Any organisation’s plan for a top-down review of development would ordinarily be welcome news. Self evaluation, or even better independent evaluation is an ongoing process amongst professionals, individually and collectively alike. In the case of the SFA however a healthy scepticism is required. We are after all dealing with people who are the poster boys for self-interest and short-termism.
The SFA had previously commissioned a thorough review of the game (decades ago) by Rinus Michels, the inventor of “Total Football” and his report was largely ignored, partly because it implied criticism of the then current regime, and partly because it would cost money. A “Total Shambles”.
Henry McLeish also famously recommended (again after being commissioned to do so by the SFA) a more balanced approach to governance between the SFA and SPFL. This would have required a blazer or two having less say in the running of the game – and was therefore ignored.
Mark Wotte, the prominent Dutch coach hired as performance director at Hampden also suggested during his tenure that, in order to improve technique, more ball time should be provided for players in games.
He recommended seven a side competitions as the norm for u-15s (less players – more participation).
To accommodate this, club infrastructures would have required expensive upgrading, and coaches in clubs, not responsive to new ideas lobbied hard for the status quo.
The upshot is that we carried on with the same eleven-a-side games where many players hardly got a kick.
And in this classic Einsteinean definition of insanity, no overall improvements were to be found in the national team’s fortunes.
No wonder Wotte fled the scene in 2014 after three years.
Of course the details are debatable and subjective, but experience tells us;
Anything that
a) costs money or
b) upsets old boys’ networks
has a tendency to be hidden out of sight.
The recent “announcement” is merely a reaction to a couple of poor results, caused in part by inaction in the wake of previous reports’ recommendations.
An increasing number of observers of our game refer to an inferior mindset amongst players in Scotland, that we accept losing as the norm.
Hardly surprising that such a mindset is prevalent amongst professionals.
They must despair at the chronic self-interest, ineptitude and fecklessness of the “leaders” of our sport – an organisation that appointed Gordon Smith as CE (think about that for a minute) based on who his pals were, where McGregor and Petrie can become senior officers – “because it’s his turn!” – despite being unqualified squares in a round ball game, and where fairy-tales take precedence over reality.
As long as the blazers have a seat on the SFA bus, nothing will change.
Easyjambo@12.51
That’s quite a graph you’ve put up. The dramatic and unsustainable rise in wages almost exactly coincides with DK as de facto Chairman being able to exert full financial control of t’Rangers.
In other news Tom English is doing a Moggy over his comments re Saracens. A very predictable unwillingness to draw the obvious comparisons with what happened in Scotland in 2012. I haven’t seen any comment from other teams that play in the same league as Saracens it’s almost like they trust their admins to do the right thing.
Court action tomorrow. I assume that is will be a case management hearing about how to proceed with the case, following the recent decision by the Inner House that the Lord Advocate doesn't have immunity from prosecution if malice and lack of probable cause can be proved.
Thursday 7th November
TO BE ALLOCATED
STARRED MOTIONS
1 hour A413/16 David Whitehouse v The Lord Advocate – Urquharts – SGLD
Ex Ludo @ 15.24
I haven’t seen any comment from other teams that play in the same league as Saracens it’s almost like they trust their admins to do the right thing.
——————————————————————–
Exeter are certainly nae happy! And Leicester have called for an investigation in to all clubs finances.
easyJambo 6th November 2019 at 12:51
Interesting stuff to see it in pictorial form.
So when they got all the way to the Uefa cup final the oldco published figures were showing a turnover of circa £65.5m with a net operating expenses of £57.8m
The recent figures publish for RIFC plc say turnover was £53.2m and operating expenses at £58.2m.
They are now maxing out with no signs of where extra income will come from and some unknown liabilities in the pipeline.
Not a good place to be if a few results go the wrong way.
Agreed that’s quite a graph. If you could overlay their annual and cumulative debt on to of it I think it would tell an even starker picture
If that was possible then I’d suggest all Scottish football fans should send a copy of it to their club, copying the SFA and SPFL, and ask them what the F*** is going on
I see John James is suggesting a crowdfunded judicial review of Doncaster’s conferring of old Rangers’ titles on the new Ibrox club. Feel sure folks on here will have considered already (?) but worth a punt ?
al62 6th November 2019 at 17:21
I see John James is suggesting a crowdfunded judicial review of Doncaster’s conferring of old Rangers’ titles on the new Ibrox club. Feel sure folks on here will have considered already (?) but worth a punt ?
==================================
Doubtful and most likely out of time. I seem to recall the Res 12 guys seeking advice from a QC about a JR regarding the SFA's or SPFL's refusal to look again at the EBT situation following the Supreme Court verdict. I think the advice was that there was little prospect of successfully challenging the decision.
al62 6th November 2019 at 17:21
I see John James is suggesting a crowdfunded judicial review of Doncaster’s conferring of old Rangers’ titles on the new Ibrox club. Feel sure folks on here will have considered already (?) but worth a punt ?
———————————————————
I have a vague recollection that it was amply rewarded David Longmuir, (he of the mega dodgy bonus), who bore the responsibility for the new club's claim on the titles of the deid club.
I can't quite recall if that was deffo, or rumour.???
Regarding the voting at 22.40 yesterday it seems like its a 2-1 majority (40 for and 80 against) that they will limp on at least til next season , I would caution though that this vote was only advisory and I will now call for a peoples vote at a later date . Thank you all for taking the time to vote especially our old friend Niall who voted 78 times with the thumbs down.
Corrupt official 6th November 2019 at 19:57
A discussion also took place about the SFL. Both ND and RM asserted that the SFL’s record keeping was poor and would not provide much for an inquiry. When the issue of potential title stripping was discussed, it was revealed that the decision to recognise Newco’s claim to RFC’s titles, was taken by the SFL board including David Longmuir and Jim Ballantyne, when they decided to invite Newco into the SFL 3rd Division.
…………..
http://celticunderground.net/doncaster-mckenzie-fans-media-meeting/
Corrupt official 6th November 2019 at 19:57
………………….
SPFL to investigate claims of secret bonus payments to SFL chief David Longmuir 15 AUG 2013.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/spfl-investigate-claims-secret-bonus-2169597
THE SPFL have launched an investigation into claims that secret bonus payments were made to former SFL chief David Longmuir.
Furious lower league clubs called for an enquiry into why Longmuir received almost £400,000 in financial enhancements during his six years in office at Hampden.
Accountants for the SFL, as well as former board members Ewen Cameron of Alloa and Arbroath’s Anne McKeown, are examining the detail behind the payments as part of a winding down of the old league body
Well, it's taken the SMSM 5 full days…
but at last they've sourced an expert to share their opinion on the RIFC financials.
Internet Bampots might want to sit down for this explosive, Scottish Sun headline;
=======
"IBROX WARNING Rangers could end up in financial turmoil like 2012 if King stops bankrolling club, says footie finance expert"
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/4922995/chris-brady-rangers-dave-king-finance-expert/
========
al62 6th November 2019 at 17:21
'… is suggesting a crowdfunded judicial review of Doncaster’s conferring of old Rangers’ titles on the new Ibrox club…'
++++++++++++++++++
I've been trying to read up a little on 'judicial review'.
Taking Lord Drummond Young's opinion , expressed en passant during the Inner House hearing of HMRC's appeal against the Lord Ordinary's decision in the EBT case, that while it is normally only public bodies whose decisions are 'judicially reviewable', the decisions of private organisations can sometimes be looked at by the Courts I searched for cases where a private organisation's internal decisions had been subjected to Judicial Review.
Up popped the Tommy Sheridan case. To my surprise, the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission [SCCRC] seems not to be a 'public body' .
https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/docs/default-source/cos-general-docs/pdf-docs-for-opinions/2019csih23.pdf?sfvrsn=0
Nevertheless, Sheridan got his 'Appeal' against rejection of his 'Appeal' to the Lord Ordinary of the rejection of his complaint [there is no statutory right of appeal ] against a decision of the SCCRC, heard by the Inner House.
The Inner House's judgment is interesting
"Delivering the opinion of the Inner House, Lord President Carloway, who sat with Lord Menzies and Lord Drummond Young, said Mr Sheridan had failed to appreciate "the limitations under which the court operates" when asked to review the decision of a specialist body such as the SCCRC. There was no statutory appeal process and review could only be on "conventional grounds of illegality". (my bold) His allegation of error of law was little more than "a contention that, having regard to a string of documents in connection with [News Group's] illegal or improper activities, the respondents' decisions were wrong", in circumstances "where no such error is visible".
I read that as indicating that where a private organisation( e.g a sports or social club committee or a governance body of, say, a chess association or a gym club etc ) has made a decision which is on conventional grounds 'illegal' then the decision may be open to Judicial Review.
Now, when it comes to something that is 'conventionally illegal', where would the SPL/SPFL be in having used its powers to confer on a newly created club the sporting honours and titles fought for and won on the sporting field over a period of 140 years plus by a sports club that had ceased to exist as sports club
Especially when there are some grounds for thinking that in doing so the purpose might possibly have been to help a newly created plc (which was acquiring that new club) launch its IPO ,in the 'Summary' of which the claim, in the minds of many people, was made at least implicitly that the new club was/is that very ancient and superbly successful 140+ years old club, in order to (some would say) mislead potential investors!
On the face of it, it seems to me at least that there may be something plainly illegal in all of this: a potential abuse of power to further a potential material financial gain.
But what do I know?
Personally, I would keep 'judicial review' in reserve, and go for police investigation into Res 12 for starters.
And take it from there.
ps. I would imagine that a continuing 'plain illegality' situation would not be time-barred.
StevieBC 6th November 2019 at 22:23
I don't see the problem here . TRFC have 45k+ ST holders , with a massive waiting list . Raise the ST price by £200 per ticket and save Dave . Supply and demand , innit ? Plus , If they ever achieve 55 titles (in their opinion ) , a wee asterisk and "54 conferred" should do the trick . My team has zero top titles , and I would be less than happy if somebody gave us some just to make us feel better/important/relevant . And one of my daughter's supports them and is still allowed to stay at home , so not a hater .
StevieBC@22.23
That article was written for the benefit of one man and one man only. It is full of praise for the “endless millions” Dave King has “pumped” into Rangers. The article also contains a warning basically stating that DK may get to a point where there is an end point to his largesse. This could be the beginning of the end for DK and Rangers.
PS What happened to the battle fever ? it used to be de rigueur at Ibrox prior to important games .
Last one then I'll give you peace . Something from my youth that casts light on the problems that Mr King may have in getting Laird's money into the Ibrox coffers .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nxK_hGLTN4
Cluster One 6th November 2019 at 22:11
Corrupt official 6th November 2019 at 19:57 A discussion also took place about the SFL. Both ND and RM asserted that the SFL’s record keeping was poor and would not provide much for an inquiry.
————————————————————–
Cheers for the memory refresher C1.
Something just struck me which I must have ducked at the time.
If SFL records are so poor regarding the secondment of another club's titles onto a new club, that they would be of zero use, then equally, the same applies in reverse.
There is nothing to say that they did.
paddy malarkey 6th November 2019 at 23:00
'…And one of my daughter's supports them and is still allowed to stay at home , so not a hater '
++++++++++++++++
I am not a hater of Saracens Rugby FC , paddy.
It's only because from time to time I have to listen some Edinburgh churls on BBC Radio Scotland talking rugby that I have even heard that there was a 'Saracens'!
I do not 'hate 'them .
But in the light of their SDM-type of cheating, I despise them, whoever they are.
In our case,
It is a) the cheating by SDM that is at the very heart of things
b) the utter capitulation to and abject acceptance of that cheating by the sport's governance body ( unlike the Rugby folk)
c) the absurd nonsense that TRFC is the Rangers of my grandfather's time
d) the potential that whole foundation of RIFC plc is based on a financial fraud in the 'city'
e) and that potentially our sports governance body is, in effect, up to its bloody kne….neck in that scenario.
That's the basis on which I at least post on this blog
Let the SPFL and the SFA speak the truth, the sporting truth, that TRFC are not, cannot possibly be, the Rangers of my grandfather's time ( or my oldest granddaughter's time, who was born in 2010) , and I will accept the place of TRFC in Scottish Football for as long as it may survive.
No hatred. Just objective sporting truth.
John Clark 6th November 2019 at 23:51
Unfortunately for Saracens , JC , they are not seen to be an essential part of the National fabric , nor are they the Establishment team , so fair game . Our fiasco is about more than football .
Oops ! Sorry , I forgot I'd said I'd leave you in peace !
My Friend Dave
If your shop is running low, of shillings pounds and pence
have a word with my friend Dave , he knows a handy fence
he can fill it up with equity he can take away your debt
he'll furbish you with paper shares once your gaff is up to let
just sign along the dotted line a decision you won't rue
just below the last wise man ,Club One Eight Seven Two
yes have a word with my friend Dave a man we love and trust
a man so impecunious he brought an end to boom and bust
His quantitative easing was adopted by the Fed
just rest assured that those accounts are a temporary red
yes have a word with my friend Dave he'll sort it out you'll see
his rates are so competitive they are practically free
and when its done and dusted and when the ink is dry
I promise you one final thing, you'll never see me cry
Oh my name? it's Dave of course.
StevieBC 6th November 2019 at 22:23
“IBROX WARNING Rangers could end up in financial turmoil like 2012 if King stops bankrolling club, says footie finance expert”
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/4922995/chris-brady-rangers-dave-king-finance-expert/
…………………….
“Where’s it coming from? It’s only coming from Dave King at the moment.”
……………………..
The other poor investors and club 72 not getting a look in here.Reads like don’t be to critical of Dave when the accounts read like sh*t and A big bill from Ashley may be on the way, so don’t be to critical of Dave as he is all you have.
This looks like the first shot across the bow to keep the fans on board. I expct dave to say he is going to build a bigger ibrox next, but not say when.Are there any good news stories coming out of ibrox just now that is heaping praise on Dave?
If not, there will be.
ClusterOne@07.19
Would a winter training camp in Dubai qualify as a good news story for DK?
StevieBC 6th November 2019 at 22:23 Well, it's taken the SMSM 5 full days… but at last they've sourced an expert to share their opinion on the RIFC financials. Internet Bampots might want to sit down for this explosive, Scottish Sun headline; ======= "IBROX WARNING Rangers could end up in financial turmoil like 2012 if King stops bankrolling club, says footie finance expert" https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/4922995/chris-brady-rangers-dave-king-finance-expert/ ========
Give the media a chance, Stevie. How long do you think it would take you, or any one of us, to come up with a way of spinning RIFC/TRFC's accounts as a positive for the man who's leadership has cost them so many millions?
It's still sh*t, of course, but spare a thought for a poor hack who's been waiting for five whole days for a dump..!
A while back, (6 or 7 weeks) I tried a couple of times to post the following. A caveat to yet another statement from Ibrox. For some reason, it was not processed/accepted by SFM.
The statement from King was accepted by SFM luminaries in the way Mr King wished it to be – that he had given £10m to the newco.
the statement actually only stated he had given 10m. There was no mention of – in which currency.
I don’t unconditionally trust Mr King, so I was thinking yen…
dunno if this will also vanish.
I didn't make it to the Court of Session this morning as I'm choked with the cold, but a Sun article this morning suggests that there are some potentially explosive emails related to the case.
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/4924777/rangers-fraud-suspects/
Re. Club 1872 and their undying loyalty/gullibillity??
Last weekend I was in the company of a Sevco ST holder, by no means an idiot, Uni Degree and is employed in Financial Services.
The conversation turned to TRFC accounts and while he appreciated they were worrying, his next statement was "We'll, (Club 1872) soon get it sorted out. We have now got 46% of the shares and with another half million purchase due, we're getting close to being the majority share-holder"
Almost couped my pint! and soon corrected him the holding was nearer 6% and in decline due to ongoing debt for equity swaps.
At first he thought I was joking and I told him to check companies house for verification. he sheepishly bowed to my "superior" knowledge of the reality.
My point is, if the majority of The Rangers fans and small-time shareholders, are only willing to believe what they want to believe, or what puff pieces they read in the Sevco-friendly media, is it any wonder they get constantly fleeced by charlatan after charlatan?
He's normally a nice guy, (don't know what he turns into on match days though???) and I have a bit of sympathy for him and his like. But, then part of me thinks "they" deserve whatever comes their way for refusing to heed warnings from outsiders/haters…
easyJambo 7th November 2019 at 11:52
'…I didn't make it to the Court of Session this morning ..'
+++++++++++++++++++
Just like the thing: the prior arrangement ( domestic matter) that caused me not to plan on going to Court was cancelled at 9.30 this morning! Too late to think of dashing in to Parliament Square.
From your posting of the 'Sun's stuff, it looks as though there was some substantial business relating to the 'facts ' allegedly backing up Whitehouse's claim, and that it was not a mere case-management affair.
I'm annoyed that I missed it, whatever it was!
Club 1872's membership agree to their proposed share purchase
https://club1872.co.uk/news/poll-result-major-share-purchase/
99.4% voting in favour . The last time such an overwhelming show of support for a leader was recorded was in Pyongyang for Kim Jong Un .
It's all so obvious now looking back so why is a sham being allowed to continue to stigmatise Scottish football?
Whose interests is it really in to sustain a myth at the expense of whatever future Scottish has?
https://fanswithoutscarves.org/2019/11/07/stigma-in-scottish-football-part-2-a-lesson-from-history/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
John Clark 7th November 2019 at 13:46
From your posting of the 'Sun's stuff, it looks as though there was some substantial business relating to the 'facts ' allegedly backing up Whitehouse's claim, and that it was not a mere case-management affair.
I'm annoyed that I missed it, whatever it was!
=================================
You won't have missed it being discussed in court. The Sun article is timestamped at 08:42 this morning, so was written before the hearing.
I'm sure the legal teams for each of the claimants will either be already aware of the existence of the emails or will seek to have them disclosed as exculpatory evidence.
TRFC back in court in front of Lady Wolffe next Thursday for the Memorial Walls case
Thursday 14th November
Procedural Hearing
Between 9.30am and 10.00am
CA132/18 Memorial Walls Ltd v The Rangers Football Club Ltd – MBM Commercial LLP – Anderson Strathern LLP
8 days have passed since my last email reminder to the FCA.
I have looked up their 'complain to us' email address [which I think is to be used to complain to them about rogues ] and have sent a very short complaint about them and their ignoring of my previous emails and reminders.
Auldheid 7th November 2019 at 15:33
It's all so obvious now looking back so why is a sham being allowed to continue to stigmatise Scottish football?
Whose interests is it really in to sustain a myth at the expense of whatever future Scottish has?
https://fanswithoutscarves.org/2019/11/07/stigma-in-scottish-football-part-2-a-lesson-from-history/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
===============================
That's a well written and argued piece.
@Auldheid 7th November 2019 at 15:33
I just love that sentence in Ali Russell's email of 07 December , referring to the SFA
" ..If they persist they will only cause issues for themselves as much as Rangers"
What is this I hear? is that Christmas bells ,or the jingle of a gaoler's keys as a cell door shuts?
All I want for Christmas is a conviction or two sometime next year, or , better, the year after, or maybe even later to keep frightened men in constant fear until then.
JC. I ignored the protocols and emailed the CEO, andrew.bailey@fca.org.uk.
easyJambo 7th November 2019 at 16:31
TRFC back in court in front of Lady Wolffe next Thursday for the Memorial Walls case…
======
Aye, the walls are fairly closing in around the Blue Room.
It would 'seem' that TRFC will likely limp along this season, and confound us Internet Bampots yet again.
As discussed the Trade Creditors balance, [i.e. suppliers' payments due], as at the end of June had doubled from the previous year from c.£5M to c.£10M.
Yes, the increased revenue for RIFC last year could account for some increased supplier activity, but it wouldn't account for a doubling of the closing balance.
Also, there is nothing to indicate that RIFC has changed its behaviours: it is still working to a tight / highly sensitive cash flow. The £10M balance quoted in June could be a good bit higher e.g. 5 months later – by the end of November.
So, IMO, the MD Stewart Robertson must be micromanaging the cash position on a daily basis.
The suppliers – generally – are being squeezed via renegotiated Payment Terms – and/or simply very late payments being made by RIFC/TRFC.
Paradoxically, instead of the big headlines for funding gaps in the millions – it could be relatively smaller debts which could cause the immediate risk to RIFC.
As we approach December – when suppliers want their aged debts recovered ideally to boost their year end cash balance…
And as we approach January when footy clubs and many other businesses are seasonally short of cash…
There could be several more court cases launched against RIFC to recover outstanding supplier balances.
Whilst those cases wouldn't necessarily pose a continuity threat to RIFC, it could have a disproportionate reputational risk whereby even the average punter will have their eyes opened if a 'face painter' type of small business takes legal action against RIFC/TRFC – and it could 'crystallise' doubts raised by the 2018/19 accounts.
Who knows, even the SFA might feel obliged to ask a question or two about RIFC finances…
Mibbees.
al62 7th November 2019 at 17:07
'..JC. I ignored the protocols and.emailed the CEO, ..'
++++++++++++
I have emailed , of course, a162, but they still don't reply.
Perhaps they're annoyed because I implied that they might have been sleeping on the job when they authorised the IPO Prospectus. Or perhaps they kept copies of previous correspondence from me relating to the TOP and how slow they were to chase up King.
Or perhaps they went to the wrong schools and were allowed to grow up as something less than gentlemen, and have none of the customary gentlemanly attributes?
The main thing is that they told you they are looking into things.
I hope that look into things includes asking questions of the SFA/SPFL and , of course, RIFC plc!
If they were to conclude that the 'Summary' in the Prospectus was misleading by appearing to suggest that RIFC was the holding company of Rangers of 1872…what would they do? What could they do?
Would they invite any shareholders to sue for loss,who may have invested on the basis of their belief that they were investing in a 140-something year-old most successful football club in the world, and not in a brand new club that hadn't kicked a competitive ball?
Or, would they quietly bury their conclusion, in the way that the SFA wants us to shut up about a number of thing, or take the SFA's word that TRFC is RFC of 1872 while RFC of 1872 is waving to them from the In Liquidation dunny just waiting for the Liquidators to, well, actually liquidate and dissolve it as any kind of legal entity.
What interesting times we live in!
easyJambo 7th November 2019 at 16:31
'..CA132/18 Memorial Walls Ltd ..'
+++++++++++++
eJ, off the top of your head, do we know the quantum of Memorial Walls claim?
The ( surprisingly conciliatory) reference to the claim in the Annual report and accounts suggests to me that ( whether it be a couple of thousand quid or so) it is not an insignificant sum in relation to the cash flow problem at Ibrox.
But what puzzles me is why the matter is at the Court of Session. A breach of contract suit where the monies involved are relative chicken feed would scarcely get to the Court of Session?
What may I have missed?
Regular reader, Dunfermline fan. Congrats to the clubs who play their football in Glasgow on their results tonight
had some weird interference to my post above…
had some weird interference to my post above…the end of my comments to the congrats above have been removed
OK scenario – Sevco refuse to obey by yellow./red card standings in the SPFL – what happens to them….nothing under the 5 way agreement ?
John Clark 7th November 2019 at 21:51
There may be ladies involved . I know .
JC @ 22.42
Memorial Walls are looking for £1.1m which is far from insignificant
https://thefootballfanbase.com/2019/21/29032/rangers-memorial-wall/
Watching the game from Ibrox last night on BT Sport, I was rather astonished to hear Rob McLean state that a certain player had added a couple of zeros to his potential transfer fee with his performance.
As I thought that the player in question was already valued at £25m (according to the media), that would make his potential transfer fee £2500,000,000, or a quarter of a billion pounds! That would certainly sort out the cash crisis in Govan & be one in the eye for CFC!
(BTW, I note the same KK* 'couple of zeros' comment is in one of the Record's articles this morning. Shirley knot a Level Sinko briefing point?)
*A favourite abbreviation of my teachers in the early 1970s when marking my work – 'Kanny Koont!'
Keep at them JC!
The FCA have recently been rapped across the knuckles for "box-ticking" rather than sorting out errors on their register, (despite having been highlighted), enabling fraudulent firms to clone other firms who have ceased trading;
https://www.ftadviser.com/regulation/2019/11/06/fca-accused-of-box-ticking-on-register-concerns/?utm_campaign=FTAdviser+news&utm_source=emailCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=
In their (FCA) eyes they can do no wrong, so getting them to investigate if they have been less than diligent at the RIFC, IPO is like asking the SFA to investigate themselves! Nothing to see here, move along…
ingso.Jimsie 8th November 2019 at 11:20
19 4 Rate This
Watching the game from Ibrox last night on BT Sport, I was rather astonished to hear Rob McLean state.
How quite it was, more than once.
…………..
Only caught the first half, but Rob did repeat a few times that the ibrox crowd was rather subdued. Blaming it on nerves or porto having a good first half.
On listening the fans that were singing did sing the same song once or twice. Maybe the message from UEFA got through to a few, and if it did Rob did not want to go there instead picking up on other reasons..
normanbatesmumfc 8th November 2019 at 12:54
'..The FCA have recently been rapped across the knuckles..'
+++++++++++++++
Thank you for the link, nbmfc, which I found extremely interesting-and potentially useful.
It has given me the email address of a non-Scotland based journalist writing for the FTAdviser to whom I may (I hope) safely relate the frustrating lack of acknowledgement by the FCA of my correspondence about the possibility that the FCA may have been in breach of their statutory duty (in a way that they technically were not in the matter of updating their Register) when they authorised the issuing of RIFC plc's IPO prospectus.
Trouble is, I got an automatic acknowledgement of my brief email of yesterday to the FCA's 'complaints' email inbox, which gives the usual 'We will aim to respond to your email within 5 working days'.
So, in fairness I need to wait to see whether there is any substantial reply by next Friday that addresses the actual query!
( as an aside, having said to the FCA in my most recent communication that if they did not acknowledge that communication I would refer to my MP, I realise that during the general election process I don't have an MP! In double-checking this, I came across this piece of information for those who were MPs in the last Parliament but are not re-elected:
"If you have an office in your constituency for which you claim rent from IPSA, you will need to issue notice to your landlord on this property as soon as possible, as we will only pay rent for up to 2 months after the election."
generalelection.parliamentarystandards.org.uk/leavingparliament/Pages/my-constituency-office.aspx
I wonder are new MPs told when they take up office that they should be sure not to rent premises where the landlord wants 3 months notice?)
IMO, why should we pay any money into Scottish football?
Anyone with half a brain knows that since 2011/12, both the SFA and the SPFL/SPL/SFL have supported a thoroughly corrupt scenario: a member club has cheated on an industrial scale, but has been helped to "get back to where it was".
I seriously don't know why I still spend my money on my own club.
I don't know why I still support Scottish football.
I'm older and more cynical: perhaps like many, I'm close to walking away, [with my wife and daughters], from Scottish football totally.
The SFA/SPFL simply doesn't do anywhere near enough to justify my financial support.
Some time ago I took on the onerous task of having my ears assaulted by SuperscrotesBoard on Clyde 1.
This was because nobody else on here actually listened to it except J. Clark Esq who listens to everything that is going on in Scotchlandshire be it on the radio, in the courts or in the shareholders shenanigans.
But be that as it is my underlying and solemn promise was to report back to the Bams with any juicy titbits that I may have gleaned from ClydeScroteBoard.
Well tonight I heard Shug Keevins talk about a Rangers player called Murray Loss. I thought to mysef – well Shug code it as you must but it is received and understood. Nice one. He said it again. And I thought he had actually grown a pair.
Third time though after the break he had been corrected and he pronounced the name with the Spanish "th" on the end.
Otherwise the show was a great big suck up to the Old Firm and at times I thought I would vomit.
However, I did learn from Craig Beattie that as an angry young player at Hibs Scott Brown once stood on Neil Lennons foot.
Thinking about MND and other ailments affecting former professional football players , calling somebody a " heid the ba' " as an insult might have had some basis after all .
Bogs Dollox 9th November at 01:32
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We all see things differently. For me as a Celtic fan what hacks me off is what Celtic achieved on Thursday night is being demeaned by a media insistent on creating equivalence with Rangers.
On what planet does sitting second in a group separated only by three points, equal qualifying from a group with two games to go? After the next games every team in Rangers group could feasibly be on seven points going into the last fixture. Yet in some cases, for example on BBC news, the Rangers position is given more prominence. The difference would certainly be hugely highlighted were it reversed.
upthehoops 9th November 2019 at 13:13
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Wait until celtic field a weakend team in the next two rounds it will be how disrespectful are celtic to a UEFA competition for not putting out there strongest team.
I have to say though, despite my natural bias, that Rangers will, in my opinion eventually get a good fee for Morelos. He is pretty talented in my view.
upthehoops 9th November 2019 at 23:47
'….Morelos. He is pretty talented in my view.'
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Of course he is.
But if he were my son ( or, Geez, my grandson!) I would be very worried about his concept of sportsmanship and decency on the field of play.
I would not want any son or grandson of mine to be more remembered for his readiness to cheat at sport than for his skill in that sport.
And I'm afraid that young Morelos is up there in my pantheon of sporting cheats with Maradona and Neymar and Thierry Henry ( and one or two Scottish footballers as well)
But perhaps it is only to be expected that players for a football club based on a sporting lie imbibe the essence of sporting cheating!
Morelos is a good goalscorer and will be sold for a decent fee. Possibly even enough to balance the books this year, depending on how much the club have to pay out over and above the £10m shortfall.
He will be sold when the first respectable offer is made.
The question is, who is going to replace him. If the answer is Defoe that really is a short term solution.
IF, this US source is true…
Just when you think that UEFA couldn't devalue the successor tournament to the European Cup any more;
"UEFA Targeting New York Area for 2024 Champions League Final, Sources Say
Club soccer’s most prestigious cup competition has never been held off European soil…"
https://morningconsult.com/2019/11/08/uefa-targeting-new-york-area-for-2024-champions-league-final-sources-say/
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I suppose that's one way to kill off fans' complaints about the club finalists not receiving enough match tickets – and it could allow UEFA to sell even more corporate packages too!
Then it will Beijing after that…
So disrespectful to European clubs' fans that it does sound like an idea UEFA would consider.
I was vaguely aware of some pre match noises being made: Gerrard publicly asking the ref 'to protect his players’ – with Holt seemingly taking the bait and biting back.
But Holt's apparently unedited response below is an excellent and eloquent retort.
And good for him that he wasn't going to be intimidated by Gerrard: he knows he's going to pelters for daring to speak up against the Ibrox club.
"Gary Holt's blast at Rangers boss Steven Gerrard in full."
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gary-holts-blast-rangers-boss-20852496
https://www.inbrief.co.uk/football-law/footballer-work-permits/
Alfredo Morelos does not qualify for a work permit for the EPL, he needs to have played in over 30% of International matches in the last 2 years . He has played in 4 friendly games so far and as yet hasn't completed a full 90 mins in any game, it is not clear whether friendlies count or short time sub appearances but if we assume they do he has 4 out of 24 (16.66%) . He has 0 goals in 4 games so no exceptional talent argument could be made (this generally applies to U21 players only) Colombia are currently ranked 10th and if they were to fall just one place then the criteria for qualifying gets harder, he has not been selected in the squad for upcoming games.
The reason Dembele could command such a high fee was he could score against PSG and Man City in the CL thus verifying he was capable of competing at the very highest levels . Morelos although scoring v a poor Feyenoord and Porto teams won't have done his prospects any harm. We have to remember the SPL is regarded as poorer than the Cypriot league so scoring in it isn't an indication of outstanding talent . Other premier foreign leagues(Italy,Germany,France etc) also have strict work permit rules so clubs that will be eligible to sign him will be the Championship in England and possibly the Dutch,Danish, Portuguese etc. Then there is the large question mark over his temperament , it is also rumoured that he can be a disruptive influence in the dressing room and his ego has become tiresome (not helped by smsm putting out ridiculous puff pieces) .
As we know (and all other clubs will know) this is a distressed company ran by a cold shouldered criminal Chairman in desperate need of cash and whose manager has already stated he needs to downsize his squad. Morelos and his agent have no loyalty to King or RIFC/TRFC their only interest is securing the best deal for them . This is where tapping up becomes a real possibility . Any club interested in securing his services will likely approach the agent before approaching the club , the ball is certainly in their court.
You can just guess the possible drama Morelos might create in January as well.
If a club comes in with a low ball offer – and only after assuring Morelos' agent that the player would receive a very acceptable £XX K a week…
…and if TRFC says "no thanks, raise your offer", [mibbees several times],
…and if Morels stamps his feet and sticks out the petted lip – and then threatens to go on strike to force his move…
It could be a major headache for Gerrard and upset the squad harmony and focus.
Morelos' temperament on the park has always been suspect, and IMO, his eventual departure from Ibrox will most definitely NOT be a smooth, quick transaction.
@Stevie BC
This is exactly what happens these days and not just with Morelos although he has secured an extension to his contract and an increase in wages on 2 separate occasions so far after the false stories of multi million £ bids. Clubs are cash rich in the summer after their STs have come in but in January are beginning to feel the pinch so clubs tend to offer less and will accept less at this time of year . With the SDI court battle set to resume on Jan 17th Ashley could take a sizeable chunk if not all of the fee. King will also want it paid in one go rather than the 40/30/30 instalment plan this also reduces the amount offered . Morelos and his agent have already shown they know how to squeeze Kings pips , they won't hesitate to do so again.
Ahead of a game between Livi and a club the stature of Rangers, would someone such as Walter Smith have made similar comments?
ooft ?
Liam Boyce 23 goals in 34 games – top scorer in spl 16/17 transfer fee £570k to Burton Albion
Michael Higdon 26 in 37 – top scorer spl 12/13 free transfer to NEC Nijmegen valued at 750k
Sam Cosgrove scored one fewer league goal than Morelos last season and is the same age yet is valued less than 1m according to transfermarkt (which isn't a great indicator) this season he has scored 1 fewer so far in the league and I don't hear anyone claiming he is a £25m asset.
The point is just the ability to score goals in the spl is irrelevant when valuing a player , all round ability,attitude , temperament and potential are all taken into account . In fact one could argue that Cosgrove is a better player as he scores a similar amount of goals playing in a poorer team.
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it."
I remember when the hype about Morelos started with a supposed 7m offer and t'internet mocked it . 18 months later and the hype has reached not less than 25m and the t'nternet is saying "well they might get 10-15 but not 25" Goebbels understood propaganda and how it works . Now repeat after me Bayo is worth 40m he really is.
Timtim 10th November 2019 at 18:42
'…the hype has reached not less than 25m ..'
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Tut tut, Timtim: you must keep up! Rob McLean added two zeros to that figure!
Timtim 10th November 2019 at 18:42
'..Goebbels understood propaganda and how it works . '
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"Fearing imprisonment or death, reputable journalists also began to flee the country in large numbers."
rather than turn into Nazi -propagandists.
Is there a journalist in the SMSM who has not compromised his/her professional integrity by propagandising (at least by their silence) on behalf of the Big Lie, rather than risk the wrath of a football club and its supporters?
@JC
I believe a certain James Spence did opt to tell the truth , what became of him? I've called the Ecuadorian Embassy and Belmarsh prison but they insist he isn't there.
Timtim 11th November 2019 at 00:21
I believe a certain James Spence did opt to tell the truth ,
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As I recall the words from Jim Spence were along the lines of 'some people would say it is a new club'. So just for offering the opinion that others would might actually have an opinion, he lost his job at the BBC, and I recall him also saying he was threatened with violence in the street.
While other hacks all play along with the same club line I do not for one minute believe that is what they all actually think. However they do have jobs and the safety of themselves and their families to consider.
It's almost like a fascist state where any condemnation of anything in authority, or associated with authority, will be met with the severest of punishments. Make no mistake, 'Rangers' are associated with authority in Scotland. The very fact so many politicians and people in the media wanted the theft of tens of millions in unpaid tax to be overlooked is all the evidence you need. The fact the SFA and the League moved heaven and earth to say they are the same club is pretty damning too.
At least the rest of us know where we stand.
Timtim 11th November 2019 at 00:21
"@JC
I believe a certain James Spence did opt to tell the truth ,"
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Yes, indeed, and honour to the man-and also to Mark Daly and Chris McLaughlin who quite possibly have suffered for their attempts to be properly objective as sports journalists.
The important thing is that the bulk of sports journalists and pundits try to ignore the plain truth and thus betray their partisanship and any concept of journalistic integrity. And in so doing, shame themselves .
It doesn't help having a [men's] national team which is pitifully poor…
but these international breaks are starting to 'do ma nut in!".
These prolonged breaks just distract from the bread and butter of world footy, i.e. away from domestic league schedules, during interesting and exciting periods.
I'd probably have a more sympathetic opinion if we had a glimmer of hope for the national team.
But how many are going to bother attending the Kazakhstan game at the Hampden Athletics Stadium next week?
How many are going to even bother watching on TV?
I've heard from an impeccable source that VAR will indeed be used for the League Cup Final next month.
A select team of SPL refs will man the VAR monitors to provide objective feedback into the match ref's earpiece.
However, as it's too short notice, Hampden can't provide a dedicated room with the necessary kit.
The SPFL has instead identified an alternative space, relatively near to Hampden.
The Louden Tavern has thanked the SPFL for choosing their bar to host Scotland's first VAR room – and has confirmed that all SPL referees will receive their pints free of charge.
Old Firm trade mark
22 November 2018
Type
Recordal registration. Recordal type: Change owner details
Text
Change of owner details has been recorded due to recordal RC000116100 received on date 30/10/2018; owner(s) Celtic F.C.Limited (id: 218706),Sevco Scotland Limited (id: 613831) has been updated to owner(s): Celtic F.C.Limited (id: 218706),The Rangers Football Club Limited (id: 613862)
Anyone with expertise in this area have any idea why the Celtic board would be involved in this. Like the sevco reference.
2nd attempt
LINK TO TRADE MARKS OLD FIRM
https://trademarks.ipo.gov.uk/ipo-tmcase/page/History/1/UK0002181523A
paraniodbyexperience 11th November 2019 at 15:53
'..why the Celtic board would be involved in this. '
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Why else but to help sustain the lie that there is still a marketable 'old firm' comprising two old clubs who made their money by cashing in on politico/religious sectarianism in spite of the fact that it is recognised in the 'recordal' SevcoScotland/TRFC is NOT the Rangers of 1872
Greed has caused CFC plc to sell its soul without a blush , pretty much as the SFA/SPFL sold the soul of Scottish Football integrity to a miserable wretch.
Brother Walfrid will be turning in his grave