David Low
represents a highly significant component of the history of Celtic FC and consequently a highly significant component of how Scottish Football has panned out in the last 20 years.
As Fergus McCann’s Aide-de-Camp, Low was instrumental in helping him formulate and implement the plans which ultimately allowed control of the club to be wrested from the Kelly and White families. Low also helped McCann to rebuild and regenerate Celtic as a modern football club.
His views are unsurprisingly Celtic-centred, and this interview reveals his ambition for the club to ultimately leave Scottish Football behind. That may or may not be at odds with many of our readers, but the stark analysis of the realities facing football in this country may resonate.
He provides a window on the pragmatism of the likes of McCann, Celtic and many other clubs in respect of the demise of Rangers. He pours scorn on Dave King’s vision of a cash-rich Rangers future, and provides little comfort for those who seek succour for our failing national sport, believing that Scotland will find it impossible to emerge from the football backwater in an increasingly global industry.
Agree or not with Low’s prognosis, it is difficult to deny his compelling analysis of our place in the football world.
Brogues, Rogues etc. – the mods should grow a pair? I get your frustration, but why do you need someone else (remember, you don’t even know them) to do “something” to right the wrongs that you perceive to have been committed by Rangers fans? The moderation of this blog is as important as the high quality writing and the posts that respond to each piece.
Anybody who thinks that
Buying a season ticket = investing in the club
Probably thinks
Paying a fine for tax evasion = investing in S.A.
I had a dream…
that Stewart Regan stood tall in the Scottish MSM and declared unequivocally:
“Mr.King is not a fit and proper person in the eyes of the SFA. We don’t want or need his sort involved in Scottish football.”
…and then I woke up… 🙄
helpmaboab says:
April 13, 2014 at 10:26 pm Cluster One at 6:11pm.
30 thumbs up, 120 thumbs down
Are we really gonna have the surprised and outraged “bile and sectarian chanting” debate EVERY time Rangers are on the telly?
Irrespective of who sings,chants sectarian abuse,this blog should be able to highlight and discuss it.TSFM,To attempt to minimise it by boxing it off as a Celtic versus Rangers thing does a disservice to us all.My original post is put in moderation yet attracted 114 TUs and 0 TDs.That suggests to me that people see it as an issue for discussion.
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Apart from the continued obsession with TUs, you have misrepresented what I said. I did not boil it down to a Rangers/Celtic thing as you and Brenda seem to think.
I hope the misrepresentation was not deliberate, but whether it is, or you just didn’t read my post completely, it is another example of why we are not yet ready to have this debate.
I note from another forum that Rangers keeper Alan Simonsen is deleting his Twitter account following abuse taken since Saturday’s game. I suppose this is another reason why we should treasure this forum where abusive comments are not permitted, and reasonable debate can be had.
Good Morning. Re the Scottish Cup Semi-Finals at Ibrox Park over the weekend. How many teams actually took part in these games? So far all i can read and see in the media is report after report of one team actually playing tremendous football and not winning. The greatest game in Europe this year if one little pundit is to be believed yet the mightiest and best team did not win. Who were the dastardly opposition who blatently did not let their illustrious hosts to gallantly defeat and suitabley chastise them for the good of the game in Scotland. It seems we can now await media petition to elevate the New Team from Govan to their rightful place in the Cup Final and have the venue switched to thier own patch to allow for a better atmosphere as they line up another ‘wee diddy’ team for the slaughter. The other team in the first semi was in fact a very fine team of young talent who should have a large say in the destination of the Premiership title over the next few seasons.
Congrtatulations also to St J’s for reaching the cup final also. However this semi final was also overshadowed by the wonderful display but ultimate defeat of TRFC/Sevco on Saturday. We are now one again guaranteed that the 3 most important trophies in the land will have seperate residencies. Armageddon? Not Here.
Bowing out for a while, totally disgusted by the behaviour of certain fans and the more I hear the more my blood boils ( but don’t mention it in the smsm ) hopefully Mr Lunny does his job but I am not holding my breath. With any luck everyone will get their just desserts in the next few weeks and the Dundee utd v St Johnstone is an enjoyable, trouble free affair where the best team on the day wins 😉 and the ref does not have a howler, thankfully the plotting, planning and jiggery pokery to get a certain team a home tie in a semi-cup game, along with all the other special treatment achieves nothing…………. My passion for ‘my game’ has been dulled slightly and hope any comments I have posted in the last few days have not been misunderstood, as I said earlier racism and bigotry are racism and bigotry wherever they are displayed but most organisations are trying to stamp it out except for the sfa ………… Scotland’s failed association.
Campbellsmoney says:
April 13, 2014 at 11:31 pm
“Comparative integrity”. That about sums up the situation and the choice facing TRFC fans.
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Facing more than Rangers fans. I forget who is the current head of the SFA’s Department of Comparative Integrity – is it Mr Lunney, or does it fall directly within Mr Ogilvie’s remit?
Morning all.
Seems as good a time as any to mention David Low again. Candid and interesting. Celtic centric, yes, but honest words from someone on the East side. A bit of an eye-opener too, if his thoughts actually reflect the thinking of the Celtic hierarchy.
Unlike DL, I see Celtic as still a comparatively big fish in a big pond. In reality, the only difference now is that some fish are being fed more than others. That is not Celtic’s fault or the failing of Scottish football — it’s a problem of the corruption of sport by money and the failure of UEFA to maintain a level playing field.
I’m not sure from the podcast as to whether David Low now sees his club first and foremost as a corporate entity or as the best football club in Glasgow and Scotland.
I’m beginning to wonder, though, if Celtic are indirectly following the same path as old RFC in their attempt to prove to themselves, and to Europe, that 1967 was not just a flash in the pan.
There’s no doubt that until UEFA restore some democracy to European football Celtic will struggle for the recognition they deserve as national champions. And any other Scottish team winning the league within the next 5-10 years will face having the same second or third-class status. It is an insult to national champions of any country to force them to navigate an absurd set of obstacles in order to simply reach the first round proper. The CL is now merely the European rich-kids and spoiled brats league. It’s the sort of thing Mrs Thatcher would have approved of.
Here’s an alternative. Instead of spending multi millions on some first class duds (I do appreciate it is about ‘speculate to accumulate’) how about, say, the £2m spent on a young Finnish player had been ploughed into even more extensive youth work, football schools, talent projects, summer camps, etc? A programme to get the kids of the East End, or any other end, off their sofas, off the streets, away from drugs, or out of an impoverished home and away social problems. A programme and a commitment like that would not go unnoticed. Anyway, even if half of what was spent on a Finnish and Dutch player had been used to acquire Russell and May, would Celtic be any worse off, player wise? Doubt it, and certainly not financially either.
Instead of rushing to get on the first train heading for the end of the European Rainbow, help nurture the talent in Scotland that can do Celtic and Scotland proud.
One of the most discouraging things about watching the Souness Revolution from afar was the utter bankruptcy of the philosophy. Give up on your own youth and spend mega millions on imports. That did nothing for Scottish football except inflate a few egos for a very short time. Think of what that money might have achieved — apart from paying tax 🙂
Watching that retrograde revolution from afar was all the more painful when viewing it from a country and region that had been increasing infrastructure and youth development, and growing football on a sustainable basis. It’s not a coincidence that Scotland’s football’s decline ran parallel to the blossoming of the Scandinavian countries. Countries that we used to view as pushovers have been to a World Cup semi and won the European Championship. They continue to progress in European club competitions.
Not sure David Low’s dismissal of the rest of Scottish football resonates with many outside of his immediate circle. I hope not a least. Otherwise that solitary Saltire flying over Celtic Park may well as well be removed — but replaced by what?
Terrible yet somewhat predictable that a rangers player makes a mistake and has to take extensive verbal abuse on social media and his son was also abused apparently… Disgusting..!
@Danish pastry Hear hear all for promoting youth…
Brenda says:April 13, 2014 at 10:44 pm
Spot on, this subject has always been heralded as a Celtic v rangers thing? Far from it, race and religion should not decide what team you support.
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I can’t agree more Brenda in principle – but the reality is that two brands have seized this as bedrock for their own particular brand essence and they convert it into revenue efficiently.
Our two Glasgow giants have long realised that race and religion can be subtly and sometimes less subtly, intentionally and sometimes serendipitously used to develop and maximise their respective incomes.
I’ve been at business presentations from them both when they acknowledge that this “polarisation” helps them both.
One was more ruthless about how they maintain it and one saw it as more a softer cultural thing.
But they have both used it to capitalise “their” communities, give a focal point of difference for the mainstream media and ultimately continue to help them steal supporters and their cash from towns all over Scotland and also from Northern Ireland and places beyond.
It has been used successfully for years to keep the diddy clubs in their rightful place and give our game a two club duopoly which in turn makes them just about big enough to compete in the changed world of European football.
So the SFA and SPL see it as what they want to maintain and have come to see it as a commercial necessity for their national business models.
The 5 way agreement was about the SFA and SPL trying to maintain/reinstate this duopoly and the nonsense was the club chairmen of the non duopoly SPL clubs were conned into thinking it was for their own good by our myopic and heavily conflicted administrators.
Regan and Doncaster would gladly swap the silverware going to clubs outside Glasgow since Armageddon if they had their Old Firm games to market to SKY and BT and anyone who might want to be a major sponsor.
Its business.
Compare and contrast
“In this instance they demonstrated their lack of integrity for no advantage as I had already, as part of my frank discussions with the fan groups, advised them that I had NO PRIME AMBITION to invest further in the club BUT will do so if no other investors come forward.”
‘My view of what it will take to make Rangers competitive again is bottom end £30m but probably £50m — over the next four years,’ King told Sportsmail. ‘From the discussions I have to date I think there are other people who would come with me.
‘But I would say I would probably have to put in £30m of the £50m over the period of time. And I could probably get other people to put in £20m. ‘Would I be willing to invest £30m despite what happened previously? Of course. Sure.’
Surely Dave King must now be viewed as a busted flush by T’Rangers fans.
In recent MSM articles he appeared more than happy to give the distinct impression he was ready with the cheque book.
A man of integrity would have tried to put the record straight with regard to his actual intentions as opposed to leading the wider fan base, season ticket holders and formers Captains up the garden path.
I for one can’t see what King is bringing to the party and the current board who hold the shares and were voted in by the majority of the shareholders at the AGM still hold all the aces.
While Craig Whyte’s claim may still an issue not long now until the assets get transferred over to the RIFC property company?
@Carfins Finest 7.47 am
I have never concerned myself with the high level of coverage given to the newest club in the professional leagues by the SMSM. This club generate considerable interest from a significantly large supporter base. It seems natural that reporters would seek to keep such a large tranche of their traditional readership sweet with positive strokes.
The more astute amongst the Rangers fan base will pick up on the not so subliminal message:
Rangers played very well by their own standards.
Dundee Utd played poorly by their own standards.
Dundee Utd won 3-1.
This is where Rangers are at the moment.
Plucky!
Keith Jackson mentions the “community singing” in his “piece” today.
Such singing is not about Celtic. It is about prejudice and offensive and illegal sentiments. I see no reason why, if our football authorities will not deal with this problem, that we should remain silent on their failure.
RyanGosling says:
April 13, 2014 at 10:46 pm
I totally agree that over the decades the percentage of the Rangers support singing offensive songs has been decreasing and IMO the drop has been significant. There are even Rangers supporters these days who voice their opposition to the songs and full praise to them.
This is obviously a complex subject capable of fanning strong emotions on all sides and many of the trigger-points in my experience are culturally based and basically imbibed with mother’s milk – and I don’t restrict that comment solely to Rangers’ fans.
Things have slowly improved throughout Scotland in general wrt to bigotry and sectrarianism but again in my experience most of the ‘isms’ inflicted on society are underpinned by a reservoir of usually disadvantaged and undereducated males who blame their lack of opportunity/success on others – often immigrants – and not themselves.
Recognising and accepting personal shortcomings is one of the hardest things most of will face in our personal lives. But even harder is the next step and that’s to do something positive to change your life and personal prospects.
It’s much easier to be led astray by cynical older-heads with a political agenda and goal especially if this is carefully woven into a seemingly shared interest and football is a very powerful totem in this respect.
I think my difficulty with Rangers is that as a club it has provided no more than lip-service to tackling the cultural problems within for a variety of reasons including financial ones. That’s why I believe Celtic is a bit further along the road in terms of supporters although there is still work to be done.
The SFA IMO is no longer fit for purpose and indeed their actions actually help feed sectarian behaviour but that might be part of their plan – who knows and we never will as long as it remains a secret organisation who doesn’t think it’s answerable to the paying fans.
So I agree we are quite a bit away on TSFM from the fully open and respectful debate that is required on some subjects but we are light years ahead of many other sites and therfore that oasis – which sometimes seems to be no more than a mirage – must be preserved.
Many who have no wish to find solutions would be happy to see us collapse in a welter of argument and hatred as ‘proof’ of their case and to prolong a bitter divide for their own reasons which I know aren’t sharted by fans who simply love football for its own sake with victories and added bonus which should never be taken for granted especially not against this new breed of ‘diddy’ teams who in a way remind me of Israeli sabras.
As to the Mods well they have a thankless task on most sites and a particularly difficult one here in trying to allow an informed, constructive and balanced debate but within acceptable courtesy levels. But we have to remember that Mods have lives and feelings as well – As an Old Rocker I am laughing at myself making that statement 😆
But as you get older you really do relaise thatr times move on and things can improve if we have a genuine will to bring about change for the better – we just all have to be prepared to give something and have trust and belief that goodwill and sense can overcome those whose aim is to keep us at each other’s throats. There is surely much more to life than that ❗
TSFM at 1:01am
Apart from the continued obsession with TUs, you have misrepresented what I said. I did not boil it down to a Rangers/Celtic thing as you and Brenda seem to think.
I hope the misrepresentation was not deliberate, but whether it is, or you just didn’t read my post completely, it is another example of why we are not yet ready to have this debate.
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First off I am not obsessed with TUs/ TDs.Its your site.Keep them or do away with them.I did read your post completely.I don’t feel I misrepresented you.I retain the right to disagree with you.Lastly,your comments above are really rather condescending and not what I expected.I’m sorry,but talking down to a poster who is striving to make legitimate points is cheap and ill befits this blog.
@WOTTPI
Good post…I have never understood DK’s motives other than to see his name/photo in the paper… How anyone with no financial interest in rangers can try and hold the board and legitimate shareholders at ransom demanding business assets against fans buying SBs is downright ridiculous. Seems to be a bit of a power trip for him when the club is at it’s lowest.
I really do not think he can make a substantial investment anywhere as it may bring some more SARS review. His craving for limelight/visibility is what got him caught out in the first place from what I read.
He is feeding the hopes of many bears with his talk of his investment in the club but I feel that more and more bears are seeing his paper talk for what it is, tomorrows chippy wrappers.
wottpi says:
April 14, 2014 at 8:53 am
“Surely Dave King must now be viewed as a busted flush by T’Rangers fans . . . I for one can’t see what King is bringing to the party and the current board who hold the shares and were voted in by the majority of the shareholders at the AGM still hold all the aces.’
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King is stating that if push comes to shove he will put in £30 million and he believes he has others that will put in £20 million – Will it happen? I haven’t a clue and probably DK is the only one who knows the answer to that. That’s a Big Pressie to take to any party.
He will only give stories to SMSM that suit his agenda and that of a few close associates and I wouldn’t expect any difference from anyone using journos who are happy to get their ‘exclusives’.
As to the current Board holding all the aces – Well from my point of view they are holding sticks of ‘jelly’ with very short fuses about to lift the roof off Ibrox. The Board – excepting Easdale – have virtually nothing in the way of shareholding and are very much in the grip of faceless, anonymous shareholders.
The real power at Ibrox at the moment lies with the fans and whether they renew their STs. They truly are the people who will decide what happens at Ibrox.
IMO 30,000+ ST holders are easily capable of trumping a handful of mystery offshore investors – Laxeys I firmly believe will be capable of working with whoever the winner is and they are professional enough to make sure that they back the winner whoever that might be.
However – I have always said it is for Rangers fans to decide what kind of club they want and that’s as it should be. I await with interest to see who blinks first.
I wonder what odds their new casino shirt sponsor will offer and whether Black will be able to run an unofficial book on the outcome.
I’d suggest Mr King has just made himself an even easier target for those ensconced in the Blue Room at Ibrox along with his many critics here and elsewhere. While much doubt can be cast on the board of TRFC’s integrity, he, Mr King, alone has the words of a senior judge to prove he is a man of no integrity and very few morals. By bringing integrity into the bun fight he finds himself in (or has instigated as part of some fiendish plan) he has also shown himself to be a man of a lower intellect than his success in business might suggest, as he is clearly unable to understand just how repugnant his proven behaviour is, to those of reasonable integrity, within any reasonable society. If he wasn’t preaching to a mob he’d have been told to put up or shut up a long time ago. I suspect the only reason no one has asked the obvious question : How do you intend getting this £30m out of South Africa? is purely down to the fear of what the answer might be – almost certainly silence or some excuse for not answering. Still not even a promise of this £30m, just a mention of his preparedness to invest. I’m prepared to put £30m into Hearts – if I win the Euro Lottery rollover within the next few months. See how easy it is to say such things, it’s not a lie, it’s just hot air. He’s even got a built-in excuse in the event no one else is prepared to make it up to the required £50m. And he still seems happy to ignore the need to raise enough to buy out the board and all other non-TRFC-centric investors. The King’s clothes are no longer new, but the sycophants still can’t see through them.
Mr King mentions the word integrity more than once in his latest statement, sad but true. The board / investors want to pocket the money from ST. Mr King wants the club for nothing, the fans well they IMO just want a rangers man with or without integrity, stalemate at the moment, hard to say which way this will go. Not sure of numbers backing King, but the club needs the money (in the words of ex rangers man) for sure.
What to do with Ally and his poor management skills. Can the spivs use him any more than they have over the last couple of years (even though he was paid handsomely for it) he has been used like Walter in the past. Can they afford to sack him financially and again how do the fans rate Ally, enough to agree with a possible sacking, or he is a legend and it backfires on the board. His severance pay ensures Ally does not do walking away so stalemate. All so intriguing and I wonder how chick Young feels now about his previous possible prediction that Ally was in for manager of the year if he had won both cups. Building up to a really interesting week ahead.
JimBhoy says:
April 14, 2014 at 9:49 am
IMO 30,000+ ST holders are easily capable of trumping a handful of mystery offshore investors
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If the 30,000+ST holders could act as one bloc then they would undoubtedly be a powerful force. However we have seen that the TRFC fans find it difficult to unite. It has to be said that their attempts at unity seem to me to be deliberately subverted by a seemingly never-ending procession of would-be saviours/rebels/requisitioners/”new” fans groups whatever. At times it seems as though there is an orchestrated campaign to divide rather than to unify. Of course that makes it difficult for anyone who really does have the best interests of the “club” (there is that word again) at heart to appear to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. Every new “saviour” is a potentially destabilising force.
Even if the 30,000 ST holders could unify, their tactic can only be to threaten (and ultimately carry out) a scorched earth policy. Of course that will damage the thing they profess to care about, so it is an unenviable choice.
As for the latest spat between Mr King and the Board, I do not see that matters have changed significantly since Mr King rode into town claiming he would not leave until he had answers, then left (without apparently getting any answers – although he claimed to have legally binding statements or commitments or some such tosh). Why doesn’t he sue the Board for damages for breach of contract if they have breached these commitments? Oh yes that is right, he has no financial stake so he can’t sue for loss – as he hasn’t suffered any (even if they lied through their teeth to him – and I am not saying they did).
Preposterous.
Oh and the answers to his 4 questions are no,no,yes and yes. What difference does that make?
ECOBHOY says:
April 14, 2014 at 9:55 am
As to the current Board holding all the aces – Well from my point of view they are holding sticks of ‘jelly’ with very short fuses about to lift the roof off Ibrox. The Board – excepting Easdale – have virtually nothing in the way of shareholding and are very much in the grip of faceless, anonymous shareholders.
The real power at Ibrox at the moment lies with the fans and whether they renew their STs. They truly are the people who will decide what happens at Ibrox.
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Nail on head again.
King may have a history of terminological inexactitudes (copyright WC), but he is not stupid.
He is handing out matches.
ecobhoy says:
April 14, 2014 at 9:55 am
Appreciate that individual board members don’t hold all the shares but they are placemen for some of the major shareholders.
The fans only have some sway if the shareholders are actually interested in running a football club and a successful one at that.
Remember the institutional shareholders are numerous and many will have a taken a punt and are only it it for a few million each.
It probably won’t matter a jot if they make a return directly through operating the football club or through holding the property assets, charging rent (if there is a football club willing and capable to do so) and/or waiting for a time that they can be sold on for a decent price.
At present there is no obvious return to be made from the football club in the short to medium term.
The whole thing is a total hassle.
If the shareholders get fed up and tell the board to bail out of running the football club then the fans can shout and withhold their money all they want.
AJ
In effect both you and Kingy are saying that you will invest £30m in your respective clubs if either of you win the euro lottery. The difference is at least you are saying it in the knowldege that YOU have bought a ticket for the draw!
StevieBC
You are pleading for Regan to disown King. I would disagree. For the busted flush fantasy football that Regan aspires to i.e. the SPL 1998-2012 King is exactly what he does need (assuming of course he has the money he says he does, he wouldn’t lie to Campbell, shirley) indeed he is increasingly looking like the last option for the model on which Regan (and by their recent voting performance – the clubs) have hung their hat.
As for the rest of us mere fans, yes you are absolutely correct.
Remarkable blog from Bill McMurdo following the semi-final. Copied below.
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Huffing and puffing, Rangers capitulated to an unimpressive Dundee United team in today’s Scottish Cup semi final.
Today’s game answered the questions of many – and confirmed the judgement of others – about some of the players in Ally McCoist’s squad in terms of being Rangers quality.
Sadly, a fair few do not pass even the requirements of decent squad players. In a nutshell, this side will struggle to get out of the Championship and would be scrapping at the bottom of the top tier.
Mohsni was dire, as was Daly and Dean Shiels is never Rangers class. The big keeper should be shipped as soon as the transfer window opens and Ian Black is just an annoying wee ned whose very presence in a Rangers team besmirches our proud history.
Much of the attention just now is being directed at off-field areas of Rangers but the reality is that matters on the pitch are an utter shambles.
This Rangers team is absolutely brutal to watch and no-one is conned by the League One title win. I don’t believe that massive investment in the squad is the answer and it is just not feasible right now. What IS required is a radical overhaul of the entire footballing set-up at the club, including the formulation of a definitive football philosophy that must be implemented through every level.
Yes, there was endeavour and a lot more fight in the team today but let’s be honest – this lot of players are to football what Oscar Pistorius is to bathroom doors.
The poor state of the playing squad will no doubt be used by the usurpers in the board battles but Dave King should remember that much of the 20 million he claims to have lost in the SDM years was because of spiraling players costs as Minty tried to match Celtic fivers with borrowed tenners. It would be extreme folly for Rangers to try and spend their way towards success.
What Rangers need is austerity combined with shrewd investment in the playing pool. Better a hungry youngster trying to make a name for himself than a painter and decorator on 10K a week clugging wee boys and greeting when one kicks him back.
This bunch of Rangers players are simply not good enough and the entire football side of the club needs addressing urgently. What galls fans is that an opportunity has been squandered over the past two years. There was a great chance to build a team and develop a style of football that would have been the hallmark of Rangers for years to come.
Instead, Rangers are feared by nobody and are seen as an easy draw in cup competitions. A severe lack of guile, craft and creativity is the hallmark of this team.
Yes, Rangers have won two league titles in a row. But the harsh reality is that the Rangers revival is constantly stuttering because the performances of those fortunate enough to wear the famous royal blue falls far short of what is required.
The lesson is very clear. Doing enough is never enough for those who play for the famous Glasgow Rangers.
@CAMPBELLSMONEY @ 10.34 Think you got me mixed up with another poster.. AND I agree with what you wrote. 😀
Cluster One says:
April 13, 2014 at 11:06 pm
30 5 Rate This
If the “party troops”..remember that day?
can’t be punished, what chance the rest?
Best to just sit at the back of the bus with our fingers in our ears.(ps last comment about the situation from me )
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I did notice at the TRFC semi final game extensive advertising from the Army recruitment. I had a bit of a laugh to myself given what had happened on “party day”.
JimBhoy says:
April 14, 2014 at 9:49 am
IMO 30,000+ ST holders are easily capable of trumping a handful of mystery offshore investors
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Have to disagree
This isnt money from the same portfolio used by reputable pension funds
These are Spivs using OPM
Borrowed money and possibly murky money looking for a home
Why are people surprised that the nonsense 120 review is not going to be published after 120 days?
At worst this is a cooperative venture between all the Spivs to fleece the gullible yet again
At best it is a contest between Spivs with varying degrees of business acumen and minimal business ethics.
People who think nothing of lying. People who live on the edge of tax evasion and sometimes go over.
People who think integrity is just a word to be mangled when it suits
These guys are only interested in acquiring other peoples money
The end game has always been to sell the club for much more than they paid for it. If this is resisted they will liquidate and rent the assets to anybody foolish enough to deal with them
The RIFC Spivs have all the aces and will use them
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The best that can be done by decent Bears is to let TRFC liquidate ,buy the old name from RFC(2012) ,set up another club and start again
Putting their trust in a sugar Daddy caused this mess
Doing it again will only bring more grief
Smugas says:
April 14, 2014 at 11:13 am
“The difference is at least you are saying it in the knowldege that YOU have bought a ticket for the draw!”
Not quite Smugsy, We have both bought tickets, he’s maybe even bought more tickets than me. The difference is, though, that I’ve let the Hearts supporters know exactly how I intend to finance the deal, while he is happy to keep the TRFC supporters in the dark about that one, merely saying he will raise the money, and maybe put money in himself. Plus, of course, I am not entreating the Hearts support to withhold ST monies in an effort to force the existing board to bend to my demands, which could, of course, lead to my club going bust if, in the albeit unlikely event, I don’t win the Lottery 😕
Oh, by the way, anyone lend me £2 to buy my Euro ticket? I promise to give you it back – if I do win, that is 😀
I am surprised the rangers board have not put some legal restriction on DK, gagging him, then again it may be something to do with the fact that they are skint.. legal aid anyone??
Interesting quotes from Nicky Law after defeat to Dundee United, it demonstrates to me that the “everyone’s against us” mentality is alive and kicking at Ibrox and as such, I am not looking forward to them taking their place at the top table in the coming years.
“People are jumping on this after we lost to Raith, but we’ve beaten Falkirk and Queen of the South and feel we should be competing. Everyone has been waiting for us to lose a game so they can jump on the manager’s back.
It has taken us to mid-April to lose a game, barring the League Cup tie when we could not field our strongest team. Every fan, bar those that support Rangers, have loved the last week and have been able to give us stick. They’ve had to wait six or seven months for us to lose a game so they could all jump on us.”
Which leads me to Keith Jackson’s (and others) assertion that the atmosphere seen at Ibrox on Saturday is exactly what we have been missing, I disagree and I feel it will be poisonous and dangerous at some point.
I will accept that the atmosphere was more electric and noise level higher than normal but at what expense? I have never attended one but from what little I have read about, so is the atmosphere at an event where 2 dogs are put in a ring to rip each other apart, the same electric atmosphere seen when Christians were essentially fed to lions or tigers or sacrificial criminals given up to highly trained gladiators.
“Cracking Atmosphere”? No thanks!
ulyanova says:
April 14, 2014 at 11:31 am
Sorry, that must have been written by a fake McMurdo. Too much sense for a start, and could have been written by anyone of a hundred posters on here.
It’s almost as though it’s been written by someone who knows the contents of the 120 day review, and is preparing the faithful for change.
But no! It’s still too much sense to come from the keyboard of Bill McMurdo.
“and no-one is conned by the League One title win”
Oh Mcmurdo, Mcmurdo, McMurdo. I beg to differ…right up to the moment that the cupboard is declared bare (of title deeds).
@ALLYJAMBO I think you may be right about McMurdo’s message… I read it earlier this morning and thought good preface to the 120day review….I can’t see anyway that Ally can be kept on in the face of radical cost cutting.. It will be interesting to see the big name taking over as this has to spin a positive for SB sales.
Dave King using the word integrity in any guise but to show his lack of is risible.
IF he had 30 million to pump into TRFC why the hell didnt he do so before? OK he had SARS on his behind but the glib and shameless liar surely had “savings” in offshore accounts he could use? or is he not quite as wealthy as Mr Whyte after all?
As for the bitch fight currently underway, if this is NOT orchestrated betwene both parties which I still think it might be, it’s not that I don’t trust DK or the Board, I don’t trust anyone, surely DK’s actions make him persona non gracia when it comes to deal time?
I certainly wouldn’t deal with the &rse now, after all those things he says about them.
I see the only option for TRFC, no team funding in short to medium term, the whole squad decimated with only 400-500 per week salaries for out of contract players, so languishing in Div 1 or very bottom of SPFL is the best they can hope for. That pleases me because that’s actually more than they deserve, but enough for me to be satisfied.
If Dk did end up renting the stadium and Murray Park, which I can’t see, I see MP being sold off personally.
But if he rents Ibrox, surely there’d be a “once I’ve rented the stadium for 5 yrs at 3million per year I own” sorta Hire Purchase arrangement?
But this is where he becomes glib and shameless liar….again…..he rents the stadium then ends up owner, he paid with it by using ST monies, but HE owns the satdium at the end of the period not the fans. The fans being on his case for not spending 50 million, decide he’s a b&wb&g and want rid, so he says ok I’ll go, but you need ot buy the satdium off me, it cost 15-20 million but it’s now worth 50 million……magic roundabout anyone?
So, will the board answer the Four King questions?
I’ve had a quick look at 32Red’s last set of accounts.
http://www.32redplc.com/investor-centre/publications/32RedAnnualReport2013_040314.pdf
Their profit before tax was just under £2.3M, so I can’t see the TRFC deal being particularly lucrative.
It was also interesting to note the 32Red also operate an EBT scheme for the benefit of their employees (mainly Directors). Clearly they are compatible bedfellows.
Kilgore Trout says:
April 14, 2014 at 12:47 pm
Too late, he’s Far King gone!
TSFM – no issue with editing being necessary but what was edited? so I know to not tread over any lines….
Anyone else think Keith jacksons piece today was as if he had read some posts here and decided to shall we say follow the general sentiment in that? it almost read as if he was being unbiased, fair and reasonable!? my word….has he finally figured out he’s dating the ugly fat burd…?? too much again TSFM?
It doesn’t appear as if 32Red’s investors think much of the new sponsorship deal announced today.
Their share price is currently down 7% today.
http://www.lse.co.uk/ShareTrades.asp?shareprice=TTR&share=32red
INDY14 says:
April 14, 2014 at 1:20 pm
Anyone else think Keith jacksons piece today was as if he had read some posts here and decided to shall we say follow the general sentiment in that? it almost read as if he was being unbiased, fair and reasonable!? my word….has he finally figured out he’s dating the ugly fat burd…?? too much again TSFM?
————————————————————
I said this before but just to reiterate, it does not matter where a journalist gets his/her info, it only matters that they report all topics in an honest, fair and balanced manner.
We cannot just pound these people relentlessly, give credit when it is due, if Keith Jackson is reporting something in that manner then you will hear no negativity from me.
He does actually write some good stuff on a regular basis, in my opinion. In saying that, I will continue to take issue with specific elements of stories where I feel they are inaccurate, misleading or in this case, key players omitted.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
“The very idea that this regime might be covering up the depth of the club’s current financial plight should appal a support which has been misled so ruinously by the likes of Charles Green and Craig Whyte before him.”
…………………………………………………………………………………………
“The very idea that this regime might be covering up the depth of the club’s current financial plight should appal a support which has been misled so ruinously by the likes of Charles Green, Craig Whyte and David Murray before them.”
There, fixed that for you……
SB time and still no sign of Wattie…. Things must be bad. Might be time to get back Mr Green in some consultancy role… 😕
Interesting that rangers new main sponsor will be an off shore gambling firm, lot’s of offshore interest in rangers it seems, kind of ironic if you think of their british brand.
easyJambo says: April 14, 2014 at 12:59 pm
I’ve had a quick look at 32Red’s last set of accounts.
The main directors are doing quite nicely out of it though, total renumeration up 65%-73% on last year.
Apropos of nothing in particular I note that Gibraltar’s tax rate is half that of the UK (10% vs 20%). Murray missed a trick – Gibraltar Rangers?
McMurdo ripping into DK in today’s blog.. Quotes some of the SARS judgement on him to remind the fans.
Did I not read something of the major investors in rangers could throw in £50m if they wanted to from the same man a few month’s back when he was fighting off the requestors… Pipe dreams..
Was asked last night if I was a diddies or a cheeks man…
Took me a while to realise it was a football question.
A Lateral Thought
From a contradiction you can determine everything (Alan Turing`s basis for cracking Enigma)
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
There is a big contradiction in the latest twist to the TRFC saga
i.e.
We have a public spat about what was said at a meeting between the Big Spiv and the RIFC Spivs
But
That’s not the contradiction
Because
There cannot be a real disagreement about what was said at the meeting
Because
All the attendees are Spivs
And
All Spivs……….in this saga anyway
Will have taped the meeting
So
What we really have
Is a public spat that can be easily solved if one party wants to release his tape of the meeting
So the real contradiction is this
Why have we got a public spat that is easily solved?
There is only one possible explanation
Both “sides” need to keep it going and are therefore not interested in proving their version
Therefore
This spat is contrived
Therefore
Both parties have an interest in ST sales failing to hit the target promised to the Auditors
i.e.
Both parties want the fans to carry the can for a TRFC Administration
Out of Administration can only come a CVA acceptable to the largest creditor i.e RIFC
So
The Big Spiv can only “rescue” TRFC out of Administration if he is prepared to do a deal with the other Spivs
And if he is already working hand in glove with the RIFC Spivs
That deal is already done
GoosyGoosy says:
April 14, 2014 at 3:31 pm
A Lateral Thought
…
This spat is contrived…
===================
The nonsense statements and inaction do seem to indicate that this could be their current ‘play’.
And in an ideal world, why don’t the fans take control: just pick up the ball, [ST money], tell all the spivs to b*gger off, and start their own club ? I know… 🙄
blu says:
April 13, 2014 at 11:52 pm
15 22 Rate This
Brogues, Rogues etc. – the mods should grow a pair? I get your frustration, but why do you need someone else (remember, you don’t even know them) to do “something” to right the wrongs that you perceive to have been committed by Rangers fans? The moderation of this blog is as important as the high quality writing and the posts that respond to each piece.
========================================================
Hi Blu,
tsfm is a well respected blog. it tells the truth and is a shining light in the murk that is in general the standard of reporting within the realms of scottish football. the blog has an opportunity to become one of the foremost vehicles for projecting and protecting the good thongs about the game.
the voice of tsfm is so much louder and will be heard by so many more than one voice ever could. I have been around here since the days of rtc, as you have, but i feel that it is time to stop being so nice and take some positive action as tsfm rather than leave issues to be investigated by several experienced and knowing individuals such as John Clarke. I’m only using jc as an example due to the work he did reporting on the utt. I don’t have any experience or knowledge of the legal or financial systems and the regulatory processes and I rely on the good will and the hard work of others for my information.
My personal opinion is that the voice of tsfm with all its associated contributors could be so much louder if we were to ask questions of governance as a united and single entity rather than on an individual basis.
Its my opinion Blu that we as a body could do so much more. I am as always willing to be educated as to the reasons why this hasn’t/will not happen, but as i said, its my opinion.
thank you for your previous contributions Blu and please continue to educate me!
ta.
goosey goosey@3.31
Iv been mulling this over for a while and I tend to think you may be right. This very public punch and judy show between king and the board reminds me of american wrestling, all pre agreed, all rehearsed each knowing the others next move and countering , then having a good laugh together backstage whilst enjoying a beer and counting up the takings.
My take is , the spat has enough of an effect on s ticket sales to allow the board to say “enough , were skint and its kings fault” only for king to say “oh no its not” this is pure xmas panto stuff. The spivs get the assets, King gets the club (minus buildings) and the blame falls between them both.
No one single person gets it too much in the neck, a la Craig Whyte and everyones happy on the spiv/king sides.
The casualties are the football club, totally crippled for years and the fans . fleeced beyond belief by “Real Rangers people .”
I did post a theory a while back saying this was an inside job from the start , to assist Green. teach him the peepils ways and likes etc.
I still hold that view.
Whatever way this pans out , its not good for football in blue down Govan way .
and I personally think Karmas alive and well.
“The xmas you get , you deserve “
Goosey Goosey,
That is the scenario that has been floating around my head since the whole farce began.
I believe that it was the road map that Whyte laid before multitudes.
He was going to dump the debts and have a team in blue, playing at Ibrox.
The main characters may or may not have changed, but the plan remains the same.
There is no logical reason why the Ibrox board, who consider King a serious threat to their business, would not invoke his SA convictions as the method of removing him from the game.
I presume that the original investors, (Ticketus?), have extracted their money via the Share Issue and we are now in the end game of a debt free team in blue playing at Ibrox.
Or perhaps not. 🙄
StevieBC says:
April 14, 2014 at 3:41 pm
13 0 Rate This
GoosyGoosy says:
April 14, 2014 at 3:31 pm
A Lateral Thought
…
This spat is contrived…
===================
The nonsense statements and inaction do seem to indicate that this could be their current ‘play’.
And in an ideal world, why don’t the fans take control: just pick up the ball, [ST money], tell all the spivs to b*gger off, and start their own club ? I know…
——————
Just a thought.
If the fans did so could they buy the history from Charles Green and claim to be the same club?.
One thing I’m sure of:
He’d sell it to them.
Looks like the King master plan is going ahead. Just can’t believe the man is seriously expecting the board to agree to hand over Ibrox and MP as security. Complete lunacy! Or part of a plan!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27027619
Broke my self imposed SSB ban tonight ,this programme has got to be taken off the air,Keevins is a buffoon and the callers just feed his ego .
How is this security over Ibrox supposed to work? Will there be an independent trust set up? Or will it be a voted set of trustees (by various fans groups)? Unless the legal papers are very carefully drawn up surely there’s a danger of the rights to the ground shifting elsewhere? I’ve seen these kind of things set up only for guys to get in charge of it to fall to the temptations of ego and/or greed.
Also what if they later need a loan? Can they use the property as collateral if it is ring-fenced by the fans to prevent it being ‘stolen’? I’d imagine probably yes but it would make things difficult.
You will have noticed the above is mostly a list of questions I don’t have the nous to answer. Perhaps bears of not so little brain as me can suggest answers? 🙂
ulyanova says:
April 14, 2014 at 11:31 am
Remarkable blog from Bill McMurdo following the semi-final. Copied below.
————————————————————————–
And if you have a strong enough stomach to scroll through the comments a weel kent name has added his tuppenceworth
“Jack Irvine says:
April 14, 2014 at 1:04 pm
There should be no doubt as to what Mr King’s aims are, viz:-
1. Stop payment of season ticket money directly to the club.
2. Force the club into administration.
3. Pick up the pieces for a song.
4. Return of Paul Murray and Malcolm Murray and all the other Blue Knight cowards who never had the guts to put their money on the table.
Happily the vast majority of Rangers supporters are just decent ordinary people who want to watch their team get back to the top and are fed up with all this destructive, destabilising nonsense peddled by underachieving football anarchists such as Dingwall, Graham and Houston.
Integrity? Dave King? He’s having a laugh, isn’t he?”
—–
Looks like Jack agrees with many on here 😆
Phil MacGiollaBhain @Pmacgiollabhain · 3m ago
Those nice people at Daniel Stewart (RIFC’s NOMAD) have just notified the AIM of an impending announcement.
ah ye beat me to it, admin announced in the morning?
Phil MacGiollaBhain @Pmacgiollabhain · 1m ago
Those nice people at Daniel Stewart (RIFC’s NOMAD) have just notified the AIM of an impending announcement.
Dave King’s continuing presence as the only vocal alternative to the Rangers board since the AGM sent the previous dissenters packing has not met with universal support among Rangers fans.
There are those who are willing to lodge their season ticket money into an as yet ill defined bank account, but it remains to be seen if such a fanciful idea will be realised to any significant degree.
For the current Rangers board and their shareholding backers it’s a problem, but certainly not the worst problem they could have faced.
As Rangers fans await the outcome of the 120 day review and find themselves asked to renew their season tickets there was always the risk that they might have decided to unilaterally hold back until Graham Wallace made clear just what a season tickets money would buy.
As it is the real debate is not happening. The 120 day review always looked like kicking the ball into the long grass and Dave Kings presence whatever his motives serves only to further divide and already fractured support.
The debate looks to have become about who you support rather than what you think.
Personally I would advise Rangers supporters to withhold their season ticket money, but there really is no reason to put it any bank account other than their own.
The pressure would then be on the board to give fans the assurances they require or make plain the gravity of the situation and simply and honestly ask for support.
There is nothing that Dave King is offering Rangers fans that is beyond their capacity to do for themselves save a few beguiling and often obfuscated offers of money which look unlikely to materialise.
Goosy you have mail, so ye dae. 🙄
indy14 says:
April 14, 2014 at 7:29 pm
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ah ye beat me to it, admin announced in the morning?
_______________________________
Wonder if this explains the (slightly) more compelling effort in evidence from TRFC players yesterday? #shopwindow time.
Just a thought. Those fans who do go ahead and put money into Dave King’s plan. They don’t expect their season cards to work in that instance, do they?
Why does Dave King need them to place their cash into any bank account….
Here is an idea Mr. King…why don’t you start…and place 30 million into the bank account first…and then ask/expect others to follow?
@Pmacgiollabhain: I am hearing that today Super Ally’s representatives approached Sevco for a “Do Walking Away” deal.
However,they left empty handed…
@ Kilgore trout
More sense would come from 2 yeast talking to each other. If you get my drift.
I wonder how amusing Kurt Vonnegut would think of our countries leaders names? Salmond and Sturgeon 🙂
Sorry to everyone else for being off topic
StevieBC says:
April 14, 2014 at 3:41 pm
27 0 Rate This
And in an ideal world, why don’t the fans take control: just pick up the ball, [ST money], tell all the spivs to b*gger off, and start their own club ? I know…
———–
I had the misfortune to suggest a similar scenario on an otherwise moderate football forum. I thought I was being reasonable by pointing out that the tens of millions handed over up until now could already have established a new, fan-owned club. ‘Why should we start a new club?’, was the response. My error was in stating that since the current club was just Green’s Sevco rebranded, what did it matter. I also suggested that if it meant that much they could buy the history from Charles, since there is a common belief that he purchased it.
Don’t go there.
torrejohnbhoy(@johnbhoy1958) says:
April 14, 2014 at 8:05 pm
3 0 Rate This
@Pmacgiollabhain: I am hearing that today Super Ally’s representatives approached Sevco for a “Do Walking Away” deal.
However,they left empty handed…
=======================================
Just speculating, but with Phil’s other tweet about an AIM announcement in the morning, could McCoist be getting told he’s walking and he has no choice?
Hello
I have no idea what this imminent announcement is, just that the NOMAD has been told to give the AIM a heads up.
PhilMacGiollaBhain says
I have no idea what this imminent announcement is, just that the NOMAD has been told to give the AIM a heads up.
ORANGE TOPS? 🙂
Phil’s tweet may just be this
http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/6763-business-review-update
“THE Board of Rangers Football Club notes the concern of supporters around the timing of release of an update from the Club’s business review ahead of the renewal deadline for season tickets.
The Board confirms, in accordance with its previous announcements, that the business review will be completed as planned and an update will be issued to shareholders and supporters on 25th April, ahead of the season ticket renewal deadline as previously indicated.”
upthehoops says:
April 14, 2014 at 8:24 pm
torrejohnbhoy(@johnbhoy1958) says:
April 14, 2014 at 8:05 pm
3 0 Rate This
@Pmacgiollabhain: I am hearing that today Super Ally’s representatives approached Sevco for a “Do Walking Away” deal.
However,they left empty handed…
=======================================
Just speculating, but with Phil’s other tweet about an AIM announcement in the morning, could McCoist be getting told he’s walking and he has no choice?
========================================
Great minds think alike, uth… 😉
Was also thinking if it could be a departure, as opposed to Admin.
Either the sleekit one has gone, [can’t imagine he would resign so mibbees leaving – but claiming ‘constructive dismissal’ of some sort ?]
or
a director has decided to leave ?
Again, pure speculation on my part.
Martin says:
April 14, 2014 at 7:41 pm
‘…There is nothing that Dave King is offering Rangers fans that is beyond their capacity to do for themselves.’
———–
He’s actually offering them nothing, full stop!
Instead he’s using/abusing them to try to wrest the critical property assets out of the Board’s hands if he can
or to establish that the assets do not belong to the Board.
Far be it from me to take sides as between one convicted fraudster who did not do time, and a Board with connections to another Board on which sits a,lesser fraudster who did do time!
Who could not but pity the punters who have to make such choices, and agree with those who walk away , ST money still in their walllets, with cries of ” A plague o’ both your houses!”( which were , as essexb will readily confirm 😀 Mercutio’s last words in R&J)