCann’s and David Murray’s style was immediately evident, but the impact of Fergus’s shorter tenure from 1994 to 1999 became more than evident after McCann left and the author does not miss the role servile journalists played and hit the wall for turning Celtic supporters against McCann during his tenure, whilst they dined on Murray’s succulent lamb. A role that in the end helped bring about Rangers end, but not the culture of servility when covering the activity of Rangers FC PLC successor club from 2012.
Sky TV get it in the neck too and if David Murray played the part of Colonel Mustard in killing Scottish football through his financial recklessness and duplicity, Sky are the lead pipe whose toxicity still dictates the nature of the current state of play.( I said it was a Smorgasbord)
Fergus kind of did what it said on the tin. In his case a tin of nippy sweeties, but it was interesting to read about his early years when even then he was described as “a cheeky upstart” but his “idiosyncrasies” and appearance under a bunnet, disguised a sharp if impatient business mind where for him getting straight to the point was akin to procrastination.
So too has Murray’s early years been covered including his rejected attempt to buy Ayr Utd, a rejection by Ayr Directors, who considered Murray was too hot headed and most volatile, that infuriated him.
Their conclusion that he was trying to get Ayr United on the cheap with only £125k of his own money involved was an indicator of his strategy of using other people’s money to invest and not his own. Other people including unsuspecting taxpayers to a tune of £50 million or so.
As you follow the narrative of both Fergus McCann and David Murray and the events that surrounded them, you end up wondering how so many could have been fooled for so long by one guy, but when you have the Scottish media in your pocket it was difficult to separate fact from fiction during the tenure of both. You also wonder how Murray remains a Knight of the Realm since.
Luckily for Celtic Fergus knew business fact from PR fiction and avoided the illusion in which Celtic’s main rivals continue to struggle to this day.
The great pity is that few, if any of the Scottish main stream media will even give this book a mention, because if you don’t write about it, it never happened, except it did and this book is proof.
I therefore recommend anyone interested in the future of our game buys it and asks, is it not now time to revisit the purpose of Scottish football?
Auldheid
StevieBC 28th October 2020 at 11:41
Hmm…
We saw recently that demolition work had started next to Ibrox, with new facilities being built in time for the ever more frequently quoted “150 years anniversary celebrations”.
I’m sure that during 2022 around Ibrox there will be loud proclamations about “150”, and the SMSM will undoubtedly be full of ‘souvenir pullouts’ etc.
……………
I don’t know how an 8 year old club can celebrate 150 years of history, but even so, if this 8 year old club is trying to latch on to the history of the old club at ibrox and make up a 150 years of history?
If the SMSM are still around by then and the SMSM try and add the two clubs that have played at ibrox history together and have a paper full of ‘souvenir pullouts’ etc.to try and sell a few extra copies. Will this ‘souvenir pullouts’ include the cheating years the unpaid tax years the hidden side letter years, the year of administration and liquidation, the not won a major trophy years. Or will these ‘souvenir pullouts’ have a missing years? Not a great selling point.
IN TODAYS NEWSPAPER A LOOK AT 150 YEARS AT IBROX WITH A FEW YEARS MISSING
so we will only be showing 130 or something, pre order your copy now.
Bit of a damp squib really.
Given that the blog has reverted to its seemingly inescapable time warp relating to events of 8-10 years ago, it is appropriate to mark the 10th anniversary of an event that set the ball rolling in contributing to
the sale of RFC for £1, its financial collapse and subsequent consequences of administration,
liquidation, as well as Res 12.
That event was HMRC's success in the Aberdeen Asset Management FTTT, the decision for which was published on 29 October 2010
RFC, who operated a similar Discounted Option tax avoidance scheme, had actually been presented with a Tax assessment as early as September 2007, which they appealed. Their appeal was put on hold pending the outcome of the AAM case. Following the decision, HMRC issued RFC with a new offer to settle the following month.
The rest, as they say, is history and "in the past it must remain". No matter how many times the blog returns to the events of 8-10 years ago, no-one in the football authorities or in the SMSM is listening, nor are they likely to change their mind now.
I believe that it is now time to move on. Not to forget what happened, but to move on all the same.
That is what I plan to do.
John Clark 25th October 2020 at 22:55
Who remembers the fun we had with the ‘Charlotte Fakes’ material?
…………………
What i came across JC.
James Doleman
A couple of people were asking me about the charlotte fakes so i emailed the crown office.
At the trial of craig whyte it was alledged by defence counsel Donald Findlay that dave king purchased this material.
However, at that time we were informed by the crown office that there was a live criminal investigation ongoing so we couldn’t follow it up.
However the crown office have confirmed that after consideration they have decided “No proceedings”ie, no further action.
So the media are now able to report what we know about the charlotte fakes without any restrictions.
James Doleman… I have one charlotte story that was sadly spiked for legal reasons. Might go and dig out the draft.
The sun picked up on james Doleman’s info and confirmed that no proceedings would be taken.
James Doleman tweeted.
A few questions now that proceedings have been dropped against “charlotte fakes” for obtaining emails and recordings made by craig whyte.
1.Why did Dave king purchase the material for £30k?
2.Did the media outlets that used the material (Daily Record/sun) get if from Dave king or the original source/
3.Why did the crown office keep proceedings “live” for 4 years so limiting reporting until yhe issues raised had died down?
4.In the course of the investigation was Dave king, or anyone else at rangers interviewed by police on suspicion of receiving stolen property?
Finally, and most importantly, what does the charlotte fakes material tell us about whyte’s takeover and his links with the press, SPL and SFA.
I’M planning a series of articles on all of this on Byline_Media will post them when done.
………………..
Just something i came across the other day after charlotte fakes had been mentioned on here the other day.
I removed words like yesterday and today incase anyone reading if got confused as if it happened yesterday or today.
Cluster One 29th October 2020 at 15:20
' .. A LOOK AT 150 YEARS AT IBROX WITH A FEW YEARS MISSING.'
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Cluster One, if the wee bug really gets going TRFC might be among the few clubs to have died before they reached their tenth anniversary!
Quite wealthy clubs with good credit ratings and access to millions of quid if need are getting just a tad anxious about their survival.
How must the finance people at TRFC/RIFC plc be viewing their chances of survival when their in-house lenders begin to be chary about lending any more if attendances are not permitted to return to pre-covid levels?
Ah,wait: Chinese monies via Messrs Scott and Gibson , dangran !
From 'The Guardian' tonight
"BBC 'no bias' rules prevent staff joining LGBT pride marches
Jim Waterson 2 hrs ago
The BBC’s director general, Tim Davie, introduced the rules on Thursday. They are designed to shore up the public perception of BBC impartiality, following long-running criticism pushed by right-wing media outlets about alleged biases of corporation staff."
Well, maybe Mr Davie might consider having a wee look at shoring up 'the public perception of BBC impartiality' by ruling that the ridiculous 'ban' imposed by BBC Scotland chiefs on reporting the truth that TRFC is not RFC of 1872 is so evidently an indication of bias in favour of falsehood as to bring BBC Scotland very, very much into disrepute as supporting and propagating a stupid, a stupid lie: a lie unique to Scottish Football- that a newly created football club in 2012 is the very same football club as a football club created 140 years before but which entered Liquidation as a football club in 2012!
I feel another wee questioning letter to Mr Davie being formed in my mind. I do not like being lied to!
(Actually, this business is bigger than mere 'football': we are being lied to not just by the venal, unprincipled people in football governance but also by people in the BBC – who may not be venal, but are certainly hell-bent on maintaining the lie that CG's new club is actually the Rangers of my grandfather's days!)
And I now have to re-start paying for the feckin' lies!
And away from any contentious football matters whatsoever and as a matter of pure unexpected serendipity, can I tell you this:
Yesterday, work began in my street to put in the new Broadband fibre optic or optic fibre or whatever the feck it's called.
Interested in what was physically involved- the machines that , manually pushed inch by inch, cut a trench in the pavement ,I went out to have a look when the workers reached the pavement in front of my house.
I engaged one of the workers in conversation , when he asked could he use my garden tap to fill a couple of 5-gallon bottles.
It turned out that he came from Derry.
And right away I was away back in 1948, remembering being in Shantallow as a wee boy with my brother and sisters visiting my mammy's sister.
I told him of the story we had heard about the sailor who had hanged himself in the wee woodland forest across the road.
At the end of the 'forest 'were the shores of Lough Foyle.
The young guy ( maybe in late 20s)said he had lived in Shantallow and had heard of the story!
Talk about affirmation!
(And I also remembered my dad, wearing an artificial leg from his wound at Cassino, as we sailed out of Lough Foyle on our way home, looking at the Nazi submarines tied up on the British side of Lough Foyle, saying nothing but 'Bastards!')
Cluster One 29th October 2020 at 16:00
John Clark 25th October 2020 at 22:55
Who remembers the fun we had with the ‘Charlotte Fakes’ material?…
============
That's interesting CO.
It does make you wonder though, what else went on, (and is still going on?), that the Internet Bampots are unaware of – or unable to publish for legal reasons…?
If key people involved in Scottish football were – allegedly – so dodgy before, then why would Scottish football be any cleaner today?
Based on what we do know, IMO, it's just a matter of time before there could be another huge scandal to impact the game, (and mibbees not just TRFC related).
No lessons learned.
This is raising a fair bit of noise . Conspiracy ?
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/castore-sign-newcastle-deal-rangers-22931078
paddy malarkey 30th October 2020 at 20:09
"This is raising a fair bit of noise . Conspiracy ?"
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""
That made me look at today's 'Newcastle Chronicle" online report at 16.06 , by their Mark Douglas.
"It was 15 months ago that a rueful Mike Ashley compared Newcastle's kit deal to the newly-inked contract Spurs had signed with Nike.
Tottenham's seat at the top table – and regular Champions League appearances – means their deal is worth £45million-a-year.
"'That is many, many times what Newcastle can get,'" Ashley said a year ago.
"We’re not near that – nobody is, outside the top six. And I’m being told Liverpool could get £100m for the same deal."
With reports United are banking around £5million-a-year to move to challenger brand Castore next season, there's plenty to unpick about a story that would have real significance off-the-field for Newcastle.
"Castore is the brainchild of Liverpool-based brothers Tom and Phil Beahon, the ambitious siblings in their early 30s who toured the fabric mills of Italy in their 20s to pursue a dream of making luxury sportswear.
The name comes from Greek mythology – twin siblings Castor and Pollux – and the company was founded in 2016 using money from Sir Richard Branson's Virgin start up scheme.
It now counts Andy Murray, Glasgow Rangers and Rugby League club Sydney Roosters among its clients and has secured backing from rich private investors.
They were moved to distance themselves from rumours in Glasgow that Mike Ashley was a shareholder – which would have been disastrous given his unpopularity at Rangers and an on-going replica shirt boycott.
"We have investors who like to remain private. Our biggest investor is one of the wealthiest families in the UK," Tom Beahon said in May.
New Look founder Phil Singh is one of those who has plunged money into the brand.
While the designs of the kits at Rangers have been praised, they had to apologise for the quality of some of the early strips that were sold to fans – pledging to learn lessons after standards fell below the required.
A move into English football with Newcastle would be a big step for the company – and represent a sign that, whatever the state of play with the takeover, United's hierarchy are having to progress plans.
In the close season United penned a rolling extension with Puma to make this year's kits – a sensible decision given the uncertainty off-the-field.
The consortium who had agreed a deal with Newcastle had prioritised commercial deals as one way to build United's brand and were targeting major sponsorship deals as one way to do that. A reinvigorated Newcastle, they felt, could partner with major brands and the kit renewal came at an opportune time.
Work begins on kits long in advance of their summer release date but with Newcastle in talks with the PIF-backed consortium for months, the Puma deal was convenient – securing better terms than the previous deal with a company United have enjoyed working with.
As well as being one of the clubs that get bespoke rather than template kits, United have benefited from knowledge sharing with other Puma clubs like Borussia Dortmind over the years.
Puma's own deal at Newcastle arrived on the back of Ashley falling out with Nike and Adidas through his Sports Direct dealings (he complained about their market dominance as recently as 2019). It has been a decade-long partnership which has not always proved popular among supporters for some kit designs.
Industry reports of a move to Castore – which have not been stood up by the club yet – are therefore a curious development and illustrate Newcastle's "business-as-usual" approach despite takeover noise still oscillating in the background at St James' Park. While the consortium remain in contact with those in charge at United, the decisions ultimately lie with those who retain control – Mike Ashley and MD Lee Charnley, charged with doing much of the day-to-day front of house stuff.
The claims in Sportscal of a £5million-a-year tie-up would represent the lower end of what Newcastle could charge now. They remain one of the country's bigger shirt sellers and while nowhere near an international draw like Liverpool or Manchester United, that does feel like under selling the club if accurate.
It may also say something about the state of the takeover if Newcastle are starting to pursue off-field deals that are more medium to long-term.
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/new-newcastle-united-kit-deal-19195147
[I have no particular interest in Castore, of course: just an interest in how the designers of sports clothing actually get manufacturers to sign up to making the stuff, and the several contractual relationships required. And, of course, I have a wee interest in Ashley in so far as he screwed King! What is the saying ? "My enemy's enemy is my friend" Ashley has done nothing to annoy me, whereas King…..]
At £68 a shirt , whatever the design, the gear can't really be of a level of quality very much superior to run of the mill tat. Certainly not of the quality of sportswear bought by elite sportspeople like Andy Murray?
PM, this NUFC involvement with Castore does indeed raise a few questions.
But, NUFC deciding to partner with Castore is rather more curious than TRFC choosing Castore, (if TRFC did in fact 'choose'?)
TRFC kit suppliers in order, have been;
Umbro, Puma, Hummel and now Castore.
TRFC seemed to be in a downward progression, to then partner with a company with zero experience / logistical scale for supplying football kits.
NUFC is in the rich EPL and is now supposedly choosing to downgrade – radically – from Puma to Castore. Castore's quality, pricing and delivery issues have been reported widely.
You would think that if NUFC was going to change supplier, they'd go in the opposite direction towards a Nike or Adidas?
On the face of it, going with Castore could simply provide Ashley with a bigger in/direct cut of the NUFC pie for clothing?
Will also be interesting to see what the Toon Army think of this development?
StevieBC 30th October 2020 at 22:55
'..Will also be interesting to see what the Toon Army think of this development
"""""""""""""""""""
Here's a couple of comments by readers of the Newcastle Chronicle piece I posted
"Toonarden 6 HRS AGO
What an embarrassment? What next – Poundstretcher at £5 per annum?
Ashley please – just bu***r off.
DA
DaveWelbeck6 HRS AGO
This is a terrible move by Ashley to tie this club into a shirt deal when he has expressed the need to leave the club at the earliest possible opportunity, and what does this say about the shape of our takeover. This is a long term deal that handicaps the club in the long term well after he says he won't be here. £5M is nothing when other clubs have more lucrative deals I'm hoping this is purely paper talk or there's a clause in the contract to terminate this deal if there's change of ownership. And by all accounts there's been quality issues with the Glasgow Rangers shirt this season with poor stitching and poor motifs."
StevieBC 30th October 2020 at 22:55
Will also be interesting to see what the Toon Army think of this development?
……………………
If the Toon Army have had a glance at castore and the ibrox club, I can see the toon army going down the retro shirt buying. And on that note i see the ibrox club have released a retro kit.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-launch-retro-style-kit-22929751
………….
The kit will have a larger scroll crest similar to that on the top on one of Rangers’ most famous nights back in 1972 when they lifted the European Cup Winners’ Cup.
The plain blue home strip is a throwback to olden Rangers days and Castore say it is inspired by famous shirts and players from the Ibrox club’s history,
Rangers have launched a new ‘retro’ style kit that will be worn during games this season.
James Tavernier insists he can’t wait to get the shirt on and reckons it’s a throwback to days of club legends such as John Greig.
He said: “I love it. It’s bringing old school back! Walking into Jimmy’s kit room every morning, you see John Greig and Sandy Jardine on the wall wearing these kind of kits. It’s bringing some really good heritage back and I’m looking forward to putting it on.”
………..
So not so much a retro top, just a miss mash of old tops that look similar to old tops.
new ‘retro’ style kit that will be worn during games this season.
That won’t be happening unless it is friendly games as all kit designs must be registered by june.
…
Walking into Jimmy’s kit room every morning, you see John Greig and Sandy Jardine on the wall wearing these kind of kits.
But not wearnig this new miss mash strip.
….Fool me once, fool me twice….Aw forget it.
Marius Zaluikus.
RIP Captain
Another youngish athlete succumbing to the curse that is MND
HS
reasonablechap 28th October 2020 at 09:29
Regards Rangers, what I think will happen is that you’ll have a general, overarching and increasingly accepted reality with increasingly smaller protest groups making their points without much attention being paid to them. What may be louder are fotball chants/songs at games.
I’d imagine that if/when Rangers win their next trophy, there will be groups of mostly Celtic supporters making it their job to publicly bring up their version of 2012 as loudly as they can. Overtime and if more trophies were to follow, these efforts would dissapate.
_________________________________________________________________
Just doing a bit of catching up and could not help notice that you are carrying out the same philosophy as the media and that is repeat the name often enough with stats thrown in and the lie will stick. regardless of how much you claim a lie to be the truth and repeat it often enough, the thing is it will always be a lie.
How wrong of you and arrogant of you to think that with only a minority knowing the truth a victory will be achieved. You really believe below, this will make a lie dimminish, really!!
"with increasingly smaller protest groups making their points without much attention being paid to them".
What a statement, basically all that is saying is keep repeating it and it will go away and what an arrogant man, to all people who know the truth, you call protesters, the only ones protesting were the new club fans who saw their old club plaunged into liquidation and written off. sink us and we'll sink you, say not to liquidation, we will not stand by and watch our club die,well sorry to be the bringer of bad news but thats exactly what happened and your compliant media reported it at the time, 8 minutes it took to liquidate and wipe out 140years of history.
The minority as history will show were the ones who refused to sit at the back of the bus and that turned out just fine, a lie will always be a lie, so when the new club calling themselves Rangers lift a trophy, who cares, as long as they are reminded and humble to themselves that deep down they know it will be the first major in this particular clubs history and stop the circus . Wont hold my breath troll boy.
8 years ago today Lord Hodge approves liquidation. In those 8 years BDO have made a lot of money. Who knew 8 years they would still be at it. Maybe if the ibrox club had not shredded so many files and removed so many side letters, BDO would not have taken so long and more money would be in the pot for creditors.
Cluster One 31st October 2020 at 22:21
Indeed, a liquidators job is not just to sell of the assets and distribute the money between the creditors, they are also enjoined to investigate why the business went into liquidation in the first place. A full set of business records would no doubt help with that.
https://www.bdo.co.uk/en-gb/our-people/malcolm-cohen
"Malcolm leads BDO’s National Contentious Insolvency team and has over 30 years business restructuring and insolvency experience."
Edinburgh was certainly in the news yesterday. Big Sean from Tollcross/ Fountainbridge passed on after a very full and notable life that gave so much to many. Then a few hours later as Hearts and Hibs took to the field at Hampden, news came through that the ex-Hearts captain, Marius Zaluikus had died at the shockingly young age of 36. Another, who as he skippered the Hearts team to their famous 2012 Scottish Cup success, helped give lifelong memories to at least one half of the capital city.
The football almost seems incidental, but for many it wasn’t and Hearts, despite all the hurdles put up in their path managed to reach another final. If they were to win might make them the first Scottish club to have won the cup but not get to play in European competition (since it was introduced).
==========
Paddy
When it comes to your attention on all things Rangers, maybe it is the Cove team that should worry you most. I note speculation, that thing that you can’t seem to abide in certain cases is now your bag.
==========
Highlander
Yes, I agree that we’ve reached the end of that particular conversation.
==========
BigBoab
As for time and diminishing protest/attention. I don’t even think it’s a controversial thing to say. You can even see it on here, with the decreasing numbers of active posters, mostly stuck in what easyjambo referred to as “inescapable time warp“.
I note that no-one has replied to the easyjambo post of the other day which included the following…
“The rest, as they say, is history and “in the past it must remain”. No matter how many times the blog returns to the events of 8-10 years ago, no-one in the football authorities or in the SMSM is listening, nor are they likely to change their mind now.
I believe that it is now time to move on. Not to forget what happened, but to move on all the same.”
When you were catching up on the blog did you not see that ? If I had posted similar, I’d have almost certainly been engaged with loud disagreement. I guess when you have (IMO), the best poster on here say stuff that might not go down well with many, the thing to do is act if it hadn’t happened.
Homunculus 31st October 2020 at 22:58
'Indeed, a liquidators job is not just to sell of the assets and distribute the money between the creditors, they are also enjoined to investigate why the business went into liquidation..'
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Lord Hodge , of course, was satisfied that the Administrators were blameless of any irregular action or criminality in relation to their conduct as the appointed Administrators once Administration action was begun.
But so far as I know, we have read nothing from the Liquidators about how and why SDM's RFC Board had allowed such massive debts to have been accumulated or why there was , apparently, no proper 'due diligence' performed on a hitherto nonentity of a 'MBMB', or serious examination/criticism of the BoS for its extraordinary lax readiness (as I see it) to support a financially deeply troubled football club.
Will we ever hear? Will the people truly responsible for the death of a famous 140-year-old football club ever be held properly to account? Ever be properly shamed and disgraced for causing so much trouble to a nation's sport, as well as financial loss to many, many people?
Oh for a Woodward and/or Bernstein even now to emerge from the ranks of the SMSM.
As if!
Sooner expect Hell to freeze over before that would happen.
John
I often refer to the importance of aiming high if you seriously want to attempt to change a malignant culture regards business and it's practices.
2008 was the time to go after banks, the revolving doors from finance to Westminster and the like.
Many individuals were allowed to escape relative accountability. They rode the storm and essentially got Joe Public to pay for their gambling debts. Their way of doing business didn't change to the degree it should have.
The whole shooting match is set up in a way and is so entrenched, that makes it ever more difficult to go against it #TheBigSqueeze
John Clark 1st November 2020 at 07:57
It is always worth bearing in mind that any Judge, Court or indeed Tribunal makes their judgement based on the evidence presented to them.
The administration process for Rangers was a disgrace, and I say that having spoken to an Insolvency Practitioner who dealt with football clubs.
Am I not right in saying they actually brought Green in to help run the club, on the basis that he was going to be buying it anyway, as it turned out he was only able to buy the assets but that was not the plan. Did he not say that if HMRC were going to vote against the CVA why did they not tell us that back in February.
Everything was done to assist the business, that is not what administration is supposed to be about. It should be about saving the company and it's employees, failing that getting the best return for it's creditors.
I do not believe that happened.
I say again, the release of negative goodwill by the new club shows just how much the assets were undersold for.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/18837455.fifa-asked-probe-douglas-ross-neutrality-rule-breach/
……………
INTERNATIONAL football chiefs have been asked to investigate whether or not Douglas Ross has broken strict neutrality rules by using FIFA’s badge on Tory party leaflets.
One page featured a picture of the Moray MP at his second job, working as a professional referee, wearing a shirt emblazoned with the FIFA badge.
The image of Ross – who’s running the line at today’s Scottish Cup semi-final between Celtic and Aberdeen – was also used by the party for their campaign calling on the Scottish Government to create a “fans fighting fund
………………..
You would think that a well run oranisation like the SFA would Let their employees know thinks like this may not be allowed. But then again many don’t see the SFA as a well run organisation.
………..
FIFA did not respond to requests for comment.
Homunculus 1st November 2020 at 13:24
Am I not right in saying they actually brought Green in to help run the club, on the basis that he was going to be buying it anyway, as it turned out he was only able to buy the assets but that was not the plan. Did he not say that if HMRC were going to vote against the CVA why did they not tell us that back in February
……………….
He got the Nod.
…………………………
As for time and diminishing protest/attention. I don’t even think it’s a controversial thing to say. You can even see it on here, with the decreasing numbers of active posters, mostly stuck in what easyjambo referred to as “inescapable time warp“.
I note that no-one has replied to the easyjambo post of the other day which included the following…
“The rest, as they say, is history and “in the past it must remain”. No matter how many times the blog returns to the events of 8-10 years ago, no-one in the football authorities or in the SMSM is listening, nor are they likely to change their mind now.
I believe that it is now time to move on. Not to forget what happened, but to move on all the same.”
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
No one can move on if the mistakes from the past are not corrected.What is to stop them happening again?
………………..
reasonablechap 1st November 2020 at 07:46
When you dug me out I thought it might be you answering
what does "Peter and the PLC are on the black and white reality side of the the subject and don’t agree with the general stance on SFM. " mean ?
And
Can I ask why you think I would perceive anybody, let alone Peter Lawwell , as an enemy ?
And
I note speculation, that thing that you can’t seem to abide in certain cases is now your bag.
Where did I ever post about not abiding speculation ? " Take your time finding the posts . And , please , not the usual dross of you deliberately misinterpreting or misconstruing words to suit your agenda .
"In your bag " . I speculate that you're coming on all amateur psychologist there , baby
Plus , I don't worry about Rangers – they died – nor do I worry about Cove Rangers as they are just a footb all club like us . I do worry about the ability of our management team to get us on the correct path .
Haven't seen your response to this yet , with a link to an official statement , if you would be so kind .
https://web.archive.org/web/20160305151928/http://www.fifa.com/world-match-centre/news/newsid/197/701/7/index.html
Cluster One 1st November 2020 at 14:04
” But then again many don’t see the SFA as a well run organisation”
“”””””””””””””””””””””””
Oh, it runs well enough , Cluster One, when it manufactures works of fiction that pervert the very notion of ‘sporting achievement’.
It runs better at that than it does in ensuring that clubs/referees/4th assistants know the rules about substitutions in extra time!
Just what was that problem in yesterday’s match, that our pundits could not explain? ( To be fair, I didn’t quite understand it myself, but then, of course, I’m not paid to be a football coach or a radio sports pundit!
reasonablechap 1st November 2020 at 07:46
"I believe that it is now time to move on. Not to forget what happened, but to move on all the same.”
I think you will find the only ones that have not moved on are the media and the old club fans, for it is they who cannot accept and bring it in them to admitt their old club died through liquidation and they watched it happen. Growing men crying and papers in shock writing the story of 140 years in minutes gone.
However, the lifeline thrown to them in the lie of survival by Charles Green is the greatest ever story of deception as he manged even with yourself, to get all onboard and once he had his hand in your pocket, there was no turning back, the club that is operating now has the distinction of holding media and fans to ransom trapped in a fantasy, yet should they jump off, will find themselves in a world cut of ffrom a culture they have been indoctrinated into, as the fans said a death in the family.
You are simply trapped in that majority and will use anything to convince yourself that you are right and we are wrong, but at the end of the day, I can hold my hand up and tell my generations what I witnessed, whilst your day is filled with lies, if you believe what you are watching and seeing was the same club come back to life.
Homunculus 1st November 2020 at 13:24
'.the administration process for Rangers was a disgrace, …the release of negative goodwill by the new club shows just how much the assets were undersold for.'
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I am at one with you in that opinion, Homunculus.
There seems to have been nothing that Lord Hodge found criminal about it, and nothing that the Insolvency Practitioners Association found to be irregular, which, of course, touches on your point that those sitting in 'judgment' can deal only with what are presented to them as 'facts'.
If the 'presentation' of facts ( i.e. if witnesses lie) is itself skewed in favour of the accused, or as incompetently botched up as was, in my opinion, the indictment of certain persons was, then of course the judgment will also be skewed. No discredit to judges, of course.
Inevitably.
I hope that there will in time be some brilliant person who will dig into
-the dirty wee cheating rottenness of a football club that lied to both the tax authorities and the football authorities for years,
-the connection that that club had with the football authorities which might have ensured that the lies were concealed for a decade or more,
-a connection which caused the football authorities to create a monumental sporting fiction
and abandon any sense of moral authority as a governance of a sport!
Geez, if TRFC have won innumerable sporting honours over the140 years that they never kicked a ball, what price any sporting achievement?
The lie that TRFC is RFC of 1872 has destroyed Scottish professional football as a sport, because sporting 'competition' dies when the game is in effect rigged and financial cheats are treated as honest competitors.
Simples.
I suppose the upcoming, '150th anniversary' celebrations down Govan way could be tolerated – if there was some degree of acknowledgement / humility?
If the celebration references were not quoted as "150" but rather "(140+10)", then it could be a step in the right direction.
I know: that's as likely to happen as Dave King cracking a smile.
"(140+10)" – simple and to the point.
StevieBC 2nd November 2020 at 01:02
I preder to think of them celebrating the birth of the club they supported and let die , that was founded around that time . I had thought it was in March 1872 ,
As far as those who wish to remain in the 2012 bubble or time warp, fine…I will now simply let you get on with it without comment. You obviously aren’t going to accept anything I say and you seem to be simply ignoring what Easyjambo has posted and pretending it didn’t happen.
Same numbers but in a different order, 2021…promises to be quite a year with regard to challenges for the Scottish footballing authorities and everyone else who come under that authority (even Peter and the PLC, who when it suits, seem to be able to be very much a big part of the decision-making authority).
I note that Peter’s friends at the SPFL who provided the 2020 omnishambles are still in post but aren’t trusted by enough clubs in the game to give them the power they crave for 20/21. They asked for that power back in the summer as a box ticking exercise, knowing they wouldn’t get it. Now they are trying again and asking questions that should have been asked prior to the start of the League…..
Omnishambles II….not coming to a cinema near you but it is coming for the Scottish game. Might even be an idea for those mostly still in 2012, to give a wee bit of consideration to the present, just saying !!
I find it ironic that the 2020 SC Final will be contested by the PLC and Hearts. Back in April of this year when the semi-finals were originally scheduled, it was IMO, Peter, who was the biggest influence in railroading the infamous SPFL resolution and Hearts (alongside Partick and Stranraer) who were the biggest losers.
For all that many on here talk about fairness and integrity, that angle was easily dismissed when self-interest came into play.
One thing about the Saturday semi-final that I forgot to mention was the respective logos on the teams shirts. Whilst the lack of fans didn’t help the spectacle, the Save the Children and Thank You NHS messages together did provide a very positive image and both teams deserve credit. A contrast to the Old Firm bookmakers derby.
reasonablechap 2nd November 2020 at 08:05
'.. You obviously aren’t going to accept anything I say'
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Not quite so: your comments on any other subject under the sun may be as valid and valuable as anyone else's.
The problem is that you defend a Lie as Truth; your readiness to let Scottish Football quite cynically allow a new club to claim to be a club that, even as the claim is made, is lying there in Liquidation, as dead as Third Lanark and the Gretna of Brooks Mileson is not acceptable.
There can be no genuine 'moving on' until the lie is openly acknowledged by those who conceived it, and foster and propagate it, and rescinded.
What that may do to RIFC plc ,as being exposed as the holding company merely of an eight-year-old football club, is neither here nor there, as against the restoration of honest football governance, and the kicking out of liars and cheats.
John
It would be a lot more interesting if you were to have the discussion with Easyjambo, who posted about his personal choice of moving-on (29th October 2020 at 15:41). At first I was surprised you didn’t get back to him on that but having thought about it, can understand why.
For me, Easyjambo is a highly respected poster on here who best manages to stick to the facts, retain a degree of impartiality where possible and offer informed, reasonable opinions. That is why I think such a discussion would be much more interesting than you and me going back and forth.
Not to mention, I’m not going to get involved further in what is basically the resurrected OC/NC thread. I’ll leave you to it as I think a storm is brewing for the not too distant future.
Penalty Stat Guy has gone a bit quiet???
I make it 4 penalties for 2angers in their last 5 SPFL games.
Maybe worth a wee bet on Tavernier (Pen) for seasons top scorer?
John Clark @ 10.54
I guess RC and his ilk would use the argument of ‘plausible deniability’, otherwise known to most of us on here as lying.
normanbatesmumfc
Comin’ down the tracks – in keeping with the ‘Stop 10IAR’ campaign by the usual suspects?
Oops – there goes paranoid me again!
I talked earlier about the logos/messages on the Edinburgh clubs shirts, seen together on Saturday evening.
I think it reflects well on Hearts and Ann Budge that their decision regards what logo to go with was made long before the pandemic and at a difficult time for the club.
I bring this up because when Ann Budge said that she believed in fairness and that she'd have pushed for the same outcome during the SPFL omnishambolic railroaded resolution had it been another club, many dismissed that with a sarcastic "aye, of course you would".
I think the decision about using the Save the Children logo points to someone with honour who I for one, believe.
Yet the SMSM attack dogs went after her, very much including those who had direct SPFL sources.
JC, absolutely!
And that is the crux of the matter, IMO.
It is in the gift of those who have been wronged, (e.g. ALL non-Ibrox supporters, ALL taxpayers), to choose to forgive and forget past transgressions.
Acknowledgment and acceptance of wrongdoing – as well as seeking forgiveness – is a prerequisite for ‘moving on’ for everybody involved, or affected.
TRFC claiming to be RFC is offensive, IMO, and a clear two-fingers-up to everybody else. No contrition shown and no forgiveness sought.
That’s the new Ibrox club’s choice. It’s still everybody else’s choice as to whether to forgive and forget.
I choose to call out The Rangers at every opportunity – for as long as they continue to lie about being the same club which conducted industrial-scale cheating, over many, many years.
Oops .
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/jordan-jones-george-edmundson-face-22943770
Oops too .
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-slapped-uefa-fine-governing-22943850
Norman
My post about penalty stats certainly served it's purpose !!
Look at it this way….no league penalties for nearly a year and then several come in quick succession. It fits the old analogy about the buses perfectly….Nowt to see for those who like a conspiracy.
Yesterday was an absolute stonewaller and as for numbers, Aberdeen have been awarded more and Lewis Ferguson (6) has scored more league penalties than Tav (4). Note, Aberdeen have played 180 minutes less 20/21 league football than Rangers.
The other point being that this season is generally seeing more penalties being awarded in all football, or at least that is what it seems like to me.
I wonder how Nicola will react to the latest football covid scandal . Games postponed(yellow card ) or push football back into intensive care (red card ) ?
Paddy
Taking your eye off your rival (Cove) Rangers might see you miss out on promotion.
Sounds as if you are almost lobbying for a red card, aslong as Rangers are seen as baddies #LookLook(zealous tone)
Going by the link you posted, it looks as if Rangers have kept track of what their players have been doing and taken timely and appropriate action. The players have been stupid and reckless.
Nicola has a difficult job to do. If football clubs take on due responsibility and take immediate action then it'll allow the government to get on with important business.
reasonablechap 2nd November 2020 at 11:59
Yet the SMSM attack dogs went after her, very much including those who had direct SPFL sources.
Names , please of the "attack dogs " and the direct SPFL sources you reckon they have . You could append the answer to the list you have still to deliver .
Paddy
I’m not playing the Internet Cup with you. If you are incapable of reading between the lines or lateral thinking then that is your choice/problem.
I’ll grant you this last one given the simplicity: Jackson/Doncaster or other similar SPFL ‘friend’
paddy malarkey 2nd November 2020 at 12:17
The way some football players have acted during this has been appalling, irrespective of which club they play for.
I am sure the same can be said for a lot of plumbers, architects, teachers, governmental health experts and other advisors.
The difference with footballers is that a, it is more likely to be reported on and b, they are (for some bizarre reason) seen as "role models".
I'm afraid that with the "let's just get on with life" opinion appearing to be growing this is exactly what we don't need.
This thing is really simple, if we want to control the spread and save lives people need to follow the guidelines. If we don't then it will keep on going.
Some public figures really aren't helping, I sincerely hope Rangers (and any other club who identifies players breaking the rules) send out a strong message.
reasonablechap 2nd November 2020 at 12:41
So that's a no ? Post p*sh and don't back it up then cast aspersions at anybody challenging said p*sh ?
Jackson/Doncaster are the attack dogs ? How so ? Can we have something other than your fevered imagination and delusion ?
And we're not talking plumbers , etc , regarding the footballers who broke the rulwes . If I remember correctly , Nicola Sturgeon made plain that the two week sit down imposed on AFC and CFC was to be considered as a yellow card .
"Consider today the yellow card. The next time it will be the red card because you will leave us with absolutely no choice."
The clubs appear to have taken to heart the gravity of the situation , it's their employees who are causing the problem , and I would expect the Scottish Government to abide by it's previous statement . Need to wait to see what the red card means for clubs and leagues .
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54777272
………..
Oh Dear covid breaches. wonder if they will get another strong worded letter?
reasonablechap 2nd November 2020 at 12:28
Going by the link you posted, it looks as if Rangers have kept track of what their players have been doing and taken timely and appropriate action. The players have been stupid and reckless.
………………
if Rangers have kept track of what their players have been doing. Are you saying they knew they were going to a house party?
………………
Nicola has a difficult job to do.
…
That is why she issued a yellow card. As a warning to clubs and players. looks like these players never headed that warning
We'll mibbes see now if your man is right about PL being in charge of Scottish football with the sanction applied to TRFC over the covid breach ..Anything less than a minimum two games suspendedf for the club , plus other sanctions ,would , to my mind , show that he doesn't . .
Paddy
Take a break from throwing yellow or red Sh**e at the moon and read the Scottish Government’s commendation for the way Rangers reacted to the crass stupidity of two of their players.
#Swift&Decisive
https://twitter.com/ClydeSSB/status/1323305651599216641
Apparently it was the Police who discovered the situation and took the initial action.
reasonablechap 2nd November 2020 at 17:28
Scottish Government’s commendation for the way Rangers reacted to the crass stupidity of two of their players.
……………….
I recall celtic took swift action also.
Reasonablechap
Read it on release. What's PL's thinking then? And why is he hiding behind the Scottish Government? What I'd like to read is the answers to my questions, starting.with the one on speculation, if you would be so kind. Then you can go and mourn your dead club, with my permission.
In other news, well actually in the same story
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54777272
"Meanwhile, Rangers have been fined £4,500 by Uefa for breaching the governing body's Return to Play Protocol during their Europa League play-off win against Galatasaray at Ibrox."
Oh and
"Jones has made just four appearances for Rangers this season, while English centre-half Edmundson, 23, played the second of his two games this season over a month ago."
"Rangers say the incident took place just hours after Steven Gerrard's side defeated Kilmarnock 1-0 to go nine points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership. Neither player was in the matchday squad."
Swift and decisive action, against two players who can't get a game, even a spot on the bench, and will not be available anyway.
This evening, in between making some potato scones from today's left-over mashed spuds, I was having a read at Mr Justice Nicol's judgment in the Depp v Heard libel case.(you should find it here
https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/QB/2020/2911.html
I noted ,with some satisfaction and comfort, the Judge's reference to 'The defence of truth:'
which is handy to have if anyone were to challenge me on the assertion of fact that RFC of 1872 entered Liquidation in 2012 and ceased in consequence to be a recognised football club entitled to participate in Scottish professional football; or on the fact that the football club known as The Rangers Football Club which was newly admitted into Scottish professional football in 2012 is not RFC of 1872!
But I was creased with laughter ,and nearly burnt my finger, when I saw this, from Depp's own statement ,quoted [at Para 99]
'I am from a Southern family and rules were instilled in me from birth by my mother: you would be a southern gentleman or it would be beaten into you. … Integrity, dignity, honesty and respect for women: these were the characteristics that I was always expected to have.'
I knew I had heard the words that I have put in bold in an entirely different context, but I'm damned if I can remember that context!
Might it have been a football context?
ps. the tottie scones were, like the curate's egg, good in parts. I think I had the gas a tad too high- which meant that I took them off in case they burnt, which in turn meant that they were a shade undercooked. But they were eatable and quite tasty notwithstanding.
Homunculus 2nd November 2020 at 22:08
'.."Meanwhile, Rangers have been fined £4,500 by Uefa for breaching the governing body's Return to Play Protocol.'
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I confess that I may not have been paying full attention to 'Sportsound' tonight, but I don't think that fine was even mentioned let alone analysed to death.
Was it mentioned?
"He was drinking whiskey and wine"
Para 207 of Mr Justice Nicol's judgment in the Depp v Heard case.
"Whiskey"?
Is his lordship an Irishman, with that spelling?
CO, PM & H
The central issue here is a pandemic, not just any old thing that you can fit into the old Rangers v Celtic paradigm of argument.
I wasn’t trying to boast with the swift & decisive quote from the Scottish government spokesperson. It was simply to close down the excited chatter on yellow and red cards that came from an obvious (wilfully blind?) misreading of the situation.
Th players involved have shown crass stupidity and will have the club and the SFA to answer to. The important thing regarding the virus, is that it was nipped in the bud due to police action and any potential transmission was avoided. This is THE important factor with regards to the main question of public health, as well as within the football club.
All clubs will be keen to nip any situation in the bud and be seen to be swift and decisive, regardless if the players involved are first team regulars or not. In this case, Rangers were fortunate that the Police were on top of the situation as it happened and therefore once the Police had taken action, were given the opportunity to be swift with their decision. The decision was essentially an easy one, the only one, the right one and at this stage, one that I think all clubs would have adopted in the same circumstances.
I could compare it against other instances that had different circumstances but I’m not interested in tribal offence comparison when it comes to clubs. I’ll leave that to others if they want to go down that route.
=======
The UEFA sanction against Rangers seems to be a relatively minor breach that refers to the accreditation system but I don’t know the fine detail. Action has been taken by the UEFA disciplinary body (funnily enough, one of Peters friends is a member/Doncaster #ProbableRecuse). The relatively small amount (fine) also suggests a minor breach. However, not a good look (I don’t know subsequent level of risk that arose) and the club need to ensure no repeat.
Yesterday, whilst on the subject of penalties, I used the old analogy about waiting on a bus for ages and then two come along.
You could also use it for Hearts v Celtic Scottish Cup Finals. There hadn’t been one for 64 years and we are probably going to have two on the bounce, if the game is played in December.
Hearts beat Celtic 3-1 in 1956 in front of 132,840 fans (wiki) which is a number that hasn’t been surpassed since (there had been larger attendances prior to 1956). Contrast that to the possible 0 fans in 2020.
How long can the Scottish game keep going on 0 ?
Homunculus 2nd November 2020 at 22:08
In other news, well actually in the same story
………………
“We will not tolerate behaviour that does not follow those standards and it is totally unacceptable for any of our players to be involved in anything that puts at risk the excellent protocols that have been put in place at Rangers.”
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Excellent protocols, just as they get a fine from UEFA for not following protocol
reasonablechap 3rd November 2020 at 08:05
"The decision was essentially an easy one, the only one, the right one and at this stage, one that I think all clubs would have adopted in the same circumstances."
…………………………………………………
Would that have been the same if the players involved had been Kent and Goldson?
The precedent has been set by the Scottish Govt and they need to follow through on their Yellow Card rhetoric. However it would be unfair to punish the whole of Scottish Football for one clumpany's failures. Hence a 10 point penalty should suffice
Come on St Nicola of Govan! Let's see where your loyalties lie…..
https://spfl.co.uk/news/spfl-announces-latest-club-consultation-response
…………….
In the interests of transparency,
Do they now just insert this phrase into every statement they have put out since 2012?
reasonablechap
I have to admit that I was one indulging in excited chatter, but at the time had heard stuff that has subsequently been denied. I think the PR people at Murray Park are now firmly in control. I know one person who has had a slap for speaking out of turn.
The fine was for breaches of stewarding protocols wrt control of zones within the stadium.
Link to the post(s) where I decry speculation yet?
https://twitter.com/Heavidor/status/1323674009997856770/photo/1
……………….
Another share issue. Have club 72 got a seat at the table yet?
Cluster One 3rd November 2020 at 18:17
If anything their percentage shareholding has dropped. They now sit at 6th place in the shareholders table.
If they are not amongst the chosen few selected by the board to buy shares that will keep happening unless they make private purchases, which puts no money into the club and goes to the seller.
My impression of Club 1872 is that it is neither a proper shareholder or a proper supporters group. Trying to be the supporter's voice, and a significant shareholder with aspirations of a place on the board is not really working. The foot in both camps element is problematic.
Homunculus 3rd November 2020 at 18:36
Cluster One 3rd November 2020 at 18:17
If anything their percentage shareholding has dropped. They now sit at 6th place in the shareholders table.
………………
A seat on the board was all part of the sales pitch back in the day.
https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/15898584.rangers-q-club-1872-1million-share-issue-fundraising-drive-ashley-share-purchase-board-representation-fan-ownership/
While I always tend to agree with Easyjambo that things are perhaps not as bad as people would like to think 're the Ibrox finances, I always caveat that there are always the unknown unknowns.
A £4 million share issue hot on the heals of one a few months back surely can't be a good sign 're cash flow.
wottpi, agreed.
And it does raise the question as to why RIFC has seemingly chosen to delay releasing its 19/20 Accounts – even without the pandemic, the RIFC financials were going to be bad, again.
In contrast, CFC chose not to take up the pandemic related option to submit their financials to Companies House by 31/03/21 and have released the information at the normal time.
Logistically, RIFC could have done exactly the same, without the need for taking the 3 months delay.
I would hazard a guess that the majority of the work to produce the RIFC financials was completed by end of August – with further external audit related work to be completed, as perfectly normal.
Based on '18/'19 revenues, RIFC is significantly smaller than CFC at £53M v. £83M respectively, or CFC is roughly half as big again than RIFC.
…and yet, CFC still managed to issue it's own results on time.
So, IMO, why is RIFC choosing to sit on its completed, financial results for the year to 30th June?
wottpi 4th November 2020 at 10:54
While I always tend to agree with Easyjambo that things are perhaps not as bad as people would like to think ‘re the Ibrox finances, I always caveat that there are always the unknown unknowns.
A £4 million share issue hot on the heals of one a few months back surely can’t be a good sign ‘re cash flow.
========%%%========
I’d counter your unknown unknowns with an in your face known called Covid 19 and the economic pain that it is causing the vast majority of clubs when it comes to cash flow (projections).
I asked a question yesterday ...How long can the Scottish game keep going on 0 (attending fans) ?
I know that generally the blog is trapped in the Blue Prism but what is around the corner is economic carnage that may well be a before and after moment for the Scottish game (and a lot more beside). That said, at least we can trust and depend on the leadership at the SPFL !
Far be it for me to distract posters from their normal focus but there really is an elephant knocking on the door. I’d speculate that Covid19 wasn’t a Level5 construct.
wottpi 4th November 2020 at 10:54
Does anyone know who "bought" these shares. Did it actually bring in new money or was it a further conversion of debt.
Unless it was an actual sale it wouldn't help cash flow surely, it might make the books look better (by reducing the debt) but it would not do much more than that.
Homunculus 4th November 2020 at 14:29
wottpi 4th November 2020 at 10:54
Does anyone know who “bought” these shares. Did it actually bring in new money or was it a further conversion of debt.
……………
If i remember it took a day or so after the last share issue to come out who bought them and SMSM headlines of investment.
…………………
@JBLuvsCeltic
·
21h
Replying to
@Heavidor
Shareholders approved a res at the last AGM to allow directors to allot up to 100m shares before the next AGM. This now makes 62m shares allotted after the 42.25m a few weeks ago.
Wouldn’t be surprised to see another allotment before the next AGM.
……………….
Another share issue and a fire sale in January, should keep the lights on
reasonablechap
Covid-19 is not an elephant in the room, it's there front and square, and there is nowhere for clubs to run. No business can survive without adapting to the new normal, but we are nowhere near the point where we can say that it's behind us and which restrictions can be lifted. It may well be that a large number of clubs will fail or restructure in the lower levels of the pyramid but I speculate that the cherished elite will be happy to see them leave the lifeboat, as that will enhance their chances of coming out at the other end of the pandemic. Another restructure could be on the horizon . The fact that people can be re infected within 6 months means that even a vaccine isn't going to be a cure-all and get us back into stadia in the numbers we were attending previously, so a move away from that model (bums on seats) is inevitable, imo. Streaming live games will only be part of any solution.
In other news, I note that SG is urging us to move on from the TRFC players' covid escapade. "Sweep, sweep " , as cheek fans are known to banter with each other ?
And I'd wager that the CEO with Oriental eyes isn't responsible for covid-19 either.
reasonablechap 4th November 2020 at 13:14
"I know that generally the blog is trapped in the Blue Prism but what is around the corner is economic carnage that may well be a before and after moment for the Scottish game (and a lot more beside). That said, at least we can trust and depend on the leadership at the SPFL !"
Could that be the economic carnage, (armageddon), predicted in 2012 when your club died?
The greatest culprit in spending recklessly is your new club, (apple doesn't fall far from the tree) with 10s of millions in losses during their 8-year lifespan. Don't forget the 273 creditors who experienced "economic carnage" due to this practice in the past…..
Scottish FA to make up to 18 staff members redundant following review. Also predicting losses of around £4.5 million due to COVID-19
……………….
What chance have clubs
paddy malarkey 4th November 2020 at 15:44
And I'd wager that the CEO with Oriental eyes isn't responsible for covid-19 either
==========================================
Who?
I note that in the recent consultation process, only 20 SPFL clubs (less than 50%) agreed to give the SPFL board/exec. extra powers to deal with virus related circumstances that may arise.
I seem to recall 27 clubs gave the SPFL their backing with 2 abstensions in the resolution to force an independent investigation into the SPFL and events surrounding Omnishambles I.
I said before the later, that to not have an independent investigation at that point would have a cost further down the line (greater than the cost of an investigation). It was an opportunity to draw some kind of line under what had happened, either forcing necessary change or clearing individuals names and thus making it more probable that at least 76% of clubs may support a reslolution to give the SPFL the powers they seek.
Hollywood often squeeze out a sequel but the SPFL won’t make money on the back of Omnishambles II
Reasonablechap.
Covid was an unknown unknown that has hit all football clubs.
The ones who will best survive are the ones who were on a solid footing and reacted quickly to deal with the situation.
Those who continue on as normal are the ones most likely to run into trouble.
I see little or no evidence of T'Rangers acting anyway different from the old club. That being, trying to spend their way out of trouble in the hope of some Euro success. In 2012 the unknown unknowns were that the money from never ending share issues dried up, Euro runs ended and Hector finally came calling.
Not saying the current club is going to fall but it is a tightrope they are travelling along.
You could surmise that the £4 m is to cover the loss of income from home gates at Euro ties. Therefore the club may have budgeted (gambled) on that income stream and Covid has blown that out the water much the same as McCoists Euro failure.
It really is a case of seeing how long 'investors' can keep funding the club to the required level of spending.
Reasonablechap
Plenty other unknown unknowns
What is the true cost of transfer business.
Has Morelos and other chums been asking for more cash
What is the overall wage bill like.
Are Euro bonuses and other financial incentives being paid but no gate income to cover it.
T'Rangers aren't the only ones. Dundee Utd must be on a shoogly peg with their wages to income ratio.
I have always tipped my hat to the financial juggling going on at Ibrox but still convinced it wouldn't take too much for the pack of cards to fall again. It may never come to that but no one should be surprised if it did.