Look Back to Look Forward

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Everyone on this site has football experiences, views, stories and opinions. Everyone also wants things to be better in the future too. These are bonds that make us who we are and this forum what it is.

I’ll share a few experiences with you now.

I will never forget an impromptu and inspirational 60 minute Q. and A. masterclass by Davie MacParland to a group of relative youngsters at Hampden in 1975 after Scottish Unis had played a friendly with his team.

It was “over the moon Brian” time for me on finding a £5 note in my shoe. This was after I played my first game (unexpectedly) as an S form in the Highland League when my club’s  Aberdeen-based players had been held up by a road incident.

So happy and corrupted was I that I never questioned the widespread practice of giving money to amateur players thereafter so I’m part of the problem.

I also sat next to a young Jim Leyton who came to Butchart to watch himself on a match video after he had let in two goals when we dumped Deveronvale (where he was on loan) out of the Aberdeenshire Cup.  It was the very early days of video and Jim had never seen himself on a tv before.

Every person in the SFM community will have equally diverse and interesting experiences and I’m going to share one more with you now in a little more detail.

In the mid 90s I was given an amazing insight into how Scottish football really worked. In many ways it hasn’t changed much since.

Back then I was part of a small group brought in to help find funding for the upgrade of Tynecastle with the urgent need to construct three new stands. At the time it was a massive requirement for a very financially challenged organisation and at a push there were potentially just about enough pots of monies available from several sources to trigger the investment from the Football Trust and squeak over the line.

The most critical pot was mobilising the fans.

My role was to find a way of getting them to come aboard working with some fine lifetime Hearts fans like the late Alex Kitson so it would all look like a Hearts Community rather than a Mercer initiative.

The then, colourful Hearts majority owner was under constant pressure on other fronts at the time.

The team was not really performing with relatively new manager Jim Jeffries trying to get best out of predecessor Tommy Mclean’s mixed bag of old pros and kids. Making things worse was a growing, highly critical and very vocal consortium of local business people trying to get Mercer out (and themselves in).

I guess you could say in today’s parlance that they were RHM and civil war was very much happening down Gorgie way.

Anyway I can’t now recall all the detail and apologies if my memories have fused a little but a key AGM type meeting for Hearts shareholders at Ingliston was coming up and there was an agenda that looked like it might hurt “The Chairman” as Wallace liked to be called.

Never any flies on him though, he had seen the danger signs and was ready in his own way.

He turned up with his trusted few and simply yet quite brilliantly hijacked the negative agenda and ignored the real issues. He didn’t have a solution for them and couldn’t implement the changes that were in reality needed but quite simply he kicked all the trouble into the long grass.

He did this because he fundamentally understood that most shareholders in the room were just ordinary football fans and wanted nothing more than to be able to talk about football the game, Hearts their club, who they were due to play next and who would be playing.

It was that simple.

Mercer’s message to all that night was “Yes things have been tough but our best possible future is with me”.

He rammed this home by confidently telling the assembled body that Hearts were on the up because we had a new manager who needed time and then blew everyone away by announcing he just signed three amazing new players for them, Giles Rousset, Bruno Pasquale and Hans Eskilsson. After the applause and mayhem died down he had won.

Bruno and Rousset were newsworthy in any Scottish football context one being a French International and the other an ex Juventus tough guy with a EUFA and a couple of Coppa Italia winners medals.

Oh and Eskilsson had amazing hair.

Mercer’s simple bit of insight, showmanship, brinksmanship, call it what you like, led to the survival of his regime.

In a parallel maybe to what the SFA did after their meeting with Craig at the Hotel Du Vin in Glasgow, Mercer had enough time to be ready for the trouble he knew was coming and used his power to ignore the real issues and the detail and move on with a big gamble.

Looking back Wallace got a lot right .

He understood what the majority of ordinary football fans wanted. He’d also learnt that good press was needed and came from feeding the football writers enough tasty exclusives so they’d look after him in a symbiotic relationship, the kind of relationship that remains much the same today.

Even back then in the days when there were less full-colour pages pre-allocated to certain teams to fill and  more able journalists to fill them, the sports pages were about game reports and gossip rather than insight.

The packs of hacks all craved being handed tasty semi-exclusive stories.

It was and ever is thus and in those days the Daily Record was a wee gem with circulation nearer 700K than the 200K-ish today and amazingly all its costs were covered by it’s advertising revenue alone. The proud boast of Endell Laird was the purchase price was pure profit.

With hindsight Wallace may only have postponed the inevitable campaign by the RHM rebels that night at Ingliston. History tells us that the Robinson/Deans rebellion eventually forced their chance. They did have to dig much deeper financially than they ever wanted when their time eventually came, and soon fell out too, but that’s another story.

Wallace’s long grass was just never going to be deep enough to hide the issues he wanted to ignore but to his credit on his watch the stadium was upgraded and the first Scottish Cup since 1956 was paraded to the fans.

Mr. Mercer was an operator who like others before and since could see personal and business value in owning a club.

He cultivated friendly football writers.

He learned that the SFA could be difficult to deal with but much less so when you placed people on their various management boards. That was key to the inner power sanctums and brought you at best influence and at worst early warnings.

He may have been autocratic but knew you needed powerful friends at other clubs too and was always close with David Murray in particular.

So what has this little piece of retrospection and a handful of Finloch football stories got to do with a blog on SFM?

Last week I met Big Pink for the first time over a few coffees.

It was like meeting an old friend in the pub because of all the stuff we’ve lived through and shared over the last 5 or so years.

We talked about stuff and traded stories and opinions on life, football and about SFM what it does and what we are.

We got on to the subject of it’s future and with my business background he asked me to consider a piece for the blog about where the SFM, our fledgling business might go from here.

I maybe agreed too hastily because I have found it challenging to gather and spell out my thoughts.

So this is very much a starting couple of steps to bring in the SFM minds and set up future discussions following this blog and when we meet in Perth in April.

My starting point was to first consider what we are today.

It’s a personal view but to me SFM is a valued medium I come to most days. It’s for when I want to find out or to discuss what is happening.

It is populated with a bunch of people with different backgrounds, skills and insights, is always polite and often very funny.

I’d actually like to see more headline blogs because I enjoy them but our biggest value will always be analysis discussion and good humour.

SFM is fundamentally different to the MSM back pages that still offer us all a mono diet of whatever day-to-day gossip they have been spoon-fed by the Level 9’s of this world or made up and maybe embellished with a random phone call for a quote.

Yes their world is declining and will inevitably see fundamental restructure and change but that change has in reality nothing to do with how they cover and will continue to cover Scottish football.

I’d even posit (to use a wee word I’ve learned from the excellent JJ site I visit sometimes) that the red tops currently see their style of football coverage as a way of slowing their inevitable declines because it delivers the difficult to reach male audience their advertisers crave access to.

As a spectator I’d say the MSM in Scotland mostly seem to suffer from a polarised demographic focus/ bias too but that can never excuse their revisionism or the Spiers and Haggerty episodes we’ve just witnessed.

There is one benefit though. One you maybe hadn’t thought about from all the dreadful MSM football reportage.

The stuff they collectively generate enables all of us to have daily conversations with friends and strangers without actually saying anything about anything.

It gives us our daily top-up for the international language of football minutiae we all converse in every day.

I’ve been able to speak it fluently since I was in my teens. You know the kind of thing – the ins and outs, the ups and downs, the comings and goings and the toings and froings.

The good news, the bad news the made-up news – its all part of being involved with a team or indeed just being a football fan and it’s all conversation for the males of our species.

There are plenty of places I can and do get access to that kind of stuff but SFM isn’t and never has been a source.

I quickly found out that most of my pals don’t want to talk about side letters in the pub on a Friday, or the need for asterisked titles because they are more interested in tomorrow’s match and who will be out of contract at the end of the season.

Without being disrespectful in any way I think they are cut from the same wood as the majority of Mr. Mercer’s Hearts shareholders and if I’m honest part of me is too.

That has given our administrators and clubs too easy a ride.

Beyond the gossip it is fair to say in the last 40 or 50 years football has changed beyond all recognition.

It has become a source of power and money and as we know proverbially and in real life power can corrupt and money can be the root of all-evil.

The stuff happening at FIFA now can be no surprise to any fair-minded fan and I’d be inclined to think that there have been finagled decisions at the top for longer than the current stewardship of Mr. Blatter.

Way longer.

Football-land is a dirty world. A world where all the transparency is for show and real stuff has always been controlled and rewarding for those in the right places.

Closer to home football in Scotland is no different. Power and money have been the origins of our own North of the Border soap opera saga.

Its sometimes been very funny, often been entertaining too but is ultimately tragic and a sad indictment on our country.

Being Scotland nothing is ever as simple as it should be.

We started from a unique kind of place where for over a century we have had to live with an unhealthy, quasi-tribal, two-club duopolistic domination of all things football including the fans, the trophies, the money, the media attention and the administrators controlling our game.

The stark reality of 2016 is our biggest club/economy now finds its real ambitions thwarted, potentially forever, by its location in our restrictive league structure. It has nowhere currently to go and annoyingly the biggest league in the world is just over the border and part of the same country in political terms.

This is a destabilising influence on our game that won’t go away until change allows the next evolution.

Our second biggest economy as we now know had to cheat a little to keep up, post Fergus, and is now making its way back to the top end but with some truly nuclear baggage that I guess we still really only know the half of. Nothing will be simple in its return to what we’re told everyday is its rightful place. It too is a latent destabilising influence awaiting like a grumbling volcano.

What depresses me is the fact that the much-vaunted return of our dysfunctional duopoly is not a formula to recreate  the European success we all took for granted for so long. Those days will never return.

The decline of the Scottish giant that was and is Rangers has dominated our thoughts because it encapsulates so much more than what is wrong with our game.

It is a huge business and establishment fall from grace. A shocking story that has become an elephant in the room to our politicians, our media and many of our fellow fans and is still playing out to deafening silence in some quarters.

In the manic run up to the decline of David Murray’s club we benefitted from insights from the seminal RTC and were bombarded with mass denials from almost everywhere else.

We witnessed the £1 sale to Craig Whyte, the subsequent McCoist European failure, the eventual slide into messy liquidation with tax issues etc.

Our administrators failed us all the way through because they had a different agenda.

Our MSM didn’t want to know partly because it involved more than regurgitating press releases and partly because it was real news for real reporters and not back pages gossip.

Their editors failed us there too, big time.

Now the revisionism and invention of the post-liquidation ephemeral club and company scenarios has been creative to say the least.

I remember Mr. Traynor’s  initial headline and smile how he and others are now wading in a contradictory swamp of their own making. It’s all confusion when it needn’t be.

I only know the kind of stuff that really happened because of this site and its RTC predecessor.

Four or five years on and I think these guys (SFA, SPFL) acted like Wallace Mercer did at Ingliston and ran roughshod over process to “win”.

These well paid admin staff were never off-piste though and our clubs share complicity for their actions to varying degrees.

If I was Regan’s or Doncaster’s devil’s advocate I could just about comprehend that they acted because they feared for their TV revenues. The prospect of being without half of their duopoly ace card and the blue fans scared them and they were mandated by the clubs to maintain the status quo.

I don’t mean all the clubs but if we look at the key committee structures we’ll easily see who were in that inner sanctum at the time. They collectively decided to throw their rulebook out the window and there is no grass long enough to bury their collective actions because truth always outs.

Cast yourself back a few years not long before the St Valentine’s day 2012 news when the push was all for a 10 club league.

I remember Stewart Milne aggressively trying to sell us all a 10-club league because of the TV revenue it delivered (to the few).

At that time there seemed to be a collective “TV Gold Fever” prevailing in the cabal of top club chairmen that makes the real decisions and tells our administrators what to do.
Luckily they failed.

They nearly failed again too in 2012 with their tawdry 5 way agreement  and we all owe a debt of gratitude to the late Turnbull Hutton whose personal integrity, bloody-mindedness and leadership meant a significant change to the premeditated 5 way plan that our top clubs had all signed off.

Since then we’ve all suffered from Armageddon and long may it stay.

SFM has been at the forefront of the last five years. A place where fans from all the clubs come together to question, analyse, give insight, balance, consciousness on all aspects of the meandering road that has been this story so far.

It’s all recorded on our archives somewhere too. We’ve noted and discussed the following and more –

  • Two different signatures from the same club on the 5-way agreement
  • Two different and concurrent memberships of the SFA
  • Players TUPE-ing for free and no lawyers getting rich in trying to get them back
  • Pre-season games being cancelled because of registration and insurance issues
  • The Brechin game coming too soon for the paperwork
  • The entry-round in The Ramsdens Cup for the old club or is it the new club?
  • Record crowds, an even more aggressive songbook
  • Ian Black getting a surprise call-up and a bit of a game to legitimise  The New Rangers with their first cap
  • Millions raised from a gullible city and desperate fans but still several last gasp saves needed to avoid new financial stramashes
  • A charity that pays for holidays in America
  • Quasi-legal stuff with dodgy parameters for questionable enquiries like Nimmo Smith
  • Bryson and his logic that Spartans could and should have used to stay in the cup
  • A “Hopelessly Conflicted Chairman” re-elected and a new one who has fitted in seamlessly
  • Real legal stuff like HMRC appeals, and phrases like side-letters
  • Charlotte Fakes and maybe even Fake Charlotte Fakes
  • Fit and proper persons running our clubs
  • Recorded conversations
  • Onerous contracts
  • Metaphysical concepts of what football clubs in our courts with big bucks being spent on our behalf by our administrators

There is and has been a whole lot more and more to come on the schedules too.

How much of this would I have found on our MSM?

Very little – so thanks to those who go the extra mile for us including John Clark, EasyJambo and others at the courts,  Phil who will never go away, James Doleman and others too including JJ – all playing blinders where the hacks don’t dare.

Finally fast-forward to today.

Most Scottish fans probably know a little about the stuff I’ve touched upon and we’ve debated in depth. Not enough though.

But we have Darryl Broadfoot who is the SFA so we can all sleep rest assured each night.

 

Going forward we must address how we communicate as a medium to spread the word.

Ask yourself – Is what we do more important than knowing Rangers signed Dean Windass’s son from Accrington Stanley on a free because he’s going to play for England one day and stuff like that?

I’d say it is different although both have a place.

Our challenge is to create more impact with ours.

In finishing I have one serious starting proposal to make as a community but first a thank you.

Thank you to all the blog writers and posters because we have collectively created a site where real stuff can be dissected and discussed politely and in a non-partisan way.

Well done to the mods in particular and to our community In general

 

My simple proposal as our first step forward is to start a Wikipedia style library of the facts and keep it on our site.

Dates, happenings, people and all the stuff that will not allow any of it to stay buried forever in the long grass. The kind of detail that is in Auldheid’s amazing and resolute Resolution 12.

Chapter and verse whys and wherefores with dates and names.

 

This will achieve three things.

  • It will create bedrock for us as a trusted media channel whatever we decide to become.
  • It will put stuff factually into the public domain forever.
  • It will contradict any highly paid revisionists trying to change what really happened for their own agendas into the future.

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1,978 thoughts on “Look Back to Look Forward


  1. All I am saying is that during the course of the upcoming Court cases people will be compelled to give evidence under oath. They will be forced to tell the truth. Things that are already believed to be true will be confirmed by evidence. I won’t speculate on what they might be, as that would not be in the blogs best interests. However if the Court cases go ahead it will happen.

    That is all I am hoping for, I do not believe it is “too much”.


  2. Possibly the wrong place to comment on radio pundits bias but at half time round ups today, Derek Johnston was merrily criticisingHibs for not being in front in a must win game. Nothing wrong with that, other than the fact that the game doesn’t actually kick off until 1715. Surely pundits should be more aware.


  3. There is a regular poster on CQN with a wry wit that can be seen in his blog name Bournesouprecipe.
    I’ve extracted the following from a longer post of his  as it says in simple terms what Res 12 is about for those who are not informed and could be used to spread the word say by e mail to all your friends who support football and ask them to forward to their friends and so on.They might just decide that doing nothing is unacceptable and write to Mr Regan. (Has anyone an email address for him)
    What is Res12 to Celtic 2013 AGM About?
     Article 66 of UEFA’s licencing means,at 30th June 2011,a club should not have an unpaid tax bill.
    Rangers were issued a tax bill on 20th May 2011 for £2.8million with regard to The ‘small’ Tax Case.
    They had 30 days to appeal this.
    They didn’t appeal.
    They didn’t pay.
    Therefore,they had an unpaid tax bill
    The SFA allowed them to keep the licence.
    Res 12 is aimed at the SFA conduct
    The SFA are refusing to answer Res 12 guys.Instead they wrote an insulting letter.
    Res 12 fans are for going to UEFA but think it should be Celtic to do so.
    Celtic,apparently,agree it should go to UEFA but via the fans, not them.
    The SFA intend to do nothing. Let’s change their mind.
    The full post is at

    – See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/cqn-open-intensity-required/comment-page-6/#comments


  4. Caveat EmptorMarch 19, 2016 at 11:19
    ‘….JC. I can only imagine the gut wrenching feeling that must have come over you at the ‘Nothing!’ response to your query…’
    __________
    Not gut wrenching so much as gut confirming!
    We know that baddies in cahoots desperately depend on the acceptance, by all members of the gang, of the ‘truth’ of the axiom supposedly enunciated so well by Ben Franklin ” We must hang together or surely we shall hang separately”‘.
    The  men who signed the American Declaration of Independence acted honourably, ready to die for their convictions.
    The  men who failed in their duty to govern Scottish Football in accordance with the UEFA rules are not now going to admit to that failure. They cannot afford to do so. Their jobs perhaps,  and certainly their reputations, are at risk.
    Regan’s response was made in that knowledge.
    He can no more admit  that they ‘done wrong’ in not making sure that the UEFA Club Licensing Committee had the actual facts brought to their attention than Bryson could say that players whose ineligibiity was not discovered until  after the event had to considered as being eligible.
    We have had just about 4 years of that kind of deceitful nonsense.
     The ‘baddies’ will make damn sure that they stick together.
    Regrettably, the clubs whom they represent have clearly worked out that the financial gains from participating in a rigged ‘non-sport’ are, trifling as they may be, nevertheless worth selling their integrity for.
    The game in Scotland is, apparently, no longer  about Sport and sporting achievement, but about arranging a phony sport to ensure that a new  club is treated as being entitled to sporting achievements that were never won by it, but by a club that , competition-wise, died the horrible, but not uncommon death of Liquidation.
    Against all Scottish precedent, and basic common sense.
    I looked Regan in the eye.
    He knows it.


  5. JOHN CLARKMARCH 20, 2016 at 00:17  
    Caveat EmptorMarch 19, 2016 at 11:19
    ‘….JC. I can only imagine the gut wrenching feeling that must have come over you at the ‘Nothing!’ response to your query…’
    =================================Not gut wrenching so much as gut confirming!I looked Regan in the eye.He knows it.
    =================================
    JC(e)…of all the erudite lines posted by yourself and others over the last few years of this continuing omnishambles, these lines sadly sum it up for me…despair does not enter into it………….


  6. HomunculusMarch 19, 2016 at 13:41 20 2 i Rate This 
    All I am saying is that during the course of the upcoming Court cases people will be compelled to give evidence under oath. They will be forced to tell the truth. Things that are already believed to be true will be confirmed by evidence. I won’t speculate on what they might be, as that would not be in the blogs best interests. However if the Court cases go ahead it will happen.
    That is all I am hoping for, I do not believe it is “too much”.
    ———————————————————
    I share your hope Homonculus. 
    But as the Roman Governor Pilate once said “what is truth?”  (Is mine the same as yours?)

    As we all know, the ‘truth’ can be manipulated.  Even under oath.  I’m willing to bet that most convicted criminals who pled not guilty, under oath, lied during their testimony.  Maybe you and I would take the oath seriously but it’s not common place in a lot of trials.

    Now the LNS commission was not held in a court, merely a stitch up engineered by the SFA & SPL in a room somewhere.  Given some credence because it included a retired judge (who should not have come out of retirement).  IMHO.

    Bryson ruled that imperfect registrations were ok because they were not deemed imperfect at the time.  Which is lies.  Ask Ogilvie.  So no retrospective action like reversing the results of all those games that Rangers won fielding ineligible  players was possible.

    LNS had no problem with that, just a slap on the wrist required. 

    If ever there was a bigger manipulation of the ‘truth’ I have yet to hear it.


  7. I haven’t yet got round to cancelling my Times subscription.10 However, Spiers on Saturday, has a full half page colour photo of Lindsey Sharp, with Saltire aloft, celebrating at Glasgow 2014. Under the headline Sharp makes her point. Spiers lauds her plea that life bans be imposed on drug cheats. For this stance, I applaud both her and bold Graham. 
    If only the editorials could see fit to be as forthright re the corruption by our own SFA in support of a cheating club, that already admitted guilt, re DOS payments. The other clubs have remained tight-lipped, as Finloch relayed in this blog, have all clubs something to hide? Would CO, whilst at Hearts, and whilst putting some distance between himself and RFC, and his SFA tenure, be sat on any knowledge of the machinations of Vlad’s regime at Hearts? 
    Is it naive, considering the amounts of money sloshing around in professional football that brown envelopes are widespread? Any other evidence of side-letters?

     I currently still contribute to FOH, and did attend yesterday on a freebie, a well deserved win by the Saints. But I await a statement from Ann Budge looking forward and back re the state of the game and whether it deserves my hard earned. 


  8.  
    BP 
    Given SFM’s new “Bona Fide” status, I think it is reasonable that Stewart Regan is offered the right of reply concerning his recent meeting with the respected, and honourable Mr John Clark. With that comes also his right to refuse.  
       However, he is at the end of the day, only the elected head of a collective, and the other board members should be asked their opinion of his leadership comments.  
       Their comments can then be reproduced or simply noted as a “No comment”. 
       Let the dogs see the rabbits ! As far as I am concerned, all SFA members of the various boards, are rabbits until proven otherwise.  
       On a side matter BP, do you have a database of authenticated names and addresses? I will happily provide mine if you don’t already have it, and I would urge others, bloggers, members and lurkers to do likewise. I have no idea of numbers, but surely a healthy figure will add weight to any missives, by dint of representative numbers
     
        
       
       
      
      


  9. HOMUNCULUSMARCH 19, 2016 at 11:48  The Court cases have not happened yet and there are reporting restriction in place with regards the evidence which will be led.
    ==============================

    Do the reporting restrictions get lifted once the case starts? How is justice served if the public are denied the right to hear what is taking place in a criminal court?


  10. Tamjartmarquz,    I was privileged enough to meet Lindsay sharp on the pitch at the commonwealth games closing ceremony and congratulate her.   My opinion of her did. Complete 100% u- turn after her disgusting and totally classless comments, which I won’t repeat , on the tennis last year .   It never ceases to amaze me how seemingly intelligent , talented individuals like her can can also harbour such horrible inner traits  s she showed that day .   I really despair .   


  11. AULDHEIDMARCH 19, 2016 at 19:07

    Res 12 fans are for going to UEFA but think it should be Celtic to do so.Celtic,apparently,agree it should go to UEFA but via the fans, not them.

    Why?
    Please excuse delay in asking.


  12. UPTHEHOOPS
    MARCH 20, 2016 at 12:08

    A fair trial is more important than people’s right to know what is happening, as it is happening. If the Judge feels reporting will prejudice that right he bans that reporting.


  13. David Low on those accounts:


  14. HOMUNCULUSMARCH 20, 2016 at 13:24
    A fair trial is more important than people’s right to know what is happening, as it is happening. If the Judge feels reporting will prejudice that right he bans that reporting.
    ===============================

    Fair enough but it also offers protection to those from the football authorities who may have to reveal in court exactly what went on in 2012. These trials offer the only hope of getting some real answers. I assume all the details will be available once they are over?


  15. As usual working in the garden got me thinking. Well it’s better than digging.
    No longer are the guys on the pitch the ones partaking in sport it is the ones in the boardrooms who are and it is we, the fans, who are being played. The game time is sitting at 4 years and six months and there is only six months left to play. UEFA’s time limit for raising an issue is five years. Despite a number of complaints being sent to them the response has been zero. Why? Why not even an acknowledgement that our concerns have been received and considered? Well perhaps the answer is that, like the SFA, they will only consider communication from a member and that isn’t the fans. So, fair enough, but what happens when the Res12 guys try to pressurise the CFC board? It initially was put on the back burner for a couple of years and then, as we found out a few days ago, they inform them that it would be better if it came from the fans. Really? If I am correct and only members of UEFA can raise a complaint then the CFC, and every other club’s, board know that. So why not tell us other than to waste more time. Look at Regan’s brazen answers to JC’s questions. Is he too riding out the time until he can say “Look guys I know you are not happy but we can no longer, under UEFA rules, do anything about it, Let’s just move on.”
    So my thoughts now are forming with the belief that the front that we are fighting on is bigger than we first thought.We need to target the clubs’ boards. To do that though we need publicity and it appears that the media is reluctant. I have seen it said that they are just keeping their powder dry until after the court cases. Maybe, but that will be too late. They will get their nice articles full of indignation if they bother to publish at all. We need to find a way to apply pressure on the media. I have tried to get the UK media to give us at least a little coverage but got no response. I have even had comments removed from the Guardian sports section for mentioning the Petition and subsequent documentation. I have tried directly questioning reporters on Twitter and have been totally blanked.
    No amount of tweets from the courtroom by James Doleman will get the word out there. It will still be only our own rather small group that will have any awareness of what has happened. Two and half thousand signatures on the petition make me believe that we have 3 – 4 thousand people tops that know that players were “imperfectly” registered, that side letters were kept from the authorities, that RFC played in Europe when they were not qualified to do so.
    To be honest I am at a loss as to how to get the mainstream media on board. I am happy to act if someone comes up with a workable suggestion.

    https://www.change.org/p/scottish-football-association-return-integrity-to-football-administration-in-scotland-94421b40-2d6b-4d4b-9cff-912c9849478f

    https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B_X7aVh2s6qcS1hhamJ0czlkdVU


  16. Very well said Reiver. We all need to do something, sad though it makes me that we have reached this position due to inaction by boards.
    I am willing to help in any way I can.


  17. Reiver,  We have a problem.

    Don’t believe for a single minute that the media in Scotland are not aware of the status of the new club.  They do and always have done.  For their own reasons they changed tak in the Autumn of 2012.  They are liars and they know they are.  Laughing at us bampots telling the truth.  Despicable creatures.

    In the days of the USSR before the fall of the iron curtain, there were always dissident groups.  Often treated horribly when caught.  At least we are not under threat like that.  Just mocked by the media and the authorities. But we are a small group relatively.  All we can do is keep on repeating the truth like Auldheid & John Clark.  One day our day will come.

    Unless a mass boycott happens, it’s down to the keyboard I’m afraid.  But minstrels and bards have been effective in the past.  Dickens?


  18. It’s been a quiet wee day on the blog.  I was watching the Night Manager on the telly.  Great programme.

    Other than that, it was a near miss at Rugby Park yesterday.  Killie 1962 where are you?  A rubbish game to be honest.  We were lucky.

    Oh well, tomorrow is Monday.  A new (Holy) week. 


  19. Good morning Jimbo(late afternoon here),
    Aye I felt we deserved a point but if we were going to lose I cannot argue with a cracking goal like that.It was a real sickener but in the 7 games we have left there are no more Celtic, Aberdeen, Hearts or hopefully Ross County who have seen us off three times this season!!(McIntyre, a Killie Legend, how could you??) We have 7 games to clear the two dreaded spots and I am quietly confident that if we play the way we did today and show as much fight we will dodge the bullets. New manager Clarke has shown some passion and Jig has proved me wrong, I wasn’t too happy to see him at the start of the season but the defense is not leaking the way it was and he did prove to be tacticaly more on the ball than Gordon Locke. Two narrow one goal defeats from the top two teams in the League shows us a wee glimmer of light.

    Too finish on a bright note I remember the last 2 games of the 1980/81 season where Killie played the new Champions-Celtic-at Parkhead and could as easily have beaten them as taken the 1-1 draw,then up to Pittodrie to play the previous season’s champions Aberdeen where we thumped them 2-0. A great end to a bad season, despite these two great results we were still on the way down!!!
    yours in sport
    Gaun the Killie

    PS-After talking with Ianagain I had a feeling Motherwell were going to be a coupon buster!!


  20. jimboMarch 20, 2016 at 22:24
    ‘… I was watching the Night Manager on the telly. Great programme.’
    _______
    Yes, it is.
    And the really real baddies are….?
    Well, not Roper or the other despicable creeps : they are just bog-standard bad bast.rds, coining it in as bad bast.rds tend to do..
    No, the really, really bad sods are the guys ‘in governance roles’ who are supposed to prevent the baddies being bad, but who choose in reality to  facilitate them, for personal reward ( not necessarily pecuniary, of course)
    Sounds like a story line that might play in other contexts, possibly even in the context of sport.
    Perhaps even ( God save the mark!)  in the context of Scottish football. ( Gasps of incredulity are heard all around this bonnie land: surely not??)
    Well, I wouldn’t be too sure that there are not worse guys than those with big hands or bulging eyes or gardening skills or a pronounced tendency to lie effortlessly and ( what is the word I struggle for?.. ends in ‘ly’?)


  21. John Clark
    Well, I wouldn’t be too sure that there are not worse guys than those with big hands or bulging eyes or gardening skills or a pronounced tendency to lie effortlessly and ( what is the word I struggle for?.. ends in ‘ly’?)

    ……………………………………………………………………………………………

    “glob”?


  22. I was on ‘News Now’ earlier, and see The Daily record headline that Police Scotland will be looking at fan’s forums for plans of violence at the upcoming SC semi final at Hampden (the Sunday one).

    I hope they give us a miss, a more polite forum you couldn’t imagine.  Despite it’s mix of supporters.

    However,  I was thinking about a few posters on here who given the right circumstances, enough drink and soft insults might spark a sugar candy coated rumpus.  JC & RG springs to mind. 

    JC:  Haw Ryan!  Rangers are dead!
    RG: No they are not!

    End of rumpus. 21


  23. HOMUNCULUSMARCH 20, 2016 at 13:41

    Link to TRFC Ltd accounts doesn’t seem to work.

    Do you or anyone else have another link?

    Can’t seem to see an announcement anywhere else on the club site or the MSM about a £31.5m loss over three years.


  24. The soi- disant St Mirren supporter finally ‘fesses up to his true allegiance: ” I’m a cuddly teddy bear” 02 [ Chick, on the Kay Adams show, talking about Twitter  and his objections to it.


  25. BLUMARCH 21, 2016 at 10:46
    Cheers

    A few  interesting points.

    The accounts were signed off by Paul Murray on 31 Jan 2016 and by Campbell Dallas on 1 Feb 2016

    Note 23 on post end of year events makes mention of only £5.7m being borrowed post year end with the bulk of that going to pay of the SD loan.
    However the papers were all reporting £6.5m being brought  in via loans on 1 / 2 Jan 2016.

    Why the difference in the reported loan totals?

    £6.5m minus £5.7m – £800k – which happens to be the exact amount mention is dispatches with regard to the CIC existing funds at the start of this month 🙂

    If £2.5m was required to keep the lights on and only £5.7 came in via the loans then at max only £700k would be going towards that purpose. (I have a suspicion a chunk of that £700k will have gone to SD in interest and penalties).

    Therefore is the best situation that they still need and extra £1.8m from somewhere to keep the lights on. How much will the cup run and semi-final have helped with that? However remember they shelled out cash for O’Halloran in January.

    I also note that the SPFL fine remains unresolved. – When is a hearing on that due to happen?

    Wifi suppliers 802 Works still have their £300.00 claim outstanding but the club now appears to be counter suing for £600k.


  26. Good Afternoon
    The SMSM and the deluded amongst the bears think that they have arrived.
    Are they seeing the light at the end of the tunnel?
    No it’s a bloody big train coming the other way.
    In my opinion TRFC will not be able to fulfil their fixtures and see the season out next year.
    This, as has been often said, is a loss making business with no line of credit from a Bank.
    This has now been confirmed in black and white with the lodging of the TRFC accounts at Companies House.
    Over the past four years they have racked up substantial losses in excess of£31Million.
    It is not unreasonable to assume that should they continue to trade in the same manner during year five then their debt will be approaching £40Million, despite the mantra of the tax evaders that they are debt free.
    The present incumbents on the board may assume that there is no danger as long as it is in house debt to their parent company and that it can be written off by taking equity.
    This is absolute rubbish.
    In my opinion there will be an insolvency event at TRIFC and TRFC.
    Unless the laws of economics are turned upside down there will be no alternative.
    I hope they are up to date with their taxes.
    As far as TRFC is concerned their season ticket and other income is insufficient and the so called smart businessmen with deep pockets will find that sooner or later the pockets are empty; and that is without investment in players or the stadium or their training facility, whatever they are calling it these days.
    If TRIFC are found not to own the assets during the course of the upcoming Court cases then they will have to be liquidated. If the parent company is liquidated it goes without saying that what they own, namely TRFC, will automatically be liquidated.
    Even if TRFC should be deemed to be a standalone ethereal entity which can somehow withstand the liquidation of their parent, they will find that the liquidators of TRIFC will be legally obliged to pursue the debt due to the parent company.
    In short TRFC will have to stump up the guts of £40Million to survive.
    All that and TRFC may not even own the ground they play out of in Govan.
    For me this is the real issue. What happened in 2012 will be repeated and I would ask what the SFA/SPFL has planned for that eventuality.
    They are charged with the governance of the game and cannot allow this crazy situation to develop.
    In my opinion they should be demanding guarantees that TRFC are financially sound and will be able to fulfil their fixture list next season.  
    In seeking these guarantees they should not blandly accept that the directors will provide more soft loans. Proof is required.
    I would not let TRFC anywhere near the Premier league until proof has been delivered that they are financially sound, can fulfil their fixtures, live within their means and just for good measure that they have the right to use the park that they play on.
    A team with no money, no training facility and no park to play on. It couldn’t happen could it?


  27. WOTTPI
    MARCH 21, 2016 at 12:25
    =====================

    I am intrigued by the amortisation of negative goodwill.

    They show that as a minus figure of £951,000 in the expenses and I assume are doing that on a yearly basis. They certainly did it the year before.

    If I understand that correctly it means that the expenses are reduced by nearly a million pounds and as such the losses are reduced by the same amount. Given that it does not represent income per se that seems like a strange approach, however I am sure it is just normal accounting practice.


  28. I was wondering why I hadn’t noticed the goodwill thing before. Probably because that figure doesn’t appear in the expenses for the PLC (group) accounts. I have attached their expenses figures for comparison.

    The PLC accounts appears to show the Group’s revenue for the year but shows only RIFC’s expenses.

    As I was doing a comparison anyway I looked at revenue from broadcasting.

    TRFC shows

    2014 £684,000
    2015 £710,000

    RIFC shows

    2014 £1,233,000
    2015 £1,016,000

    What extra money is the PLC earning from broadcasting rights if it’s only income is through the subsidiary and it doesn’t have it’s own trading.

    Am I missing something obvious here.


  29. HOMUNCULUSMARCH 21, 2016 at 13:07 1 0  Rate This 
    Attachment
     I was wondering why I hadn’t noticed the goodwill thing before. Probably because that figure doesn’t appear in the expenses for the PLC (group) accounts. I have attached their expenses figures for comparison.
    The PLC accounts appears to show the Group’s revenue for the year but shows only RIFC’s expenses.
    As I was doing a comparison anyway I looked at revenue from broadcasting.
    TRFC shows
    2014 £684,0002015 £710,000
    RIFC shows
    2014 £1,233,0002015 £1,016,000
    What extra money is the PLC earning from broadcasting rights if it’s only income is through the subsidiary and it doesn’t have it’s own trading.
    Am I missing something obvious here.

    Rangers TV probably accrues to the parent company and may account for the difference. Presumably TRFC’s broadcasting income will be the money from various other TV contracts


  30. HOMUNCULUSMARCH 21, 2016 at 12:47 WOTTPIMARCH 21, 2016 at 12:25=====================
    I am intrigued by the amortisation of negative goodwill.
    They show that as a minus figure of £951,000 in the expenses and I assume are doing that on a yearly basis. They certainly did it the year before.
    If I understand that correctly it means that the expenses are reduced by nearly a million pounds and as such the losses are reduced by the same amount. Given that it does not represent income per se that seems like a strange approach, however I am sure it is just normal accounting practice.
    ==================================
    Homunculus…I can assure you that whilst just on the legal side of correct/acceptable in the context of Company Law (for what that is worth!)…it is as far removed from “normal” accounting practice as you can imagine…! but hey ho, Paul Murray is a CA… 08


  31. ESSEXBEANCOUNTER
    ==================

    Thanks for that, am I correct in saying that they have effectively reduced the reported losses for the limited company by including this figure.

    I can see how negative goodwill could have an effect on assets / liabilities but not why it would be reflected in trading, by reducing the expenses.

    Is the border line nature (if I’m reading you right) of this perhaps why the figure isn’t shown in the audited accounts for the PLC.


  32. 1) HOOPY 7MARCH 21, 2016 at 12:36
    …In my opinion TRFC will not be able to fulfil their fixtures and see the season out next year…
    =================
    IMO Hoopy 7, I think if TRFC gets promoted, then there will be a huge amount of cheerleading in the SMSM, and lots of positive coverage about how TRFC are going to ‘dominate’ the top league, etc..
    That could help TRFC attract further financial inputs, [probably from the average fans and maybe wealthy fans individually]. 

    But…it’s if/when their first time in the top league becomes an embarrassing series of poor results / inconsistency / humpings  – to finish as ‘non-champions’, then the interest could diminish dramatically amongst the bears.
    It’s the season after next that could be the real problem…assuming of course that TRFC survives that long anyway !

    2) Homunculus / ebc
    The very idea that that RIFC/TRFC could have generated substantial ‘negative goodwill’ is reasonable – absolutely.
    …but not in a financial sense…  22
    Creative accounting at its best.


  33. Business owners have many different motivations when it comes to preparing company accounts.
    Some want to provide as little information as legally permissable . That can be for reasons of privacy or to avoid competitors understanding their finances. Some are relaxed about all aspects of their business , including owners earnings, being in the public domain. 

    There is another category though who need to manipulate accounts for PR reasons and others to avoid breaching banking covenants. As long as this is broadly or borderline acceptable to your auditor , then the business can achieve it’s PR or Privacy or banking covenant goals. 

    Rangers have no banking facilities where the covenant could be breached, so we can rule out any desire to present accounts with that intention. The new board however have come to power on the back of grandiose promises by King to spend £30 M .

    Promises which now appear to have been discarded. There was also promises that irresponsible spending by the previous board would be dealt with and onerous contracts terminated. 
    Given the lack of promised investment , it became imperative to show that spending was being reduced. I suspect it is proving more difficult to deliver on these “easy to make ” promises and hence the need to turn to sleight of hand for the desired headline of cost reduction.

    Regardless it has zero impact on cash flow , which is the only real issue for Rangers  . The shareholders have managed to fund the cash flow to this point. They may well continue to do so in the short to medium term, however converting the loans to equity makes them locked into a high risk and potentially disastrous  investment with little or no chance of a profitable exit


  34. scottcMarch 21, 2016 at 13:32
    _______
    Not directly connected with your post, scottc, but something has been niggling me about the relationship between SportScotland and ‘Rangers’ , which goes back to 2001, when the former loaned (public)money, secured on a floating charge over what is now Auchenhowie, to that club.
    I have been, on and off, trying to get absolutely clear in my head how exactly it is that the floating charge is still as it were valid, and able to be called in by SportScotland. 
    It seems to me that the (supposedly ‘updated’ agreement ) made after Liquidation between Sportscotland and the new club simply EITHER assumes that the new club is the legal inheritor of the old deal. We believe that the new club has bugger all to do with anything the old RFC signed with Sportscotland, and, thus, that a competent lawyer could demonstrate that the new club could repudiate the floating charge liability and tell Sportscotland to go chase up the only legal body that signed for the loan, namely, RFC(IL).  OR, in the full knowledge , recognised also by the new club, that this was not merely an updating of a previous agreement, but the brand new agreement  under which the new club had to formally accept full legal liability for the floating charge agreement entered into by a previous, distinct legal entity ( or else lose the property if the floating charge was called in).
    But I tend to go round in circles, clearly missing something obvious, as I look at the ‘updated’ ‘Registration of charge sc4251590011,( see CH filing history of SC425159, 01/06/15, and read down the whole of the pdf document.)
    Would you have a bit of time to cast your eye over the question? [I was looking at the history of Sportscotland ( SC 199015) and the Sports Council Trust (SC 137068) to see at what time after Liquidation they realised they had better revisit the loan/floating charge thingy.( and they took their time!)
    Perhaps as a result of being aware of so much effort having been expended by so many of the great and the good to foster and maintain the ‘same club’ lie, I am ready to believe that even respectable Trust bodies and Sports Agencies disbursing public funds  might be compromised in that regard: pretending that a deal with CG could seriously be regarded as legally amending a deal that was done by RFC before liquidation! That is, that Sportscotland, knowing the true legal situation, chickened out of calling in the loan of our money, and thereby signed up to the big lie, instead of securing the public money .
    I need to be sure, as indeed,  do we all . I haven’t the forensic skills to satisfy myself and dispel my doubts. Could you ( or indeed, any other volunteer) have a go?
    Put simply:can we nail Sportscotland for ‘failing to see’ that their ‘floating charge’ over Auchenhowie and Edmiston House might be legally worthless, in the terms in which it is written, which seem to pretend that the new club is really the old club with a different name.


  35. JOHN CLARKMARCH 21, 2016 at 15:20========================
    Scottish Sports Council/Sportscotland charge over the Auchenhowie Training Centre Youth Academy – John this wasn’t a loan it was a grant and I assume that the Sports Council required the charge as a condition to protect its investment from being hived off in some way or to have a claim against the operator of the football club if it decided to scrap the academy. I’m sure it’s standard procedure for the Sports Council. 


  36. JOHN CLARK MARCH 21, 2016 at 15:20

    ===============================
    I didn’t address the transfer of the charge and the Sports Councils non-reaction – I’ve no idea of what the day-to-day operations of the Youth Academy are but it does seem to have been continuous through RFC, SEVCO /SEVCO 5088/RIFC/TRFCL. I’d wager that there is familiarity between officials of the various sporting bodies in Scotland that made it easy to come to an arrangement that suited them all. 


  37. HOMUNCULUS
    What with not being a listed company, The Rangers are able to apply UK accounting standards. These are about to get a complete make over for Rangers June 2016 accounts.  The particular item you singled out is the release of the negative goodwill on the acquisition of the assets of Rangers (in liquidation).  Under the old UK standards, there was a presumed life of 20 years for this if you couldn’t really say how long the benefit from the assets related to it would last.  Under the new accounting standard that’s going to drop to just 5 years.  It is unusual – as Essexbeancounter says – because normally people pay more to acquire something with brand value than the fair value of just the assets.  Of course I’m sure Duff and Phelps totally did their best for all the stiffed creditors.  In this case they even paid less than the value of those assets such as stadium etc which were all immediately revalued upwards.
    Some of that negative goodwill related to player registrations etc which presumably would have a much shorter life (how many are still there?) but most of it – €16m of the €20m capitalised – related to the brand.  I’ve no idea how that figure was arrived at and given the known arrangements re merchandising, naming rights etc at the time it does seem a hefty little judgmental item to throw in there.  It was then slowly released (but now much quicker assuming they go five years) as an offset to the losses incurred.  Its not a cash gain though – its just a paper transaction reflecting them slowly getting the benefit of the deal Charles Green cut.
    They should be doing an impairment review every year but when you engage a very little known and little resourced set of auditors, how closely this will be scrutinised since Deloitte exited is debatable.  Campbell Dallas presumably won’t have a valuations team like the big mid-tier and big four firms do.


  38. JOHN CLARK
    MARCH 21, 2016 at 15:20
    =====================

    JC, sorry if I’m picking you up wrong but as I understand it there isn’t a floating charge (part 6).

    It’s a charge over the named property i.e. the Training Centre Youth Academy (part 4). It prevents the club taking other security against that asset (part 7). I imagine it’s there to stop them just selling the property which would allow it potentially to be used for other purposes.

    Again apologies if I’m picking you up wrong. I don’t think there is anything to suggest a link between the previous owner of the asset and this one.


  39. The nothing answer by Mr Regan to JC sums up the whole integrity of our sport.  Res 12 seems to be just about over and without any solution (punishment if true) and IMO we can now do nothing.  Our smsm have done nothing deliberately IMO to raise an issue they are all aware of.  If the media raised this issue then more things would more than likely get addressed as the media has a large following, (even tho paper sale are declining) if nothing is mentioned then the majority of the public will be unaware of all  the facts concerning this issue with Res 12 (just like facts concerning oldco/newco).  We have not enough numbers on social media for SFA, smsm and our clubs to be  totally concerned (feels like again we do not matter).  When the Ibrox club where made to enter the bottom tier of football this was by fan power but this was aided by the fact  it was covered by the smsm and this worked in the fans behalf, now fans do not know the whole facts on the issues within Ibrox,  on   numerous issues concerning Govan club , like their real financial problems, like onerous contractors, like dubious investors from far East,  like Res 12, like Mr Kings wealth etc…. as it is simply not covered by smsm.  
    Nothing gets reported so very likely nothing will get done and we have everything to lose.  Court cases up and coming may play a part but lately the Ibrox club seems to be coming up trumps.  These court cases may again be ignored as much as possible by smsm unless it is a positive angle for the Ibrox club and it’s fans.  As fans we have the choice to not renew our ST but as mentioned before there is not enough of us on social media networks to worry must clubs.  Unless more of the facts are  in the public domain I feel we are losing the battle (hopefully I am proved wrong). SFA are in the late TH words corrupt and we all know it, the smsm knows it, our clubs must know it but all are willing to continue under it’s governance simply to aid one club. Only in Scotland.  Our sport means nothing. We mean nothing, Ibrox club (in any shape or form) means everything and it always has. Fact.
     


  40. BARCABHOYMARCH 21, 2016 at 15:19

    I think we have to acknowledge that nobody is ever going to get rich ‘investing’ in football clubs these days.
    It is basically money down the pan whichever way you look at it.

    If RRM who are shareholders and/or fans want to throw money at the club to see it survive and seek an equity swap in something that is effectively worthless then so be it. It happens all the time at many clubs be it fans getting involved or a helpful sugar daddy doing the bailing out.
    Just Google ‘football club wipes off debt’.

    The gamble down Govan Way (apart from the current difficulty of actually doing the equity swap) is do they have enough supporters with deep pockets and can they shed their toxic image to keep the cash flowing and attract new suitors?

    There are people out their willing to plough money into EPL teams but other than the folk on the board at present and the fans who else is around to make up the shortfall for a team with an unpredictable future on the park in a small league on the fringes of Europe.

    Unlike Celtic they have no financial cushion to see them through hard times. Unlike most other clubs in Scotland they are unable to bring their outgoings more in line with income and do not have a fan base who, as yet, have to shown they will accept sustainability and survival over world domination and all that means re transfer fees and wages. (However the ongoing prudence and talking up Accrington Stanley frees mean it must be starting to sink in)

    I can see T’Rangers hobbling along financially and putting out a decent and competitive team next season, however it is definitely going to be like walking a tightrope.

    If they fail to develop a successful Moneyball approach supported by a good academy system then in the medium term success on the park will be limited. What that does to fans view of financial contributions and the ability to attract new investors is anyone’s guess.
     


  41. bluMarch 21, 2016 at 16:08
    HomunculusMarch 21, 2016 at 16:33
    ____-
    Grateful to you both.
    If it was a grant for a specific purpose then I suppose Sportscotland would have wanted to ensure that the money was used for that specific purpose. But the grant would have been made in 2001. Would it have been for a project that would have taken more than 10-12 years to complete?
    But I would love to have been present at any Sports Council Trust discussion about whether they shouldn’t just refuse to del with a brand new enterprise! I don’t suppose the minutes of any such discussion would be publicly available.


  42. JOHN CLARK
    MARCH 21, 2016 at 16:55

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

    In my view if anything it clearly shows that they consider the new owner of the asset to be a separate entity, otherwise why would the new charge be required.

    I think all Sports Scotland were doing was ensuring that the new owners were bound by the same conditions as the previous ones. They could not change the purpose for which the grant was provided in the first place.

    If you are interested you could always make a freedom of information request.

    http://www.sportscotland.org.uk/footer_links/foi/making_a_freedom_of_information_request/


  43. HomunculusMarch 21, 2016 at 17:05
    ‘…In my view if anything it clearly shows that they consider the new owner of the asset to be a separate entity,.’
    ________
    And I concur in that view.
    In spite of the learned QC, ‘manifestations’ , ‘the spirit of things’, the ‘passion’  ,the ‘what it’s all about’  can sign no legal document!


  44. valentinesclown March 21, 2016 at 16:45                   The nothing answer by Mr Regan to JC sums up the whole integrity of our sport.  Res 12 seems to be just about over and without any solution (punishment if true) and IMO we can now do nothing.  Our smsm have done nothing deliberately IMO to raise an issue they are all aware of.  If the media raised this issue then more things would more than likely get addressed as the media has a large following, (even tho paper sale are declining) if nothing is mentioned then the majority of the public will be unaware of all  the facts concerning this issue with Res 12 (just like facts concerning oldco/newco).  We have not enough numbers on social media for SFA, smsm and our clubs to be  totally concerned (feels like again we do not matter).  When the Ibrox club where made to enter the bottom tier of football this was by fan power but this was aided by the fact  it was covered by the smsm and this worked in the fans behalf, now fans do not know the whole facts on the issues within Ibrox,  on   numerous issues concerning Govan club , like their real financial problems, like onerous contractors, like dubious investors from far East,  like Res 12, like Mr Kings wealth etc…. as it is simply not covered by smsm.   Nothing gets reported so very likely nothing will get done and we have everything to lose.  Court cases up and coming may play a part but lately the Ibrox club seems to be coming up trumps.  These court cases may again be ignored as much as possible by smsm unless it is a positive angle for the Ibrox club and it’s fans.  As fans we have the choice to not renew our ST but as mentioned before there is not enough of us on social media networks to worry must clubs.  Unless more of the facts are  in the public domain I feel we are losing the battle (hopefully I am proved wrong). SFA are in the late TH words corrupt and we all know it, the smsm knows it, our clubs must know it but all are willing to continue under it’s governance simply to aid one club. Only in Scotland.  Our sport means nothing. We mean nothing, Ibrox club (in any shape or form) means everything and it always has. Fact.        ; ;Sadly, you have a very stark choice; Renew your season ticket and buy in to something you know is corrupt or don’t renew with a letter to the club explaining why.         


  45. My post yesterday @ 11.38 certainly galvanised opinion, 75% thumbs down. Only Casper999 replied, re a tweet that she sent during Wimbledon. 
    I have reread my post,and made further comment, in order to try & understand the straw-poll.
    Spiers lauds her plea that life bans be imposed on drug cheats. Don’t think many on here will disagree
    Our clubs have remained tight-lipped, is it naive, considering the amounts of money sloshing around in professional football that brown envelopes are widespread?
    Money is sloshing around, follow the money, we know EPL sides have been using EBTs, do we know of side letters in England? If its happening in the richest league in the world, and the same agents are involved in cross border negotiations. Are we really saying all our clubs are squeaky clean. Businessmen, sportsmen, celebrity entertainers do not like paying tax.
    Would CO, whilst at Hearts, and whilst putting some distance between himself and RFC, and his SFA tenure, be sat on any knowledge of the machinations of Vlad’s regime at Hearts?  Genuine question
    Why are our clubs reluctant to speak up?


  46. There is indeed an issue with the SMSM when it comes to reporting the issues that actually matter. Their silence on RES 12 is disgraceful especially when you consider that they are in full receipt of the facts.
    Question: How do we get the word out to a larger audience?
    Answer: Use the same SMSM.
    Full page ADS in ALL the papers that still circulate to a decent audience number.
    Costly? Yes but I am sure we could crowdfund.
    Worth a go? Can the guys who arranged the last full page ad re Oldco and their first meeting with Celtic FC last year advise on cost?


  47. JIMBOMARCH 21, 2016 at 18:38
    Great article (and funny) from the Clumpany on the liquidation debate.https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/
    Although there is really no debate. The bampots tell the truth, most everyone else tells lies.
    ====================================
    Saddened to see that in the course of a few, albeit edited, pages, there are no fewer than three CA’s referred to in the most explicit detail…ah such good governance as expounded by ICAS Ethical Guide…psst…anyone wanna see a copy?


  48. SSEXBEANCOUNTERMARCH 21, 2016 at 19:12 0 0  Rate This 
    JIMBOMARCH 21, 2016 at 18:38Great article (and funny) from the Clumpany on the liquidation debate.https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/Although there is really no debate. The bampots tell the truth, most everyone else tells lies.====================================Saddened to see that in the course of a few, albeit edited, pages, there are no fewer than three CA’s referred to in the most explicit detail…ah such good governance as expounded by ICAS Ethical Guide…psst…anyone wanna see a copy?
    ========================================
    With another half a dozen at least, bringing up the rear….06


  49. JIMBOMARCH 21, 2016 at 18:38 Great article (and funny) from the Clumpany on the liquidation debate.https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/

    =====================
    “…The SFA is adamant that putting the newco into the Third Division is not a viable option.
    Regan maintained: “There is no alternative (to the First Division)…
    “But there isn’t an alternative to them in the First Division other than a long, slow, lingering death for the game here.””
    =====================
    So the valid option of denying a licence to the offspring of a massively cheating club wasn’t even a consideration for Regan.


  50. The balancing act they face in my opinion is to aggressively oversell and marry the (presumably modest but time will tell) achievements of a mediocre team with enhanced crowd expectations.  Not discernibly different from what the rest of us are doing in fact!


  51. JOHN CLARKMARCH 21, 2016 at 15:20 14 0 Rate This

    Hi John, sorry for the delay. Busy, busy.
    I concur with my fellow posters here

    As far as I can see SportScotland’s charge is a FIXED charge, rather than a floating charge. My understanding is that a floating charge would be on a company covering unspecified assets whereas this one is FIXED on Auchenhowie.The £500k was paid out as a ‘grant’ in Feb 2001 and the charge applied. (As far as I recall the quid pro quo is supposed public access rights, although I believe there is a similar ‘agreement’ in place at Celtic. I don’t imagine the public get much time in either place.)
    It was transferred to the new Rangers in 2012, a little before the RIFC launch proper, probably in a correct and orderly fashion. I would imagine CG had the choice to pay back the money and discharge the debt but chose not to. On the other hand there may be restrictions in the original contract restricting the ability to do that. It may be that it is only repayable if Rangers decide to sell the property as a kind of brake on such activity.
    The charge was ‘re-affirmed’ last year when Rangers forgot about it and gave Mike Ashley first dibs on Auchenhowie. I think maybe kudos to SportScotland for pointing this out and having it corrected.
    What DID pique my interest though, was the wording of the charge dated 6th July 2012. The charge was to “secure ALL sums due or to become due on property acquired by Sevco Scotland Ltd“. Not sure if that would be normal practice for securing a specific amount, although I assume it is. there would surely be nothing sinister going on. 07


  52. Carfins Finest,  I might be wrong, and I’m sure Auldheid would let us know, but I think the folk behind the full page advert had a bit of bother getting a newspaper prepared to print the ad.

    If there was a crowd funding appeal, I would be in.


  53. scottcMarch 21, 2016 at 20:06
    ‘…
    Hi John, sorry for the delay. Busy, busy. I concur with my fellow posters here
    As far as I can see SportScotland’s charge is a FIXED charge..
    ________
    Thank you, scottc, for that explanation, which makes perfect sense, and,as you say, makes my readiness to think as ill of Sportscotland as I am of the ‘Football Authorities’ quite unfounded!
    Until this saga began, I don’t think I had ever heard of ‘floating’ or ‘fixed’ charges on property ( in my early days, one spoke of  pawn shops when one discussed the borrowing of money!) as security for monies loaned or granted on condition….
    As others have frequently remarked, this blog has been a wonderful education into the ways of money and the people who deal in money.


  54. CARFINS FINESTMARCH 21, 2016 at 19:11
        “Costly? Yes but I am sure we could crowdfund.”

    JIMBOMARCH 21, 2016 at 20:12 
    Carfins Finest,  I might be wrong, and I’m sure Auldheid would let us know, but I think the folk behind the full page advert had a bit of bother getting a newspaper prepared to print the ad.
    If there was a crowd funding appeal, I would be in. 
       ————————————————————————————————————————
      I had a quick wee look on-line at matchday programme advertising costs, (easily googled). Most prices are for full season ads. However Dundee quote £200 for a full page, one off game, and ICT saying prices “start from” £35.
        At a guesstimate a couple of grand would probably cover all Prem and Championship games over a weekend, (Choosing home and away clubs wisely).
       A wee added bonus of using matchday programmes, would be an indicator as to which clubs value integrity…..Maybe even a wee discount and PA shout-out thrown in.  I think the Celtic programme should be a freebie……But I’m conflicted. 21 
       


  55. crowdfund?, am in, though this time put other clubs forward as being the instigators to dispel regans contemptible remarks, contact other supporter groups to gather as much cash as possible.
    a big thank you to mr clark for sticking up for us bampots .
    as for the up coming semi i do so wish that the celtic fans will take the opportunity to create as much attention to res 12 and our fight for the truth.

    crowdfunding is the way forward, money talks and any paper can be bought at the right price.IMO.
     


  56. Although it sounds like a good idea I wonder how many Clubs in Scotland would be prepared to submit to copy an advert of our liking in their programmes.?
    http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/13293230.Rangers_demand_apology_over_Livi_programme_article/

    I detest providing a link to the Evening Shark Jump but needs must.  I think some poor sod got the sack at Livi for telling the truth. 

    The clubs owners/ directors/ chairpersons/ PR folk.  They are not with us, they are against us.  For reasons we all know. 

    The media are against us.  Some would say the judiciary, The Scottish Government, hell, even the SFA!.

    There is a 30 – 35% of footballing supporters in Scotland who have been and still are prepared to believe everything that emanates from the marble staircase and the bunker (not very often) at Hampdump.  They should come on here more often and see the truth.

    Rangers were put into liquidation.  They cheated.  Titles should be stripped.  Regan & Doncaster should be history.  Club chairmen should be scandalised.  The press ashamed.  The Taxman given justice.

    I could go on.


  57. I know this might sound daft, what about an advert in an English edition newspaper?  Spread the word.  Create an interest where we don’t have the problems of the Scottish Establishment?  The Independent,  The Guardian.  Two likely friendly ears.


  58. SMUGASMARCH 21, 2016 at 20:01  
    The balancing act they face in my opinion is to aggressively oversell and marry the (presumably modest but time will tell) achievements of a mediocre team with enhanced crowd expectations.  Not discernibly different from what the rest of us are doing in fact!
    ================

    Agreed. The difference between them and the rest of us though is that with the help of the media there is an illusion that everything will happen automatically right up to Champions League group stage participation. There seems to be zero grasp on reality at all. The most recently published accounts have not even been mentioned by the media. Nothing, absolutely nothing will be mentioned which might derail this procession to the top. 


  59. JIMBOMARCH 22, 2016 at 00:17 12 0  Rate This 
    I know this might sound daft, what about an advert in an English edition newspaper?  Spread the word.  Create an interest where we don’t have the problems of the Scottish Establishment?  The Independent,  The Guardian.  Two likely friendly ears.


  60. SCOTTC
    MARCH 22, 2016 at 07:19

    Well, that was good! And for some reason, I can’t edit the original. What I meant to say Jimbo is that The Independent is publishing its last issue on Saturday then becomes online only. ‘i‘ will be owned and run by Johnson Press of The Scotsman fame, so no friendly ear there.


  61. Mornings like this make you realise how insignificant we are as individuals, and yet increase my resolve to do what I can to reclaim this world for decent folk. 

    To all in Brussels – stay safe.


  62. Is it worth considering contacting other websites concerned about corruption in football?
    I’m thinking of particular about https://footballleaks2015.wordpress.com which has a very high European readership. They specialise in highlighting the dodgy deals between agents and clubs etc but I think they’d be interested in Resolution 12 for example. They were recently reviewed / interviewed by Der Spiegel so have visibility by mainstream European media.


  63. Folks
    I see a couple of comments about contacting supporter associations and the English media.
    It is being or has been done,
    There is a professional organisation based in England with a sound reputation for justice on tax matters and some media influence who have been following the story with interest.
    Seeds have been planted. No need to over water them.  


  64. “Mike Ashley could be forced to sell his Rangers shares if Newcastle are relegated to the Football League

    The Football League allows ownership of up to 10 per cent of other clubs, including those in Scotland, provided they are “held purely for investment purposes only”.
    However, Rangers are set to argue Ashley’s controversial commercial dealings with the club have been underpinned by his previous investment, including loans.
    And he is more than a casual shareholder at Ibrox where he holds 8.92 per cent of club stock…”
    ================================
    An eye catching headline, declaring ‘good news’ – a.k.a. b*llox straw-clutching – from the ever reliable DR…  19


  65. I am a first time poster and have only really read various blogs for about the last 6 months and have found the depths of deceit and dereliction of duty by the so called governing bodies as totally unbelievable
    It seems that to try to get answers from those in power that the request requires to come from the clubs rather than fans but there seems to be a reluctance for Club members to rock the boat
    However the depth of feeling by fans can easily be made aware to each clubs board via the head of each clubs head of supporters club association which in the case of the larger clubs such as Hearts, Aberdeen, Hibs and especially Celtic should be quite a significant number. Is it Mr O’Rourke who is the chairman in Celtic’s case who could wield the most power in view of their fan base.. I would think that he like all persons in similar capacities, should be making the fans position regarding things like the resolution 12 issue crystal clear and pressurising them to take action as he has the backing of thousands of members who should only be ignored at their peril. There is a mixture of rising anger and despair at their clubs lack of action and failure to stand up for their Fans beliefs and rights. Their is a noticeable groundswell of good loyal footballing people who are ready to turn their back on the game due to the way that matters have been manipulated totally unchallenged by the very people we expect to protect our interests.
    The clubs will no doubt be there long after these so called custodians of our game, but there will also be thousands of fans who will have also gone never to return along with the next generations.
    So despite the best intentions of petitions etc… the responsibility lies with the ordinary fans to put the pressure on their boards   The heads of the Supporters Associations must be in regular contact with their boards so why not get them to address the issues of the fans and then relay the response of the board to the fans on these matters.
    At the end of the day if the clubs turn their backs on their fans then there is unfortunately only one outcome…….


  66. We have tried very hard to get fan groups to join with us – as a start to share some content and give a wider audience to good writing that we have found almost everywhere on fan social media sites.

    Sadly it hasn’t yet borne any fruit. A combination of time constraints on the part of webmasters and some territorial stuff – as well as some distrust of SFM – has conspired to slow progress to a sail’s pace.

    We need a focal point to get everyone to converge on – and I think there are one or two of those possibly taking shape.

    Point is – we have been trying very hard to get organised fan groups onside – and we will continue to do so.

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