As SFM folk will know, Scottish Football authorities can be enigmatic at best, puzzling and corrupt at worst, and downright crazy and incompetent in either situation. On this blog over the years, we have asked questions constantly of the authorities and the clubs, but like anyone with a fan-centred interest at heart we get ignored. “Fans are not a homogenous entity”, they say, “there are more opinions than there are fans”. This artful premise gives the clubs an excuse to ignore fans’ input, and other than on platforms like this, fan opinion is seldom gathered or curated.
The following blog, put together by Andy Smith, the Chairman of the Scottish Football Supporters Association, asks a lot of simple questions that don’t get asked often. He also invites fans to raise their own questions and opinions.
Of course, there are headline atrocities committed by the people in charge of the game.
The Five-Way Agreement, the continuity myth, the refusal to punish the biggest incidence of systematic cheating ever experienced in the game, and the casual adoption of the post-truth model introduced so successfully by venal politicians on both sides of the Atlantic.
But what enabled those assaults on the integrity of the sport? In order to get away with the big con, there have to be wee cons. Ticket allocations, kick off times and dates for set-piece occasions which make it difficult if not impossible for fans outside of Glasgow to participate, refusal to hold match officials accountable in the way an underperforming player or a misbehaving fan would be, and countless other incidences where fans are inconvenienced, or even put at risk.
The only way to combat that level of arrogance is to unite where we can, and although in a partisan sport that can be difficult to achieve, SFM is testimony that it can work. This blog is an invitation for us to begin to look forward, and not get distracted by the past. I hope SFM-ers participate and make their views clear.
Big Pink
What did Alan Dougherty, Gordon Harvey and Eddie Hutch have in common?
They were teachers who gave their time, to thousands of kids, including me, and asked for nothing back. To a man they gave up, overnight, as part of a ‘work to rule’, in an ugly pay dispute in the early 80s.
They were never thanked properly by the game?
They were and are sair missed.
Why did football let that happen?
Why has nobody ever grasped this particular nettle since?
Should you be able to have a beer at Bayview watching East Fife play Clyde on Feb 5th?
Just like the fans at Murrayfield, just over the Firth can and will, at the sell-out game vs England on the very same day.
Should you be allowed to enjoy a beer at Celtic Park watching Celtic vs Rangers on Feb 2nd?
A smaller crowd than Murrayfield too, and very few away fans. But some history and maybe a different situation altogether.
Are our leagues too small, leading to constant pressure and short termism by clubs?
Club CFO’s say the pressures are brutal and when their team is in trouble everything else gets sacrificed to avoid the financial chaos of relegation.
Many CFO’s dread the thought of promotion too knowing full well the seesaw implications of our small leagues.
Should the bottom of SPFL be an automatic relegation to open up the pyramid?
Our unique, one league only, convoluted play-off formula was only ever a last minute switcheroo/deal by the SPFL2 clubs at the time to protect their places in the SPFL ‘old boys network’.
I’d suggest East Stirling, Brechin and Berwick would change their votes if asked again.
Your Invitation to Say What You Think
Scottish Football Alliance Fan Survey January 2022
The Scottish Football Supporters Association is an independent and growing fans organisation in Scotland with circa 80,000 members. We have members from all senior clubs in Scotland and throughout the pyramid.
Many of those members regularly visit the SFM site.
We have been asked by the new Scottish Football Alliance (http://scottishfootball.org/) to provide an independent insight into what fans think about various aspects of our game, in particular what fans think our game needs to move forward. It is time for change, and football seems incapable of change from within.
Scottish Football might not acknowledge it, but it really needs the input of supporters like you. The fact none of us have been asked our opinions in the past says a lot.
We need to help and tell those running our game and other stakeholders like the Scottish Government what football needs to do.
Scottish football certainly has to think longer term and get closer to its fans.
In any business overview we are the core stakeholders.
The way we are treated and ignored is quite commercially bizarre.
To that end we have commissioned a short two minute survey, but we’d also welcome and appreciate any more detailed insights into what Scottish Football needs to do or do better. Please email those insights (in addition to participating in the survey) to me, at andrew@scottishfsa.org
I know from experience that when you get a group of fans in a room to talk about football, after the local rivalries and stuff gets dealt with, usually with humour, we can all see what the game has done for us, the power of good it can be for our communities and the things that need to change.
I constantly find that most fans not only see the bigger picture but also collectively want to give something back.
When this survey ends we will aggregate and analyse the results and share them far and wide inside the game and to other interested stakeholders like The Scottish Government.
The results will also become the foundation of policies The Scottish Football Alliance will publish and circulate.
At each stage moving forward we will work closely with The Scottish Football Alliance providing then with further fan insight.
And we will keep you and all other fans involved.
Survey Notes
You can participate in the survey by follwing this link:
https://s-f-s-a.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/scottish-football-alliance-survey
The questions are simple Yes/No and there are no right or wrong answers, just opinions and insight into what fans think.
Upthehoops 12th February 2022 At 14:54
‘..Oh what a tangled web they weave…’
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We’ll have to wait and see what further nonsense may be foisted on us when/ if people in the Judiciary and COPFS have to scramble either to block the truth and/ or avoid personal blame.
Do you remember this as a piece of utter journalistic failure? Is it worse or as bad as Marc Horne’s ( also of the London Times]
“Judge blows final whistle on old Rangers
Nick Drainey
Thursday November 01 2012, 12.01am, The Times
Lord Hodge ruled that the former club could be placed in the hands of liquidators
Rangers, the club that once bestrode Scottish football, was consigned to history yesterday in the dry-as-dust, downbeat surroundings of an Edinburgh courtroom. [ed: so far,so truthful]
In an atmosphere far removed from the roar of Ibrox, Lord Hodge ruled that the former club could be placed in the hands of liquidators.
A new Rangers football club has been formed since administrators were called in in February over unpaid tax bills.[ ed: so far again, so truthful]
It has inherited the honours of the past, but the history of the original club effectively ended in court yesterday.” [ ed: what a piece of absolutely contradictory nonsense! A new club cannot possibly ‘inherit’ the sporting successes of a club that died before ever the new club had kicked a ball!]
Dear God, did neither of those two ‘journalists’ stop and think about what they were writing? If they did not that would in itself count them out as being any kind of reliable journalist.
And if they had thought and had recognised the truth, but reported something other? What would that make them?
Why, nothing more nor less than propagandists for a sporting untruth cobbled up by frightened little men in office as the guardians of the Integrity of Scottish Football!
Which is the worse thing to be?
At a time like this, when the integrity of persons in the very Courts of law is possibly being questioned?
Paddy Malarkey 12th February 2022 At 15:05
‘… They seem to veer between disbelief and anger on behalf of victims of historical abuse.’
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I am an old man now.
As a boy I read about Baden-Powell and the Boy Scouts. I wanted to be a Scout. My mum and dad (it seems to me now] thought it was the same as, or related ,to the Boys’ Brigade, so I was not allowed to try to join.
Did they save me from being sexually abused?
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/10/boy-scouts-of-america-wins-key-support-for-sex-abuse-settlement.html
Read what that link refers to .
And we realise that the evil of sexual abuse of the young of any gender is to be found world-wide and at every level of society.
These days, it would be a very rash company, or sports club, or political, academic, religious, secular, atheistic, or charitable institution that can guarantee that at all times past and present there has not been anyone among their paid staff or volunteers who has not been guilty of abuse against youngsters or other vulnerable people.
Essentially, the point I make is that point-scoring by referencing a world-wide societal problem is meaningless, except perhaps that the attempt to do so is an indication of the spluttering inability of those who live the sporting lie that Sevco5088/SevcoScotland/TRFC is somehow the Rangers Football Club of 1872.
Honest to God, what are they like?
What else but deniers of Truth?
And those in journalism who deny that RFC of 1872 died are ‘abusers’ of the rest of us , the everyday
football club supporter?
Paddy Malarkey 12th February 2022 At 15:05
‘… They seem to veer between disbelief and anger on behalf of victims of historical abuse.’
PM – on the “disbelief” angle – why would they be surprised? It was entirely predictable that the interim results would be impressive, driven by 2 significant player sales ( Ajer / Eduoard), qualification for the group stages of the Europa League and the return of European crowds. The only reason for surprise would be that they were uninformed by the fourth estate ahead of times or arithmetic isn’t their strong point.
Looking more closely at the numbers, Celtic fans should be in no doubt that their club is being run ( financially at least) by people with a good grasp of what their business model is. The conveyor belt of positive player trading is truly impressive. While dips in form and injuries can quickly change things, there are several recent additions to the playing squad who are clearly promising candidates to join that conveyor belt in the future.
About the only thing that hasn’t gone right is that fringe players, some of whom will be high earners, didn’t get moved on in January. ( Ajeti, Barkas, Soro and Bolingoli). Whatever disappointment the Celtic Board might have felt about that will be minor relative to the excitement the acquisition of Abada, Kyogo, Hatate and O’Riley appear to have generated.
As of December 31st Celtic had cash balances of £25.6m and net Equity of £93.3m ( Assets – Liabilities). They have maintained an undrawn Revolving Credit Facility of £13m adding further flexibility to their immediate cash position. This is a position all other clubs could only dream of.
Westcoaster 13th February 2022 At 13:50
”… Celtic fans should be in no doubt that their club is being run ( financially at least) by people with a good grasp of what their business model is.”
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I love the the “financially at least” qualification, Westcoaster!
The Celtic Board certainly grasped that acting with integrity ( by insisting on an independent investigation into the ‘UEFA licence’ matter and by supporting Turnbull Hutton] would cost them money.
In that respect, and in my opinion, that puts the Celtic Board of the saga era very broadly in the same category, if not to anything like the same extent, as the originators of the real villainy – SDM and the SFA/ SPFL.
I am no anatomist, but I think we must now be aware that since 2012 an a.se can have more than two cheeks, and that ‘sporting integrity’ is an out-dated concept, as demonstrated most cogently by the SFA.
And who could be a.sed with a ‘sport’ that can live with the moral doping that is signalled by the ready acceptance and propagation of untruths about sporting achievements and success?
What would be the point?
Quote of the saga: Paul Murray speaking about Craig Whyte
“He came into the boardroom and I remember looking at him in disbelief. The pointy, plastic shoes. The ill-fitting suit. This should have been the biggest day of his life. This guy looked like he’d been dressed off the peg at M&S.”
I think that quote says all that one needs to know about Paul Murray and his intellectual capacity and business nous.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/craig-whyte-rangers-wolf-cheap-26219041
John Clark 13th Feb 23.50
“I love the the “financially at least” qualification, Westcoaster!”
JC – I had you in mind when I inserted it! 🙂
John Clark 14th February 10.44
“Quote of the saga: Paul Murray speaking about Craig Whyte
“He came into the boardroom and I remember looking at him in disbelief. The pointy, plastic shoes. The ill-fitting suit. This should have been the biggest day of his life. This guy looked like he’d been dressed off the peg at M&S.”
I think that quote says all that one needs to know about Paul Murray and his intellectual capacity and business nous.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/craig-whyte-rangers-wolf-cheap-26219041 ”
JC – Today is certainly a day that needs to be remembered – predictably, and regrettably, Keith Jackson chooses to indulge in revisionist nonsense with Paul Murray. Five minutes on Google were all that was required at the time to realise Craig Whyte wasn’t “The Bellshill Billionaire” that Jackson himself had served up to Daily Record readers. His shoes, as you point out, had hee haw to do with it.
Westcoaster 14th February 2022 At 12:14
You’d think he’d have said all this to his friends in the media (and the Ludge) at the time . It could have maybe prevented the rush to administration then liquidation .And he seems to have realised that liquidation was looming when talking to D Murray – “But I told him he’d just sealed the club’s fate – that there was no way back from this.”. His media pals weren’t hot on that either . And no mention of a holding company .
@JC – I’ve been reflecting on the Nick Drainey report that you posted and specifically the word “inherited”. I think (although not 100% sure) that I am comfortable with “inherited”. It clearly is not the same by any stretch as winning the honours yourself or in its more regular meaning of building the wealth yourself. It also signifies a terminal event for the wealth creator – that is to say their death – which of course in the case of corporations is what liquidation equates to. To claim something which you inherit as your own creation is arrant nonsense, that much is clear. I think a narrative of “inherited honours” would not last long in the cold light of day – perhaps that is why there is no talk these days on the 54 inherited titles to take just one example.
As an aside (and apologies if thought off-topic), whilst the Green Brigade fireworks at Celtic Park for the recent Glasgow derby were completely out of order and quite frightening, I did chuckle at their Pinocchio set-piece.
Just read the Sons of Struth article on RFC’s descent into administration and even they say it was the club , not a holding company . What am I missing ?
10 YEARS ON. LESSONS LEARNED?
The 14th February 2012 will be etched in the DNA of every Rangers fan that was alive that day. Reality hit and the reality wasn’t palatable. Our club entered administration.
Wee Barry has done some walking away . The lure of Murray Park , perchance ?
Paddy Malarkey 14th February 2022 At 18:04
‘…Wee Barry has done some walking away .’
%%%%%%%%%%
“….I’m not going to sit here and tell you a lie …..”
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/football/barry-ferguson-confesses-undying-rangers-return-hope-as-he-eyes-next-management-step-after-quitting-alloa/ar-AATQCEs
I rather hear in my head the additional words ” not when SDM will do it for me, Mr Tax-man”
Certainly a day to remember in the long saga of Ranger’s administration/liquidation. First we have the hindsight of the decade award for Paul Murray as he appeared to be the only person who saw through the self made billionaire with the plastic shoes. Perhaps if he had been more observant at the time he could have rescued the club/team/holding company/engine room whatever. If memory serves right he didn’t seem to have a problem accepting a board position. Stewart Robertson says they are in their best financial position since 2015 and might actually be in a profitable position with the sale of Patterson. He should have a look at the Celtic’s financials and see it takes more than one sale to achieve profitability. And, finally Barry steps down and casts eyes toward an Ibrox return. Now he can write his weekly/daily columns on Rangers without fear of interfering with his former managerial duties. Don’t wait on that phone all too long Barry.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60152312
Well, in my inbox today there is this interesting [English]judgment; it would be absolutely ‘ off topic’ -except maybe to remind folk that those of us amateurs who may innocently enough write, or have written, about court hearings in perfect good faith are extremely conscious of ‘the Law’! And are careful to abide by any rules about not reporting what we hear and see, if there are reporting restrictions.
It concerns the breaching of an embargo on publication of the draft of a judgment of the court.
Apparently, the practice is for a Judge to let Counsel in a case see his written draft judgment in advance of publication so that they have an opportunity to correct any mistakes before publication.
The ‘Chambers’ of Counsel for the parties are REQUIRED to have systems in place to prevent the POSSIBILITY that the judgment may be leaked before official publication date.
In this case, the embargo was breached ( apparently this has happened only twice before!]
What happened in this case.
Well, have a read and see, on this link:
https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2022/02/he-Queen-on-the-Application-of-The-Counsel-General-for-Wales-and-The-Secretary-of-State-for-Business-Energy-an.pdf
Step for a hint, I was vaguely reminded of a certain contempt of court case.
A reminder from The Scotsman and Football Scotland as to why SFM must keep challenging ‘The Big Lie’ …
‘Robbie Keane to play in Rangers 150th anniversary legends match’ (it galls me even to type that!).
Anyone lacking knowledge of the real history of this ‘club’, severely cognitively challenged and/or totally deluded, may not have spotted the not so deliberate printing errors, so for these poor souls (including the SMSM), I offer the following ‘nugget’, selected from the words of renowned philosopher Leigh Griffiths:-
‘Yir club’s deid mate!’
Whilst I’m on, someone was quite recently (with a moot point at best) whinging about this being a pro-Celtic site – which is, in itself an insult to posters who are supporters of clubs other that Celtic and TRFC. (That reminded of the time when I (a CFC fan) was mildly rebuked by BP for a pro- Celtic post!!).
One of the main reasons for this paranoid, and IMHO false, claim is, simply, that posters on here regularly challenge inaccurate reporting about the Govan outfit’s history. so said whingers need to ‘wake up and smell the coffee’ by accepting the undeniable truth …
‘Rangers Football Club. Born 1872. Died 1912’ (The Herald headline).
Nuff said? Certainly for me!
Bect67 17th February 2022 At 11:39
‘..Nuff said? Certainly for me!’
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Yes.
You know, I wish I had the readies to get first rate legal advice on whether an action ( and the likelihood of being successful] could be brought against a PLC which, when it to the Market, were to have done so on the basis of a ‘Prospectus’ which clearly and misleadingly implied that it was the ‘holding’ company of a long established football club with a tremendous record of sporting success, when in fact it was only the ‘holding’ company of a new football club set up and admitted into professional football for the first time only very shortly before the plc was set up?[ The public records and the records of the professional football association are assumed to be available as evidence of the main facts giving rise to the action]
It might be an interesting exam question for aspiring Insolvency Practitioners or would-be employees of the FCA?
What a strange night for Scottish football , last night . Changes the narrative now on staying in Europe/winning the league . Hard to discern which team can’t play in front of crowds .
Spot on Paddy!
TRFC followers will (justifiably) fancy their chances of progression in Europe, and will certainly have had a morale booster from last night’s result(s) with regard to winning the league.
Most CFC fans, on the other hand, would not bet on getting through to the next stage of the Conference League, but will be happy to be currently ‘leading the chase’ at home so to speak.
Both have identified winning the domestic league as this season’s ‘Holy Grail’, in terms of financial rewards from direct entry to the Champions’ League (in spite of various caveats, I believe that the Scottish Champions will have achieved a strong enough co-efficient for this to materialise), and I would venture an opinion that, should TRFC advance and Celtic go out, then CFC, with what I feel is a stronger squad, might reasonably be considered as favourites for the title – perhaps especially with three of their final five games being at home, with one against their Govan rivals.
n.b This is NOT a prediction – as I am wary of going down this route, having seen my expressed belief that Celtic would reach 10iar go ‘right down the tubes’.
As you hinted at (e.g. a weeks a long time in politics!), there will surely be a few twists and turns between now and the end of the season!!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60432796
If Jim Goodwin goes to Aberdeen , the top flight will have lost it’s longest serving manager – 2 years 235 days ,and will be replaced by Callum Davidson – 1 year 245 days . High risk employment .
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scottish_Professional_Football_League_managers
Paddy Malarkey 18th February 2022 At 17:31
%%%%%
The link you provide, PM, has these comments:
“Morton say they are “disappointed with the severity” of Imrie’s punishment and have asked for an explanation of the reasons.”
and
“BBC Scotland understands there are no suspicions of match fixing within the charges and the 14 cases, which were all made public at the same time, are not part of a coordinated investigation”
I merely observe that a football club that for a decade evaded millions of pounds in tax by telling porkies to HMRC, and broke football rules by telling porkies to the SFA , was scarcely punished at all for such offences.
I observe further that our Football Authorities are themselves a busted flush in terms of Integrity by countenancing the biggest act of sports cheatery ever carried out.
I further wonder just how match-fixing
by players ( so easy to miss a crucial penalty or to concede one],or
by referees [ so easy for referees to make ‘honest ‘mistakes] or
by managers [ less easy , but still possible to field an unnecessarily weak side to try to bring about a defeat]
is prevented?
Once your ‘ governance bodies’ lie about sporting achievements, the entire sport is suspect.
And, sadly, we have a Big Lie at the very heart of our game, a lie created by our governance bodies- hell
mend them if the entire sport goes down the plug-hole.
John McLellan, ex-editor of ‘The Scotsman’ and current Edinburgh city councillor, expresses in today’s print edition of the paper, his fears that a recent judgment* of the Supreme Court threatens the basic principle that ‘truth is an absolute defence’
* http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKSC/2022/5.html
His own denial of the truths that RFC of 1872 ceased to exist as a football club participating in Scottish professional football in 2012 when it entered Liquidation [in which state it currently remains] and that The Rangers Football Club of 2012 foundation cannot possibly be the club that was founded in 1872 surely disqualifies him as any defender of Truth
The blind hypocrisy of those who practice ‘borisism’ when it comes to ‘truth-telling’ is frankly, disgusting.
John Clark 17th February 2022 At 14:55
“It might be an interesting exam question for aspiring Insolvency Practitioners or would-be employees of the FCA? “
I believe that a more interesting exam question and would be better rewarded if one were to give the answer would be, what was the name of the holding company?
https://twitter.com/rangerstaxcase/status/1494700649698639874
Bigboab1916 19th February 2022 At 19:16
“….what was the name of the holding company?”
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Bigboab1916-nice to see you back!
I got the definitive answer to that question just before Christmas.
I had emailed the FCA to ask the question. They replied that it was a Companies House matter and passed my query on to them.
Here is the relevant email chain:
“enquiries@companieshouse.gov.uk
To:[me]
Mon, 20 Dec 2021 at 08:11
Dear Customer,
Thank you for your email.
RFC 2012 P.L.C.
Company number SC004276
Free access to digital company data and images is available from the Companies House Service: https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/
The above search facility will provide you with details of Directors and Shareholders of the company.
Companies House acts primarily as a registry of company information, our statutory duty is to register documents in line with the Companies Act and make them available for public inspection.
If you require any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.
To get in touch you can email us at enquiries@companieshouse.gov.uk or call our Contact Centre on +44(0)303 1234 500
Alternatively please visit our website at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/companies-house
Yours faithfully,
K. Richards
Customer Advisor ”
“To:enquiries@companieshouse.gov.uk
Wed, 15 Dec 2021 at 12:55
Dear Companies House,
The FCA yesterday emailed me to say they had redirected a query I had made to them to you, as being more in your field.
The query was simply: what is/was the holding company of Company number SC004276, which was a company that entered Liquidation in October 2012?
Thanking you,
[me]”
“Freedom of Information
To [me ]Sun, 12 Dec 2021 at 23:07
Thank you for e-mailing the Financial Conduct Authority’s Information Disclosure Team. This is an automatic acknowledgement to tell you that we have received your email safely. Please do not reply to this email. We will be in touch in due course.”
—
We see clearly that all the nonsense about it being ” the holding company not the club, that was liquidated” was a lie from beginning to end- as we knew, of course.
And, do you know, I think I can detect , from the curtness of the Companies House reply, that they’re not too happy having to acknowledge that truth! [I have an earlier email from CH which I must now dig out and re-read, because it was on the same lines as the utterance of that HMRC bloke who gave the false assurance that ‘Rangers’ would continue]
I am ready to believe that CH may have realised that they allowed themselves to be conned and taken in by the Big Lie , a lie which was apparently authorised by the FCA when they allowed RIFC plc to claim in their Prospectus that they were actually continuity Rangers of 1872.
I think that there are hard questions to be asked of Companies House and the FCA about allowing a plc to make untrue statements in their launching Prospectus.
But given the complicity of the SMSM in accepting and promoting the Big Lie, those hard questions are not even being asked, never mind answered, because
BBC Scotland in effect disciplines anyone who raises the subject on air, and the print media are too feart/too partisan to report Truth.
as, of course, are our ‘politicos’.
Which of them , of any party, had or now has the guts even to ask questions?
To do so would in their view might cost them their seats- whether in Holyrood or Westminster-so they have all rolled over and chosen to live with the lie.
And it is such an absurd lie, laughable even, if its consequences were not so destructive of belief in the Integrity of our national sport.
Honest to God!
Has there been any update or resolution on Ranger’s on-going dispute with Scottish football administrators an the Cinch sponsorship. It has been fairly quiet in that regard lately.
Now that Barry Ferguson has surrendered ( could not help but use that phrase) his coaching duties will we now have a daily dose of his football insights in the DR.
Is Derek McInnes quietly paving the way to an Ibrox return with his glowing columns in regards to Ranger’s performances.
Why are ex Rangers players and fans so fixated on game results from 15 — 25 years ago. Of course this a comment that could be levelled at a number of teams.
Vernallen 20th February 2022 At 14:43
Trying to convince themselves that the club they support is the same one that played in those games . In the same way GVB is a link to the past . They’ll have to produce a few players from the youth set up to keep the notion of continuation extant .
With regard to the dominance of the two big Glasgow teams, it seems that the last few weekends have demonstrated the ability of other sides to compete on a match by match basis.
It is becoming obvious to me at any rate that football coaching is now very efficient at levelling things up on the field of play. Strategies to counter attacking threats of more gifted players are becoming more and more successful, garnished with no little skill in teams throughout the top league.
Maybe the main reason the bigger clubs usually end up occupying the top six places in the Premiership is their depth of talent. Squads are more and more instrumental in that regard, and the ability to use five subs will most definitely not be a further step towards a level playing field.
Big Pink 21st February 2022 At 09:08
“…and the ability to use five subs will most definitely not be a further step towards a level playing field”
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I totally agree.
For a sport to be a sport there has to be meaningful competition.
” Fishing” by using dynamite is not angling, a heavyweight against a featherweight is not boxing, men footballers against boys is not competition- and a team that is not resourced at a level to be able to match substitution with substitution would be at a sporting disadvantage against wealthier clubs that have many more bodies and fresh legs at their disposal.
Substitution for any reason other than injury was always a bad idea. Increasing the permitted number of subs would make a nonsense of football as any kind of sport.
In my opinion.
It always causes me to smile when I read of a manager’s “stroke of genius/inspired substitution” when said substitute makes/scores the winner/equaliser. Seldom is the question asked “why wasn’t he in your starting 11…?” The big teams beyond our “wee league” will not countenance a reduction in subs as it would make keeping their bloated squads happy much more difficult with less game time to dish out. If the name of the game is to have a more level playing field how about:
1. Any player that is subbed automatically suspended for the next match – would also cut down on those time-wasting substitutions.
2. Have a max squad size (as they do in Europe) to mitigate the tendency of big clubs to warehouse players.
3. Bring back (at least I think it disappeared) a minimum number of under 21/23 players in the listed squad.
I am sure there are pros and cons to the points above and many other ideas. Maybe if we want to be the “best wee league in the world” then we lead on some innovation to make a more competitive environment.
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC437060/filing-history
Another 4m of shares issued yesterday @ 25p raising £1m. Has the 1st tranche of the Patterson already been spent? Looks like it.
Westcoaster 22nd February 2022 At 11:21
“.Another 4m of shares issued yesterday @ 25p raising £1m. ”
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This is getting to be ridiculous, issuing shares like confetti to meet immediate cash needs!
Does any sensible business do this except in dire emergency?
It seems to me that RIFC plc is regarded as too risky for any commercial lender to think of lending them a few bob.
Will they go bust before season’s end?
John Clark – 22nd February 11.41
“This is getting to be ridiculous, issuing shares like confetti to meet immediate cash needs!
Does any sensible business do this except in dire emergency?
It seems to me that RIFC plc is regarded as too risky for any commercial lender to think of lending them a few bob.
Will they go bust before season’s end?”
JC – as long as someone steps up with further cash I don’t see an immediate risk. The Rangers website hasn’t been updated so we have no means of seeing whether one of the usual suspects has put their hand in their pocket again or it’s someone else.
Surely the latest share issue must have set another world record for Rangers ( aren’t they always trumpeting some form of world record). Is this money to cover the salaries of the recent top drawer players brought in on loan, does it help finance their European travels, or was it cover a payment to a creditor who was knocking on the doors of the hallowed marble stair case. Is the money earned so far in European competitions already spent.
So many questions, so few answers.
Regarding the recent share issue it’s more likely to be someone converting a loan to shares.
The shareholder information on Rangers website has now been updated to reflect the additional 4m shares. The shareholder ( >3%) and Director summary totals have not changed therefore those who have bought the latest shares are a minority shareholder(s), who is/are not Directors, with a holding(s) less than 3% of the total. 3% of the issued shares now represents 12,969859 shares.
Westcoaster 22nd February 2022 At 20:35
‘.. therefore those who have bought the latest shares are a minority shareholder(s), who is/are not Directors, with a holding(s) less than 3% of the total.”
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I wonder which minority shareholders (or, perhaps, persons who were not already shareholders?] were quietly approached and invited to buy? Family members of existing directors, perhaps? The odd public official maybe, or newspaper editor/journalist, or propagandist of the Big Lie?
Albertz, thanks for your usual positive outlook on all things Rangers/TRFC – your post of 22/2 @ 15.36 reads to me like ‘How dare anyone suggest that they needed new money, it’s just an old loan now being converted’. You always make these statements as if you’re well-informed, are you?
IMO Westcoaster’s update that the quoted holdings haven’t changed suggests the new shares are indeed new money – and, presumably, much needed new money – given that if it was an old loan being converted, that would more likely be from one of the more established, higher-shareholding types, thereby increasing their notifiable holding. Do you think?
A wee change of topic …
‘Rangers Fans For Change have now called for an end to the song Billy Boys’
‘It’s obvious to most that ‘Billy Boys’ has no place in any stadium and no defined link to Rangers Football Club’
When I read the above extracts from the group’s ‘mission statement’, I initially thought , admittedly somewhat cynically, that it must be the 1st April – but no, it seems pretty genuine. Then they go and score a credibility own goal by declaring that …
‘Rangers is an institution of 150 years and counting’ (roughly translated as ‘Let’s airbrush the L word).
The statement could be tokenism but, at face value, RFFC seems sincere in this aim (I’ve no idea what else they hope to change), but I can’t help thinking that they will be on a collision course with a ‘substantial minority’ of the more ‘entrenched’ elements at Ibrox.
In short – I can’t see it succeeding (though TRFC could help by not playing the tune!).
During a recent unforeseen few days in hospital I took the opportunity to read a book I had been given at Christmas called ‘The Ghosts of Cathkin Park’, which detailed the inside story of Third Lanark’s demise. It was a compelling read, and both sad and angering in equal measure how a reasonably well managed football club so easily fell into the wrong hands and was run into the ground, seemingly due to one man’s personal greed. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone with an interest in Scottish football.
Bect67, Phil MacG did a piece on the RFFC’s statement the other day. https://philmacgiollabhain.ie/2022/02/22/why-pr-spin-will-not-cure-the-klan
As you’ll see, he believes it’s not a ‘real’ fans group but a PR front for TRFC itself.
Nawlite
Thanks for that sobering info. Ah’ve been scammed – woe is me!
In hindsight (ah that perfect science!), I probably should have gone with my first instincts!
In other news RIFC seems to have dropped off the JP Jenkins share trading platform. I have no idea how the Jenkins business model works but it most likely is a periodic fee or commission basis.
On the fee front it would suggest RIFC aren’t paying for the service anymore and may have defaulted.
On the commission front it would suggest Jenkins can’t see any profitability. Last time I looked the last transactions were approaching 11 months ago and the shares have been so diluted since that the 19p value is out of touch with reality. Nobody is going to trade at that level even if the board can con(vince) diehard loanees to convert loans to new shares at 20-25p per new share.
Of course there could be another plausible explanation for no more trading of existing shares.
interesting, Tykebhoy. Perhaps someone more in the know might let us all know if they have indeed ‘dropped off’ and if so, what the reason is and what that might mean for TRFC. Albertz will be on before that to let us know they are in fact still on and merely choosing to hide their dealings because there are huge investments in the offing!!
Upthehoops 23rd February 2022 At 16:58
“..I had been given at Christmas called ‘The Ghosts of Cathkin Park’”
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Ach, Uth, I’m not that long back from a wee swally in Glasgow with two other auld men reminiscing about football as we experienced it in the late 1940s early 1950s.
A time when I as a wee boy was allowed with my pal Tommy Thompson to sit in the open-backed wee Val de Travers lorry, driven by my pal’s dad , on our way to Cathkin Park.
How powerful those memories are.
With regard to the recent batch of shares issued by RIFC, can anyone explain to me why someone would purchase 1p shares for 25p?
I’m stumped.
SB – from the web – “From The nominal value, or book value, of a share, is usually assigned when the stock is issued. It’s the stated value of the security, as opposed to the market value of the security. The market value of a security reflects what the market is willing to pay for it.”
In my experience nominal values are deliberately assigned to be a low value to attempt to avoid a scenario where the market value is below the nominal value. A penny is often used. Whatever value is used it is entirely arbitrary and has no link to market value.
TB 23rd February – “RIFC seems to have dropped off the JP Jenkins share trading platform.”
As of this morning – no change on the Rangers website.
https://www.rangers.co.uk/investor-information
“The Company’s ordinary shares of 1 pence each are admitted to trading on JP Jenkins’ matched bargain platform. JP Jenkins is the largest European platform exchange for unlisted securities and traces its roots back to the USM segment of the London Stock Exchange. “
JP Jenkins made a statement that RIFC were no longer being traded on their platform but it didn’t state who made the decision . Shares are still being traded on Tifosy but I believe that is only for shares that were purchased through the Tifosy share issue . Some of these canny investors are asking for up to £10 per share but unsurprisingly there are no takers for them. As for nominal values a 1oz gold britannia coin has a nominal value of £100 but a true value of over £1500 , it is given a nominal value so it qualifies as legal tender . The real concern over at Ibrox may not be can they afford a demand from Ashley but with rising power bills can they afford to switch on the floodlights .
Given that Ashley may be due a large cash sum before the new season gets underway. Will the club from ibrox suffer an administration event if they can’t pay? Will they find the money to pay if any bill lands on the door step? How many would stick around for a club starting the season on -25 points
Delighted to see that Tavenier can score a goal without going to the penalty spot. This should now unleash a round of stories about him being sought by major clubs across Europe and a financial bonanza awaiting the powers that be at Ibrox. Having two penalties awarded in this competition should fan the flames for VAR and the conspiracy on referees assisting Celtic. Funny there was many complaints a few years back when they were awarded 4 (four) in one game. Possibly another world record.
Cluster One 24th February 2022 At 12:41
EDIT
“How many would stick around for a club starting the season on -25 points”
————————————————————-
It is now an initial fifteen point deduction Cluster. It has been more than five years since the last insolvency event concerning a member club playing at Ibrox and as we know, that was not the same one as currently being discussed in any case. Extract below from current SPFL rules listed at https://spfl.co.uk/pages/rules-and-regulations. Whatever the purse situation is the team last night managed a result that such be recognised and commended. Not easy to defeat a team of Dortmund quality.
E3
Where a Club takes, suffers or is subject to a Deductible Insolvency Event during a Close Season the 15 points deduction shall be applied in the immediately following Season, such that the relevant Club shall commence that immediately following Season in the relevant Division on minus 15 points, with the 5 points deduction being applied in the Season next following the immediately following Season, such that the relevant Club shall commence that next following Season in the relevant Division on minus 5 points.
E4
Where a Club, whether owned and operated by the same or a different person and whether such person or persons is or was a Member, has taken, suffered or been subject to an Insolvency Event which resulted in a deduction of points in terms of these Rules, whether a Deductible Insolvency Event or not, or in terms of the SFL Rules and within 5 years of the date of such Insolvency Event which resulted in a deduction of points takes, suffers or is subject to a Deductible Insolvency Event the 15 and 5 points deductions applicable in terms of Rules E2 or E3, in respect of such a Deductible Insolvency Event shall instead be 25 and 15 points respectively
Got to commend TRFC for last night’s game . Terrific performance and terrific result .
John Clark 23rd February 2022 At 23:05
Ach, Uth, I’m not that long back from a wee swally in Glasgow with two other auld men reminiscing about football as we experienced it in the late 1940s early 1950s.
A time when I as a wee boy was allowed with my pal Tommy Thompson to sit in the open-backed wee Val de Travers lorry, driven by my pal’s dad , on our way to Cathkin Park.
How powerful those memories are.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
That’s a wee bit before my time John, but having read the book, and having visited Cathkin Park itself about three years ago, I find it very sad I never attended a game there. I stood on the terracing for a while trying to imagine. I doubt there are any other former grounds of that size in the UK where so much of it is still intact.
How they roll in Brazil .
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60520643
Fair play to TRFC last night and all good for the Scottish coefficient. Imagine a scenario whereby TRFC win the Europa thus gaining automatic entry to the Champions League. Celtic winning the SPL with automatic CL qualification and the (likely) 3rd placed team getting into CL qualifying…and CL TV revenues split 3 ways… I remain an advocate of socialising European monies but that scenario had never crossed my mind!!!
And maybe with Gazprom income curtailed the money pot might be a tad reduced. What could be the implications?
I find the amount of stats generated in regards to football interesting although somewhat over the top at times. You’ll have a team completing 700 passes in a game but how many are difficult and how many are just the tippy tappy back and forth over a couple of yards. Another is the distance travelled, how much is actual running, some jogging or just walking. What stat I would like to see is how much Aaron Ramsay has earned per minute of playing time for Rangers. That could make for interesting reading.
I will say this:
there is an infinity of difference between the effects and consequences of the lying words of a national Government and the lying words of a sports governance body in a small nation.
What they do have in common is untruth.
In my opinion, Scottish football governance is , in its own wee, petty way as far removed from truth and honesty as yer Putins of this world.
The fact that their untruths do not have the murderous consequences of Putin’s lies does not excuse their lies.
IF GVB is soset on having VAR implemented in Scotland, perhaps he could have a word with the Ibrox board and have a share issue put forward to such an end. Ibrox/TFRC could then donate the funds to the Scottish football suits and have the VAR in place for the league run in. Celtic may also look at throwing money at the project. If this isn’t possible, have GVB stop the moaning about the lack of VAR and get on with the game. Mistakes will be made as those involved in making those decisions are only human and they only have a split second to make the calls. Maybe GVB would be better suited to be an official than a manager as he seems to have difficulty sorting out the second half of recent league games. Also the DR trumpeting the fact that Dortmund has amassed a squad worth some where near 200 million. If you were to take the alleged value of the Rangers team, with numbers of 20 — 25 million for a number of players that gap would narrow sharpish. The only problem with these alleged values nobody has stepped up with offers to match.
Vernallen 27th February 2022 At 22:53
You don’t seem to understand . There was a referee’s assistant working at Ibrox today , who didn’t give the decisions required , and who also sported an Irish-sounding name .That’s why VAR is necessary .
Paddy Malarkey 28th February 2022– 01:30
How negligent of me. I forgot how much impact that someone with an Irish sounding name can be induced into missing calls. Perhaps if the constant moaning was to be wound back some of those 50/50 calls might go their way. Is it possible that the first chapter of the Rangers’ manager handbook is titled “blame the Refs”. There was an interesting post on another site yesterday indicating where the teams are point wise since GVB took over ( only including the games played since then) and it reveals a sizeable gap. Could this be an underlying cause for the constant cry for VAR.
I haven’t seen anywhere else the substance of the story in the ‘ Mirror ‘ which I have just come across, on this link
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/companies-house-failed-probe-bosses-26277263
I wonder would the Mirror be interested in looking at what I think is a far more important question: how thoroughly does the FCA/Nomad vet the Prospectus issued by any new would-be public company in its IPO?
Ach, my hopes are dashed, and silly me!
It’s owned by the same putins as own the DR!
The ‘Mirror’ must therefore be presumed to be staffed by pseudo-journalists who are prepared to peddle untruths for the sake of a dishonest buck rather than report the truth.
Not a hope in hell of it investigating the integrity of the authorisation by the FCA of the prospectus of RIFC plc!
This appears to be a cause for celebration in some quarters .
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-60570893
How long does it take for an international footballer to get into game shape. I see where Aaron Ramsay is not in the line up or on the bench again tomorrow. Based on the 94 minutes of game time actually played since his well trumpeted arrival in January, and, based on the reported loan figure involved, 2.5 million, he has cost Rangers just over 26,000 per minute, and, that doesn’t include any salary they maybe on the hook for. And, people wonder why there financials are so dismal. The other loanee from Man U hasn’t made much of an impact either.
Paddy Malarkey 1st March 2022 At 15:21:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-60570893
I’m sure it does PM but there are many more clubs who will be now open to the same type of litigation. It is a subject that seems to ‘arm’ some people without actually thinking through the consequences of their faux advocacy. Personally I hope that every single sufferer of abuse gets their day in court and all football clubs should be willing to accept a lack of care and diligence did indeed exist for many years. When looking at the number of pro players who graduated from boys clubs then it is hard to distance the benefits from the responsibility. This whole process is dragging Scottish football and ,just now, Celtic through a dark period of reflection. Hopefully most fans and supporters are mature enough to recognise mistakes were made and need to be accommodated.
Aaron Ramsey seems to be following the Scot Gov Covid guideline preference for working from home???
@Normanbatesmumfc – that made me chuckle! Very drool!
https://news.stv.tv/scotland/court-case-dismissed-against-former-rangers-owner-craig-whyte
Paddy Malarkey 2nd March 2022 At 18:46
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The link given in your post tells us that ‘..the FCA have now dropped the charges, after it emerged Whyte hadn’t been contacted by his previous lawyers about the statutory notice to hand over the passwords.’
Honest to God!
Shoddy bloody work about which I think hard questions ought to be asked.
PM
So… no accountability for said Philadelphia Lawyers????
It stinks tae high heaven this diz, and the whole shambles reminds cynical old me of (part of?) a line from a Tom Leonard poem:-
‘Another wan up fur the ludge’
I wonder why.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/60605957
David Grier’s actions continue:
From the Rolls of Court:
LORD TYRE – TBC, Clerk
Thursday 10th March
Starred Motions
between 9.00am and 10.30am
CA86/19 David Grier v The Chief Constable of Police Scotland
CA72/20 David Grier v The Lord Advocate &c Kennedys Scotland SGLD Ledingham Chalmers LLP
https://videocelts.com/2022/03/blogs/latest-news/warfare-dave-king-launches-blistering-attack-on-douglas-park-and-ibrox-directors/?fbclid=IwAR2brShIdiOMZRAUbfKfdWZqkcXpdSZyfv3R3Sw9fTpKgAH-eWrFSaeyJOA
Only 9 x SPL Premiership fixtures remain and it would appear panic stations setting in as the SFA look to their “trusted” MIB.
Brothers Walsh and Madden handed key roles in the Livi v Celtic game while “safe pair of hands” Brother Beaton takes charge at Ibrox to ensure a smooth passage to 3 points for the home team.
I await a weekend of “honest mistake” overload….
Alistair Grant is , I believe, Political Editor of ‘The Scotsman’ and, presumably, an intellectual cut above your average sports hack.
How then, one wonders, can he come out with the assertion that
” Few things get journalists more exercised than a secrecy row” [ [see page 2 of today’s issue of ‘The Scotsman’]
when he must KNOW that neither he nor any of the sports hacks on ”The Scotsman” was or is in the least interested in the secrecy and deceit underlying the ‘5-Way Agreement”, never mind being ‘exercised’ about that distortion of Truth?
Further, what trust can we put in ANYTHING he may have to say as a political analyst of weighty, serious matters of great consequence when , for reasons best known to itself, ‘The Scotsman’ had and has nothing to say about the relatively trivial matter of the cheap, disgusting and shameful betrayal of Scottish Football ( a mere sport!] by its weak, cowardly ‘governance’ bodies?
Truth is indivisible:
And Scottish Football as a Sport is badly distorted by the pretence that TRFC is RFC of 1872, and the genuine sporting efforts and achievements of honest clubs run by honest men and governance bodies are debased by the nonsense that a 10 year old club can claim honours for which it did not exist even to compete for let alone win!