The outbreak of internecine warfare at RIFC is being acted out through a real pea-soup fog right now. The war is being fought on so many fronts that it is difficult to see just exactly how many armies are involved, and how the alliances are shaping up.
Craig Mather would appear to be in the Charles Green camp, but it is difficult to imagine that he would be happy to hear old blunderbuss-mouth peppering Ally McCoist with shot. McCoist’s in-character but inelegant riposte, whilst a valiant attempt at deflection and self-preservation, put his mentor and chairman, Walter Smith in a rather awkward position. It gives Mather a double headache as he tries to head off Clyde Blowers boss Jim McColl – and his blowhard ally Paul Murray – at the EGM-pass.
If Mather stands by Green, and Smith does the same for McCoist, then the two main officers of the company will be in opposite, and hostile, camps.
As I say, making sense of it is difficult, but one thing is as clear as an empty window frame: the acrimony, which has been in existence for months, is only now being aired in public because the season ticket drive is over. The one policy that the warring factions have been in agreement with is “Not in Front of the Children”.
Now that the fans have been compelled to buy season tickets in substantial numbers through a mixture of fear, loyalty and a never-ending stream of press spin telling them that “Rangers are on the cusp of greatness if only the supporters cough up”, it seems acceptable that the real war can begin – but what is the prize?
There can be little doubt that all of the factions are aware that a conservative business model is necessary if Rangers are to establish themselves in Scottish football – certainly a more conservative one than that followed by RFC (IL). I infer therefore that the war is not over a Murray vs McCann approach. My best guess is that the war is one of ideals – between one faction which aims to make as much money in the short term as possible, and another which, whilst not averse to a bit of nest-feathering, sees the health of the club and the notion of a continuity Rangers as paramount.
The trouble for Rangers fans is that it is the former faction which holds all the cards – all the shares in fact. I think that all fans of the game of football would hope that people with football at heart would win out here, irrespective of what their partisan loyalties dictate on a day to day basis.
The problem for either warring faction is that the loyalty of the Rangers fans is finite. The “long road (back)” to the top is one which might engage them for while. It is a great journey which is not without its rewards and adventure, but expectations will be massive if and when they get to the top league. When the acceleration of progress meets the buffers of premier championship aspiration, gate money will be in the front passenger seat. Managing unrealistic expectations is extremely difficult, and evidenced by the use of McCoist’s recruitment sledgehammer to crack the nut of the bottom two divisions.
But here are some questions to which I honestly do not know the answer;
- How does the Rangersness faction wrest control away from these spivs?
- How will the spivs attempt to ensure that the Rangersness faction fails in their objective?
- Can the people in the Rangersness camp REALLY be trusted to act in the best interests of the club even if it is at odds with their own? This, given the close association with the terminal decline of the club they all profess to love.
- Is there any realistic scenario which allows this club to prosper and challenge for honours within a ten to fifteen year period?
My belief is that the key to the new club being able to establish itself is managing the expectations of the fans. Despite the MSM willingness to cut and paste RFC and RIFC press releases unadulterated, the ability of that same MSM to impress a message of realism into Rangers fans is zero. Not in front of the children in fact.
Is it really a sociological bridge too far to expect Rangers fans to turn down the expectation-ometer? I don’t believe it is. In the eighties, if I recall correctly, a seriously underachieving Rangers team were not met with demands for big spending. There was pressure on them to get better managers who could pick better players, but no demands for Fort Knox to be breached. If Rangers fans really want a club called Rangers playing in blue at Ibrox, and competing fully in the game, they need to find leaders who can sell the long-termism of such an aspiration. Many will hope, including the spivs and the MSM, that no such leader emerges.
James Doleman says:
August 6, 2013 at 11:52 am
It appears Smith wants the boardroom changed but does not want an EGM. Unsure if his side has the votes perhaps?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
What is the extent of the McColl/Murray Axis of Rangerness investment in RIFC?
Is anyone in the MSM picking up on the contradiction in Walter’s reported “unequivocal” support (Source: Richard Wilson :slamb: ) for the move for an EGM to remove (amongst others) Mather, and Walter’s literal support for Mather (Source: Smith Resignation Statement)
The press are all over the place on this. McColl’s endorsement of the call for an EGM has now become his “spearheading the rescue bid” (source: KJ :slamb: )
valentinesclown says:
August 6, 2013 at 11:56 am
Charity begins at home it seems.
======================================
valentine, it woud appear so. It is extraordinary that the Charity Regulator concludes that this was acceptable behaviour by the charity concerned. To conclude that it was OK for one person without legal authority to give away £191,430 from the fundraising event rather than apply it to charitable purposes as per the charity’s Trust Deed is beyond comprehension. The tax man may be interested in how VAT was managed in this whole business. Once corsicacharity has calmed down he may offer some insight.’
fara1968 says:
August 6, 2013 at 11:35 am
Totally agree that the motivation behind the higher profile given to the Celtic story was one of cowardice, but it inadvertently highlights the reality of TRFC’s position in a similar way to what I noticed on Sunday on BBC’s Breakfast sports news. Celtic’s win on Saturday was featured, TRFC’s humiliation at Forfar didn’t even merit a mention. That, I think, was purely because those putting the piece together ignored the results outside the top division. Just as in their reporting of the English games, where they never looked outside the Championship. There is so much bad news continually coming out of Ibrox, it is no longer news. TRFC will have to come to terms with the fact they are gradually becoming a non-story, and not only in an effort to cover-up their ongoing disasters. On the flip side of that is that Celtic’s continuing good news will become boring and a turn off to all but their own fans, so anything the MSM can spin in a negative way will be highlighted. Whatever way you look at it, it’s all bad news for TRFC, with the emphasis on Celtic’s ‘bad news’ highlighting their superiority. Get used to it, see it for what it is, and enjoy!
With very best wishes to Stunney
_________________________________________________________________________________________
I only know what I read in the papers.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-23566061
BBC Business Editor, Douglas Fraser, previewing a programme on finance in Scottish Football,
(you can hear ‘ Business Scotland ‘ (originally at 10am on Sunday 4 August on BBC Radio Scotland) and after that on BBC iPlayer and by free download,)
Another example of of the skewed pro-rangers way in which TSM reports all things football.
This time, includes the following :-
“Some of the finest business minds turn their attentions to football, but it’s been observed they are then afflicted by some weakness that leads to rash, deluded or plain silly decisions.
“I’ve been asking why that is, in a programme on the finance of Scottish football, and the answer that comes back is: emotion.”
“That said, there’s more than emotion to what’s going wrong at Ibrox. As if there hasn’t been enough reason for fans to despair at the calamitous decisions of past Rangers bosses, it seems more bloodletting is newly under way.” ( fair do’s – 10/10 )
“Another forthcoming report into the club’s finances is coming from PwC.
Because of problems at Rangers and Dunfermline, it hasn’t included those clubs in its assessment of SPL clubs in season 2011-12.
The others ran up losses of about £11m.”
With a new season under way, the (genuine) experts contributing to Business Scotland this week reckon the worst ought to be over. I’ve also found a lot of agreement on what went wrong.
The gamble on the Scottish game going the same way as the English one has built up a lot of debt”
(SDM has been completely airbrushed out)
“According to Bryan Jackson of BDO and administrator of both Dunfermline and Hearts, the legacy issue of past debts is the continuing problem.
He agrees with the other accountancy consultants
that club directors have got their house in order,
and fans have got their expectations more closely aligned with reality.”
“All of them, says David Glen, PwC partner, have changed their business model.”
Douglas Fraser – “With a new season under way, the (genuine) experts contributing to Business Scotland this week reckon the worst ought to be over.”
Not a single reference to the firestorm wreaked on the Scottish Game by SDM/Rangers FC during the last 20 years.
According to DF and the ‘genuine’ experts, it never happened.
I only know what I read in the papers – and on the BBC.
Nice to see the ASA’s ruling on “the most successful Scottish football club….” has been withdrawn from its website and the ruling to be reconsidered.
The independent reviewer who was asked to look at the ASA’s ruling stated
“I had concluded, inter alia, that it was a procedural flaw for the ASA to have relied on an extract only of a report sent to it by the advertiser, and that there was also the risk of a substantial flaw of adjudication in the distinction that had been made between ‘club’ and ‘company’, especially in the light of previous ASA decisions about companies that change hands and the circumstances in which the new company could or could not trade off the reputation of the old company.
I recommended that in these circumstances the investigation should be reopened and the published adjudication should be withdrawn. The Chairman of the ASA, Lord Smith of Finsbury, has written to tell me that he has decided to reopen the ASA’s investigation into this case and to withdraw the published adjudication.”
So OSCR has got its act together today, and now the ASA has agreed with its independent reviewer to look again at this nonsense surrounding a 14 month old football club which is perhaps amongst the least successful in Scotland, at least in relation to winning cup ties.
Finally the truth is starting to seep home – Rangers have died and nothing can change that fact.
Where was Steerpike last night? Thought he would have been on here but maybe he was otherwise occupied? That says it all
54 (posts when Jim Traynor is nowhere to be seen) to 0 (posts when JT has a job to do)
Not seen Corsica on here in a while but have followed on twitter, while he chased the charity story in the face of threats from the clan etc. Dogged determination the the Nth degree deserve alot of credit. Any institution that take’s from the poor or needy surely has questionable moral value’s. If I remember right it wasn’t just the AC Milan game so hopefully the crook’s get named and shamed for all their misdemeanours.
This is from Leggo’s latest,I don’t know how to post a link from his site,and I am NOT going to post the whole article.
=================================== ” That is a hard cold and statistical fact. 38,000 season ticket holders, plus those in the Members Section cannot all be wrong. And they ain’t mugs either.”
Yes they can, and yes they are.
Ryan says:
August 6, 2013 at 12:50 pm
Not seen Corsica on here in a while but have followed on twitter, while he chased the charity story in the face of threats from the clan etc.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It would seem that corsicacharity has decided to protect himself from vile threats on twitter and has restricted access to known and trusted people. Those who might want to catch up on the detail of the Rangers Charitable Trust story and find out who trustees A,B and C are/were will find information here: http://alzipratu.wordpress.com/
The ability to detect the actual movement of change in society at the time it is happening is, I suspect, rather difficult.
However, after the change has taken place, it is rather easier to see.
Am I right in thinking that over the past two years,
a significant change has taken place in Scottish Football society, viz.,
that respect for the SFA , the MSM, and the Ibrox club may have almost completely disappeared.
If so, then surely a precursor of change.
manandboy
Am I right in thinking that over the past two years,
a significant change has taken place in Scottish Football society, viz.,
that respect for the SFA , the MSM, and the Ibrox club may have almost completely disappeared.
If so, then surely a precursor of change.
————————————————————————————————————————————————-
‘Yes,you are right’.
‘Absolutely’
‘For sure’
‘Make no mistake’
‘To be honest’
‘No doubt about it’
‘let’s be clear’
‘as certain as night follows day’
blu says:
August 6, 2013 at 1:01 pm
3 0 Rate This
Thank’s for that Blu I had wondered how I couldn’t find that twitter page anymore. Make’s it even more courageous in the face of physical threat’s and harm, truth is still put first.
@Tif Finn
“Could a friendly face in an official capacity at AIM alter the lock-in period.”
The helpful press officer at the AIM suggests not.
Page 11 http://www.rangers.co.uk/images/staticcontent/documents/RFC_Prospectus.pdf
Cites AIM rule 7.
So Charlie et al are locked in until December 21st and there are other restrictions on them for six months after that.
@slim
” Where was Steerpike last night? Thought he would have been on here but maybe he was otherwise occupied? That says it all ”
Not occupied, prevented from posting, that does indeed say it all.
[TSFM – not true. All of SP’s posts since yesterday have been published. ]
So as people have said Walter Smith is now all for change, he is behind the calls for an EGM, a call which specifically wanted removal of certain people from the board. Specifically naming Mather (CEO) and Stockbridge (FD) and I think from memory Smart.
It’s good to see a clear lead from a Rangers myth, the voice that the Rangers support trust 100%. The only voice they care about. The great man has spoken, so mote it be.
Walter has gone on to say that he likes what Mather is doing and that he should be allowed to continue in post and to see out what he is doing.
What next Walter, calls for a new management team but with Ally Mcoist being given a few more chances to feck up.
No wonder the Rangers fans are confused and revolting. Their outgoing chairman, the man they trust explicitly, is a beffudled dolt.
What if you are no longer a Director though Phil. Would that leave wiggle room for a friendly face to make a ruling on.
================================
The Directors have each entered into lock-in periods, pursuant to AIM Rule
7, pursuant to which they will not dispose of their Ordinary Shares for a
minimum of 12 months from Admission and they will be subject to orderly
marketing agreements for the following 6 months. The Company and Cenkos
Securities have entered into orderly market agreements with certain other
Shareholders for a period of 6 months from Admission.
================================
Just thinking out loud here.
World records everywhere for Rangers/TRFC it seems.
Most charges/investigations against any one club and/or it’s replacement, including one into it’s charity.
Most guilty verdicts against any club, without meaningful penalties/punishments, including one against it’s charity.
Most unpublished in full verdicts and agreements.
Most consecutive clowns at head of a football club.
Most unbelievable lies from a Chief Executive to be believed by supporters at any club.
Most footballers ever to be upset by what a consultant said.
Only club ever to have a ‘ness’ named after it.
Most supporters and ex-employees to hold office in own football association.
And so on…
Leaving aside the disastrous but predictable goings on at Ibrox let’s go back a few months to April 2013 when Neil Lennon received a suspended three match ban for calling an opposition player “a f…ing f..ny” from the dugout. His comments were picked up by a nearby sounds effect microphone. Lennon was found guilty of using offensive language and banned after “two complaints were made to the Scottish F.A.’s Compliance Officer, Mr Vincent Lunny, neither of which were allegedly made by the match officials.”
Today we have the manager of Dundee F.C. publicly stating to the media that if he was in manager McCoist’s position he “would have punched Charles Green’s head off” and “had him by the throat.”
The question must be asked, “Is the SFA Compliance Officer still in position/” – I have heard no comment from him on this matter.
If he is waiting for two complaints before taking action then he can be reached by emailing
info@scottishfa.co.uk
My email has been sent.
Can we also remember, to a large extent this is rhetoric and sabre rattling. It is playing to the masses (yes I know what I did there).
Shareholders vote at meetings and resolutions are passed or are rejected. The owners of the company, the shareholders, will decide who stays and who goes. Of that there is no doubt.
To me this is just a big game being played out in public. In front of the support. There is absolutely no co-incidence that all of this started after the season tickets had pretty much been maxed out (4,000 short of last seasons figure but with prices frozen). The apparent animosity was not so bad that they would risk those sales. Green didn’t come back until it was done, McCoist didn’t have a rant until it was done, Smith didn’t walk away talking nonsense until it was done.
To me the Rangers fans are just being played again and if I’m honest one side is as bad as the other, if there even are sides.
If McColl is the new messianic figure where was he when Green bought the business for as near nothing as makes no difference. Why did he not make a power play then. Why did the blue knights walk away so easily. Why did the Smith consortium walk away with barely a whimper.
It all stinks of a set up.
@Tif Finn
Thinking out loud can be a useful exercise in the correct company so chapeau…
AIM PR chap suggests not.
Charlie et al are locked in.
I still hold to the narrative that CG and his buddies have-from this point a six month game plan.
Stay in control, keep the lights on, dump the shares in a way that doesnt collapse the price.
They will care little for what they leave behind them.
On reflection, the MSM and SFA clearly do not consider Mr. Brown’s comments offensive.
Silly me!
PhilMacGiollaBhain says:
August 6, 2013 at 1:34 pm
I’m more in the sell the Ltd Company Camp as it stands just now.
That way the lock in becomes irrelevant. If RIFC (holding company) sell TRFC (Rangers) as an asset that brings in the money. They can then hold on to the properties and lease them to Rangers, or sell them as well to a seperate company to do the same. Or indeed sell the lot to one group and just cash in that way.
Then liquidate the PLC and divide up what it has (by now cash or equivelants). The shareholders get a payout based on their holding. So if you own 8% of the shares you get 8% of what was raised. Sell at the current market cap value of the business you are effectively selling your shares at full market value, without actually selling your shares.
” As for Alistair McCoist, it is important that we all appreciate that no other Rangers manager has had to work with poorer or more trying circumstances. It is my fervent hope that when the dust settles and Rangers have a clearer path and future he is given the chance to manage under conditions similar to those which were afforded his predecessors.”
That statement by Smith on McCoist re the conditions required to assess him proves Einstein right. You cannot fix a problem with the mind that created it.
And as to who created the problem here is Walter Smith’s transfer dealings, the second part of which took place with a £24M tax bill presented by HMRC.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aq2m3ggkEX2RdDZsUlEzQkg5U0NUZ08xajhtbUJWcXc&usp=drive_web#gid=0
If the Scottish media were not so far up the great mans rear end you can see Chicks bald pate through Smith’s nostrils, then this sort of info might put a different mindset to work, But then again the smsm themselves are part of the mind that created the problem…..
It really does not augur well for a mind trapped in and by its own history.
Indeed Aulheid,Einstein’s definition of insanity is most apt and apropos of the current malaise
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein
———————————————————————————————————————————————-
It is time for all those associated with ‘Rangersness’ to step outside of the box and alter your mindset.
Are you capable?
I can no longer be bothered holding my breath.
Donegal son says:
August 6, 2013 at 1:31 pm
Well said. My email has also been sent so that makes two!
jean7brodie says:
August 6, 2013 at 2:04 pm
Donegal son says:
August 6, 2013 at 1:31 pm
Well said. My email has also been sent so that makes two!
——————————————————————————-
As the Rangers Charity Trustee (allegedly) said “That makes a double quorum!”
Scottish football needs a strong Arbroath.
What I don’t get is why anyone with a bit of business nous would want to buy Rangers.
What would an outright purchase cost?.
Properties worth say £25-30m and a Club worth nothing(well maybe a wee bit emotional value.
So £30m gets you:
A stadium in need of massive upgrading(£10-20m?)
A training facility
A team that burns over £1m per month and needs maybe another £20m plus to reach the top div and try and mount a challenge.
That’s at least £60m with no guaranteed return.
Hope McColl,Murray etc are ready to throw their cash away.
GIRUY!
http://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/4690-charity-foundation-statement
torrejohnbhoy(@johnbhoy1958) says
The Rangers Football Club plc (in Administration)
ALREADY?!?!?
The Rangers website on the charity report:
“Whilst it is regrettable that the Foundation was never party to the premise or nature of the original complaints made to OSCR, and that this matter has taken such a long time to be concluded”
The charity report itself
“The inquiry has taken some time to complete, partly due to the difficulty of obtaining information from some of the parties” and
” [Rangers’ charity] Trustee A did not respond to any of our requests for information”
The Rangers website on the charity report seems to omit certain key statements from the OSCR report, such as
– breach of trustees’ duties
– misconduct on the part of the charity trustees as a whole
– did not comply with the requirements of the Charity’s Trust Deed
– none of the trustee duties relating to conflicts of interest has been recognised or managed appropriately by the charity trustees
– breach of legal duties
– inherent conflict of interest not managed appropriately and professional advice was not obtained as required
An oversight no doubt.
Allyjambo says:
August 6, 2013 at 1:26 pm
Only club ever to have a ‘ness’ named after it.
————————————————————–
What about that club up north… INVER?
Kudos to corsicacharity for his tenacity in highlighting these charity regulations breaches.
spartacusthethird says:
August 6, 2013 at 10:35 am
“WRT the essential upgrades and repairs required at The Sports Direct Arena Is there possibly a need for the signature or approval from the ‘Title Deeds’ signee before said works can be carried out/completed/signed off?”
—————————
Good point. That may indeed introduce an element of further complexity into the decision making process.
I concur. Well done corsica!
Mr Whyte’s list of transgression’s continue to mount up..
While I’m in a reflective mood,i’d like to state that no sllerriuqs erew tneserp gnirud yna suoiverp stsop! 😆
torrejohnbhoy(@johnbhoy1958) says:
August 6, 2013 at 2:16 pm
The other way to look at it is to consider what people want as a return, rather than the value of the assets.
So say for example they wanted the equivalent of a 30p return on their shares. They could sell the Ltd company (club) to someone else for what would equate to that. Roughly 60m shares at 30p comes out to £18m. So the PLC sells the Ltd Co for that amount, liquidates and divides the proceeds.
Someone with 8% would get £1.44m.
I’m not saying this will happen, as Phil has pointed out there are many ways this could pan out. I just suggest this as an alternative to selling the shares in the PLC (with it’s “lock in” issues). It could be done for a lesser amount, say £9m, halving the immediate return but keeping the stadium and training ground. To be sold to some other property company.
All the fans will care about is who owns “the club” they will not care about PLCs etc.
Tif Finn says:
August 6, 2013 at 1:32 pm
The ST sales end is significant because it now allows minds to concentrate on what is needed to keep the club running whilst ownership is fought over..
The question is how much is in the kitty now to keep the club ahead of administration. If we start with £8m in the kitty and add another £8m from tickets sales (which assumes all were paid up front, but knock of Vat of £2m (to make sums easy) then there is £14m in the kitty.
There will be other income spread over the season from match day etc but if the total running cost bill exceeds this amount then administration is highly likely. Charlie will want to avoid administration to keep the share price up, the Paul Murray Group will want it to happen to improve their bargaining position and buy CGs shares for as low as CG will let them go.
CG is going to profit anyway, it is a matter of how much and how greedy he is, but both sides cannot avoid the reality that severe cost cutting is a requirement regardless of who wins, but in CGs case the timing is less important as long there is enough in the kitty to keep the appearance of solvency going until he can unload his shares.
He has the advantage on us that he knows the true cash flow position, but I would be surprised if P Murray did not know that but possibly not the start point.
So there will be a bit of bluffing going on (of which the EGM is a part) but CG seems to hold most of the aces although I doubt its a card game he is in for the longer term.
SSN Chuck interview coming up
Auldheid says:
August 6, 2013 at 3:54 pm
aha – but the only Sevco fans I know are paying the SB in instalments. I am actually surprised TRangers have credit card facilities
manandboy says:
August 6, 2013 at 12:32 pm
“According to DF and the ‘genuine’ experts, it never happened.”
———————–
I heard the Radio Scotland broadcast on Sunday by Dougls Fraser. I’d like to think that it was just the beginning of the airing of some wider opinions. Events may be making the subject unavoidable.
Madbhoy24941 says:
August 6, 2013 at 2:51 pm
Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC TOOK their name from a Ness, plus the town Inverness existed for a wee while before the football team played there. So I contend that Rangersness is still the only ness to have been named after a football club. So there!!!
And, of course, that particular Ness, has a monster, and is not, itself, a monster 😆
t the decision to assign the rights of the fundraising event to the Club was done “in good faith and in the interests of the Charity given the risk that otherwise the event may not have taken place, in which case the Charity would have received no benefit at all” and their investigation is now at an end.
In the event, the Rangers Charity Foundation received £63,288 from the events in March 2012. If the events had been cancelled then the Foundation would have lost over £12,000 in pre-paid deposits and our ability to generously support worthy causes up and down the country would have undoubtedly suffered as a result.
____________
instead of handing over 40% of the takings why didnt they offer the administrators a fee for using ibrox
maybe paul Murray didnt have £2 at the time to buy when whyte bought it 😛
wants £14m for 28% from McColl by friday 😛
Jim McColl replies
I’m out
andy says:
August 6, 2013 at 4:05 pm
instead of handing over 40% of the takings why didnt they offer the administrators a fee for using ibrox
==========================================================================
It may have been because the trustees and officials of the RCT were all conflcted and acted in the best interests of the company in administration rather than the charity whose interests they had a legal obligation to promote. At least I believe that’s what OSCR found after speaking to all parties (except Trustee A – Whyte).
£14 million for 28% of Company offered by Green to McColl, suggests to me that spivs must have at least 60% of Company in their hands.
Ah, such dignity in a football club. Only caught the end of Green’s puff piece, but he seemed to be touting RIFC shares on television, almost goading McColl into making an offer. Cheap shot at Paul Murray suggesting he didn’t have £2, but Whyte did. Apparently his thoughts on Superally coming up.
Ronnie Esplin @RonnieEsplin 19m
Breaking: Jim McColl has issued a statement to Press Association Sport. On wires soon.
From RM
=========
” URGENT: All Rangers fans attending tomorrow’s friendly with Newcastle United, after the final whistle remain in your seats or remain standing.
As a protest to what’s going on with our club, we’d like all fans to participate in not leaving the stadium until we get the answers we want from our club.”
=========
Don’t think they’ve thought this through…Charlie will just switch the lights off and go home… 🙄
StevieBC says:
August 6, 2013 at 4:27 pm
classic – just had this mental picture of thousands of bemused bears sitting in the dark wondering wtf is happening 😆 but nothing new there
McColl’s turned down Green’s once in a lifetime offer to give him £14m by Friday.
Jim McColl’s statement is that he does not wish to be on the board or increase “his small stake”.
Wishes to concentrate on his current businesses.
Allyjambo says:
August 6, 2013 at 4:03 pm
I agree with you earlier post, besides Invernessness just doesn’t work!
From the BBC :
“Jim McColl says he is not looking to lead a Rangers takeover, but the wealthy Scottish businessman confirmed he was putting his weight behind calls for boardroom change in his capacity as a shareholder at the club.
Engineering tycoon McColl, whose personal wealth was estimated at £1billion in last year’s Sunday Times Rich List, backed outgoing chairman Walter Smith’s calls for fans to get behind formal moves to install Paul Murray and Frank Blin on to the board.
The Clyde Blowers chairman and chief executive says in statement: “Let me make it very clear, I am not seeking to join the board or to increase my shareholding in the club.”
Scottish football needs a strong Arbroath.
So McCall wont put in cash, and won’t join the board. He is basically therefore doing nothing other than allowing Keith Jackson to write another false “Billionaire to buy Rangers” story.
Paul Murray hasn’t got cash, may not clear SFA hurdles and has a track record of subservience and silence when last on the board.
Frank Blin hasn’t said a word, and might very well be thinking this isn’t such a good idea after all.
#YWNTP
£50m? For The Rangers? WAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…draws breath…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11788/8857429/charles-green-tells-jim-mccoll-to-put-cash-on-table-if-he-is-keen-to-invest
Bayview Gold says:
August 6, 2013 at 4:34 pm
‘..just had this mental picture of thousands of bemused bears sitting in the dark wondering wtf is happening 😆 but nothing new there’..
———
A line worthy of a Festival Fringe Award! Go to the top of the class.
Jamie Borthwick @jamiekborthwick 7m
Rangers specifically asked the SFA to fine them for going into administration http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=1961&newsCategoryID=3&newsID=12282 …
Statement in response to comments from Rangers FC
Tuesday, 06 August 2013
Scottish FA spokesperson:
In response to the recent public comments from Rangers FC, and in particular Craig Mather and Ally McCoist, the Scottish FA offers the clarification requested with regard to Insolvency Rules under the Judicial Panel Protocol.
As yet the Scottish FA has not received a formal, written request for clarification by Rangers.
Notwithstanding the fact that a full note of reasons was published by the Judicial Panel Chair, Gary Allan QC, at the time of the determination – disseminated to the club directly, and to the public via the media – we are happy to reiterate the salient points in the interests of clarity and transparency:
• The Disciplinary Rules of the Judicial Panel Protocol provide a sliding scale of sanctions, with a suggested tariff of low-end, mid-range, top-end and maximum. This reflects the potential variations in seriousness of any breaches and any aggravating or mitigating factors.
• Rangers were fined £50,000 for a breach of Rule 14(g) based on the panel’s view that the evidence presented on both sides merited a sanction at the maximum end of the tariff. This was evidenced in the Note of Reasons:
Page 30 – “At the time of the first withheld payment in September 2011 Rangers FC’s financial situation was such that it could have made the payment due to HMRC.”
Page 33 – “The non-payment was a deliberate act in furtherance of a decision of the Chairman and director of Rangers FC not to make payment as a negotiating tactic in the resolution of ‘the Big Tax Case’.”
Page 56 – “In the case of the non-payment of tax (which was possibly by the smallest margin the most serious breach) the massive extent of the failure and the intentional and calculated manner in which it was carried out aggravated the breach even further”.
• Rangers were placed into administration following the deliberate non-payment of social taxes, despite – in the evidence provided – having the money to do so when the decision was first taken to withhold the money. This was not a feature in the Heart of Midlothian or Dunfermline Athletic cases.
• Contrary to Mr Mather’s statement, Rangers’ registration embargo was applied in a separate rule breach, Rule 66 – Bringing the Game into Disrepute.
• The administrators in the two other cases (Heart of Midlothian and Dunfermline Athletic) submitted that fines would be inappropriate as the clubs effectively had no money and any fine could jeopardise attempts to save the club. They made submissions on their clubs’ financial position to reinforce their view.
• Rangers’ lawyer, in contrast, specifically asked for the club to be fined in respect of Charge 3, or Rule 14(g). He did not lead evidence of Rangers’ financial position or ability to pay any fine.
• Rangers did not appeal the fine.
StevieBC says:
August 6, 2013 at 4:27 pm
I think the pertinent quote from that is ‘The answers we want’. Has that not been the problem? They need to hear the truth, not platitudes that everything is fine.
http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=278&newsCategoryID=3&newsID=12282
Sfa website crashed !
OT I know , but could this solve the Green Brigade Problem ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safe_standing
Need to change the seat colour , obviously !
😮 😮 😮 😮 😯 😯 😯 😯
Have the SFA grown a pair at last? Or is it the case that now Sir Cardigan is out the way, the husk is fair game?
Is there enough popcorn?
Go SFA!
Now about that claim to be 141 years old….
Scottish football is hopefully seeing a strong SFA get the finger out! About bl**dy time.
youtu.be/Q1lkIzApyTg
Chucky on SSN, with thanks to Amac on CM
StevieBC says:
August 6, 2013 at 4:27 pm
25 0 Rate This
From RM
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” URGENT: All Rangers fans attending tomorrow’s friendly with Newcastle United, after the final whistle remain in your seats or remain standing.
As a protest to what’s going on with our club, we’d like all fans to participate in not leaving the stadium until we get the answers we want from our club.”
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Don’t think they’ve thought this through…Charlie will just switch the lights off and go home…
=============================================
I think you’ll find Stevie…CG will see that as an opportunity to make more dosh by having the catering kiosks remain open and double their prices for food and drink….he might even charge them a fee to leave..
paulsatim says:
August 6, 2013 at 5:12 pm
Paul this caught my eye from the SFA statement…
• Rangers were placed into administration following the deliberate non-payment of social taxes, despite – in the evidence provided – having the money to do so when the decision was first taken to withhold the money. This was not a feature in the Heart of Midlothian or Dunfermline Athletic cases
That my friend is Tax evasion…and that is a Criminal offence…as per the details from HMRC below.
What is tax evasion?
Tax evasion happens when people deliberately don’t pay the tax they should. Tax evasion is a crime and everyone loses out because of it. HMRC is committed to tackling tax evasion, and much of this work relies on information provided by the public. People who moonlight or do jobs for cash in hand are often avoiding paying tax.
The taxes people try to avoid paying include:
Income Tax
National Insurance contributions
Corporation Tax
Capital Gains Tax
Inheritance Tax
PAYE
Reporting tax evasion
If you’re unsure if your concerns relate to tax evasion or Customs and Excise fraud, please use whichever method of contact you feel is best, your information will be passed to the right people.
As I said earlier, Jim McColl does not have as much disposable wealth as certain gullible hacks would like us to believe.
My reading of the situation is that FC Spivco is heading for a second administration event this season.
Chuckles Green (on behalf of Rizvi and God knows how many other chancers) is taking up position to oversee the organised fleecing of the coffers before administrators are appointed.
Then, and only then, will Douglas Park emerge to lead a consortium to buy the club via a CVA.
The longer this process takes, the bigger chance there is of Spivco faiing to even get promoted this season.
Hence the sense of urgency shown by Walter, the pathetic bluffing of Paul “big talk, little cash” Murray and now the repeat of the “Surrender, No” call to arms by Ally Johnston.
What. A. Shambles.
It’s Groundhog Day., Alastair Johnstone is back on BBC Sportsound.6.10 pm onwards.
Mid -Atlantic accents to the ready.
re
Charles Green’s offer to McColl, surely as a listed company that is not his offer to make, after all McColl can simply buy the shares required, notwithstanding the trigger points for general offers (10% or even 30% for controlling interest) or is he suggesting a further issue and dilution? again this would need to be put to the shareholders. RIFC acting as a private CO or a Public company when it suits them, this would be unethical even if CG was still CEO but as a ‘consultant’ with no formal position this is surely going against a few regulatory rules.
Ok so the cardigan walk away and gave a muddled statement. He still stood by the cheeky chappie (CC).
After the CC rant on Saturday, if this was any other manager he would more that likely be sacked. Who could sack CC ? would the cardigan have been able to do it? Can Craig Mather do it? Can Charlie do it?
Now if it is up to Charlie then Charlie may have a couple of options. CC does “not do walking away” Charlie know if he sacks him CC gets pay out (heard £1 million somewhere) and Charlie likes to keep his brass So Charlie may leave CC in posn and tell the press that CC stance is with Charlie (just like last year when CC was giving a million shares to back Charlie to sell season tickets).
The Rangers fans will expect CC to follow the cardigan, the thought of Ally staying on and backing Charlie will not sit well.
You would want to sprint from this fiasco if you were involved (but money talks)
Over to CC.
For the record lets laugh at the daily record.
paulsatim says:
August 6, 2013 at 5:11 pm
That is probably the first genuine attempt to publicly chastise/put RFC/TRFC in their place by the SFA since the whole farce began.