We normally don’t talk about on-field stuff on SFM, but given the over-optimistic coverage of the prospects of TRFC (particularly in the ESJ © The Clumpany and DR) it is worth noting that since they beat Celtic on penalties in last year’s Scottish Cup semi final, they have played in four huge games which were real barometers of progress ;
- Hibs in the Scottish Cup Final: 2-3
- Celtic in the Premiership: 1-5
- Aberdeen in the Premiership: 1-2
- Celtic in the League Cup Semi-Final: 0-1
On each occasion, they have failed the test, not only by failing to get a result, but by being second best in most on-field departments.
The point is not one of wider Schadenfreude, or even an in-depth critique of the abilities of the team or manager, but of how the TRFC board and the MSM, in falsely inflating their side’s prospects, do a disservice to TRFC fans. Aided and abetted it seems by the manager who – even allowing for the positive spin managers need to put on things post defeat – is refusing to accept reality.
We often talk about turnover as the yardstick by which performance can be (roughly) measured. If that were the only yardstick, one would expect TRFC to be right up there with Celtic. But it is more complicated than that. For Celtic and TRFC, there are massive overheads (e.g. stadium costs) that have to be dealt with and taken out of the equation before Glasgow apples can be compared with Aberdeen and Edinburgh varieties.
Even allowing for that it seems pretty clear to me that TRFC have more disposable income (for spending on players and contracts) than Hearts or Aberdeen for example, but the gap is now not as great as raw turnover figures would suggest – and the margins are probably slim enough that they can be easily blurred by managers at other clubs who have a good grasp of tactics, an eye for a player, and a proper understanding of football psychology.
To compound the problem for TRFC, there are two rather large eggs in the TRFC transfer basket which are now cracked or broken. A dangerous waste of resources in fact. Whether it was Warburton or King who went to the market for Barton and Kranjčar is irrelevant. More relevant is the reason marquee signings like these were made.
Once a manager is recruited, you stay out of his domain
Yes, Barton’s signature in particular has used a huge chunk of the already scant budget, and that is a real blow to the manager’s planning, but the real problem is that the club has deliberately pushed fan expectations skyward, all of which is counter-intuitive given the rough calculations in the preceding paragraphs. More worryingly for Rangers fans, the board’s own expectations for the playing side are unrealistically high – and given the business expertise contained therein, puzzlingly so.
TRFC is a focal point for tens of thousands of people. The people who run the club are also influential opinion formers and how they set the tone for those thousands is important.
Tub-rattling, dog-whistling, and the WATP mentality have been employed almost exclusively thus far in the ‘journey’. All of which may have rallied the troops and provided a welcome injection of funds, but it also antagonised almost every football fan in the country who wasn’t a Rangers follower. And in view of how those funds (including the £21m IPO) seemingly disappeared into the ether, did it really help the club realise any ambitions going forward?
TRFC are looking up at the north face of a financial Eiger today
I can’t help feeling that had they been replaced with humility, some regret, and gratitude to those who smoothed their path into the leagues, then the view from the club deck would a lot more attractive today than it is.
The journey could have been an expansive one bent on winning friends along the way, clearly differentiating itself from the Murray era, and carrying assurances that the new Rangers would never treat the game in Scotland as shabbily as its predecessor.
Seems intuitively obvious to me that a mission statement like the following would win hearts and minds;
“The latter-day custodians of Rangers have destroyed our club and shamed its traditions of sporting integrity, fair play, and honest endeavour.
“However the ethos and identity of our club will not be allowed to slip into obscurity.
“We will build a club worthy of the traditions of sporting integrity and fair play. It will be open and accessible to people of all colours, creeds and nationalities,
“It will be a long journey, but it is one which we relish, and one which will in time restore Rangers to the upper echelons of the game“
Managing expectations realistically with a ‘we are thankful to keep the Rangers name alive’ would have played better with the bears.
I don’t believe there is a football fan in the world who wouldn’t sign up to that had they found their club in the same circumstances as 2011 Rangers. I don’t believe that Rangers fans are any different either, but the problem is that their moral compass is being calibrated by people whose past records make them least qualified for the task.
Instead of a plan to win Scottish football over, we got boycotts, victim-hood, denial, and that wonderful new oxymoronic idiom, post-liquidation. Really though, it should all have been so different.
Water bills notwithstanding, TRFC are looking up at the north face of a financial Eiger today, but they chose to climb an Eiger instead of a Munro, and they sold false hope and snake oil to the fans on the way.
They have no money with which to recruit players of sufficient quality to challenge at the top. They are facing a massive bill for repairs and maintenance of a stadium that has atrophied under six or seven years of neglect. They have similar infrastructure problems at their training ground. They need to build a scouting infrastructure which currently consists of one man and several local volunteers. Their income from merchandising is non-existent due to a testicles-drawn dispute with Sports Direct. They owe several millions of pounds of soft loans which they cannot convert to equity because of that same dispute, and the people they have gone back to again and again for top-up finance have ever shortening arms and lengthening pockets.
.. we understand the value that Rangers can bring to the to the Scottish game and we want it to be realised.
Miracles of course do happen, perhaps in the shape of a magician manager who can get them access to European cash almost immediately. Unless that comes to pass, there is no way forward for Dave King and his board, other than to make peace immediately with Sports Direct and actually stump up the cash he promised two years ago; cash he promised to bridge the resources gap which is widening by the week.
A widely accepted wisdom in many football boardrooms these days is that the main recruitment priority of any board is an excellent manager. A really good manager can make a team out of ordinary players, but a poor manager will have difficulty sculpting a winning side from even very good players. So in a club with limited resources, it makes sense to spend a major part of your budget on a very good manager.
Another widely accepted wisdom in boardrooms (even if not always followed) is that once a manager is recruited, you stay out of his domain.
The boardroom at Ibrox is not awash with wisdom it seems. First of all they put their faith in a manager with little or no experience in the game. That may well have worked out with a bit of good fortune, but does anyone really believe, after his disappearing act in the wake of the Cup Final defeat and his absence at the Barton signing conference, that Mark Warburton is master of his own domain?
If not, does the ‘come hither’ curled finger of fate attached to Jimmy Traynor’s hand at last week’s press conference convince you?
I would guess that there are at least half a dozen experienced managers with a track record of success who would relish the challenge of putting TRFC on the map at the opportunity cost of a Barton for example. Instead it seems – if the rumours are true – that Warburton’s autonomy was breached so that said Joey could be hired to boost ST sales.
No group of fans is entitled to expect success. Rangers fans, and Celtic fans, have historically come to expect that very thing. It is understandable to some extent, but it should never be confused with an actual entitlement to success – and that is what the board at Ibrox are selling to the fans in return for their cash – which as we have seen is not being converted to the promised on-field successes.
the ‘come hither’ curled finger of fate attached to Jimmy Traynor’s hand should convince us that Warburton is not his own master
To a large extent, I think some of the online comments in fan sites in the wake of the Celtic match have been sensible and mature. Reality amongst Rangers fans is at last beginning to bite, and that can only be a good thing for TRFC. Rangers fans are beginning to understand that too many liberties have been taken with their loyalty to and love of the jersey. The problem for the fans is that whilst they come to terms with what may be a realistic timetable and roadmap towards success and parity with the top clubs, the current board and their chums in the press are invested in having them believe the opposite.
Already the cheerleaders in the red tops are proclaiming their ‘gulf-denial’ credentials in the hope that enough fans will be convinced of it. The problem is that the fans know the gulf exists – and not only that does exist, but it is unrealistic to expect it not to.
The Level5 effect is wearing off. In the past five years, £21m quid in investment, £6m in loans, and five years worth of ST sales have all come and gone. Will Rangers fans really do those sums, observe that in each of the four milestone matches mentioned at the beginning of this article there is nothing to show for it, and agree that there is nothing to concern them?
Rangers fans will no doubt call us obsessed to produce an article like this – about them. But football is uniquely interdependent – we all need each other. It is a game where we benefit from the traditions, the colour and the fanaticism of rivals. The fact is that we understand the value that Rangers can bring to the to the Scottish game and we want it to be realised.
Sadly though, the current people in charge at the club are people who revel in making war on fellow clubs and business partners as well as the national broadcaster and BT Sport. They have also failed to deliver on promises of investment and success to their own fans, and escaped press scrutiny of that failure. Whilst they are there, we see only division in Scottish football with no coming together possible for generations.
I believe that the vast majority of fans who love Rangers, like the rest of us, have had enough of a war on too many fronts to count. It’s time to make peace – with everyone. Football in this country can’t be fixed until that happens.
Is Jim Spence related to my moniker?
GIOVANNINOVEMBER 8, 2016 at 12:47
Indeed that will be their aim and it is wholly within their right to do so.
Nothing wrong with fans trying to have a say in their club and contributing financially outwith the normal ticketing and merchandising routes.
The only word of caution is, like many charities, make sure you know where the money is going before donating and beware of the charitable body hounding you month after month for further donations.
I know the available sources on the web and radio call-ins aren’t the be all and end all of supporters views but even while sitting third in the Premiership some Bears seem to be noticing that the current team and manager have a long way to go if their ambitions are to be realised.
As a Jambo I liked Jason Holt as a player. However Neilson clearly saw him as in impact sub in the Championship and someone who was excess to requirements for Hearts once they reached the Premiership. Why then did the Bears expect him to become a wholly different player because he stuck on a blue jersey and the Magic Hat cast a spell on him. Same with Halliday. Poor wee Barrie McKay seems to be getting the brunt of it just now despite not so long ago being ‘bigged up’ for a Scotland gig.
However McKay is about the only youngster T’Rangers have that has come through the ranks. There doesn’t seem to be a Tierney, McGregor, Walker, Nicolson, Paterson, McGinn, Soutar etc in the pipeline.
Level 5 seems to be touting any half decent youngster at Murray Park to any potential foreign offer (if they even exist).
The squad T’Rangers has at present is full of honest and decent pros but no major stand-outs. Nobody appears to be emerging from their academy or loan out system and a few ageing players will replacing, while others appear to be prone to recurring injury problems.
The only way to up the quality is going to be added in the near future is via the cheque book and there are many Bears out there calling for that approach to be taken. However when you see from Garner what little £1.5m can buy you these days they need to be very careful.
Similarly, in terms of making savings on the wage bill, there (despite the Joey situation) appears to be that long held belief that if you aren’t up for it a T’Rangers you can somehow simply get the heave ho without any financial consequences for the club.
I just think the guys with their hands on the 1872 purse strings should be looking for some assurances as to where their cash is going and what the plans are before passing over the dosh and it be blindly put into the Ibrox melting pot.
Was wondering if Ryan was looking in to give us his view of the season so far for his club and what the fans he is talking to are making of it.
What interests me is who Club 1872 bought their shares from, and how much they paid ? If I was a paying member of the club , that’s what I would want to know. Is somebody getting a “get out of jail free” card at the expense of the loyal fans?
NEEPHEIDNOVEMBER 8, 2016 at 14:16
Indeed where is that Nomad when you need him??
No doubt the fans will be fully informed when the 1872 annual accounts are produced.
192,550 shares @ say 25p = just over £48k.
If someone has been getting a better deal than that then maybe more.
From the Sun- I won’t link to that site, sorry.
NEEPHEIDNOVEMBER 8, 2016 at 16:06
I wonder if the settlement TRFC have made with Barton will be of the kind Dave King made with the South African High Court, with Barton representing the SA High Court in this analogy
Joey is stressed, he needs to take a break
http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11788/10650231/rangers-midfielder-joey-barton-signed-off-due-to-stress
GIOVANNINOVEMBER 8, 2016 at 12:4
WOTTPINOVEMBER 8, 2016 at 11:26
I think the significance of Club1872 buying shares is that the vote at last year’s AGM for the dis-application of pre-emption rights was only lost by just over 600,000 votes (shares). Any increase in the shareholding of Club1872 potentially reduces that majority. The current board desperately need that motion passed. However, as David Low pointed out, they will run the risk of breaching the concert party rule.
_____________
It will only make a difference if the shares were sold by someone who didn’t vote in favour of the motion previously. We don’t know, of course, whether or not all those who voted against are still likely to do so again, anyway, as some might well have lost all interest in this sinking ship. At the same time, some who voted in favour might also have lost interest or be keen to see the back of the current board!
The DR ‘reporting’ that Agent Joey has been offered 8 weeks of a payoff.
IF that is true, [mibbees more hopeful than true], I don’t think he’ll be going anywhere.
Barton might sort himself out with another club in January, but surely any club would only want him on loan – and force TRFC to subsidise his wages for the next 18 months, potentially ?
Alternatively, he simply ‘semi-retires’ and stays at Ibrox for the next 18 months.
AJ, the fact is that GASL did get a win the SA High Court, hundreds of charges dropped and a get out of jail free(‘ish) card. From where he started that was a good outcome.
STEVIEBC
why would anyone take £150k when £1.5 million is there i smell level5 BS
Afternoon all.
WRT the share purchase,the only thing that matters is who sold.If it’s one of the Ashley camp the balance has swung a little towards King & Co.If not,then one of Kings side is bailing out & the balance of power remains the same.
It should be remembered,of course,that any share issue would reportedly see some £14m of loans converted to equity.To make a significant difference to TRFC finances and to give them European football under UEFA FFP rules for next season they’ll probably need at least another £10m cash injection.That’s an issue raising £24m.I can’t see any city investors being interested so where does it come from?.An issue that just converts debt to equity just creates share dilution & does nothing to alleviate any cash flow problems TRFC are currently facing.
It shuld also be pointed out that before any issue goes ahead,TRFC will have been in court at leat twice.(Ashley & WiFi Co).Potential losses & costs could add up to a few million.Any new issue could see any potential cash boost wiped out before the shares become available.I obviously don’t know what the outcomes of these & maybe other actions will be I’d think it’s something any potential investor would be taking into consideration before deciding to part with their cash.
A wee look at how to imperfectly register a player in a different football jurisdiction .
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/nov/07/england-sammy-lee-bolton-transfer-deal-appeal-court
COATBRIDGELOYALTYCADNOVEMBER 8, 2016 at 16:43
Joey is stressed, he needs to take a breakhttp://www.skysports.com/football/news/11788/10650231/rangers-midfielder-joey-barton-signed-off-due-to-stress
__________
Once again, two different media sources with two different, conflicting even, stories about TRFC. Level5 not orchestrating things too well just now?
I know from experience that golf is great way to de-stress
If this version of Barton’s non-appearance is correct, maybe Joey’s adding to his case for constructive dismissal, rather than sitting down to discuss the severance deal that the ever reliable Sun is suggesting!
Getting repetitive now .
Group D Women’s Euro 2017 draw Posted at16:54 ENGLAND
Portugal
SCOTLAND
Spain
From BBC Sport
Sevco are hoping to pass a motion to dilute shares at the AGM. Wouldn’t it have made sense for Club(insert meaningless number) to hold fire, and buy more shares at the lower offer rate (if the vote is successful) than to buy now, only to see their value decrease?
With Club 1872 being the 5th largest shareholder of RIFC, and with a stated aim of ‘10% and beyond’, I guess they will still have bugger all chance of being able to demand a seat on the Board, [in the current set up anyway] ?
So what’s the point of Club 1872 ?
Fans’ representation, IMO, could be most effective with an allocated Board position and access to relevant information.
But I don’t think they like transparency down Govan way either.
paddy malarkeyNovember 8, 2016 at 16:58
“A wee look at how to imperfectly register a player..”
________
“… an ‘unlawful means’ conspiracy……….”!
How nice it would have been to have heard words of that kind in a certain Judicial Protocol proceedings a few years ago.
STEVIEBC
“But I don’t think they like transparency down Govan way either.”
i heard they;ve banned tracing paper
NEEPHEIDNOVEMBER 8, 2016 at 16:06
From the Sun- I won’t link to that site, sorry.
RANGERS are on the verge of striking a pay-off deal with Joey Barton.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
I suspect this is yet another L5 tactic to pressure JB to leave asap
…….with the added sweetener that the SFA have kindly agreed to drop the betting charge if JB is no longer a TRFC employee on 17 Nov when the hearing is scheduled
If so
Level5 will issue a statement this week confirming JB has left with immediate effect
And
The SFA will tip off the MSM that they intend to drop the betting charge due to be heard on 17 Nov
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Alternatively
If untrue
There will be no Level 5 statement this week
But next week
Joey will advise the SFA/TRFC at the last minute that he is too stressed to attend the 17 Nov hearing
Sky Sports News HQ@SkySportsNewsHQBREAKING: Sky sources: @Joey7Barton and @RangersFC reach agreement over termination of his contract. #SSNHQ
Just listening a few minutes ago to Willie Miller &co on about the Barton business, and I’m thinking: who in particular authorised the signing of Barton- could it have been King himself,keen to be seen to be raising the player profile -and getting it spectacularly wrong, and doubly so, by using Traynor as his PR sorter?
I think I would let out a little ‘hell mend ye’ chuckle if that were the case, and Barton took the same view as willie Miller, and sat his contract out.
GOOSYGOOSYNOVEMBER 8, 2016 at 18:48 1 Vote
NEEPHEIDNOVEMBER 8, 2016 at 16:06From the Sun- I won’t link to that site, sorry.RANGERS are on the verge of striking a pay-off deal with Joey Barton.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I suspect this is yet another L5 tactic to pressure JB to leave asap…….with the added sweetener that the SFA have kindly agreed to drop the betting charge if JB is no longer a TRFC employee on 17 Nov when the hearing is scheduled
—————————-
Lord Drummond Young to deliver address on Rangers case
4:30pm (registration), 5pm start Thursday 17th November 2016 Laigh Hall, Parliament House, Edinburgh
The same day as the Football Blogging Awards 2016.The most sought for awards in online journalism will be dished out on November 17th at Old Trafford.what will the online journos and offline journos do?
Note to myself…TAKE THE 17th OFF
If anyone was as privileged as I to watch Willie Miller in his pomp it should come as no surprise to find out that he and John (Soutar I think?) have just taken 20 minutes to, as I believe the kids say, rip Richard Wilson a new one following his breathless intro on Radio Shortbread as to how Rangers were deciding if THEY were going to pay him up TILL JANUARY. I get the impression Richard, like several much hyped centre forwards before him, is still spinning yet, but not in the manner originally intended!
It’s now being fairly widely reported that Barton has agreed to leave Rangers for two months wages. I’d be amazed if he’s signed a gagging clause if he’s waived so much of his contract. Interesting times ahead perhaps.
JOHN CLARK
i’d say it was king to bolster season books,they got their books but will lose money on it
If Barton has been signed off with stress for NOT playing for TRFC…
…then what about his poor team mates who ARE playing, but getting dogs’ abuse for doing so from their own fans ?
There could be an orderly line of stretchers coming out of Murray Park after training tomorrow.
I’ll get ma High Viz jacket…
Sky News notwithstanding, Herald an hour ago published online ;
[with my italics]
“Joey Barton edges nearer towards Rangers exit
It is understood the club and Barton’s representatives are discussing a severance package which could see the midfielder officially end an ill-fated spell in Scottish football…”
No statement o’clock yet from Ibrox.
Joey is still included on the TRFC website / first team players’ profiles, and ends with;
“… One of the most recognisable figures in British football, Barton’s signing was a real coup for Rangers.”
http://podcast.sfm.scot/e/twm-002/
Very interesting and a good listen
Hi Wottpi,
Thanks for asking. This season thus far is playing out quite how I expected. The league position is better than expected right now, but there is a lot of congestion in there so it’s early days to be excited about it. Performances have been worse than expected for me, the football hasn’t been as pretty as last year even allowing for the step up in level, while there is still no goal threat whatsoever. Watching Rangers recently I always feel like they could play for hours without scoring, which is the same as I hear from most of my Rangers supporting friends.
However everyone i know is, like myself, realistic about the situation. There’s no money available and there will be no immediate jump in quality of player available. If we can get a good league finish this year and build more of a solid foundation to the team by bringing through or acquiring younger players who will be there for a few years and grow into the team, that’s the only way forward. Nobody I know I impressed with signing so many over the hill players who, Kranjcar excepted, were unlikely to bring any real quality to the setup.
Barton could have been a great signing or a disaster. If tonight’s rumours are true then I’ll be glad to see the back of him; the reason I say that is that regardless of all the off field nonsense which you could have guessed would accompany him, his performances while playing were dreadful.
Couple of minutes ago: Birmingham Mail ‘poll’,66% do not want Barton at Aston Villa, 33% do.
Have Villa been mentionedas being interested?
RYANGOSLINGNOVEMBER 8, 2016 at 21:06
Thanks Ryan. Nice to get a level headed update as opposed to the ‘hang em high’ crowd elsewhere.
I can appreciate the sense the frustration from folks who have been used to winning things back in the day but cant get over the apparent inability for some to come to terms with the limitations their club has on the financial front at this time and for the foreseeable future.
Any thoughts on Mr Warburton and his future at the the club?
Wottpi I don’t understand the lack of comprehension of the financial situation from some either. It’s apparent that nobody is going to start throwing money at Rangers, or gift them the £5m players some fans seem to think will be magicked out of thin air. The only way to reach the top will be to build, to develop and sign players who become better players while at the club, and reaping the rewards of that strategy through on and off the park improvement.
As for Mr Warburton, a key point for me is the shocking difference in performance of the team from immediately before he arrived to immediately afterwards. That shows that he is a coach with a plan and the ability to communicate that plan. Evidence since then suggests perhaps it has all gone a bit stale. I don’t buy into the whole “Plan B” talk from people who invariably mean they want to see a big striker and crosses into the box. The problem for me is Plan A needs to be improved and developed to stretch the opposition. There is also the not insignificant problem of players of limited ability having limited ability to implement said strategy! In my view there will be no obvious candidates to replace Mr Warburton anyway, and to my mind he’d be getting less grief from the stands and the press if he was a bit more honest in his post match pressers and more pertinently if the stands and the press looked at the situation with a fraction of realism with regards to where the club is right now.
I appreciate I’ve just given two big long posts which are far more appropriate to Rangers fan sites than to this forum, but given that the question was asked and the subject of the current blog, I trust that you’ll indulge me this once.
RYANGOSLINGNOVEMBER 8, 2016 at 21:52
At the end of the day we are told from a number of sources that Scottish Football needs T’Rangers (and a strong one at that).
Therefore I think the odd long post is more than acceptable to see how folks on both side of the fence see the situation both on and off the park.
I think your assessment is pretty fair. Much the same can be said about my Hearts team. Lack of a goal scorer up front. Frustrating results against teams you would hope we could beat. Wondering what the manager can do to get a bit more consistent along with stop getting done by Tommy Wright’s St Johnstone!! However, the right steps appear to be taken with regard to trying to bring on a stable and relatively young squad and the next wave of youngsters have been given a shout for 1st team action from time to time.
It is a rough ride for sure but that’s what being a Jambo is all about at times, so there are no surprises or major disappointments when things don’t go as well as you hoped!!
RyanGoslingNovember 8, 2016 at 21:06
‘… There’s no money available and there will be no immediate jump in quality of player available.’
_______
Not to butt in , RyanGosling, and appreciating that you were replying to another poster, I have to say that it surely must be fresh in memory that King promised , if not the earth, at least a kind of war-chest!
He has not, it seems to me, been in any way called upon to deliver on his promises,but ,as ever, has demonstrated that if he has a few legitimate millions, he also has very deep pockets and very short arms.
Like the charlatans who created the new club, he seems to be reaping some kind of profit from the hard- earned cash contributions from everyone, anyone, but himself!
Historically, other clubs who realised that their Boards were not acting in the best interests of their supporters were given a very, very hard time.
TRFC supporters seem ready still, in spite of what they know, to accord the Board, and the board chaired by Dave King , an astonishing level of servile respect, and humble gratitude for being allowed to give their money-without even a supporters’ organisation such as Club 1872 being free from control by the secretary of RIFC!
Baffles me!
As a completely ( or perhaps not completely) OT post, can I say that for reasons far too complicated to explain ( even to myself) I was looking at Route 66 ( http://route66.backroadsplanet.com/route-66-directions.html ), and I noted two things, while listening to BBC Radio 4’s coverage of the US Presidential election,
“..Take Ogden all the way through the remainder of Chicago (Note: Ogden Avenue runs through some rough Latino neighborhoods as you pass Roosevelt Ave., so keep a steady clip if you’re traveling at night..”
and
“…..turn west on MO 96 and follow it through Phelps and…[ no, sadly, not Duff]
Is there some serendipity in the those references? Thinking maybe of really dodgy people in the worlds both of finance and politics?
You may think so. I could not possibly comment.
Perhaps it’s just me but the notion that Barton will leave Rangers for a fraction of what they owe him seems a fanciful one. The most aggressive reporting so far is coming from the usual suspects, the go-to guys for Rangers when they need to get their side of the story out and presented as ‘fact’. The Daily Record even go as far to describe £150k as a ‘bumper’ pay off. Given that Barton is owed circa ten times that amount under his contract I doubt that even it it’s true he will be willing to agree his silence for that amount. What we are seeing here yet again is the incredible cultural power Rangers hold in this country. Personally i don’t think those negotiating on Barton’s behalf will give a toss about that though. For a man who has always freely spoken his mind he currently seems to be heeding some very well placed advice. Quite frankly, the attempts of some people in the media to make Rangers look grand and dignified in this matter are beyond pathetic.
JOHN CLARKNOVEMBER 8, 2016 at 22:48
Ever since Green set foot through the door the policy has been ‘everyone hates us’, and it was bought into big style. That policy seems as strong as ever, and is the prefect smokescreen for a less than perfect board to thrive.
Just in from my local Manhattan bar – only cheers for Clinton wins which is probably expected.
Seems like disillusionment with the Establishment has carried across the Pond.
Will be fun watching the U.S. media do a quick 180 degrees to kiss hiss ass!
Like Scottish Football fans also wanting change?
From Radar Jackson in today’s on line DR “JOEY BARTON’S Rangers career ended last Thursday when he stormed out of the club’s training complex for the final time with his own coffee machine under his arm.
Record Sport can reveal Barton reacted furiously after being frogmarched into the first-team dressing room by a security guard and ordered to empty out his locker.”
—–
Honest to God! Was there ever a PR outfit so capable of making their client look ridiculously bullying and confrontational and, well, just natsy?
Frog-marched, clobbered, banned from the canteen, parking in the street, Oh!..And By the way……Any chance of buggering off for a tenth of your contract, and keep Shhhh while we slate you in the press?
Banana Boat expected to sail up the Mersey on the next high tide. Leave cancelled for all nautical Bampot ratings.
John ClarkNovember 9, 2016 at 09:23
From Radar Jackson in today’s on line DR “JOEY BARTON’S Rangers career ended last Thursday when he stormed out of the club’s training complex for the final time with his own coffee machine under his arm. Record Sport can reveal Barton reacted furiously after being frogmarched into the first-team dressing room by a security guard and ordered to empty out his locker.” —–Honest to God! Was there ever a PR outfit so capable of making their client look ridiculously bullying and confrontational and, well, just natsy?
_______________________
What an absolute disgrace to Scottish education we see here, that a Scottish ‘journalist’ can feel free to write such utter nonsense. Has he forgotten how his ‘kicked Ashley’s doors in’ report went? Does the man not realise just how stupid such over-the-top ‘reporting’ is? It’s like he’s just been reading some low quality paper-back and wanted to use some of the text because it impressed him so much!
In fact, on a second reading, I see he completely contradicts himself. How is it possible to ‘storm out’ while being ‘frogmarched’? And how is it possible to ‘frogmarch’ someone who is carrying a coffee machine?
That man is an absolute fool, and any decent newspaper would have ‘frogmarched’ him out the door a long time ago!
Joey Barton, declared unfit for work by his doctor, due to stress , This man has approx 19 months remaining on a 24 month contract, by all accounts he is being manhandled physically and pressurized mentally by his employer to take a paltry 2 months money to leave his job, Is it legal for an employer to coerce a person to this extent give up their livelihood whilst their doctor has declared them unfit for work,
Was the coffee machine a Nedspresso ?
” Ah Widnae chinge a thing ” !!!!!!
CHRISTYBOYNOVEMBER 9, 2016 at 11:01
Was the coffee machine a Nedspresso ?
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Naw! It was a “Costa Fortuno”……….according to sources.
Phil’s latest, ….
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.com/
On a lighter note: Seen this on twitter and thought I would share. In respect of Joeys dignified exit from Murray Park From someone called @BigDellBhoy….Newco then, Sevco Now, Kenco forever.
The latest “Bartongate” saga is a good laugh for many, but if it is indeed true that the details of Barton’s sick note were leaked to the press by Ibrox insiders, then no wonder he’s angry. He has every right to be. As for the utterly petty and spiteful actions against Barton reported in the Record today, these were clearly aimed at humiliating the player, presumably in the hope that they could provoke him into a response that might amount to a sacking offence. I’m no Barton fan, far from it, but how despicable is that?
The incompetence being exhibited by the Ibrox Board is pretty staggering.What are they thinking? Or is there no thinking? RIFC must be the worst managed £20m turnover company in the country.
Radar Jackson’s piece this morning plumbs new depths, even by his shockingly low standards. This is what you get when you entrust Level5 with your communication strategy. Can anyone doubt that Jackson’s output has its origins in the Level 5 office? As for Radar’s suggestion that Barton will settle for 8 weeks wages, that really is beyond laughable. Given his treatment by his employer, why on earth would he settle for anything less than the full amount of his contract. With a lot more on top if the club wants to buy his silence.
Re the joey barton saga.
Record sport can reveal before he left he walked into the first team dinning room to take back a top of the range coffee machine he had bought for his team mates.
A source said “A few weeks before his bust up with the manager, joey bought a coffee machine and had it put into the first team dinning room.it was a gesture of goodwill.
————
ARE WE LED TO BELIEVE THE IBROX CLUB WERE THAT SKINT THEY COULD NOT AFFORD A COFFEE MACHINE FOR THE FIRST TEAM DINNING ROOM?
To late to edit. It is just as well the first team had a ball to play with,imagine if joey turned up with a ball as a goodwill gesture then walked in and said i’m taking my ball back and your no getting a game
Bobo Balde sat for a long time on big wages not playing I recall he called himself the Chairman of Bobo Baldessa PlC. Perhaps mr Barton should seek him out for tips and encouragement.
Anybody fancy a good read?..I lifted this from moo@moo_ted
https://twitter.com/Sport_Integrity/status/796438894418022400
More rumours that Waghorn wants away in January:
From: transfer tavern
[Who they??, but anyway this is part of what they said an hour or so ago:]
“It’s not been a good few hours for the Rangers fans in the Transfer Tavern as the Joey Barton takes another predictably sour turn in what has been a difficult season in Ibrox.
With the controversial 34-year-old looking set to leave the Gers after a hilariously short stint, the Bristol Post suggests ANOTHER star could be heading for the exit door. Citing rumours on social media, and also reported by STV, they claim forward Martyn Waghorn is the latest star to have had a falling out with manager Mark Warburton.The former Leicester City and Sunderland striker is said to be pushing for a New Year exit himself as the early optimism around Ibrox suddenly evaporates.”
CORRUPT OFFICIALNOVEMBER 9, 2016 at 20:22 10 Votes
Anybody fancy a good read?..I lifted this from moo@moo_ted
https://twitter.com/Sport_Integrity/status/796438894418022400
==============
looks like the page is down,or it may be just me?
Corrupt officialNovember 9, 2016 at 20:22
‘..Anybody fancy a good read?’
______
I was in a right good, relaxed mood there, Corrupt official! I’ve run through the ‘good read’ though, and I’m reminded that I was enraged at the idea that the Celtic board may ( or should that ‘probably’?) cynically played for time , so that any formal complaint by them would be ‘time barred’ and unactionable by UEFA.
Could that group of men on that Board really have been as rottenly evil and wicked as the others?
I can feel the rage coming back.
I hope the Res 12 guys and gals get some genuine promise from them at the AGM next Wednesday that they will ask the Police to carry out an investigation into what may have been a significant crime.
[ Separately, did you see the reference to ‘misconduct’ on the part of Thornhill? The date of the ‘charge’ is 1969: he’s surely not currently under investigation? Am I missing something?]
I had it confirmed tonight, from a journalist working for a UK wide title, that Barton’s agreed pay-off was/will be £250K. Info came from Barton’s agent in answer to a call from said journalist.
There must be a tortured pun in here somewhere – just canny think of one , any offers ?
http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/peter-lawwell-and-the-cheetahs/
https://twitter.com/Sport_Integrity/status/796438894418022400
looks like the page has been taken down or hit with a cyber attack.
it was a good read for those who caught it
Cluster OneNovember 9, 2016 at 21:32
CORRUPT OFFICIALNOVEMBER 9, 2016 at 20:22 10 Votes Anybody fancy a good read?..I lifted this from moo@moo_ted https://twitter.com/Sport_Integrity/status/796438894418022400 ============== looks like the page is down,or it may be just me?
———————————————–
The page has been removed, does anyone have the article? What was the content of it
VALENTINESCLOWNNOVEMBER 9, 2016 at 21:49 The page has been removed, does anyone have the article? What was the content of it SII Focus: SFA & Rangers appear to have colluded to award Rangers a UEFA licence despite overdue payables:
easyJamboNovember 9, 2016 at 21:44
‘… that Barton’s agreed pay-off was/will be £250K. Info came from Barton’s agent in answer to a call from said journalist.’
_____
I hope the journalist in question gets right into whatever the underlying story is! Possibly that Barton’s agent mucked up the contract?or is just a useless or excesssively obliging negotiator who will not himself, however,lose any money,or that Barton is not fit to be let out alone?
Or, perhaps, there’s another million or so to be paid later out of CL monies when the good times come, provided Joey keeps his trap shut and doesn’t author a sequel to his book!
Re the Twitter article this is a link to a cached page so hopfull it works.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:XXILekuHe6gJ:www.sportsintegrityinitiative.com/rangers-sfa-may-colluded-award-rangers-uefa-licence/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
Cheers C St Bhoy.
I was going Tonto trying to recover it….I’m better with spanners than buttons.
CrownStBhoyNovember 9, 2016 at 22:07
link works thanks
JOHN CLARKNOVEMBER 9, 2016 at 21:34
John, Celtic’s position is curious in all this, and as you say, possibly a matter for plod.
Celtic also need to consider that this is a matter answerable to shareholders, and could possibly become an internal corporate governance issue.
I don’t know yet if silence equates to inaction, or if silence is ca’ canny, but I expect, or hope, to know more after the AGM.
There is a side-step to the time bar noted in the link. A possibility exists that Celtic are, and always were, aware of it.
Knowing, but at the same time not knowing (if you know what I mean) is a frustrating bugger.
What is heartening is having another respected organisation joining the fray.
” In essence, the complaint alleges that the SFA and Rangers colluded to allow Rangers to financially benefit from being awarded a licence to compete in the lucrative Champions League during the 2011/12 season. The accusation is that due to the importance of Rangers to the revenues of domestic Scottish football, the SFA was keen for the Glasgow club to have the money to return to the SPL as soon as possible, and so ignored issues with the award of the licence.”
That part can’t be right . The licence was awarded to the old club , they hadn’t left at that point so didn’t need the money for their re-incarnation .
EASYJAMBONOVEMBER 9, 2016 at 21:44
I had it confirmed tonight, from a journalist working for a UK wide title, that Barton’s agreed pay-off was/will be £250K. Info came from Barton’s agent in answer to a call from said journalist.
………………..
Seriously EJ ?
Why on earth would JB`s Agent disclose details of his severance payment to a Journalist over the telephone?
Without the permission of JB or his lawyer?
If true
There is only one possible explanation
JB is not being advised by a lawyer
JB and his Agent are the key people negotiating his release
JB who is off sick with stress has authorised his Agent to speak to the media
JB`s Agent has decided that the best way to respond to leaks by L5 to the MSM is to leak their negotiating position to the MSM
i.e.
JB is prepared to settle for £250k
If so
JB is definitely suffering from some kind of stress
And so is his Agent
ParadisebhoyNovember 9, 2016 at 21:44
‘..There must be a tortured pun in here somewhere..’
_____
Never mind that for the moment, Paradisebhoy, I’m going OT for a minute to say that I’ve just had a look at your ‘atavar’ thingy, the Palace Bar.
And a wave ,nay, a tsunami of nostalgia washed over me. That bar was on the corner of Salamanca St and Duke St, I know. But I’m buggered if I can remember which of the two streets shown is which! ( Is the 1960s Cortina(?) outside the pub on Duke St or Salamanca St?)
I remember walking down to Salamanca St from Westmuir St in a thick fog in 1950-oneish or two-ish when all that could be seen was the glow from the gas streetlights.
And memory tells me that I passed a coffin manufactory somewhere nearby!
I came from a street not much more, perhaps less, than half-a-mile away which was lit by electric street lights, so that experience was quite interesting.
[ And the tortured pun? Dunno, but in the photos, which is Peter?]
ParadisebhoyNovember 9, 2016 at 22:49
‘…….The licence was awarded to the old club , they hadn’t left at that point so didn’t need the money for their re-incarnation .’
_______
Sharp as a needle, Paradisebhoy!
Yes, the SFA were worried that RFC were in such hock to the taxman that they would go bust, and therefore felt obliged to lie in order to give master-cheat Murray a chance to get a few million from European competitions.The need was to prevent death.
That readiness to help signally failed ( I forget who was the team manager at the time)
And Murray, without CL money, bailed out, sold the club to a man who ‘duped’ him , who, in turn, killed the club.( a wee query: did Whyte know that the SFA might(must?) have known that the information supplied to the SFA about players’ remuneration was a tissue of lies?)
But the aye readiness to help was still there!
It helped create the myth that the club had not died, had merely changed hands, but was unfortunately ‘relegated’ and so on and on ….
The Big Lie is now in the very genes of Scottish Football ‘governance’.
We know that, and the lying sods know it as well.
But the truth will emerge, as it always does.
John ClarkNovember 9, 2016 at 23:16
PM sent re Palace Bar .
When I saw the headline “Peter Lawwell and the Cheetahs” I obviously thought that Celtic had got involved in an animal conservation scheme to save this endangered species . No reference intended to that other endangered species on the south side
EASYJAMBONOVEMBER 9, 2016 at 21:44I had it confirmed tonight, from a journalist working for a UK wide title, that Barton’s agreed pay-off was/will be £250K. Info came from Barton’s agent in answer to a call from said journalist.
==============================
I don’t doubt for a minute that’s what you were told EJ. I can’t see £250K being enough to buy his silence into the bargain though, and why should it be. With the help of a partisan media Barton has been completely trashed, although ironically the same media lapped it up when Barton was trashing Celtic people. However Barton is now in dispute with Rangers, and only Rangers can ever be right in these situations according to the media. Barton will have a story to tell, and it will not be what is dictated by a PR company working for Rangers. My guess is Rangers, and some individuals within the club, won’t want his story anywhere near the media. So he may well be willing to waive over £1M of what he is owed, however he has Talksport on speed dial…
EASYJAMBO on NOVEMBER 9, 2016 @ 21:44
I hope you’ll pardon my scepticism in what follows: none of the rest of us has any idea who your journalistic contact is (and that is how it should be). However, based on your valued contributions to this sight, your mention of him (or her) implies that your contact’s word may be trusted in this matter.
And yet, without further information, why (as a member of the rightly-derided SMSM) should that person’s word be granted any credence, let alone considered to be accurate?
Of course, their information may be correct and they may be telling the truth – as far as they are capable of recognising such.
As several others have suggested, how far fetched does it seem that Monsieur Barton would be willing to accept an apparently paltry settlement, in order to allow him to shake the Sevco dust from the soles of his shoes?
Have you been ‘duped’?
Again with every respect to EJ if I am Barton’s agent then I put out an assumed settlement figure that appeases my client’s current day to day circumstances and simultaneously flags up my availability for an onward transfer in January. This gives my client the best chance to get a deal with a new club that does not require a cross subsidisation of wages promised by my old club therefore the old club are perfectly happy to go along with the illusion. Barton ‘wins’ because its more than simply wages to January and RFC wins because it isn’t what he was promised 5 months ago with the proviso that he now stands the best chance of getting an equal or better deal thus severing the tie completely. The actual figure chosen, and even more strangely ‘leaked’ actually doesn’t matter as long as it is within the parameters for each side to claim victory.
easyJamboNovember 9, 2016 at 21:44
I had it confirmed tonight, from a journalist working for a UK wide title, that Barton’s agreed pay-off was/will be £250K. Info came from Barton’s agent in answer to a call from said journalist.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
John James has just been on twitter, saying that the payoff for Barton is one million. He’s putting an article up on his site later.
That’s still a very good deal for RIFC, in my opinion.
Petition to have SFA respond to ‘allegations of impropriety”:
https://www.change.org/p/the-scottish-football-association-the-sfa-has-to-respond-to-allegations-of-impropriety-concerning-the-issue-of-uefa-licences?recruiter=55501414&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=share_twitter_responsive