Moving On Time?

Football is indeed a funny old game.
In a year of pandemic misery our national sport has lifted the spirits of a tired and cynical nation.
Dominic Cummings is leaving number 10, the Brexit deal hasn’t been done, lockdown is on the horizon in the West of Scotland, etc. BUT all we want to do is talk about and relive our team finally doing the business.

For once lady luck came down on our side.

If we been the team to miss our last penalty and had the Serbians scored then Serbian Football would be £10million plus better off and it would be their team heading for Hampden and Wembley.

We’d still be in the doldrums and a Pandemic-accelerated financial basket case.

Scotland is now in their first finals since France 1998 and the nation is smiling and talking positively.

There is no doubt that Steve Clarke’s influence has been huge and we all owe him a real debt especially the bean counters at Hampden who must have been hiding behind their settees hiding their eyes through extra time and into the shoot-out.

Scotland is playing more like a club team with a binding spirit rather than a group of individuals who have just met, are there for the match fee and want to stay in their previous cliques.

The dark side is never far away though.
Overconfidence is always an issue when Scotland wins a few games.

Journalists are now filling pages talking about our 9 game unbeaten run and digging up statistics from the past about what 10 in a row would mean.

The fact that since we got humped 4-0 by Russia we’ve been playing second and third level teams rather than the big boys is somehow never mentioned as a counterbalance.

That we have qualified after 2 penalty shoot outs with a statistically unlikely 10 out of 10 consecutive strikes is put down to practicing penalty taking better than Israel and Serbia.

The two games in the next 4 days might extend our run or not – it doesn’t really matter.

We have the big prize for now and qualified against the odds.
Records will show the much higher ranked Norway and Serbia teams will be at home.

Ok we’ll be at home too but playing at Hampden and Wembalee.

Scottish Football on the park has rediscovered and is redefining teamwork.

Nothing else in our game or set up has changed
(That is a discussion for many another day though).

The success of our team is to a great extent serendipitous.

It’s not something anyone in a suit at Hampden has facilitated or can take credit for outside of hiring Mr Clarke who as Chic was telling us yesterday was the obvious candidate.

The right manager, Steve has gathered a promising group of players and with them negotiated a series of testing challenges.
The stark reality is sometimes the recent games have been painful to watch but progress in baby steps has been noticeable and we genuinely played well against the more fancied Serbia.

Teamwork has been our bedrock.

Teamwork that has been missing for a long time in our international set up and I would argue throughout our game behind the scenes.

Yes we lost a silly goal at the death but Serbia is some 15 places above us in the FIFA rankings and on the night we were by far the better side.
The same Serbian team that had just returned from Oslo having taken apart the much-vaunted Norwegian side.

Steve Clarke has been the catalyst that has facilitated the unforeseen move from Scotland being a team of self-interested individuals into one with the team spirit.

Yes Steve We Can Boogie.

The Scottish team has moved on and the future is brighter on the international stage.

I understand too why many previously ardent Scots fans had distanced themselves from the team as a personal protest against The SFA and their actions over the last few years.
I get that.
But listening to Ryan and Andy and Lyndon and Steve was enough to demonstrate that these guys are playing for the country and their folks back home and not the blazers or the system.
I buy into their passion and that alone is enough to bring even the stubbornest fans back aboard.

When Big Pink asked me to write a blog about the future of this site a couple of weeks back I said I would like to lurk for a few weeks and do some digging.

I have lurked and gone even further back too.

Top line is the SFM blog is not what it was but you all know that.

Here is Some Feedback

Bit by bit; imperceptibly over the months and years the site has entrenched into the home of the anger and the facts against what John Clark has come to call “The Big Lie”.
Its about how the authorities dealt with the financial collapse of Rangers and set the scene for a series of mayhemic events since.

It’s a big Scottish football story and a good insight into how the game managed itself

But other things have been happening since and football has broken out.

One of you said just yesterday
“This site has become a single issue site only becoming alive when something IBROX is current”.

That is partially true and is something to address because it diminishes what this site can achieve.

The number of posters has eroded since the RTC days and the number of clubs represented by posters has also diminished. The site was always a little Celtic minded but open and welcoming of all clubs at the same time.

Some of that goodwill leaked away in this summer’s SPFL pantomime season when self-interest and the quest for 10 became a subconscious position for some of your group.

The level of politeness and the moderation on the site has however remained a huge asset and is almost unique.

This openness has led recently to one serial troll reappearing after several previous monikers and he/she/they have been playing games with several well know posters. The resultant “dancing on a head of a pin” conversations are not so much “Monitoring Scottish Football” as “doing people’s heads in” and this episode has not helped.
That being said I wish salmon were as easy to hook as some on here.

I don’t think there are enough Headline Blogs like this one and in the past I’ve been told many new blogs are simply skimmed politely and ignored as the discussion reverts to the ongoing various fall outs of the consequences of the infamous secret 5 way agreement and all that has ensued following that particular monumental administrative cock up.

I well remember too and liked Stunney and his papers every morning and even though most of what is written in the back pages of the red tops is there to fill space it was still fun to read.

At the same time there has been so much going on that would have benefitted from the forensic discussion that SFM posters brought to the party.
The court reporting by John Clark, EasyJambo and others has been quite dogged, incredibly insightful and shown up the media on many an occasion.

As the subjects under discussion on SFM became narrower I think the site stopped attracting new blood and also accelerated the departure of valued posters.

The diminishing site then became easier for serial disrupters to play with and the ever-decreasing circles metaphor has probably become a reality.

Finally, the adverts on the site that appeared, as if by magic, a few years ago do not deliver enough revenue to justify the inconvenience to readers.
I can’t read the site on my phone without clicking into people trying to sell me stuff I have no interest in.

That’s just a summary of my views as someone who values what this site has brought over the years.

Is it Time for a Reboot at SFM?

I’d say yes and here are a few suggestions to get you thinking and to start a discussion ahead of Big P and his monitors taking some decisions.

Scottish Football needs an independent conscience.

Scottish Football will be the stronger for it.

SFM can be a huge part of that.

Not all fans will want to be part of it because many just want to support their teams and that is fair enough but without a fan voice and without real analysis of what is really going on all that will happen is we’ll get more of the same that took us into the football wilderness.

And without the right changes even Steve Clarke will run out of steam one day when the penalty gods favour some other side.

So here are 5 ideas for SFM to consider

1 A Regular Blog
This doesn’t have to be written for us like in the past– it can just be a weekly news pick that we highlight to set a discussion agenda.

2 The Creation of a John Clark Wall where we hold the facts about the run up to and the creation of his “big lie”.
Set it all our logically and leave it alone for a future date.
It won’t go away because the action created issues for everyone involved.
It should be constructed for all fans with no jelly and ice cream flavouring.

This action would makes SFM the experts and place to go to read what really happened, helps get that monkey off everyone’s back and can be revisited every February 14th or when something turns up.
It might throw more light too in why we are rejoicing about Scotland getting a £10M windfall from qualifying while nobody is talking about the £80M court case costs heading our way as a nation.
All out of a secret 5 way construct back in 2012 and good for nobody whoever you support.

In the meantime SFM should broaden the discussion on other areas like the dropping of the pyramid, the secrecy inherent at the SFA, SPFL and their JRG, Strict Liability, etc. etc. etc.

3 The return of likes for posts that are good or if you agree but with a difference.
I occasionally post on another site which is free to read for anyone but if you want to post or like another post you have to be registered and all likes show the name of the person who has posted.

4 A consideration for different threads at the same time.

5 No ads.
Sponsorship is fine and banner ads for sponsors too but no commercial links that wheech you off to pastures unknown.

Evolution rather than Revolution

I look forward to the debate and to working with Big Pink and his team.
As chair of the largest Scottish group of fans the SFSA (If you’re not a member please join) I know that the only certainty is that fans will never agree about everything or sometimes even anything.

The tribal and competitive nature of football sets us against each other and causes divisions and disagreements that can become entrenched.
Some would say that is part of the fun of it all.

That being said we do generally agree and care deeply about the following.
We want vision, leadership and most of all fairness and transparency.

All alien words in our game as is.

OK Scotland has qualified for a major championship but our game is still locked in a self-interest framed self-imposed wrestling hold and the fact is that escape will never happen without change.

SFM and SFSA can both be part of that.

452 thoughts on “Moving On Time?


  1. nawlite 23rd November 2020 at 15:37
    …………
    May 30, 2012
    What was decided.
    Decision on transfer of spl share to newco to be made by all 12 clubs, not spl board.
    Increase in sanctions for clubs entering administration.
    Disciplinary action for any clubs failing to pay players on time.
    Instant transfer embargo for any clubs failing to pay HMRC on time Extension of sporting sanctions for clubs whose parent company enters administration.

    Withdrawn.
    fixed two year ten point deduction for clubs whose share is transfered to newco.
    Fixed penalty of 75% of spl income for three years for clubs whose share is transfered to newco. Clubs will instead decide punishment on a case by case basis.
    ……………………
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/scottish-football/10631856/Scottish-football-abandons-plans-to-automatically-relegate-clubs-in-administration.html
    …………………
    Everything will be done to keep any ibrox newco again in the spfl


  2. StevieBC 23rd November 2020 at 20:45
    ….
    Now that would be funny.Just when the ibrox fan base look to see things improving on the field and the hope of a title, how strange would it be if events off field put a stop to it and handed it to celtic.
    Would a we told you be ok, or a you never listen. Or would the blame game once more point outwards?


  3. I can’t see that CO. Too many of the backers have put too much on the line that I’m almost certain they will find a way to keep the lights on and see out the season. Especially with COVID easing some of the rules around payment of taxes etc. Like I said in an earlier post it seems like a final gamble of throw everything at stopping 10 and getting an opportunity to qualify for the CL. I don’t think anyone will be sold in January and maybe not even in the summer. Then when the inevitable crash out of the CL (on the big IF we can win the league) there will be a panic and a fire sale. 
     

    As you point out the chances of us getting to the promised land are so low with the type of teams we would come up against. Add in the pressure on the manager knowing that failure could trigger an insolvency event. As I’ve said it is possible that this could all work out but the chances are low. It’s like going all in on poker with a pair of tens. 


  4. I must say that I like the site as is and I'm not keen on the layout of the example sites. I like the single thread approach – SFM does not seem to have sufficient comments/commenters to justify a multi thread forum.  Also I think that have multiple layers for individual clubs is unnecessary, there are plenty of fan club sites available.  Thanks BallyArgos.

    To keep costs down, I would be pleased if we were transferred to free or low cost hosting and/and forum software – assuming all are able to deploy suitable ad-blocking software.

    Personally I only read my own Club's site – CQN in my case, and this one.


  5. Re. DBD at 22:35 on 22nd

    "From the late 1990s Rangers were operating on a business model of spending your way out of trouble. If only we spend x amount on players the the champions league holy grail will keep us right! We spent money we did not have, had a completely unsustainable business model and only cared about the results on the pitch. It ended in disaster in 2012 and it was lucky that we had enough fan base as to make buying the club viable or I wouldn’t have had a club to follow the last 8 years. We were under no scrutiny by the SFA or the media and although they thought it was for our own good, it was devastating. And the same SFA and same compliant media are doing the same now. Why have there not been more questions about this years terrifying accounts? "
     

    —————————————————————————–

    I think this may be what you meant to say:

    Since about 2015, Sevco have been operating on a business model of spending their way out of trouble. If only we spend x amount on players, win the league, skooosh the qualifiers and the champions league holy grail will keep us right!   Sevco spend money they do not have, had a completely unsustainable business model and only cared about the results on the pitch. It ended in disaster last time, what will happen this time ?  

    Sevco are once again being given a free pass by the SFA, by UEFA and by the media.  It will be devastating.  Why have there not been more questions about this years terrifying accounts? 


  6. Like Jimmy Bones I have no particular desire to see threads for individual clubs. Most of us will probably log in to our own clubs forums for plenty of one-sided comment that is of little interest to others.

    Multiple threads, to my mind, would focus on matters that affect most/a majority of clubs or to those who, while being fans of a certain club, also have an interest in other/wider aspects of the game in Scotland. Issues like overall management of the game, league reconstruction, the National team, how we are at producing domestic talent etc. 

     

    The T’Rangers saga will always have top billing but it would be nice for the site to live up to its name by having informative and intelligent debates about other aspects of the game.


  7. Darkbeforedawn 24th November 2020 at 00:00

    I can’t see that CO. Too many of the backers have put too much on the line that I’m almost certain they will find a way to keep the lights on and see out the season.

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

    It may only be me but that brings on a profound sense of deja vu with regards things that just won't be allowed to happen.


  8. It may only be me but that brings on a profound sense of deja vu with regards things that just won't be allowed to happen.

    I’m not for one minutes saying it wouldn’t happen, I would just be surprised if, we are still in the hunt in new year, that the owners would not find some way of kicking the can down the road another few months until European qualifiers. They’ve managed it for 6 years so it would have to take a really serious impact on the investors personal situations to stop them putting more in in the hope of success. Even the future court cases Im sure would be appealed or stalled to push the can down the road, and the tax man will likely be more lenient than before Covid throughout next year. After the summer all bets are off. 


  9. While I am on I note that despite all the talk of deferring the submission of accounts and inference of hiding the fact that taxes were overdue, the T'Rangers accounts have no real surprises.

    T'Rangers have since 2015 constantly filed their annual accounts to show up in December each year at with Companies House. This year is no different.

    Releasing such news late on a Friday evening is par for the course for the Ibrox club. No one should be surprised.

    The taxes owed referred to by Phil Mac are all there in black and white. As is the acknowledgement that the company has taken advantage of the relaxation and installment payments allowed by HMRC due to Covid. Nothing underhand going on.

    There has been no change of auditors due to them having 'issues' signing off the accounts, just a name bureaucratic title change of the auditing company. 

    The operation is running on soft loans, as indicated by King some years ago and the gamble is wholly based on achieving success on the field and especially getting some money from European competition. The latter is, again, something that has been openly known for years.

    'Rugger guys' contributions are interesting and informative but it really is just what we all know, a great 'can kicking' exercise of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

    I have said for long enough it is a tightrope they are walking and any one or multiple events could topple them. No one can really predict when that could happen as they keep managing to inch along, step by step. It may happen when we least expect it. However there is always the chance they can make it to the other side before the rope snaps.

    The problem is, at present, RIFC Plc are doing nothing 'wrong' in terms operating at a loss in the hope that there is light at the end of the Euro tunnel.

    As discussed elsewhere they may actually benefit from Covid in that the footballing authorities may be less strict in reviewing financial operations of clubs over this period and giving everyone a period of grace.

    It has to be remembered Hearts carried along with circa £20m debt for years before they went into administration.

    Aberdeen were £15.9 m in hock in 2014 when they put together an investment package with new 'soft investors' being brought in. 

    I am sure other clubs have survived along similar lines in the past.

    It is therefore difficult to pinpoint any particular wrong doing going on at Ibrox, even if it morally doesn't smell right when many other clubs are trying their best to simply keep their heads above water.

    T'Rangers are, however clearly pushing everything to the extreme.

     

     

     


  10. Darkbeforedawn 24th November 2020 at 00:00
    As you point out the chances of us getting to the promised land are so low with the type of teams we would come up against. Add in the pressure on the manager knowing that failure could trigger an insolvency event. As I’ve said it is possible that this could all work out but the chances are low. It’s like going all in on poker with a pair of tens.
    ……………..
    House of cards i believe the term Dave king used


  11. wottpi 24th November 2020 at 13:06

    To be honest I was a bit surprised that Dave King was charging them interest at 8% on his recent £5m if that is true.

    Hardly what one would describe as a "soft loan", particularly if it is not to be converted to equity.

    I was also a bit surprised at the predicted shortfall for the next two seasons. There is clearly no intention of changing the way they operate as a business. 


  12. Homunculus 24th November 2020 at 15:15

    To be fair to King he has put more money in that anyone thought he would at the outset.

    Now he has no particular roll in dictating the clubs finances, if true,  it seems reasonable to seek repayment with some form of interest in case the 'you know what' hits the fan. Plus it gives an air of respectability about the whole thing.

    Like King I also can't see Ashley wanting to take any action that may result in his cash cow being killed. A drip drip of cash into your coffers is far better than having to take a pennies for pound deal if you end up crashing the bus.

    As you say,  the model of operation does not look like being altered, so if Park et al want to keep throwing their millions into the hands of others who already have millions then so be it.

    Cant say it would be me, if in that position.

     


  13. wottpi 24th November 2020 at 15:48

    One of the obvious problems with that is that if any one these people find themselves short of cash then they may no longer be in a position to finance their hobby. Which is basically what you are talking about here, rich men's hobby

    We know what happened when Murray's empire started to collapse. 


  14. Homunculus 24th November 2020 at 16:42

    I'm surprised that Park, especially,  has continued to provide funds to the extent he has and be named as the go to guy in the future.

    Seems like madness to me but I have long said when you get to the top of that marble staircase they inject you with some form of substance that causes you to drift away from reality. angry


  15. The other huge question is where were they all back in 2012.

    If they were willing to commit then the way they are just now then the club would probably not have gone into administration and then liquidation.

    It would not have had to spend the tax money it collected, including VAT in order to keep trading. 

    The support must really love what they are doing now, but surely that question must be on their minds as well. 

    Unless everyone thought that Whyte was just the man to shed the debt and rip everyone off and proper people could take over later, once he had done the unpalatable bit.

    That would have to involve really not understanding HMCE’s position, or indeed the strength of feeling of the supporters of other clubs.


  16. https://news.stv.tv/sport/spfl-asks-nicola-sturgeon-for-emergency-meeting-over-fans?top
    ……………….
    The Scottish Professional Football League has made a formal request to meet with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to discuss the return of fans to football grounds.
    ….
    “Make no mistake, failure to get fans back in the very near future will sound the death knell for some of our best-loved clubs and no-one wants that.

    This Death knell Mr Doncaster talks about, what is it he is concerned about? Would if have to be writing up all those new 5 way agreements, or would it be the hastle of league reconstruction proposals thrown into the mix as per usual or would it be having to read another ibrox dossier.


  17. Cluster One 25th November 2020 at 14:16

    '…will sound the death knell for some of our best-loved clubs and no-one wants that.

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

    Is there  misprint , 'some' for 'one' , Cluster One? 

    Mr Doncaster has no doubt read the RIFC plc Annual Report and Accounts, and  I suspect that he fears he will have on his hands another Liquidation from the SPL, and will have to cobble up another sporting fiction should  the feckless, reckless pretendy 'Rangers  of 1872' bite the Administration/Liquidation dust and joins the Rangers of 1872 when it loses its entitlement to play professional football , and some other bunch of chancers sets up a  company, buys the 'assets' dirt cheap, begs for admission into a league as a new football club, and then tries to con  the Market that that new club is the Ranger of 1872!!

    There was no desperate willingness to save innocent clubs from the effects of the football decisions made because of the pandemic!


  18. Cluster One 25th November 2020 at 14:16 

    The Scottish Professional Football League …

    “Make no mistake, failure to get fans back in the very near future will sound the death knell for some of our best-loved clubs and no-one wants that."…

    ===========

    Unless I've missed it, but has the SPFL actually asked the paying customers /  supporters what THEY want?

    Has the SPFL bothered to find out if fans are happy to return as before, or do they have further concerns / questions about how the SPFL can address covid risks inside/outside a stadium?

    Has the SPFL attempted to reassure supporters that they could return safely, if given the ok from the government?

    'Customer focus' remains an unknown term at Hampden.

    smiley


  19. Rip Diego Maradona

     

    Greatest of my generation, perhaps the greatest of all time.

     

    HS

     


  20. paddy malarkey 25th November 2020 at 18:57
    …You would pay just to watch a warm up like that. you just don’t see that in the SPFL;-)


  21. StevieBC 25th November 2020 at 16:42

    '..Has the SPFL attempted to reassure supporters that they could return safely, if given the ok from the government?

    'Customer focus' remains an unknown term at Hampden.'

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

    That's a very interesting question, if I may so, StevieBC.

    Both in relation to  the SPFL  board , and in relation to the  clubs who have been allowed a small number of spectators. 

    Did the clubs which have been allowed to have some supporters at their games actually ask their fan base beforehand  whether they would be willing to attend a match, and provide details of how they planned to ensure 'safety', or did they just assume that their supporters would attend , the minute that they knew they could?

    Likewise, did the SPFL board talk to the SFSA or the (SFA funded!) 'supporters direct 'association about the readiness of fans to return to physically attending games?

    I don't know. They may very well have done.

    Can anyone say for sure?


  22. Cluster One 25th November 2020 at 22:25

    ..You would pay just to watch a warm up like that.'

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

    Cluster One, 

    Mrs C just this very minute came in to the kitchen and I played the wee video clip of yer man's warm-up. 

    She said, 'well, I'm sure there are plenty of circus performers who can do that with a ball'[not an exact quote]

    "So there  may be, my dear," I replied (in that wonderfully affected sexist Victorian way that I can from time to time adopt) " but no way could they transfer that skill onto a football pitch while being hacked and subjected to despairing tackles by less gifted players."

    Mrs C gracefully  having dispensed for me a drop of old Grant's concoction and the merest soupcon of her own little pick-me-up, gracefully went back to the TV room having acknowledged ,in that familiar feminine fashion , the truth of what I had said.

    Those of my readers who are married men of some some years' experience will know , in general terms, what Mrs C said!

     


  23. “Make no mistake, failure to get fans back in the very near future will sound the death knell for some of our best-loved clubs and no-one wants that
    ……………..
    Anyone know what the sound of a death knell sounds like. Sleepless night for Mr Doncaster.


  24. Cluster One 25th November 2020 at 23:27

    ‘..Corruption. that word follows the ibrox club around like a dark rain cloud.’

    “””””””””””””””””””

    And good old Murdo, bang on SFA/SPFL /RIFC plc message 

    “administrators of the company which ran the club”

    Utter nonsense, of the kind expected of ‘politicians’ guarding their arses.

    Honest to God!

    May the likes of Murdo never be my Scottish Parliament representative, as having shown that he buys into an actual, factual sporting untruth!

    Bad cess to his political fortunes on that account.


  25. Silly me! I omitted the source of the item which prompted my  post of 26th November 2020 at 00:28

    It was an article (in  the 'Scotsman' yesterday) by Murdo Fraser , MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife, calling for ' urgent clarity from the Lord Advocate as to what exactly has been going on within the prosecution service'

    He picks and chooses , doesn't he,  what matters he likes to have 'clarity' or truth about?

    He ignores the plain truth that the football club RFC of 1872 ceased to be a shareholder of the SPL and a member of the SFA in 2012, and that TRFC is a football club newly admitted to the SPL in 2012, and does not call for 'clarity' about the Big Lie at the very heart of RIFC plc.

    He also, I think, used his political position to try to influence HMRC's legitimate pursuit of taxes unpaid by arch-cheat SDM?

    Bad cess to him as being, in my opinion ,a supporter of cheating in Sport.

     

     


  26. Gary Holt has resigned as Livingston manager.
    Leeann Dempster has resigned as the chief executive of Scottish Premiership side Hibernian
    ………….
    Busy day for resignations in scottish football.


  27. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55091790
    A seven-figure sum of television money has yet to be paid to the 42 SPFL clubs by the league because the company’s accounts have not yet been signed off.
    In six of the past 10 years, the figures have been announced before December.
    The SPFL hope to publish the accounts by the end of December, with the final deadline for filing them in February 2021.
    …..
    Still enough time during a pandemic to get them signed off then?


  28. I post this with a heavy heart, but Neil Lennon’s sadly untenable position  (by no stretch of the imagination all self inflicted as there are significant mitigating factors – not the least of which is player attitude) can, for me, be summed up in the title of this blog (but without the question mark)…

    Moving on Time


  29. Cluster One 26th November 2020 at 17:56

    '..The SPFL hope to publish the accounts by the end of December, with the final deadline for filing them in February 2021.'

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

    Like master, like servant! 

    Easy to see how RIFC plc can delay and bugger about with publication of their accounts, if  that whore of a 'governance' body (the SPFL), which  sold its sordid self to them by being party to the 5-Way agreement, has trouble sorting its own accounts!

    Honest to God! We are hard done by, what with lies and incompetence both, especially the lies.

     

     


  30. Cluster One 26th November 2020 at 17:43

    ‘..Leeann Dempster has resigned .’

    “””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

    Oh, has she been tapped up to replace Robertson?


  31. My post at 00.31 refers:

    I wrote that before I read what the 'Sun' had to say about the lady not being interested in another football move.

    And this:

    '.Owner Ron Gordon stressed he did NOT want Dempster to leave – but understands her reasons for doing so"

    God Almighty, how the whole feckin 'Rangers saga' of lies and deceit and double-dealing and absence of integrity has turned me into a cynic!

    Was Ms Dempster given her jotters? And are the honeyed words of Gordon mere conventional business PR[= lying]speak?

    Who knows?

    And who, at the end of the day, cares about the fortunes of any of the people involved in Scottish Football ownership or executive management or (God save the mark!) 'governance' of a corrupt sport?

    I don't; except to hope that any of them involved in deceit or by their silence tacitly supporting the  abandonment of sporting integrity are justly 'punished'

     

     

     

     

     


  32. John Clark 26th November 2020 at 13:10
    Silly me! I omitted the source of the item which prompted my post of 26th November 2020 at 00:28

    It was an article (in the ‘Scotsman’ yesterday) by Murdo Fraser , MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife, calling for ‘ urgent clarity from the Lord Advocate as to what exactly has been going on within the prosecution service’

    He picks and chooses , doesn’t he, what matters he likes to have ‘clarity’ or truth about?
    ……………..
    He was a Debenture seat holder.


  33. There is an interesting (English) Court of Appeal judgment in my email inbox today.

    The case is 'Beckwith-v-Solicitors Regulation Authority.'[ neutral citation [2020]EWHC 3231(Admin)] Case number CO/658/2020 , if anyone wants to look it up in BAILLII.

    The judgment is interesting to me not in itself, but because there is within it a reference to the judgment in another case, in which the judge summarised case law in relation to 'professional integrity and honesty'. 

    The reference is made at para 29 in today's judgment, and the quotation is from Lord Justice Rupert Jackson's summarisation of the state of case law relating to 'professional integrity and honesty…'

    " [101] The duty to act with integrity applies not only to what professional persons say, but also to what they do.. It is possible to give many illustrations of what constitutes acting without integrity. For example, in the case of solicitors:

     (i)  …….

    (ii)..Recklessly,  but not dishonestly, allowing a Court to be misled…….

    (iii)……..

    (iv)…..

    (v)……..

    (vi)  Making false representations on behalf of the client "  

    I immediately thought of Lord Bannatyne's mistaken view ( in his judgment in the Kinloch betting case appeal) that CG 's consortium had bought Rangers Football Club out of Administration and were therefore the new owners of Rangers Football Club plc of 1872, and not of a club newly admitted to the SFL in 2012

    I wonder now: was he 'recklessly' (but not dishonestly) 'allowed to be misled' on a matter of fact  in that he was not corrected by those who, I believe,  knew the true facts and was allowed to proceed on the basis that Rangers Football Club plc of 1872 foundation  had not entered Liquidation but had been brought out of Administration and that the CG consortium was the new owner of Rangers of 1872. 

    I take it as an absolute certainty that no judge in the UK, made aware of all the relevant facts, would assert that RFC 2012 (IL) is not the club known shortly before  as Rangers Football Club plc which suffered the insolvency event of Liquidation in 2012, and which the Liquidators are still dealing with.

    [ If such a thing were to happen, then TRFC of 2012 , owned by RIFC plc of 2012, would be being chased up for the debts that the disgraced Board of RFC of 1872 dodged out of by declaring the club bust, and entering into a (failed) Administration, followed by Liquidation.

    It would be very squeaky bum time at the top of the marble staircase]

     

     


  34. Cluster One 27th November 2020 at 16:01

    ‘..He was a Debenture seat holder.’

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

    I didn’t know that, Cluster One. 

    It partly explains his anxiety that HMRC should have been more prepared to help, by ‘accommodating” a CVA! 

    ( I would have thought that such influential folk as he might have been quietly ‘accommodated ‘ by the RIFC plc board with a free pass for home games?)

     


  35. If Sevco win the league this season – which if the board of the Champions do not take the requisite action, they surely will – what are the equations regarding potential Champions League numbers IF they qualify for the group stages? 

    How does this differ from the Europa League? In hard cash?

    Though Gerrard has been highly over-rated as a coach personally, his coaching TEAM has proven themselves highly capable at achieving positive results – if not in terms of domestic trophies – certainly at the European stage.

    Correct me if I’m wrong, but this season’s SPL winners – be that Celtic or Sevco – enter at the 3rd qualifying round meaning TWO ties in navigate in the weaker ‘Champions path’ route to the lucrative group stage.

    I am not a believer that underestimating your opponents is a productive approach to overcoming them.  Benfica have become the latest of sides that the team currently playing out of ibrox have bettered over two legs. Only Bayer Leverkusen, Young Boys and Spartak Moscow have bucked that trend in 3 campaigns so far.

    IF they receive a licence to compete in Europe next season, which is no guarantee given sevco’s recent financials in my opinion, then a league success is more than likely going to result in a Champions League bounty.

    What is the quantum of that? Would they DARE to gamble by retaining playing assets on the chance that such a windfall would arrive? Nothing surprises me with that 8 year old outfit, as was the case with their predecessor.


  36. "Covid in Scotland: Forres Mechanics take break from league

    For the first time in more than 100 years, Forres Mechanics will not be competing in a league season due to ongoing concerns over the risks of Covid-19.

    The Mechanics – which at the time meant simply those involved in manual labour or a trade – were formed in 1884, making them the oldest existing football club in the north of Scotland…"

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-55085490


  37. Update on migration process folks. We have as you know, put a stop to the ads meantime, and we have also broken into the piggy bank to purchase the Forum software I spoke about last week. 

    I have now installed it, but there is a bit of configuration required before we can go to Beta testing 🙂

    More soon


  38. "Paul Murray admits Rangers were 'broken into a thousand pieces' as former director opens up on 'double-whammy' departure

    Murray insists the rebuilding job at Ibrox took its toll…"

    https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/paul-murray-admits-rangers-were-23083874

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

    The selfless Paul Murray giving a very skewed account of his role in 'saving' the Ibrox club – and with only a glancing reference to his part in the liquidation of RFC.

    After a few years of silence, why has he suddenly popped up in the media now?

    I'm sure it's a just a coincidence that TRFC is leading by a margin at the top of the league…  indecision

     


  39. StevieBC 28th November 2020 at 16:48
    https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/paul-murray-admits-rangers-were-23083874
    …….
    And he admits the likes of himself, Dave King and the so called ‘Three Bears’ did make genuine errors in the operation to rebuild following the chaotic Craig Whyte and Charles Green eras.
    He told the Daily Mail : “Listen, there have obviously been mistakes along the way and I have always said that.
    We were going to make mistakes because we are only human beings.
    ……………….
    Anyone got any quotes from Mr Murray when he said he made a mistake and what the mistakes were?
    …………….
    But despite a recent £15.9m loss posted in the annual Ibrox accounts, Murray believes his successors delivering a Scottish Premiership title this season would make it all worth.

    And there it is in all it’s glory, run up as much debt as you want as long as you win the title. That was Mr Murrays thinking back in 2012, he has learned nothing from that approach from the old club.


  40. Cluster One 28th November 2020 at 19:21

    And there it is in all it’s glory, run up as much debt as you want as long as you win the title. That was Mr Murrays thinking back in 2012, he has learned nothing from that approach from the old club.

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

    As Forrest Gump put it;

    "Stupid is as stupid does!"

    We've often joked that those who walk up the marble staircase must be injected with something, which brings on 'Rangersitis'.

    I'm now starting to think that something is actually removed from individuals when they reach the top of the Ibrox staircase…  enlightened


  41. StevieBC 28th November 2020 at 20:33

    Every penny they possess and a bit more ,


  42. paddy malarkey 28th November 2020 at 21:40

    '..Every penny they possess and a bit more ,'

    __________________________

    Very good, pm. broken heart

     


  43. And, afore I go to my kip, I had a wee smile at this: 

    “Steven Naismith, one of the players who chose not transfer his contract to the new company under TUPE regulations, justified his position by stating that he had no loyalty to the new regime.[84] Five years later, Naismith retracted his comments and said he had been poorly advised over the situation at Rangers.[85]

    It took only 24 hours before James Traynor retracted his journalistic view about the end of 140 years of history!

    Honest to God what were they all  all about? 

    Lies, mistruths, obfuscation, threats,
    cringing Governance bodies afraid to act with integrity,

    QCs warbling on about ‘the essence’, the ‘what it’s all about’ of a dead football club,

    a Press wholly partisan and happily propagandising a lie….?

    A judge making an ill-informed statement that a liquidated legal entity is still in business ,free of the debt that caused it to be liquidated?

    Strange new world we live in. 

    And may I say, bad cess to each and every liar involved- in football, in media, or in the legal profession. 

    Honest to God, they need to get a grip on themselves!

    Oh! a good grip is important

     

     

     

     


  44. The bottom line is that as long as there are rich men willing to consistently put millions of pounds into the failing business, and the footballing authorities allow them to do it then they can keep this going for as long as it takes. 

    The desire to feel superior to everyone else clearly doesn't have a maximum price.


  45. The scenes from Parkhead are frightening . Nicola will not be pleased , and the rest of us may suffer .


  46. Well I've regularly had a whinge at both the SFA and SPFL for deliberately avoiding any meaningful engagement with the paying punters…  so I can't ignore the fact that my own club, CFC, is paying the price for similar behaviour.

    The club treated the fans, IMO, abysmally with its delaying tactics with – and then opposition to – Res.12 / 11.  

    The club mismanaged the recruitment process for filling the permanent manager position and the fans aren't happy.

    Generally, you'd think that any 'normal' sporting governing bodies – and clubs themselves – would want to be more in tune with their paying customers…???


  47. StevieBC 30th November 2020 at 11:07
    Generally, you’d think that any ‘normal’ sporting governing bodies – and clubs themselves – would want to be more in tune with their paying customers…???
    …………….
    Only when you stop paying will they play a different tune.Until now most were happy to follow the pied piper without asking the questions.


  48. I haven't seen much footage of the protests at CP last night but I daresay the polis will lift anyone who was breaching the peace and in the unlikely event they took the opportunity to have a word about social distancing so much the better.

    I do hope though that no-one was charged with being part of an illegal protest. The right to peaceful protest is fundamental to the right of freedom of speech and expression in a democracy and making protests illegal at any time, let alone during the time of COVID and Brexit is a little too close to fascism for my liking.

    I am not a conspiracy theorist or a tin foil hat wearer.


  49. paddy malarkey 30th November 2020 at 18:20

    As I say, I daresay the polis will lift anyone who has breached the peace.  My point is that a law making all protests illegal has, for all of my lifetime, been a strategy used by authoritarian regimes to keep public dissent in check, and it is a big step to introduce such a law in this country.


  50. macfurgly

    To prevent large gatherings during a pandemic in a tier 4 area isn’t IMO close to facisim, it’s a common sense protocol……However, as I mentioned months ago, I think it plain and obvious that we are heading in a increasingly dystopian direction, eg. what’s happening with Julian Assange and things like The Integrity Initiative.

    For some, the emotions that surround the winning or losing of 10IAR may move them to (violent) protest without taking into consideration the pandemic protocols but you can’t credibly start pointing to them, almost as civil rights defenders or a good example within the broader point you are making and I agree with (just not in this case or any group of unhappy footballs fans whose team lost a match).

    Regards the blog, the broader point I made when previously touching on this was that if you seriously want to drive change, you have to aim high. Nevermind, a sense of priority as you look at your (grand)children and their future.

    When Peter and the PLC rebuff Res11/12 for a final time in a couple of weeks, ask yourself why and go beyond the simple bottomline/shareholder interest answer. IMO, you have to back around 40 years ago as to when there was a pronounced economic culture change.

    Since then, it’s been an increasingly heavy and powerful runaway train with a relatively subtle and hidden from view, ‘boiling a frog’ approach.

    Scottish fitbaw in the first half of the 80’s were a time when Aberdeen and Dundee Utd were very successful, then the rule about retaining home gate receipts more or less closed that door and the game is poorer for it.

    Carrots dangled, fear of being left behind, sheer greed, divide and conquer tactics, etc…. result in policies of self-interest (eg. Omnishambles I) instead of what was the working persons game taking a more representative approach.

    I’m not proud of the part played by Campbell Ogilive in setting up the Champions League. It was just another step towards a bad place where there is no real competition. But it isn’t just football, it’s the prevalent economic culture.


  51. dave king sells shares 

    • 59 minutes ago
    •  
    • #1

    Press Release – 1st December 2020
    Club 1872 can today announce that former Rangers Chairman, Dave King has agreed to sell his entire shareholding in Rangers International Football Club (RIFC) Plc to Club 1872. The sale, when complete, will make Club 1872 the largest, single shareholder in RIFC Plc.
    The structure of the deal gives Club 1872 three years to complete the purchase – with the opportunity to purchase the entire shareholding prior to December 2021 for a price of 20p per share which is below Dave’s cost. Club 1872 will aim to create over 20,000 legacy members of the organisation, each of whom will retain a lifetime vote on the shares held in RIFC.
    It has also been agreed with the RIFC Board that both Club 1872 and Dave King will have the right to participate in any impending share issue of RIFC. This means that, should Rangers require it, they will continue to be supported by Club 1872 contributors’ donations to Club 1872 for the term of the agreement and that the combined shareholding need not be diluted as long as Club 1872 has funds available to participate.
    Dave King said,
    “During regime change and throughout my Chairmanship I have advocated for increased supporter influence at the shareholder level and I provided opportunities for Club 1872 to participate in every share issue that was undertaken. I did this partly to express my appreciation to those supporters and supporter groups who actively assisted me in securing regime change and partly to ensure that all supporters (whether shareholders or not) retain an influential voice in directing the affairs of their Club. It is my sincere hope that “Never Again” will supporters become as disconnected and disempowered as they were at the time of my re-engagement with the Club over 6 years ago.
    After completion of my service as Chairman I took time to consider how I can create a final legacy by giving supporters – including future generations – substantial shareholder influence for the first time in the almost 150 years history of our Club. The time to launch a “Never Again” campaign is now.
    I made it repeatedly clear that I reinvested in the Club somewhat reluctantly and only because without my support it was proving impossible for local Scottish supporters to martial sufficient financial resources to save Rangers from the impending doom that was unavoidable at that time. In addition I committed to investing further and doing whatever else it took (e.g. getting rid

    of Sports Direct/Mike Ashley) to see Rangers competing for Scottish titles and in Europe. That is firmly the case now.
    As I look forward I must recognise that my family is based in South Africa and I cannot be certain as to what approach they would take to owning shares in the Club when I can no longer influence this. After considering the possible options I concluded that the only meaningful way I could deliver enduring supporter influence in my absence would be to allow supporters – via Club 1872 – to increase their influence at shareholder level by acquiring my shares over a period of time that is considered to be achievable by Club 1872.
    I do not intend to profit from my efforts over the last 6 years to save our Club, even though the Club is now substantially more valuable partly through my efforts. I am happy that supporters get this increased value as without them we would not have achieved the full recovery that was completed with the recent fund raise.
    I have agreed therefore to transfer my shares to Club 1872 at my historical cash cost of acquisition (which includes professional fees) and to allow Club 1872 a period of three years to build up the supporter backing that will be necessary to achieve this. My all-in cost is 23.7p per share and I am willing to put a pricing structure in place that accommodates 20p as the initial price to be consistent with the present share issue and, at Club 1872’s request, I have included an option for Club 1872 to buy all of the shares at 20p which would result in a loss to me. In my view the shares are presently worth in excess of 50p if properly valued.
    I have coined the term “Never Again" as I truly believe that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to make supporters – in perpetuity- the number one shareholder in the Club. Fortunately, the present Board supported me in my vision to see an increased shareholder influence for our fans but we cannot be sure of the fondness for this by future directors. The time to achieve this is therefore now.
    Through my engagement with Club 1872 and its present board members (who are all dedicated volunteers) I have developed great trust in the individuals and the organisation. I have personally witnessed the strong benefit to the Club of having a collective voice for supporters at the shareholder level. It has been beneficial to have in Club 1872 a supporter group that is willing to challenge the Club when it feels necessary to do so and is also willing to support the Board when key resolutions that protect the Club need to be passed. Club 1872 did that extremely well during my period as Chairman to the extent that I have

    absolute confidence that Club 1872 is the right vehicle for me to work with to advance supporter shareholder ownership – both now and in the future.
    I would urge Rangers supporters to join Club 1872 today and ensure that the events of 2012 can “Never Again” be repeated."
    Club 1872 Director, Laura Fawkes said,
    “This is a huge moment for both Club 1872 and the Rangers support. We are very grateful to Dave King for his faith in Club 1872 and the Club 1872 Board and for his ongoing commitment to ensuring that the ownership structure of Rangers remains a very healthy mix of wealthy individuals and the wider supporter base.
    As Club 1872 Directors, we are very proud to present this opportunity to the Rangers support. We now need over 20,000 Rangers supporters to take up the baton, join Club 1872 and ensure that the events of 2012 can never happen again. It would be a seminal moment for both Rangers Football Club and the supporters if we could achieve the position of being the largest shareholder in Rangers in time for the 150th anniversary of the club in 2022.
    The rebuilding of the Club, largely overseen by the Rangers Board under Dave King’s Chairmanship, has been remarkable – from the position in 2012 to once again challenging for domestic titles and in European competition. Club 1872 can continue to assist with that process whilst ensuring that the wellbeing of the club remains at the centre of decision making in the longer term.
    We fully understand the financial pressures that supporters are under in the current economic climate, and the huge contribution they have already made to Rangers this season through season ticket sales and merchandise. But, if they can dig deep one more time and join Club 1872 today as legacy members, then over the next couple of years we can together ensure that the club will remain in safe hands for generations to come."

     

    where did they get the money?


  52. Big Dave has over 66 million shares , so Club 1872 needs to find about £13.5 million over 3 years to buy them , plus whatever else is required to avoid dilution if there is a share issue . A big ask in the current climate , imo .


  53. King does have a sense of humour after all;

    “…I do not intend to profit from my efforts over the last 6 years to save our Club, even though the Club is now substantially more valuable partly through my efforts…”

    In his own head, this will be justification for ‘only’ charging 20p a share.

    Did he sell Club1872 a bridge as well…?  enlightened


  54. Club* 1872 or the Mugs of Last Resort . Why would King sell up at 20p or 23.7p depending on how his words are interpreted when in his opinion they are worth 50p and why would the  Directors not bite his hand off at this magnanimous offer?. The Board want rid of King . With his cold shoulder he is a massive negative to the business , despite being off the board he is still the largest shareholder and a person of significant control. The other investors seem only willing to put in the bare minimum to keep the club* afloat and 13.5m is above and beyond the call of duty. There is also a limit to the amount of shares they can have without triggering another takeover offer. King's own business is not doing too well and raising liquidity may be a priority at the moment even if it is on a 3 year purchase agreement. If Club1872 are daft enough to sign up to it then they could be legally on the hook for 13.5m regardless of what happens . Either King is desperate for cash or he knows things at Ibrox are more perilous than even the accounts are exposing . I cannot imagine the other shareholders will be happy with the fans having such a large position and this may just be King trying to force them into a buyout in order to avoid that scenario. All that remains is for 20 000 extra mugs to join club 1872 and pledge loadsamoney on the never never so Dave can get outta jail free . As long as there's not a financial collapse in the economy everything will be just fine. 


  55. Brexit: New entry criteria agreed for EU players coming to England

    All overseas players joining English clubs must qualify for entry through a points-based system when the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December.

    Points will be awarded for senior and youth international appearances, club appearances and the pedigree of the selling club.

    The Football Association, the Premier League and the English Football League have come together to agree the plan.

    Clubs will also not be able to sign overseas players until they are 18.

    Signings of overseas players aged under 21 will be limited to three in the January transfer window and six per season after that.

    Post-Brexit, English clubs will not be able to sign players freely from the European Union, and the new system sets out the rules for transfers once the transition period ends.

    • What effect could Brexit have on football transfers?
    • What happens next with Brexit as 31 December approaches?

    The proposal from the FA, Premier League and EFL – which will see players given a governing body endorsement (GBE) – was submitted to the UK government in November and has now been approved by the Home Office.

    In the women's game, the entry requirements will not take youth international appearances, nor the selling club's progression in European competitions, into account.

    All transfers of male and female players will be sanctioned using a points-based system, which is already in place for non-EU players without the right to work in the UK.

    Players who accrue the required amount of points will earn a GBE automatically, while players just outside the requirements may be considered for a GBE by an exceptions panel.

    The system means Brexit should not "damage the success" of the Premier League or the "prospects of the England teams", according to Premier League chief executive Richard Masters.

    "Continuing to be able to recruit the best players will see the Premier League remain competitive and compelling," he said.

    "The solution will complement our player development philosophy of the best foreign talent alongside the best homegrown players."

    Analysis

    Dan Roan, BBC sports editor

    This has been seen in some quarters as a victory for the FA, which always saw the restrictions that Brexit would impose on clubs making signings from the EU as an opportunity to boost the selection chances of homegrown talent – and therefore help future England teams.

    Why? Well under the new entry rules, European players will have to acquire 15 points to gain a 'GBE' and be allowed to sign for a top-flight club. Originally the Premier League had wanted this threshold to be just nine points – meaning it would be easier clubs to sign promising young players. The FA, meanwhile, had pushed for it to be 18 points, making it harder, and therefore preventing the market being flooded with overseas talent at the expense of English players.

    It appears that with 15 points being settled on, the Premier League has had to compromise more than the FA. Certainly the ban on the signing of under-18s and restrictions on under-21 transfers will have a major impact on some clubs. There will be concerns that this could weaken the quality of the league, and drive up prices for English players, putting more of an emphasis on academy recruitment.

    But the Premier League believes that the criteria for gaining points have been sufficiently softened, a decent compromise has been reached, and that its clubs will largely be able to sign the talent they want to.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55152637

     


  56. I note that on the Club 1872 website they are already geared up to buy King’s shares.

    They are effectively aiming for 20,000 ‘Legacy members’ donating £500 as either a one-off donation or paying it up over 10 or 25 months. (So £10m) 

    They will of course recognise this will all be going straight back into Dave’s pocket and even if they do manage to buy all the shares they may then be expected to replace Park et al as the ‘go to guys’ to make up the difference caused by any loses in future annual accounts?

    The ‘difference’ is currently reported as  £8.8m to get to the end of this season and a further £14.4 to get to the end of next season. So if such a situation was to continue or arise in the future (say a poor Euro run)  that means a further £1,160 per legacy member.

    All for fan ownership but when you are talking such big numbers you really have to make sure your heart isn’t ruling your head.

     


  57. So his Glibness wants to ensure the clumpany is in safe hands for many years to come and is willing to sell his shareholding which he values at £33m, for less than half that! What a guy.

     

    No need for Club 1872 to concern themselves with;

    Huge operating shortfalls for this season and next.

    Outstanding Tax arrears

    Outstanding deferred salaries??

    Outstanding transfer fees pre June 2020

    Outstanding transfer fees post June 2020

    Outstanding compensation to Mike Ashley

    Outstanding compensation to Mark Warburton??

    Outstanding loans to Laird

    Outstanding loans to Close Brothers??

    I'm sure there are other liabilities/potential liabilities I have missed?

     

    No, step right up peepul and grab your snake oil, errr I mean, bargain shares. The philanthropic Dave wants oot to spend more time with his family.

    I wonder if Club 1872 would be interested in some magic beans I have for sale???

       


  58. sannoffymesssoitizz 2nd December 2020 at 01:04

    Can’t say I am a fan of Brexit but from a domestic footballing view I think the stance taken by the English is one to be admired.

    The production of young Scottish talent, both players and coaches, is very poor considering we appear to have a well respected set up for coaches from all around the world to come to Scotland to do their badges.

    On a Hearts forum I found that Ian Cathro is back working with Nuno Santo at Wolves. They 1st met at a SFA course. 

    Just wondering how many other coaches around Europe have been through the SFA coaching system but why we ourselves do not appear to be producing coaches and players of any particular note?

    At the same time other small sized nations provide us with evidence of far more technically gifted players and coaches with a bit of tactical nous that anything we have to offer.

    The whole thing needs an overhaul but maybe a restriction on foreign talent may focus the minds a bit!


  59. I think Memorial Walls have a valid claim for 1.3m and Hummel and Elite will be seeking damages as well. One story that has gone quiet is the issue with the roofs. King did acknowledge there were problems but the extent of those wasn't mentioned or any clarification if the work had been completed. The claim was that the roofs on 3 sides needed removed for the work to be done which obviously hasn't happened. As well as the outstanding loan to Laird there is the 400k/yr interest plus whatever interest is due to Close for their loan. It seems strange that some shareholders are willing to lend money and convert them to shares rather than use the money to pay off the loans . The winter months are probably the worst time to be out with the collecting tin and with the economy in such dire straights it's certainly having an effect on many peoples income.

    Interesting points regarding Brexit , I don't see many if any plus points for football although home grown players may come back into fashion which should help the National team eventually. 


  60. "As I look forward I must recognise that my family is based in South Africa and I cannot be certain as to what approach they would take to owning shares in the Club when I can no longer influence this."

     

    If only there was an Alexander Graham Bell and an Internet created.

    " I have included an option for Club 1872 to buy all of the shares at 20p which would result in a loss to me. In my view the shares are presently worth in excess of 50p if properly valued."

     

    If only there was a NOMAD and the stock exchange to trade on to get the valued 50p, what a conman and what gullible fans who follow the tribute act if they take up this offer.


  61. wottpi 2nd December 2020 at 10:40

    3

    3

    Rate This

    I note that on the Club 1872 website they are already geared up to buy King’s shares.

    They are effectively aiming for 20,000 ‘Legacy members’ donating £500 as either a one-off donation or paying it up over 10 or 25 months. (So £10m)
    …………………..
    Back in 2018 club 72 wanted to have 50,000 members. I take it that they have not reached that number yet.
    https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/15898584.rangers-q-club-1872-1million-share-issue-fundraising-drive-ashley-share-purchase-board-representation-fan-ownership/
    ……………………
    Note: All legacy donations are ring-fenced purely for purchasing shares through our legacy campaign or from RIFC via future share issues. These legacy donations are not subject to alteration. They will be split 95% for shares and 5% for administration costs.
    95% goes straight in to kings pocket if they can keep up the payments.


  62. Timtim

    Club* 1872 or the Mugs of Last Resort…. 

     

    ====%%%====

     

    Generally, football fans when buying shares, are making an emotional investment rather than with an eye on financial gain so your derogatory comment isn't really called for.

    IMO, whilst cashflow is always a consideration for 99% of people, the main driver in this particular offer is his age. Whether Club 1872 / (new) members deem it wise or are able to come up with such a huge sum of collective money at a time of general economc strife is IMO, probably doubtful.

     

    Dave King comes in for a lot of stick on here and his way of doing business can sail close to the wind and occasionally beyond. However, his own business decisions seem to be about weighing up risks/situations very carefully and precisely over relatively long periods. He doesn't get everything right but he can be quite good at it, even if it wll sometimes includes forecasting legal proceedings.  

    Touching on DK medium to long term strategy from 2015 and the SFM interpretation of the recent publication of accounts. I'd like to put my tuppence worth forward.

    In 2015, DK talked of a strategy to run the club on structured losses for up to and around 5 years which would be financed by himself and other willing investors. During this time, efforts would be made to improve the club infrustructure, very much including the footballing operation to a point where you had a modern football club able to break-even and occasionally make a profit.

    Fast forward 5 years and I can see the vision taking shape regards the infrastucture and the footballing operation. But the large losses continue and two main factors come to mind, Covid19 and stopping 10IAR.

    Many on here have said, it's similar or the same as always regards Rangers spending money they don't have, which inevitably leads to an unviable point of disaster. I don´t agree, it is very different.

    Simply put, value has been added. Walter Smith would generally recruit proven players with little to no resale value. We would do well domestically but be very inconsistent in Europe. Today, we have a football operation that is competent and player recruitment/trading is seen as a huge part of  reaching a breakeven point.

    So you have Ross Wilson managing that and a modern coaching set-up that actually improves players and can get a collective tune out of them.

    Next season Scottland has 2 CL spots, so the opportunity will be there (Covid permitting) to go for the group stages (under SG, Rangers have played 19 EL qualifying matches and are unbeaten). ie. there is a fair chance of CLGS qualification but obviously no guarantee. On top of European income, player sales will kick in and for the first time in many, many years…we actually have a plethora of attractive options to sell on.

    Celtic's recent published accounts depended on the sale of one player (Tierney). This year, like Rangers, it seems the pressures involved with 10IAR meant they suspended such sales.

    Another thing that was laughed at on here was when DK came up with the (para)phrase regards Celtic, folding like a pack of cards. Whilst this season is far from finished and 5 points is still only a small gap, I don't think they will be so much mirth on the subject just now.

    When doing the corporate stuff in the Hampden shower, Peter and the PLC moved back in time to where the football operation wasn't so modern/competent and the projected value added would be at risk. This should serve as a warning to Rangers, when the time comes that SG&Co move on.

     


  63. I think it's worth bearing in mind that the Rangers support aren't being asked to buy shares here.

    20,000 of them are being asked to gift £500 each so that a company (CIC) can buy those shares. 

    As far as I am aware Club 1872 doesn't have 20,000 members, in fact possibly less than half of that. 

    To get all of them to pay in £500, and another10,000 or more to pay it is going to be some going.


  64. Homunculus 2nd December 2020 at 22:25
    ………..
    To get all of them to pay in £500, and another10,000 or more to pay it is going to be some going.
    …………..
    Add a season ticket european tickets my gers scheme.
    Then what happens if club 72 just can’t make the payments, they have been around since 2016 and i also don’t think they have 20,000 members.


  65. Homunculus 22.25

    As far as I am aware Club 1872 doesn’t have 20,000 members, in fact possibly less than half of that.

    =========
    Apparently their membership is around 7k
    A few if’s and buts here too, fex: if someone else comes in before the 36months ? period and buys DK’s shares


  66. reasonablechap 2nd December 2020 at 20:37
    Fast forward 5 years and I can see the vision taking shape regards the infrastucture and the footballing operation. But the large losses continue and two main factors come to mind, Covid19 and stopping 10IAR.

    Many on here have said, it’s similar or the same as always regards Rangers spending money they don’t have, which inevitably leads to an unviable point of disaster. I don´t agree, it is very different.

    Next season Scottland has 2 CL spots, so the opportunity will be there.
    obviously no guarantee.
    folding like a pack of cards.
    and the SFM interpretation of the recent publication of accounts.
    …….
    Today, we have a football operation that is competent and player recruitment/trading is seen as a huge part of reaching a breakeven point.

    When was the last time they made a profit on a player?
    ……………..
    Looking at the accounts, and the money needed to see out the season and the money needed for next season before a ball is even kicked. looking at an unseeded club trying to reach the CL group stages, looking at player sales that made a profit?
    Again obviously no guarantee.

    Touching on DK medium to long term strategy from 2015.
    AD Hoc he called it, and it still looks the same today with even more loses.


  67. Celtic as we know have posted decent financial accounts over many a year.

    The club has cash in the bank.

    It has a good record of selling players to keep the bank balance in order.

    They have had unprecedented domestic success.

    However their Euro record is variable and unpredictable to say the least, as this season shows.

    By what logic would you believe a Johnny come lately running on fumes will fare any better.

    A Euro loss, the selling of an influential player, the manager going to a bigger club/league (a la Rodgers), etc etc all make the folding like a pack of cards far more likely down Ibrox way than any other club in Scotland.

    The fact that over the next few years any spare income from dedicated fans could be heading to South Africa, as opposed to into the club coffers, just makes the financial situation worse.

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