Fergus McCann v David Murray

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

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Auldheid

About Auldheid

Celtic fan from Glasgow living mostly in Spain. A contributor to several websites, discussion groups and blogs, and a member of the Resolution 12 Celtic shareholders' group. Committed to sporting integrity, good governance, and the idea that football is interdependent. We all need each other in the game.

1,240 thoughts on “Fergus McCann v David Murray


  1. roddybhoy 20th August 2020 at 17:01

    Just about everybody has a just point in their arguments to whether a club and/or players should / should not recieve a certain punishment. For me it always comes back to the fact once again that the SFA are not fit for purpose . How many more chances are these bufoons gonna get until clubs take action and give them a vote of no confidence and chase them out our game forever. 

    ========================================================

       I couldn't agree more with you roddybhoy regarding the incompetence of the SFA, but how can the clubs chase them, when it is the clubs players that are breaking the covid restrictions. ……That will be some argument ! 

        "Yooz broke the covid rules and are getting punished !"

        "Whit rules?!… yooz dinnae huv any rules"

        "We didnae think we'd need thum"……"Anyway, the league tried tae get rules and yooz widnae let them"

        "Aye, but wur no talkin' tae them because o' the stramash ower the league calling. We dinnae like it when they applied the rules, an' some o' us telt thum !" 

        So yir beef wi us is that we don't huv any rules fur ye no tae like. 

        "Correct-e-mundo !

         "So yeez waant us tae huv rules and apply thum?" 

         "No chance !……. Ye mental?!

    ——————————– 

        Our game is stark raving bonkers roddy. From my Celtic point of view, it's time we baled. Any clubs (well, almost any) who feel they have the professionalism and capabilities to fit in somewhere else,  are more than welcome to try with us, for there is no fixing the mess that it has become in Scotland.     Every man for himself has become the prevalent murmurings. The wummin and children are fecked.

        I doubt this season will be completed, and next season will see the survivors in other countries hastily attempt to cobble something cross-border together….I'd rather the SFA are nowhere near it.         

          


  2. macfurgly 20th August 2020 at 14:34

    '.The Hollow Men by T.S. Eliot'

    """""""""""""

    Took the words right out of my mouth, macfurgly!laugh

     


  3. The super duper castore replica kits are not all the hype they were made up to be, and a bit of a backlash from the ibrox fan base won't do the castore brand much good in branching out into the football world. And yet not one complaint from any bought from a sports direct store. Either no fan of ibrox has bought a replica kit from sports direct, or they have and have found nothing wrong. Or sports direct are selling a better quality of replica kit or they have a better quality control. No doubt the ibrox club will issue a statement on Friday and clear everything up for the not very happy ibrox fan base.


  4. John Clark 20th August 2020 at 20:46
    …………..
    I always think of this when i see the Hollow man mentioned.
    https://uk.video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=yset_ff_hp_cnewtab&p=youtube+Marillion+Hollow+man#id=11&vid=4a8afc5caf1b17570192039e38a7bcff&action=view
    …………
    I think i have become one of the hollow men as i shine on the outside more these days. I can feel the outside feeding on my inside leaves a growing darkness in it’s place.
    …..
    Bit OT but it’s quite.


  5. Cluster One 20th August 2020 at 21:25

    I think i have become one of the hollow men as i shine on the outside more these days. I can feel the outside feeding on my inside leaves a growing darkness in it’s place.

    ————–

    While one would like to think that Doncaster et al may develop such a sense of self awareness, don't hold your breath.

    Cue Stevie BC.


  6. I’m no stranger to Phil. Nor am I a stranger to the occasional regrettable post. But I find it interesting that the comments on Phil’s blog are mostly restricted to trumpet blowing. So I posted this; albeit the censorship on his blog prevails:

    Phil, you advocate fair and balanced journalism, yet you continue to blow the same whistle. Is it not beyond time that you stopped K’ing ‘clan base’ and turned your focus on something other than T’rangers? Your Klan references are offensive to every decent minded person, not least to those supporters of T’rangers that support their club and remain opposed to the quasi-religious beliefs of the beleaguered. You’ve exhausted your one trick pony status. I can’t help but picture some geezer in a pub slabbering about how he ‘once jigsawed a book together’ and then sought out a similar, single minded ‘stenographer’ to edit it. It’s time you moved on, at least until your rugger chap transcends the agility and improvisation of a Gareth Edwards try.

    ‘He who establishes his argument by noise and command, shows that his reason is weak’.

    TSFM never loses sight of the bluff. I can’t help thinking that Phil should trade in his ‘circus mirror’ and take a long hard look at his tired reflection. Scottish Football has more ‘trying’ times ahead than a debate over a club that means more to him than it does to the true proletariat of the game. They died. Get over it Philip. 


  7. On a miserable day, I’m trying to cheer myself up  – so, just a thought for the blog, as an alternative to the SPFL/SFL being referred to as ‘blazers’, ‘governors’, ‘feckin eejits’ (c. JC) etc., how about ….

    The Hollow Men of Hampden (with special credits to our very own macfurgly and to TS Eliot, who would surely never have dreamed of his work appearing on SFM – the ultimate accolade!!)?


  8. stifflersmom 21st August 2020 at 00:08

    '. Scottish Football has more ‘trying’ times ahead than a debate over a club that means more to him than it does to the true proletariat of the game. They died.'

    """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

    [I pass no comment on your post on another blog, stifflersmom: that blogger can answer for himself ]

    But , of course, I cannot let your  observation (reproduced above) pass without comment.

    RFC, as you rightly remark, died. 

    But RFC (and SDM) were only part of the corruption of our sport, and not even the most significant part:

    as said before, one rotten football club is just one rotten football club damaging as it may be.

    However a rotten 'governance' which not only does not deal  properly with the rotten club, but  aids and assists a new club to claim to be what it most definitely is not, and, further, allows a new plc to claim to be what it is not, is an affront to any kind of notion of Sporting Integrity,.

    And an aggregation of 'sport clubs' which is prepared to accept that kind of corrupt governance rather than insist on having  the corruption rooted out  and corrective measures put in place deserves no sympathy in whatever kind of other troubles it finds itself. 

    There can be no meaningful 'moving on' until the wrongs are righted and honesty is restored.

    Let TRFC be acknowledged as the 'new' club that they are, and accept the consequences of that in terms of dropping the false nonsense that they are somehow the very same club that is, as I write, in Liquidation, and let RIFC plc quietly and anxiously worry about their doubtful IPO prospectus claim!

    And, then, perhaps, the  return of  decency and truth  to Scottish Football will be possible, and we can all wholeheartedly work to help it survive the pandemic and wish it well.


  9. Thanks for that link JC …

    Brilliant, ‘left field’ humour so to speak – ahm ferr cheered up noo!


  10. For anyone with some interest in how the Courts are dealing with their business during the pandemic, what the Lord President, Lord Carloway, had to say in a speech yesterday is worth seeing and hearing. 

    The video lasts about 20 minutes, and can be downloaded on this link:

    https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/mtPefS2sgJ/fi-3d5817e8-34b4-45f9-a62b-bed8920ecf37/fv-bd7062d0-031c-4508-8763-cab84329edfe/LP%20Change%20Aug%202020%20rA.mp4

    I found it extremely interesting and informative.

    (At 19 mins 50 seconds in, Lord Carloway has a wee dig in passing at Scottish Football)

    Separately, on Tuesday 26th, there are procedural hearings in the Whitehouse and Clark cases.

    I hope to get the access code which will let me follow the 'virtual' procedure live on the phone.


  11. Just like the Castore kit shambles seems to have opened the eyes of most bears to the shambolic leadership in the Blue Room…

    the covid related embarrassments in Scottish football might have opened the eyes of those outside football – including those within the SG – to the shambolic leadership at Hampden.

    And the Hampden search for new league and cup sponsors is not being made any easier either…


  12. StevieBC 22nd August 2020 at 12:18

    '..Just like the Castore kit shambles seems to have opened the eyes of most bears ..'

    """"""""""""""""""""""""""""

    I suppose it wasn't really likely that the quality of material of plebeian football tops produced via Castore would equal the quality of the tennis wear that shareholder Andy Murray buys and wears! 

    We all know that our football jerseys are basically rubbish ( and highly overpriced relative to manufacturing costs).

     Is there any verifiable justification for TRFC fans to have more to complain about the quality of the gear than  than fans of other clubs?

    I got the impression that Castore quite valued their brand name, and aimed at the higher-spending punter.

    Having it linked with the Andy Murrays of the sports world is one thing. Having it linked  to products the quality of which can be severely criticised by football punters in the stands is surely not advisable?


  13. stifflersmom 21st August 2020 at 00:08

    I’m no stranger to Phil. Nor am I a stranger to the occasional regrettable post. But I find it interesting that the comments on Phil’s blog are mostly restricted to trumpet blowing. So I posted this; albeit the censorship on his blog prevails:
    ……………….
    Abusive stuff getting binned isn’t something to really complain about.Phil regularly approves of comments taking issue with his content. But abusive stuff that may be libel he bins.
    Anything that adds nothing of value to his blog will also be binned. I think he does his own monitoring so some comments may or may not get under the radar.
    I am sure abusive comments to a blog writer on SFM would also get binned here.
    My thoughts is it is his blog and he can do what what he has to do in the best interests of his readership.
    As i have read lots of times on blogs of different sorts if you don’t like it you don’t have to read it, or if you don’t like it comment on why you don’t like it but in a civil manner, and you may even get your point across.


  14. stifflersmom 21st August 2020 at 00:08

    I think his issues have always been more with the attitude and culture of the club and the people who follow rather it than the football. He isn't a sports journalist.

    The football club died, a lot of the baggage didn't.

    From almost exactly a year ago, playing in Europe against a Polish team.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/08/23/uefa-judge-rangerss-chants-racist-close-stand-punishment-3000/

    23 AUGUST 2019

    Uefa judge Rangers's chants as racist and close stand in punishment, with 3,000 fans set to miss out.


  15. John Clark 22nd August 2020 at 12:51

    I'm not sure you have kept up with this ongoing story. It's not that they expect better than anyone else, they just want a decent product for their money.

    Apparently Castore made all sorts of promises but when it came to fulfilling them they couldn't. So they have outsourced production to Turkey, China and India. Apparently some of the stuff from Turkey is really poor quality and when seen side by side with the Chinese produced kit it is night and day with regards materials and production quality. In fact the styles are even different, which is a bit mad as they are ostensibly replicas of the same thing.

    I think the real killer though was with regards some of the "lifestyle" stuff. It seems they forget to take an existing label out of a kids sweatshirt and it turned out it was actually a generic on sold for kids wearing to school. The problem was it normally sells for about £10, they had ironed on a Castore crest and a Rangers crest and were charging £60 or something like that.

    It seems this there is also poor response to emails, refusal to accept returns if the labels are off or the stuff has been worn etc. 

    It would appear they really have been ripped off on this one. A lot of the support are not happy with the club for their inaction in all of this. 


  16. Morelos not even in the squad today.

    Apparently not injured.

    Has TRFC found a buyer?

    Or, is the ‘rookie PR guru’ at Ibrox doing overtime to produce a novel, copy/paste story for the Sunday papers…?


  17. StevieBC 22nd August 2020 at 16:20

    His head has been turned and he is not performing well in training apparently.


  18. StevieBC 22nd August 2020 at 16:20 Morelos not even in the squad today

    ———————–

       Bad Fluffalo!… Paving the way for the acceptance of a realistic transfer fee Stevie. 


  19. Corrupt official 22nd August 2020 at 17:19
    ………………
    How long before we see a picture of him blowing his nose into a pair of shorts, or has that been done before already?


  20. Cluster One 22nd August 2020 at 17:26

    Corrupt official 22nd August 2020 at 17:19

    ……………… How long before we see a picture of him blowing his nose into a pair of shorts, or has that been done before already?

    ≠===============

         I saw a photo earlier C1, with the badge hanging off the shorts of Defoe. Maybe he already has….. Or maybe That's Castore. mail


  21. Homunculus 22nd August 2020 at 16:02

    '.I'm not sure you have kept up with this ongoing story..'

    """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

    I hadn't ,actually, Homunculus, and I'm grateful for the details you provide. 

    As I understand things, 'Castore' is just a Trade mark owned by the J Carter Sporting Club Ltd, which has , as far as I can figure, no manufacturing capacity whatsoever. Accordingly, it touts the 'Trade" mark around to clothing manufacturers  who agree to manufacture to specification. 

    If manufacturers in China are producing better quality than those in Turkey ,that would suggest that the 'specification' might not include anything other than that the 'Castore' design/trademark be used , without any specification as to quality of the material or workmanship. 

    I think that was what I wondered about: if the 'Castore' brand is going on to lousy, cheap trashy material, the brand name would surely suffer, and the Beahon brothers/J Carter Sporting Club and its shareholders would not be too happy!

    I wonder how that came about, if that is what actually happened? 

    And any consumer is entitled to value for money!

     

     


  22. John Clark 22nd August 2020 at 22:20 Homunculus 22nd August 2020 at 16:02 '

    .I'm not sure you have kept up with this ongoing story..' """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

    I hadn't ,actually, Homunculus, and I'm grateful for the details you provide.

    ===============

        It goes deeper than that John. Castore marketed the kit as made of bionic materials, so they could hardly be described as a shelf item, or everybody would be using them.

          On top their manufacturing process was billed as revolutionary and out of the ordinary. Hardly bog standard for a factory setting bank of sewing machines.

        In short the gear they are supplying has little or no chance of doing what it says on the tin. 

        It's a rip-off in other words. With Castore ownership masked in obscurities, the only debate to be had is by who?. 

      


  23. Cluster 

    My thoughts is it is his blog and he can do what what he has to do in the best interests of his readership.
    As i have read lots of times on blogs of different sorts if you don’t like it you don’t have to read it, or if you don’t like it comment on why you don’t like it but in a civil manner, and you may even get your point across.

    Are you serious?  

     

     


  24. Based on absolutely no evidence whatsoever,

    I've thought that King had some link to Castore.

    Could be totally off the mark, but the entire Castore engagement by RIFC/TRFC has just been weird on several levels…


  25. In regards to the Castore strips I saw a link yesterday to the Asian equivalent of Amazon called Alibaba who are selling the strips ranging from less than US $5 for a single shirt to less than US $2 if a buyer wants 20,000 which is likely to throw a spanner in the works.

    I also discovered these archive threads a few weeks ago for anyone who came late to SFM party.

    https://scotslawthoughts.wordpress.com/2013/07/03/craig-whyte-castle-grant-and-avoiding-mortgage-repossession/#comments

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-14880473

    https://thecelticblog.com/2020/07/blogs/the-complete-a-z-of-scottish-football-scandal-and-corruption/


  26. Corrupt official 22nd August 2020 at 22:43

    '..With Castore ownership masked in obscurities,.'

    """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

    On 13 August Companies House recorded a 'confirmation statement' by J.Carter Sporting Club Ltd , confirming that there are 33 shareholders.

    31 of these are named individuals ( eg, the Beahon brothers each holding  19291 shares, and no other individual having more than 4000 shares.

    The other 2 shareholders are:

    Barruag Prorietary Ltd ATA Handley Family Trust (1477 shares) [there is a W.A Handley charity in Newcastle. Can't find anything on Barruag Pty Ltd ATA , or even what it means-except that the use of 'pty' suggests it's an Australian or South African company?) Any ideas, anyone?

    Monte Group (Jersey) Ltd. (15 564 shares). Presumably this is registered in Jersey, so I suppose we can't find out too much more about who controls those shares.

    The number of shares issued is 103 760, so the Monte group's holding is not insignificant.

    Andy Murray is listed as shareholder 33. He holds 3668 shares.

    On the face of, I think, there wouldn't be too much to worry about in terms of anything any more dodgy with J Carter Cporting Club Ltd than with any  company trying to maximise profits within  commercial law , (whatever about truth, conscience, truth, morality and right and wrong as these notions are viewed by 'business')broken heart


  27. StevieBC 23rd August 2020 at 01:50

    =================================

    I think we have to bear in mind that the Castore deal came at a time when SDI still had “matching rights” and would get to see details of any other bid. With that in mind it was unlikely that any proper manufacturer would come along. I doubt the issues with Hummel / Elite would have improved that situation.

    In fact it got to the stage where they even sent out what was little more than an appeal to someone to come along and do it for them.

    https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/rangers-enter-market-for-kit-retail-partner/2KddetDvX2ZUKHgAzT6gum

     
    Castore are doing this because no-one else wanted to, and Mike Ashley has exclusive rights as the only seller other than the club and the manufacturer. If they are supplying Ashley with sub-standard kit I have no doubt he will sue them. Or maybe he is guaranteed the decent stuff for his outlets and any shoddy stuff, made to fill orders quickly and cheaply, is sold directly by Rangers / Castore.  

    Basic due diligence would surely have confirmed that Castore were not up to this. However it is entirely possible they were the only option.

    Once again the support have gone from the elation of believing they are top of the heap to realising they have been conned … again.

     


  28. stifflersmom 22nd August 2020 at 23:23
    Are you serious?
    …………………….
    My thoughts…..
    Yes.


  29. John Clark 22nd August 2020 at 22:20

    Homunculus 22nd August 2020 at 16:02

    ‘.I’m not sure you have kept up with this ongoing story..’

    “”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

    I hadn’t ,actually, Homunculus, and I’m grateful for the details you provide.
    …………………….
    High performance fabrics sourced directly from family-owned Italian mills manufactured in a technologically advanced eco friendly factory in Portugal.

    Yet labels are saying made in China and others made in Turkey


  30. Cluster One 23rd August 2020 at 12:17

         Maybe the labels are made of Italian material and made in Portugal Cluster. broken heart​​​​​​.

         It reminds me of a scam in America years ago. 50 cigarette lighters for a dollar…. Buyers were sent a box of matches. ? 


  31. Further  to my post of 11.50 this morning, I've tried to register with CIPROZA ( which seems to be a sort of equivalent in South Africa of our Companies House. 

    South African (and Australian)companies used the word 'Proprietary' rather than 'Company', and I am curious about 'Barruag PTY Ltd ATA'

    It's the 'ATA' bit that intrigues me. Apparently :

    "ATA /’ â.t.â/ (verb): A Sepedi word meaning ‘to grow’" and it's used by companies like 'ATA Capital' in SA in the way that investment companies here use the word ' growth' when marketing some investment product.

    Sepedi is a Bantu language, and one of the eleven official languages of SA- spoken in Gauteng where, I believe, is sited the court which had dealings with DK over many years

    I know it's extremely unlikely that DK could be involved in J Carter Sporting Club Ltd via some Handley Family Trust (why would he be??) but it's good fun trying to find out!

    And many of us are these days ready to believe (in disbelief!) that anything is possible in the mucky, secret world of 'money'. broken heart


  32. Oh well, according to the DR, Morelos is now off to Lille, finally, with this headline;

    "Alfredo Morelos Rangers exit set to be concluded swiftly as Lille boss makes 'sooner the better' plea"

    Except…

    the Lille boss didn't actually mention Morelos – at all;

    "Every club is exposed, no one is immune to losing their good players. That's why everything is planned out ahead of time for every position.  If there are departures we'll be ready.  The sooner anything happens the better, that way we have time to work."

    Even for the SMSM, that is quite a creative jump from the quote to the headline / clickbait.

    And how would any negotiations go with Lille – or any other interested club?

    "Yes, Morelos is not currently at his ideal weight because of, erm, covid.  And he's not in the team just now because, erm, we only want to protect him from any injuries – before his big money move…"

    Whatever his transfer value, Gerrard has just decreased it, IMO, by dropping him.

    Simultaneously, the SMSM is simply failing to report that Gerrard appears to have lost control of his top goalscorer.

    (Did Gerrard effectively lose control of his player at the Dubai winter break – and has since been unable / unwilling to manage the situation ?)

     


  33. StevieBC 24th August 2020 at 10:04

    '..Whatever his transfer value, Gerrard has just decreased it, IMO, by dropping him.'

    """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

    "I only want players who are hungry for the shirt," the Englishman (Gerrard) said.

    Maybe Morelos took the huff because he only got the Turkish-made shirt that the punters are complaining about?broken heart


  34. StevieBC 24th August 2020 at 10:04       Oh well, according to the DR, Morelos is now off to Lille, finally, with this headline;

    —————-

        I doubt Slippy can get all the blame for mismanagement Stevie. When you have the club making up libellous translations, planting stories about brake cable snipping, and fake transfer headlines, it's bound to take its toll. 


  35. CO, agreed that the Club has placed Gerrard in a lose-lose position with the never-ending PR generated, transfer nonsense.

    But, if he sees himself as a future LFC manager, (I know!), then he wouldn't stand for that.

    He's caught in the middle, is not getting the best out of his squad post-Christmas – and if/when Morelos goes for an 'undisclosed fee' which is nowhere near £16M…Gerrard is probably going to get the blame from the Blue Room.

    He is a rookie manager, and if he can't handle one overrated player in his squad, then he's got a tough job to progress after TRFC, IMO.

    And the paradox is: Gerrard must have been a no-nonsense captain in the LFC dressing room – and must have personally 'sorted out' squad players who stepped out of line… or am I missing something about his man management skills?


  36. StevieBC 24th August 2020 at 15:01.

         Aye, there is no doubt Sevco made his task more difficult, but he was probably met with denials of, "It didnae come frae us", if he mentioned how unsettling it would be for a player. Couple that with the fact, that as a rookie, he probably doesn't have too much clout. It's not as if he was in high demand prior to his appointment, and was hardly in a position to dictate terms.   


  37. paddy malarkey 24th August 2020 at 15:59

           Any entrepreneurs among ye ?

      =========================================

        I wonder if Uncle Mick has ordered any paddy, fully invoiced and paper-trailed, delivered in Castore packaging, for the court-case. ?…….Imagine !


  38. paddy malarkey 24th August 2020 at 15:59
    Any entrepreneurs among ye ?
    …………….
    Tried it. Get your hats, scarf and taps, get yer hats, scarf and taps. Stood for 2 hours trying to flog that gear before it dawned. No fans allowed near stadium.
    …………..
    Well it JC can crack a joke? I am having a go also.


  39. Whereas Messrs  Whitehouse and Clark, the Administrators of RFC of 1872 failed to get that club out of Administration, resulting in its Liquidation, their colleagues in BDO -the Administrators appointed to handle the Administration of Dave Whelan Sports Ltd  successfully brought that company out of Administration as a going concern.

    Full marks to them.

    " BDO’s Graham Newton said: “We are pleased to have achieved a sale of a significant part of the DW Sports business as a going concern, as this will not only secure employment for the majority of employees, but should also result in a return to the company’s creditors in due course.”

    http://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/aug/24/mike-ashleys-frasers-group-buys-fitness-chain-dw-sports


  40. Cluster One 24th August 2020 at 21:54

    '..Must be why the are being sued.'

    """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

    I must be a wee bit ahent, Cluster One: can you remind me, please: is there still an action against them? I haven't seen anything in recent times that I remember- but the old memory is not what it used to be, and since covid I'm out of the habit of  routinely  looking at the rolls of court!

    BDO certainly intimated that they were going after something like 29 million quid, but that was a good wee while ago and I cannot remember having seen any further development. 

    If easyJambo is looking in he will probably  be more up to date than I.


  41. I could not believe my eyes when I read this morning that 'Lord' ffs George FFoulkes has been appointed 'rapporteur' by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to lead a 'wide-ranging' inquiry into the running of football across Europe.

    It's a safe bet that the 'inquiry' will not be so wide as to include an investigation into how a new football club can be allowed by its National Association to promote itself  as being a hundred and forty years older than it is and claim in the market place a sporting history of sporting success to which they have no right; or why a national association can with impunity totally refuse even to investigate allegations of being party to a potentially criminal conspiracy to slide European competition monies to an unentitled club.

     

     


  42. Since it's so quiet , any sign of Alastair Johnston's fit and proper clearance ? He was appointed as a director on June 5th , 2017


  43. Breaking News;

    Messi has handed in a transfer request, seeking to trigger a contract clause which supposedly enables him to leave for free, immediately.

    The DR sports headline tomorrow;

    EXCLUSIVE! Gerrard "looking at Messi"

    enlightened


  44. paddy malarkey 25th August 2020 at 21:58

        Let the whatabootery begin .

    ==================================

        Dunno about whatabootery paddy, but I do know, I know nothing about what will constitute a "Test". 

    Do we try it first, and wait 2 weeks to see if a spike occurs, then contact trace to see if anyone infected was at the game, or in contact with someone at the game?. Is there a base level to compare with, i.e. An average everyday non-attendance risk of contracting the illness figure?. Will transport links come into play?. Should only walking distance fans be admitted? What about car-sharers from the same household?. Should fans turn up with a valid test certificate?. 

        There seems to me to be so very many considerations to constitute anything like a test scenario, other than start with a wee number, and keep ones fingers crossed… A wee number soon becomes a big number when rolled out across multiple sports in multiple stadiums. It all seems a bit guinea-pig. Maybe they could whack some lipstick into fans bulbs while they're at it. 

        Any idea how it works Bud?    


  45. John Clark 25th August 2020 at 12:08

    “….Lord’ ffs George FFoulkes has been appointed ‘rapporteur’ by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to lead a ‘wide-ranging’ inquiry into the running of football across Europe.”

    Bit of a left field choice. What’s the source?
    I can’t find anything on their web pages.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     


  46. macfurgly 25th August 2020 at 23:15

    '..What’s the source?
    I can’t find anything on their web pages.'

    """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

    Nor could I!

    It was in 'The Scotsman' this morning under the byline of a guy who used to write for Rangers News (Barry Anderson).

    I emailed to one of the secretaries ( Ms Ivi-Triin Odrats) of the PACE (parliamentary assembly council of europe )committee of which FFoulkes is a member as follows :

     

    "To:ivi-triin.odrats@coe.int

    Tue, 25 Aug at 13:56

    Dear Ivi-Triin Odrats,

    Good afternoon from Edinburgh!

    I wonder whether you can provide some detail, please,  on the proposed Inquiry into Football in Europe that is to be led by Lord FFoulkes?

    Yours in the European ideal,

     

    (me)"

    So far, no reply.

    And there is such a person!broken heart

    Ivi-Triin Odrats – Committee Secretary – Parliamentary …

    https://fr.linkedin.com/in/ivi-triin-odrats-317b6a27

     

     


  47. paddy malarkey 25th August 2020 at 21:58

    Let the whatabootery begin .

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53913896

    ==========================================

    It is madness to allow supporters back into football stadiums just now.

    What message is that sending out.

    It's not just about controlling the people going to the games, or what they do in the stadium, or how they get away from it. It's about people thinking that things are getting back to normal way too early.

    Celtic are wrong doing this. Hopefully the Scottish Government will not allow it.

     

     


  48. John Clark 22nd August 2020 at 09:05
    Separately, on Tuesday 26th, there are procedural hearings in the Whitehouse and Clark cases.

    I hope to get the access code which will let me follow the ‘virtual’ procedure live on the phone.
    …………….
    Tuesday was the 25. Wed is the 26. Did you miss it JC? or is it today?


  49. Cluster One 26th August 2020 at 09:28

    "Tuesday was the 25. Wed is the 26. Did you miss it JC? or is it today?"

    """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

    I think I made a hames of things,Cluster One. I thought it was yesterday, and that I missed it. When I saw your post ten mins ago I checked the Rolls, and lo and behold this is what is there

    "Wednesday 26th August

    Procedural Hearings

    Between 9.00am and 10.00am

    CA9/20 David Whitehouse v The Chief Constable of Scotland &c "

    I tried to explore how to get the access code, but couldn't find how to do that, (On the previous occasion the access code had been given to me by someone else. 

    The case might not, of course, have been deemed worthy of of access by the public, seeing as it was only 'Procedural' business.

    I'll try to phone the Scottish Courts and tribunal service to find out.

     

     

     


  50. I'm sure it's just coincidence that the DR is today leading with a story about Craig Whyte being investigated by the Police – following a "DR investigation"…  

    indecision


  51. Big Pink 26th August 2020 at 11:18

    '..Did you access?'

    """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

    No: I was too late this morning trying to find how to access the access code!

    So I emailed the SCTS to ask 'how to': I got a pleasantly  informal addressed  reply an hour ago the salient bit being:

    "Most Court of Session cases are being heard virtually. If you are interested in requesting access to a specific case please email onlinehearingaccess@scotcourts.gov.uk with case details including, if possible, the Court; date; case name and the clerk. Case information is available on the court rolls on the courts website."

    I've made a note of that email address!


  52. The Celtic request to have a limited number of fans at the game this weekend has apparently been rejected.

    It's a good decision in my opinion, for the reasons I mentioned earlier. There is too much of a risk of spreading the infection and it reinforces the wrong message to an element of the public.

    Football and football supporters cannot be trusted to deal with this properly. 

    That's to say nothing of the inherent unfairness if Motherwell were not also allowed to have supporters (apologies if that was the plan).


  53. H, agreed.

    On the face of it, this CFC request seemed ill-judged / timed.

    Scottish football should be keeping its head down for the duration.

    IMO, it didn’t deserve special dispensation from the SG in the first place to play games – before other sports/leisure pursuits.

    After the AFC and CFC player embarrassments, all the clubs should just focus on keeping their players in check – and meeting their TV deals’ obligations, IMO.


  54. On the Castore situation with the Rangers support.

    It seems that all of the male replica home kit were made in Turkey. The away and female kit was made in China. The latter is of a far higher standard, both in materials and production.

    Everyone including the support, the club and Castore is now aware of this. Though Castore appear to be just blanking it and coming up with cock and bull stories.

    The astonishing thing is that the club are still selling them in the shop at Ibrox, and people are buying them.

    One can't help but think, you are being treated the way you deserve if you are being this daft. They will keep selling you sub standard goods if you just accept it. 


  55. " TWO Rangers administrators have been awarded £600,000 damages after the Crown Office admitted their arrests were "malicious".

    Duff and Phelps partners David Whitehouse and Paul Clark were arrested after the Ibrox club plunged into liquidation in 2012.

    Mr Whitehouse was charged in connection with Craig Whyte's takeover of Rangers a year earlier.

    The Crown Office has now admitted the case against them was unlawful and "motivated by malice".

    The two men are seeking a total of £14m from Police Scotland and the Crown.

    Judge Lord Tyre ordered them to hand over £350,000 to Whitehouse and £250,000 to his colleague Clark.

    It comes after the Lord Advocate’s lawyer Gerry Moynihan QC admitted that every stage of the prosecution of the pair following their first court appearance was unlawful.

    Lawyers said that the human rights of both administrators had been breached during the probe.

    The court heard that the businessmen’s legal teams have been supplied with documents which show senior Crown Office lawyers speaking about the “need to nail the Duff & Phelps people”.

    Whitehouse's lawyer Roddy Dunlop QC told the court his client had spent an “eye watering” £1.8 million on the case.

    He said: "It is nothing short of a disgrace that the government has chosen to act in this fashion towards two private citizens.

    “It is only through the determination of Mr Clark and Mr Whitehouse to clear their names that we have got to this point.

    “The bottom line here is that less wealthy people could never have got to this point. In my submission some award has to be made in this case.”

    And Paul Clark’s lawyer said the matter was “nothing short” of a disgrace.

    Lord Tyre ordered the interim payment to be made after the Duff and Phelps partners won their case.


  56. Billy Boyce 26th August 2020 at 15:34

    Thanks for your post about the Administrators' win.

    If only ra polis could have been  persuaded to investigate one or two other football matters as diligently as they wasted their time chasing those two!heart


  57. Homunculus 26th August 2020 at 13:44

    Football and football supporters cannot be trusted to deal with this properly. 

    That's to say nothing of the inherent unfairness if Motherwell were not also allowed to have supporters (apologies if that was the plan).

    ————————————————————————-

    I think the new normal is that football clubs and supporters will have to accept an inherent unfairness in not having visiting fans at games for some time.

    It has to be baby steps, and allowing large groups of people from other areas to travel to other towns and cities should be well down the line in any plan to reintroduce fans to stadiums.

    If we are anywhere near getting fans into stadiums by the end of October I am hoping the SFA are looking at a plan B to use Murrayfield for the Hibs v Hearts Scottish Cup semi. What reason would there be for having folk from Edinburgh needlessly travelling through to Glasgow in the current circumstances?

     

     


  58. Billy Boyce 26th August 2020 at 15:34
    The court heard that the businessmen’s legal teams have been supplied with documents which show senior Crown Office lawyers speaking about the “need to nail the Duff & Phelps people”.
    …………….
    Oh Dear. senior Crown Office lawyers.
    Let that sink in for a minute….
    senior Crown Office lawyers. Should have removed the blue tinted spectacles.
    Is it any wonder Imran Ahmad knew not to return to scotland to answer questions.


  59. Billy Boyce 26th August 2020 at 15:34

    ===========================================

    The thing is, they were clearly both up to their necks in it.

    The Police have made an absolute mess of this and Crown Office haven't been much better.

    Everyone who has been investigated has walked away from it.


  60. Homunculus @ 18.83.

    These are genuine questions. Not in any way trying to be provocative but as an innocent bystander just asking?

    The thing is, they were clearly both up to their necks in it.

    In what?

    The Police have made an absolute mess of this and Crown Office haven't been much better.

    What were the Police trying to do? A deliberate mess? COPFS ??

    Everyone who has been investigated has walked away from it.

    Surely everyone who has been charged/investigated has been admonished/found not guilty?

    I'm confused. com!!

     


  61. Sometimes we talk on here about a certain club having supporters

    who are gullible. Well Mr Lennon the have a go at my players story

    will not wash. He is inept as a manager. But to try to fool your own

    fans with this nonsense is a disgrace. The heat is not on the players

    Mr Lennon. The heat is on you.   

     

     


  62. For anyone who maybe interested. I still have not had a reply back regarding

    my complaint about the BBC to Offcom. I send emails to them they do not reply.

    Head banging on a brick wall. Something just not right. Citizens rights yes right.


  63. Looking at the reporting about the malicious prosecution against ex-rangers administrators Paul Clark and David Whitehouse.
    Feb 2012.
    Rangers plunged into Administration over the non payment of £9mill in PAYE and VAT . Duff &Phelps are appointed as Administratiors.
    June 2012.
    Charles Green buys the clubs assets.
    July 2012.
    Gers admitted to the Third Division.
    October 2012.
    Rangers are Liquidated on Halloween.
    ……
    Not bad. Not one mythical holding company mentioned.


  64. watcher 27th August 2020 at 14:42

    For anyone who maybe interested. I still have not had a reply back regarding

    my complaint about the BBC to Offcom.
    ……….
    Who do, or do you know if you can raise a complaint against offcom.for their refusal to reply to your emails?


  65. Cluster One thanks for that, no I am not sure what to do now I will try

    a letter and send it special delivery to see what happens.


  66. watcher 27th August 2020 at 17:03
    ………………
    JC May be able to point you in the right direction with that.

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