A recent autumn storm caused the destruction of the metal goal fame in our garden. The small goal with the weather-beaten net had fallen into disuse. But I liked it seeing it there on the grass. I suppose I half-expected, half-hoped, it would be used again. Once, it was a father and son thing and had been constructed carefully from a nice set of plans. At the time, it impressed both son and daughter no end. But that was then, this was now.
One of our trees, blown over by the recent high winds, caused the goal frame’s final demise. As I unscrewed the twisted metal I thought of the hours of innocent fun it had given us. It had been the scene of many goals and not a few great saves. My son, who is soon off to uni, smiled thoughtfully as I mentioned that this was the end of the ‘goalposts of childhood’. Perhaps he knew what I meant.
My own childhood goalposts had been ‘doon the back’. Drawn with chalk on the red brick of the ‘sausage wall’ at one end, and on part of the ‘wash hoose’ at the other. Many a league, Cup and international match was played out between those goals on the Dennistoun dirt. We once put on a parallel version of a historic England v Scotland match while the real match was being played at Wembley. Jim Mone sitting on one of the dykes had a transister radio to his ear. As we played our match he chalked up live score updates on the wall — our Twitter and FaceBook anno 1967. What a day.
We did use a pile of jackets up on the old Dennistoun cricket pitch, but only rarely. Mostly, we played on the red gravel surface at the Finlay Drive entrance. That pitch was fitted with real goalposts — like the ones they had at Hampden. Or so we imagined.
These sentimental memories of receding years accompanied my removal of the ruined metal goal frame. But, as you can imagine, it seemed an almost symbolic act. For fans of Scottish football the ‘goalposts’ that once defined the game of our football childhoods — have not only been moved, they’ve been been twisted and mis-shapen out of all recognition.
The past decades have seen a fundamental change in the way our game is run and governed, at home and abroad. Money is now king and sporting consideration is a luxury we sometimes have to put to one side — or at least, so we’re told.
At the risk of stating the obvious, sport, if it is to mean anything at all, has to be based on clearly defined rules and principles. These rules must be applied equally to all the participants, they are certainly not optional extras. However, to misquote and paraphrase George Orwell, ‘all teams are equal, but some teams are more equal than others’ — at least, when it comes to Scottish football.
The efforts by the SFA to re-interpret rules to fit the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the demise of Rangers FC in 2012 have left most of us scratching our heads. Much of the Scottish media has backed up the SFA’s efforts, something which has added to the general confusion and chaos. In fact, it’s become clear that the death of Rangers, as we knew them, has been such a traumatic event that it must be denied. The authorities and media seem to have been so besotted with one club that its loss is out of the question. And so, it’s been gifted a bizarre kind of immunity from liquidation and death that implies its on-going existence, long after it drew it’s final breath.
This situation has opened the door to a legion of businessmen on the make. They have been allowed to perpetuate the myth, with SFA blessing, that they ‘saved’ Rangers. And their unwavering message is, that they can only succeed if fans keep giving them their hard-earned cash. To those outside the blue bubble it looks like a huge con trick. If the only source of real money in football is the fans, then the Ibrox faithful have been royally fleeced.
How different it could have been if the former club had been allowed a dignified end. A year out of the game would probably have allowed fans to restart a newco of their own. They could have applied for entry into the professional leagues along with the other clubs waiting in line. Chances are they would have been given special dispensation, and walked straight into the bottom tier. Of course, they would have claimed to be the continuation of the spirit of the previous entity — but would anyone have argued against that? How different it could have been if the rules governing the game had been respected. The SFA may even have kept their dignity intact and the press not felt obliged to print half-truths, falsehoods and lies.
You’ve got to wonder why Dunfermline and Hearts fought so desperately to avoid liquidation. After all, the Scottish football authorities now seem intent on convincing us that liquidation has little or no effect on a football club. Even past sins, such as wrongly-registered players are as naught — if, at the time, they were thought to have been registered correctly. By this logic, we have to ask: if a ‘company’ running a ‘club’ bribes a referee, will retrospective action will be taken against the ‘club’. The players and the club, after all, will have done nothing wrong. And since the referee was not known to have been bribed, and not struck off, he was qualified to referee the match in question, at the time. Using the SFA thought process, the result would probably be allowed to stand. Personally, I’m not sure I follow SFA logic. They’ve ‘moved the goalposts’, and (you saw it coming) bent them into an unrecognisable shape.
Which brings me back to our garden. The old metal goal frame is waiting to be driven down to the local re-cycling centre. The twisted metal and worn-out net are useless. Ruined by forces beyond our control. There is no interest in a replacement at present. Perhaps, if we have grandchildren, they will show an interest in football. If they do, I’ll build a new set of goalposts. They’ll be straight and true, the way the goalposts of childhood should be. The way goalposts should always be.
Just listened to Off the Ball and am completely fed up of this “suffered enough” nonsense, which only seemed to become a recognised phrase when a certain “team” in blue entered liquidation and suffered the consequences of which. As in every walk of life, spending more than you earn is not sustainable and the perpetrators need to take responsibility for their actions. After the programme had finished and as soon as I heard Chico Young’s squeaky wee voice, the radio was turned off immediately to prevent it being flung against the nearest wall!
Tif Finn1:04
That was my thoughts also ,is Wallace saying he is not qualified to identify were the cost savings have to be made
As for BS ,I think it’s universal that his performance was way beyond woeful ,yet he is still in place .
Does anyone know if there are any links between Laxey’s and this new guy ,I am just wondering as there have been a few posts regards Laxey’s MO when getting involved with companies.
I think whoever made the point that they were probably distancing themselves from the hard decisions has got it about right. It’s a self defence thing rather than not actually knowing what needs done.
They will bring in the consultant, he will tell them what they already know, they will regretfully follow his advice, he will move on with a load of money in his pocket.
It is nothing more than commercial cowardice.
On Sir Walker Smith.
He didn’t just walk away the first time, he wished them good luck with their new club.
http://news.stv.tv/west-central/106953-rangers-crisis-walter-smiths-consortium-bid-to-buy-club-rejected/
“We very much hope the verbal assurances they provided to us – and the public statements made – are adhered to and that the club will therefore be financed and managed with appropriate governance and can go forward in a sustainable manner. We wish the new Rangers Football Club every good fortune.”
Out of interest Chris (Fury) Graham appears on the video.
It’s surprising how time flies.
Graham Wallace is now 24 days into his self imposed 120 day review during which he intends to “completed a robust business planning process that will allow us to engage with shareholders and potential investors from the platform of a well thought out strategic plan”.
The strategic focus will be to:
– Complete a detailed Business Review looking at all areas of club operations and organisation, developing and implementing required actions
– Re-engage with the wider Supporter Base to carry out a review of how club engagement with the various fans groups works, and to assess if there is a better way to capture the true democratic view of ALL fans
– Re-energise and motivate the Staff – to ensure they are truly proud to be part of the Club.
– Develop and implement a Football Player Asset Strategy to take in First team squad, Youth Development and Succession Planning.
– Refocus our Commercial growth agenda to drive short term financial impacts in conjunction with finalising the club’s brand positioning.
Only 96 days to go. No need to worry as the appointment of Philip Nash as a consultant confirms.
Exiled Celt says:
January 10, 2014 at 9:40 pm
Well according to SSB, Rangers have “emerged from liquidation”.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Or put another way
They have turned some orange ginger into an orange
Ha! It looks like Mr Nash may not be the only consultant brought into instruct Mr Wallace in the niceties of recognising the Blindingly Bloody Obvious
Quote from Herald
“”Mr Wallace will call on the best strategic minds in the sporting and business world to put Rangers Football Club back to where they belong.””
“”Mr Wallace will call on the best strategic minds in the sporting and business world to put Rangers Football Club back to where they belong.””
Administration it is then.
OK i am no expertat this but will give it a go…
Standard investing is believing a share/stock will rise and therefor buying a stock/share at price Xp and hold stock/share for a period until stock/share is worth 2Xp, then sell stock/share for a profit.
Shorting a stock/share is best explained here…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_(finance)
But to summarise if you believe a stock/share will fall in price you can make money by doing the following…
Agreeing to sell the stock/share at a future date for a value less than the current stock/share price.
A real example with RIFC works best…
Current share price 28p.
I agree to sell 1 million shares to you at 28p in one months time.
Scenario A)
If in one months time the RIFC share price is 38p I have to buy 1 million share at $380,000 and give the shares to you and you pay me £280,000. Therfore I lose £100,000.
Scenario B)
If in one months time the RIFC share price is
18p, I buy 1 million shares for £180,000 and give the shares to you and then you pay me £280,000, therefor I gain £100,000.
Intersting I can theoretically have an infinite loss and I can only have a maximum gain of £280,000.
In reality shorts are slightly more complicated and are generally in very liquid assets such as currencies or major stocks like banks.
Buddy
The Edmiston eejits bring in another financial hot shot. Talk about throwing petrol on a bonfire?
Shiels scores both goals at Ibrox. Sally Mc C will now use it as an argument against cuts.
Inclined to agree to with those who that think the shorters are piling in to the RIFC share price. Its been sliding for months, there is no good news and they keep burning cash. What more do those who think price is going to keep falling need?
As for who is buying I’m sceptical that those who want Res 10 passed and are building to 75% are heavily involved. It would take another 5-6m shares to get to 75%. Friday’s sharemageddon only saw 175,000 traded. Much easier to go and see those who might be persuaded to support Res 10 and do a deal.
As for the consultant/hatchet man being brought in I find that incredulous. In corporate terms Rangers is a small to medium sized business with a simple problem that requires a simple solution. Most likely a convenient faceless suit to blame the cuts on but perhaps a spiv placeman to keep an eye on Wallace & ensure he tows the line. He could replace Wallace or Stockbridge.
McCoist
* Comments constantly on matters that are way above his responsibility levels. He is employee ( albeit a grossly overpaid one, even with his “pay cut”) . It is ridiculous that he comments on his employers, as if his endorsement mattered a jot.
* He uses his many friendly media contacts to apply pressure to make decisions that make his job easier, whilst being extremely damaging to the financial health of the business
* Has cost the business £millions through his underperformance in cup competitions. Any reasonable assesment of his football management , would have to include the words “overpaid incompetant”
* Damages the club in terms of relationships with other clubs, by irresponsible and inflammatory comments .
Wallace
* Knows all of the above
* makes sure he has Stuart McCalls number on speed dial, if he is able to raise enough investment to see Rangers through the next 18 months
Barca
Said before SMcC dodged a bullet at Sheffield as he knows how it works. Why would he go to Pretendygers and all their baggage?
3.8 times your wages doesn’t = happiness as far as he’s concerned. He doesn’t have rangersitis.
McCoist will go down with the ship.
ianagain says: January 11, 2014 at 5:37 pm
…McCoist will go down with the ship.
================================
Sir Walter chose to walk away: I always thought he knew (or was told) that RFC was going down and took the opportunity to depart as manager in his final season on a high as league/cup winner. Surely McCoist must now be aware that TRFC is probably facing much more turmoil and years of ‘just surviving’ – if lucky.
Would he want to have his own hand on the tiller when the ‘good ship dignity’ hits the fast approaching iceberg?
Smith must spend some evenings sitting on his rocking chair, sipping a nice malt thinking “thank God I got out when I did as manager” !
Spiers asked by Cowan on SP extra in a game of yes or no
Did Rangers die?
Yes.
Oh dear GS get a bodyguard.
G Speirs showing a bit of bottle on radio scotland
T Cowan read out an email question, did Rangers Die Speirs answer was YES i am not going to insult my inteligence by saying the club did not die it did 😛
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL3a2LHEqqw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozykv8ZGZAk
ianagain says:
January 11, 2014 at 6:23 pm
Spiers asked by Cowan on SP extra in a game of yes or no
Did Rangers die?
Yes.
Oh dear GS get a bodyguard.
andy says:
January 11, 2014 at 6:24 pm
G Speirs showing a bit of bottle on radio scotland
T Cowan read out an email question, did Rangers Die Speirs answer was YES i am not going to insult my inteligence by saying the club did not die it did
==========================================
Yes, i was very surprised by that admission by spiers.
He said it was not the mythical holding company that died, it was indeed the Club that died
(In his opinion) !!
Well done there britney, growing a set of cahonas at long last.
Spiers was a shareholder in Rangers football club. He has always said technically they died. His shares are now worthless and he knows that the club and the company are the same thing.
The holding company was Wavetower (as was) which became THE RANGERS FC GROUP LIMITED, that did not die.
Well said , Mr Spiers . I wouldn’t worry about a bodyguard , they were too lazy to save their own club , they’re hardly going to hunt him down . Cue a smattering of internet abuse which will dissipate as quickly as it arose.
What bear with a brain wants to keep a guy in the limelight , a fellow bear no less , that tells the truth . 😉
Very quiet tonight!
Just want to also give thanks to Graham Spiers for his comments tonight. He didn’t hesitate when Tam Cowan asked a “Yes or No?” question.
Cowan asked “Did Rangers die?”
GS said “Yes”
Now, if only his other esteemed colleague’s of the Scottish Football Media would follow suit?
One subject that has really annoyed me over the last few weeks is the constant MSM references that Hearts should not be spared, put to the sword, etc, as rangers have set the precedent, and all others must follow suit. After all, rangers were well and truly shafted, were they not?
I’m sorry, but Hearts are very different from rangers.
One Club is in Administration, the other “Club” was actually LIQUIDATED!
The “LIQUIDATED” club was very, very, very “LUCKY” to be given a dodgy lifeline from the A£$Hole’s who apparently run our SFA/ SPL/ SPFL to keep them in the bottom tier of our leagues, all due to some dodgy transfer of membership.
Clowns like Regan, Doncaster and Ogilvie think we’re mugs. All they’ve done is dragged football into the gutter in this country! It seems to me that these “respected” administrators have been, let’s say “Uneconomical” with the truth WRT the last 2 years.
BTW, The football this season has been great, despite the absence of you know who!
Armaggedon? I can’t see it!
Forgot to add.
What kind of Co gets liquidated, but a few weeks later keeps the same Manager on £850,000 a Year, operating out of the same premises, and even given funds to buy Premier League players to play in the 3rd tier of Scottish Football with better wages? EH!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It doesn’t make sense. How have they been punished enough?
The sums just don’t add up, and I’m really confused!
Help!
The bears on FF have been discussing roofing problems – apparently folk had to be moved from part of the stand.
couple of posters saying it was a speaker that came loose due to high winds, another couple are saying that part of the roof coverings had come off/loose and were being blown around
anyway, i don’t imagine the repair will feature amongst mr wallaces cuts, i’m sure they’ll be straight onto fixing that – regardless of the cost.
http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/1697/bdh2.jpg
Suger Daddy
Very good points, do you thinks it’s possible Octopus have sent in their hatchet insurance man?
Any apatite for a complete SFA boycott this year?
Interesting development re Mr Nash.
I have no idea the game that is being played but if it is to put the club on a strong financial footing they have started very badly.
Much is made of the number of Chartered Accountants that they are bringing in, as though CAs are some sort of super business experts or indeed ‘gurus’.
By training they are number crunchers and mostly spend their early years checking the sums of other Accountants in businesses. I have found some to be good in a commercial sense and many just to be number crunchers.
Wallace and Nash have some experience at Football clubs but none of their previous clubs needed to cut costs. If Wallace needs a consultant to tell him tell him the obvious he needs replaced. If he needs somebody to identify areas for cutting there are thousands of people he could hire at a fraction of the cost who would roll up their sleeves and get the job done.
As I said I don’t know the game being played but I suspect there is maybe some succession planning for when Stockbridge leaves and the 120 day clock is re-set.
Looks like their hearts are not in this cost cutting exercise.
How can ‘The Rangers’ cut costs?
The only costs that really make sense are either paying everyone off at Murray Park (still not renamed) and selling it or mothballing it. Mothballing it would not raise any money but paying off staff who have TUPE’d over will cost.
Then there is the players. No player will walk away from a lucrative contract for nothing. No they are going to want a pay off. Now say they get rid of Daly, Black, Wallace, Shields, and Templeton. Daly I think is six months into a two year deal so has 18 months to run and is reportedly on £7k a week. He would probably be wanting about £200K to go early. The rest are on longer term contracts with about the same amount and are probably looking at £350k.
The real problem here is that losing these five players at a cost of £140k a month does not make a huge difference to a company/club losing £1M a month but more importantly it means that the remaining money runs out quicker. In other words if there is only going to be £1M left in the bank come April losing the above five players at the amounts mentioned means that this money is gone by mid February.
@Angus1983 Howdy, regards giving up the bevvy.. I normally start the new year with a bit of detox for 5 or 6 weeks so thought this time I would combine it with some charity work… Close to £500 raised so far..
Then there is lent from march 5th…
TBH I have a mad job generally but start and year ends are the worst and a very demanding family, so not much time for Jimbhoy other than to walk jinky the mutt and provide taxi and homework services between work….
fergussingstheblues says:
January 11, 2014 at 9:17 pm
‘….BTW, The football this season has been great, despite the absence of you know who! ‘
———
It absolutely has been,without question.
The absence of the club that was disgraced and died in ignominy ( and the whole world knows that it died and that RIFC is a new club) has scarcely been noticed in pure football terms.
Increasingly, people are realising that the whole of Scottish football had been subverted, perverted, by SDM, and that in fact he had hoodwinked ( now, when did you last see that word?) the gullible press and BBC into believing he was the Wizard of Oz .
Happily, events have shown that he was no more powerful than the wee man behind the curtain, exposed by Dorothy.
RFC(IL) and the Murrays, Whytes, Greens have dissolved in a puddle of water.
The Stockbridges, Easdales and co are likely to zoom away with nice fat wallets, leaving 500 000 000 very distraught people behind.
When that happens, we need to follow up with a purge on the cheats on the 6th Floor.
And then we can be assured of a genuine, honest, springtime in Scottish football.
Now that ally has got round to accepting a new contract on reduced terms (can it really be 90 days since this was first mooted in the MSM?), what other variations are in store for the second highest earners in Scottish football?
Will the board’s bonus bonanza be binned?
Will the consultants diagnose the deadly disease that has gripped sevco?
Who will walk, the chair or the shareholding manager?
After Graham Spiers replied to the question about New/Oldco, he said later on Twitter the whole thing was “tedious”. Below is a lengthy reply to him that for me has nail hammer right on head, written all over it!
Peter @macbloscaidh 3h
@GrahamSpiers Graham, you use the word ‘tedious’ to describe the ‘Rangers’ situation. In a way I understand (cont) http://tl.gd/n_1rvlqct
Exiled Celt says: January 12, 2014 at 1:52 am
…
Peter @macbloscaidh 3h @GrahamSpiers Graham, you use the word ‘tedious’ to describe the ‘Rangers’ situation. In a way I understand (cont) http://tl.gd/n_1rvlqct
========================================
Eloquent and persuasive piece.
…but we have seen this scenario played out before : e.g Spiers (or English) makes a ‘brave’ comment – AKA telling the truth.
He gets positive responses from most Scottish football fans.
Then a day or two later he back-tracks or creates a bit of confusion to appease TRFC fans.
He blows with the wind.
…and the tragedy is that Spiers is supposed to be one of the ‘better’ Scottish sports journalists.
Latest from Charlotte;-
Hypothetical confirmation that a 25 point penalty would be applied to Rangers should they enter administration.
_____________________________________________________________________________
3.2 “NewCo” Proposals in the context of an Insolvency Event
The Board noted the content of the paper prepared by Rod McKenzie in advance of the meeting. Mr McKenzie highlighted an anomaly with the proposals before the Board in the event that the club in 11th place in the Premiership suffered such an insolvency event. The suggestion was that in such an event clubs placed in 11th/12th place would be switched in that season and that the club in 12th place would play in the play-off competition and the NewCo club in 11th place would be relegated.
The Board was reminded that the aim of the NewCo proposals was to ensure that there was a formal and effective penalty in place throughout the SPFL which would remove the pressure from the SPFL Board. The proposals were also a means of protecting clubs.
To achieve approval for the proposals, the support of 11 Premiership clubs would be required in addition to 75% of Premiership and Championship clubs and 75% of all clubs.
A period of discussion took place around activity over the previous 18 months, the sensitivities in this territory and some hypothetical scenarios vis à vis clubs entering a second, unrelated, insolvency event. Mr McKenzie indicated that the Rules were clear on this and that a 25 point deduction would be imposed should this take place within a 5 year period.
Mr McKenzie advised that the suggestion was for the paper to go out to clubs before convening an All Club meeting between now and the General Meeting in January to discuss the proposals and gauge the appetite of the clubs. It was agreed that the paper should be discussed at the divisional meetings in the first instance.
Mr McKenzie undertook to amend the paper prior to it being circulated at the Premiership Club Meeting later that day. Action: Rod McKenzie | 16-Sep-13
I posted a while back about the warning signs of an imminent collapse of The Rangers.
1. Falling share price tick
2. Ally being given a pay cut tick
Just watch for the one way tickets to the Virgin Islands with bags marked SWAG
I give it less than a month.
Morning all.
Was there not some info a wee while back wrt roof repairs at Ibrox,where the contractor when asked if he could just paint it replied that “You can’t paint rust”.
I think the info was contained in an E-Mail release from CtH and showed some six figure quotes for work needing done.
I don’t know if any repairs were ever carried out but I’d hate to think the spivs are playing fast and loose with regard to the fans safety,just to make some extra money.
wildwood says:
January 12, 2014 at 2:52 am
4 0 Rate This
Latest from Charlotte;-
Hypothetical confirmation that a 25 point penalty would be applied to Rangers should they enter administration.
_____________________________________________________________________________
3.2 “NewCo” Proposals in the context of an Insolvency Event
The Board noted the content of the paper prepared by Rod McKenzie in advance of the meeting. Mr McKenzie highlighted an anomaly with the proposals before the Board in the event that the club in 11th place in the Premiership suffered such an insolvency event. The suggestion was that in such an event clubs placed in 11th/12th place would be switched in that season and that the club in 12th place would play in the play-off competition and the NewCo club in 11th place would be relegated.
The Board was reminded that the aim of the NewCo proposals was to ensure that there was a formal and effective penalty in place throughout the SPFL which would remove the pressure from the SPFL Board. The proposals were also a means of protecting clubs.
To achieve approval for the proposals, the support of 11 Premiership clubs would be required in addition to 75% of Premiership and Championship clubs and 75% of all clubs.
A period of discussion took place around activity over the previous 18 months, the sensitivities in this territory and some hypothetical scenarios vis à vis clubs entering a second, unrelated, insolvency event. Mr McKenzie indicated that the Rules were clear on this and that a 25 point deduction would be imposed should this take place within a 5 year period.
Mr McKenzie advised that the suggestion was for the paper to go out to clubs before convening an All Club meeting between now and the General Meeting in January to discuss the proposals and gauge the appetite of the clubs. It was agreed that the paper should be discussed at the divisional meetings in the first instance.
Mr McKenzie undertook to amend the paper prior to it being circulated at the Premiership Club Meeting later that day.
Action: Rod McKenzie | 16-Sep-13
=========================================
Did this proposal go through?
It says – “to protect Clubs”
Aye right, protect ONE maybe?
. . .and Mackenzie is involved !
It was MacKenzie’s remit to provide LNS and the other numpties with the prosecution evidence.
Is it too much to allege that Mackenzie and Bryson actually “worked together” ?
http://news.stv.tv/west-central/259937-albion-rovers-let-fans-choose-what-they-want-to-pay-for-tickets/
. . . Some Albion Rovers fans paying £1 for entry
Elsewhere in Scotland, you can actually buy a club for £1
(Although i’m not sure if that includes the history)
wildwood says:
January 12, 2014 at 2:52 am
——————————————————
Where Rangers are concerned, rules are seldom followed.
The only rule book to which the authorities seem to pay any attention is the one the fans made the clubs aware of in 2012:
Rule 1:
Should an attempt be made to parachute a new club into the top divisions, a season ticket embargo will be threatened by the fans.
Perhaps Rule 2 should state:
If a club suffers an insolvency event and is still promoted, a season ticket embargo will be threatened by the fans.
@torrejohnbhoy Re: painting rust.. You are correct this was in Whyte’s time if memory serves and the woman in question presented him with the repair/maintenance quote to stop more deterioration.. No idea how that was followed up…
The rabid asbestos eating rats have been chomping away for years..
God I really hope this neglect does not cause any injuries..
@JimLarkin re: Albion Rovers… I went to college with a couple of albion rovers fans who often helped out in maintenance on the ground. Tidying litter, small repairs, painting etc.. A real community club where the fans can get hands on..
jimlarkin says:
January 12, 2014 at 8:32 am
It was MacKenzie’s remit to provide LNS and the other numpties with the prosecution evidence. Is it too much to allege that Mackenzie and Bryson actually “worked together” ?
=======================================================================
Rod McKenzie was certainly there to present the SPL Case and I would think it’s fair to assume that he was involved from very early doors in the shaping and building of the SPL Case particularly with a view to what evidence would be presented by SPL and also by any other parties which, at the end of the day, included more than one version of Rangers.It has to be remembered that McKenzie’s role wasn’t just to present the SPL case but to demolish the arguments of opposing Parties
It should be remembered that within the UK we have an almost universal adversorial-based system of justice for both criminal and civil cases and I know some refer to McKenzie as a ‘Prosecutor’ which is up to them but a bit too tabloid for me in its inaccuracy. However I have no wish to go down the sterile debating route of what might have happened if some inquisitorial system had been conjured out of thin air. I’ll leave that to others – I personally am more interested in what actually happened than musing about what might have been.
But my main point is that this was a hearing where the standard of proof was based not on that required by a criminal case but by a civil one and this is clearly stated by the LNS Tribunal.
It seems to me that a key point in the SPL case, regarding the eligibility of players in receipt of EBTs which Rangers hadn’t filed the appropriate and required documentation for, was not only what the SPL and SFA rules stated but previous precedents and the thinking of both organisations as to how the rules should be interpreted and the provision of any documents or notes of any discussions held by the two organisation – or officials/employees/ consultants of either – whether done by the organisations separately or jointly.
So there should have been discussions before the LNS Hearing which should have revealed the Bryson Definition and how it came to be SFA Policy – if that is indeed the case. Of course the silence of our courageous SMSM journos proves they know not to poke the sleeping Bear with a sharp stick or the SFA to – Heaven forbid – actually expose the truth.
I’m not necessarily saying that McKenzie personally needed to interview Bryson but he should have been satisfied – from the Harper Macleod/SPL preparatory work – that he knew the SFA position on player eligibility in the circumstances involving Rangers.
If he didn’t and went into the LNS Hearing not knowing that key factor then he is either a useless lawyer or some other factor was at work. Why didn’t he spot the glaring flaw in the SPL Case and when the SFA ‘get out of jail FREE card’ was played – courtesy of the Bryson Definition – why didn’t he ask for an adjournment – if he wasn’t actually aware in advance of the SFA position. Surely on something as vital as the ‘definition’ he needed to consult with the SPL who were the party instructing him unless of course it had been discussed and agreed before LNS actually sat.
Instead even the little that we know about the LNS Hearing shows that McKenzie was all at sea on the issue and the decision not to include the statement of Counsel – supposedly to keep the Decision document nice and tight – may well have spared him even more blushes in terms of what looks to me like woefully poor presentation and preparation of the SPL Case.
I don’t think it matters whether Bryson and McKenzie ‘worked together’ or not before the ‘Hearing’. They are merely paid pawns, or possibly prawns, in this saga and any decisions IMO needed to be taken at a much higher pay grade within the SFA and SPL obviously ‘For the good of Scottish Football’ as we all know that Scottish Football can’t possibly survive unless the mighty Rangers are returned to their rightul position of supremacy.
davythelotion says:
January 12, 2014 at 1:42 am
Who will walk, the chair or the shareholding manager?
===================================================
One thing that Ally has said that I firmly believe is that he won’t walk-away.
Not unless he is paid 12 months salary at his full contractual rate. Oh he would go with a heavy heart and even heavier pockets but if you’re fired then you don’t have any control over the circumstances and have to wave a sad goodbye 🙁
Has his salary actually been cut? By how much? When does it take effect? Will the cut be paid-back in certain circumstances? And, as I suspect are all his contractual rights preserved at his contract salary level (old scale). Is he going to be issued with more 1p or free shares to make up any shortfall – it’s been done before with Laxeys and others.
I wonder how they found seats for them all in what was undoubtedly a sell out crowd?
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/fergus-mccanns-battle-save-celtic-3013568
All hail the bunnet a wee man with a big heart and brain… No spivs at the Celtic.
He was sometimes maligned by the Celtic fans who wrongly saw the flash Murray as the mark of success. It took a few years for the Celtic fans to realise what they had in wee McCann and in hindsight his vision, steel and probity has offered the club the stability it is now reaping the rewards from.
We now know that his job was further hampered by the media run by Murray at the time, whose egotistical, cavalier approach and slating of the more stern disposition of the bunnet now bears proof that the wee man got it spot on.
I’d love to see a stand named after McCann, he deserves his legacy to be preserved at Cetic park.
We now know how the co-op bank came into play, another bullet dodged in getting away from the BoS.
If only the rangers could have had a McCann waiting to sort that sorry mess out instead of years of agony and stripping away at the assets and the fans cash. Generally I genuinely feel sorry that they did not have that calibre of man to lead them forward and out of the dark ages, modernising the whole rangers brand instead of playing to the club’s zealots as seems to be continuing. I know the latter does not apply to a lot of rangers fans, but the majority seem to want back to the bad old days.
JimBhoy says:
January 12, 2014 at 10:26 am
If only the rangers could have had a McCann waiting to sort that sorry mess out instead of years of agony and stripping away at the assets and the fans cash. Generally I genuinely feel sorry that they did not have that calibre of man to lead them forward and out of the dark ages, modernising the whole rangers brand instead of playing to the club’s zealots as seems to be continuing. I know the latter does not apply to a lot of rangers fans, but the majority seem to want back to the bad old days.
====================================================
Agree with everything you say especially re Fergus – what a Celtic Hero ❗
Only small point is that I don’t see many signs that Rangers have actually even attempted to leave ‘the bad old days’ behind.
Re Allys pay cut ,there would have been no problem with this ,as per his original contract they would have just put this in front of him and he would have signed it without reading what it contained ,his words,after all he said it was a priveledge to be there,it was not about the money,unless things have changed right enough.
@Eco good morning mate hope you are well…
Regards McCoist and his sal. I read the cut in his paypacket in the Mail yesterday (yeah I know !!). So it was a 50/50 if the story had any foundation. McCoist would be daft NOT to have a clause that guarantees a large number upon a pay off situation. He cannot surely be daft enough to think the rangers are operating with stability at present…
Is it just me or is anyone else just fed up with the 3 or more interviews we read from McCoist on a daily basis. His sickly sweet pandering to the fans is becoming nauseous. It does not take a financial wizz to know that generally cost cuttings will come from those who earn way over what they should in a league of teams made up of painters, postmen and teachers.
McCoist is being very disingenuous with the comments he is making wrt to cutting down his huge, overpaid squad. If he had some competition in the league and it was tighter at the top then there may be some credibility in his comments as we know he needs that comfort blanket lead to compensate for his unimaginative, lack of real strategy and general footballing know-how. He has been bred on buying success as was his mentor and I am sure even the most ardent rangers fan would have liked to have seen a Butcher, Davies or McCall take over way back, someone who has not had the luxuries McCoist has been afforded in his managerial apprenticeship AND it would have saved >£1/2m a year…
Lastly, Interesting comments here from McCoist but again typical of his MO of often furtively slating those running the club and playing up the ‘poor me’ for the fans.. Who said ‘Sleekit ?)
SuperAlly says:
“I would never want to operate with a budget that would put the club in jeopardy,” he says. “To me it is all about giving our supporters the best team we can afford. We are different from all the other clubs we have come up against or would come up against if we progress to the Championship. We have 36,000 season ticket holders and that allows us to operate with a much higher wage bill.
“There will be debates and arguments about how high that wage bill should be but, from my point of view, I would hate people to think I’ve been told my budget is too high and it needs to come down and haven’t been responsive. It has not been like that. I think we can all see there have been other more pressing problems that have affected the finances.”
MOST football fans and those interested in footballing stories in Scottish football KNOW rangers wage bill is too high, squad too big, albeit not totally the manger’s fault because it is how you have been taught wrt putting a squad together and those holding the purse strings in their temporary positions are equally complicit…
@Eco regards the bad old days.. Of course you are right and we both have written on a chance missed way back on this,. It (for me) is probably the most disappointing outcome of the current rangers attempt at regeneration. Ironically (as a Celtic fan) I would have loved to have seen them put out a 7 year plan from the outset after sequestration to get back to the top table.
A plan based on cleansing the past (not embracing some real dodgy history), keep the silverware, no-one really cares, but start afresh, a new modern club who could maybe even cut the way forward for Scottish football, even set a new standard, modernise the whole club, fan’s mindset and bring the positive attention that this would have merited. It would probably have brought with it great publicity, certainly more brand interest and cashflow.
BUT instead well I don’t have to tell you that’s for sure… I would say maybe rangers #3 have a similar opportunity but I am not sure that boat has been missed and is long gone… I think much the same for the rangers fans for a while to come….They need a strong leader with principles and a vision for the club and not some shady from SA with some cash…
TSFM
For clarification.My donation was for Paul McC.
on mccoist, his salary TUPE’d!
However the new club could have offered him a severance immediately and appointed whoever it desired…
It did not because it desire to fabricate a connection to the past and ally acheives this.
On the spending and budgets since inception of the new club, I am certain the TRFC board sign off every player purchase/contract, almost certainly with Brian Stockbridges signature as Finance Director.
So, all is right to say he want this or that, and he can even arrange the deals, but no matter what the Finance Director gets last say.
Obviously looking back to April/May 2013, during the signing embargo, the TRFC board accepted the massive over budget, probably in order to keep season ticket sales up.
Althought this was at the time Charles Green was not as CEO , Walter Smith as CEO.
Buddy
I wonder if the appearance of Nash might be related to getting enough support to pass Res 10 that failed at AGM. Stockbridge received roughly the same % of the vote as Res 10 so there are major shareholders who want him out. Offering up a plausible alternative may be enough to get support for a cash raising issue at any EGM.
It also offers a plausible “new start” season ticket sales pitch. They just need enough cash to reach there. That’s £3-4m.
Don’t how they find that without sale/leaseback of MP to a property co’s land bank or getting some cash out of DK that would be converted into equity at said share issue in which existing shareholders could also participate.
Fair point.
Stockbridge being sacrificed could well be this seasons version of Smith backing the board, so buy season tickets, or McCoist backing the board so buy season tickets.
Getting rid of him would be very popular I would have thought and enough of a smokescreen to get the fans onside long enough to hand over their money again.
@BuddyHolly regards holding onto McCoist.. Chico could have not gotten away with the spivery pokery without McCoist.. Chico would still be moving between his safe houses right now if McCoist hadn’t paved the way for his tenure as rangers leader, ably backed by Wattie.. I read a post recently were the blogger suggested rangers men killed rangers, on this evidence and more it may not be far from the truth..
@FIFA howdy mate… I think TUPE rules suggest an equal benefits package must be put on the table, so I guess McCoist was in a no lose situation as was the likes of McCulloch and Wallace, both seen as heroes for staying, would you have left on their ample pay packet (esp McCulloch at his age)?.
I was surprised Wallace was not sold last January, chico missed out on that one IMO but then again he had enough wedge kicking around then for his short term plan to hatch..
Some would say the real heroes were those who left without impacting the wage bill any further in the early days, thus not requiring a pay off for their contracts and allowing a cheaper resource to be sought to play in the bottom league of Scottish football.. Obviously that statement above is treason in the eyes of most rangers fans who have always wanted to hoard their cake whilst having a munch at it.
TSFM says:
January 12, 2014 at 11:50 pm
148 3
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A-Round-Tuit-plate-in-white-and-faded-blue-with-free-wall-hanger-/231130122506?pt=UK_Collectables_Household_RL&hash=item35d06dc90a
It’s wonderful that £200 has been raised for Paul’s chosen charity, in his memory, and well done to all who have contributed. I have to admit that I hadn’t contributed until I read TSFM’s latest update, although I had always intended to do so.
Judging by the discrepancy between the amount raised and the number of “thumbs-up”, I’m not alone.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of Paul’s own blogs and his contributions to this one, finding them both informative and entertaining, and certainly worth a couple of quid.
I don’t want to generate a debate about individuals’ personal choices and circumstances, or societal responsibility – which would only distract from the current serious and relevant discussions – so please don’t respond to this post, except to hit the “Donate” button if you intended to anyway, but haven’t, as yet, got a round tuit.
Den says:
January 11, 2014 at 10:58 pm
Interesting development re Mr Nash.
I have no idea the game that is being played but if it is to put the club on a strong financial footing they have started very badly
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Consider this
If the AGM vote is an indicator, the Spivs own 69% of RIFC
Personally I believe it is closer to 85% and a disagreement between Spivs caused some of them to vote against Resolution10. Despite the “respectable” sounding names of some of the Institutions.they are taking a commission for fronting less respectable investors. Its not their money after all
Spivs have no integrity They operate solely in their own interests.
Guys who work for Spivs dont deserve the benefit of the doubt
Wallace reports to Spivs. He certainly doesn`t deserve the benefit of the doubt
A few examples
If Wallace had been remotely genuine he would have fired Stockbridge and few others in his first week.
He would have taken steps to replace the Building Manager sacked by Green. Meanwhile he would have commissioned an urgent health and safety survey of all assets neglected since CW arrived.
What happened ?
He publicly backs Stockbridge at the AGM thus ruling out any question of firing him.This tells you Stockbridge has more influence with the string pullers than Wallace
He announces that costs must be cut and brings in a “Consultant” to tell him what to cut
This is mind boggling Anyone with half a brain can figure out what costs to cut in a day never mind 120 days
So
Whats the real agenda?
Surprise Surprise
Wallaces Agenda = the Spivs Agenda = milking the Gullible of their ST money and scampering
The 120 day nonsense is simply a time waster It provides a convenient fig leaf for the Spivs and their compliant MSM to ignore awkward questions
The Consultant?
He is simply another conduit for funnelling money out of TRFC into the pockets of the Spivs. He will be the “fall guy” who writes down the Spiv next scam in terms the gullible will swallow
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
What happens next?
Look no further than the 600 odd Spivs who masquerade as MPs
The “Consultant” will produce a “Report”
While the “Report” is being “studied” by the “Board ” we will get “leaks” planted in the media
RIFC PR lackeys will describe these”leaks” as unfounded “rumours” One likely rumour will be that a TRFC Administration can be avoided if the upcoming ST round is brought forward. In the medium term. planning approval for housebulding at MP will be mooted as a possible solution to the cash crisis
Any MSM speculation will be “denied” The Gullible will be told that no “decisions” have been taken by the RIFC “Board” ( i.e. the Spivs)
The “Consultant” will make off with a hefty sum to be shared with yet another Spiv
While all this rumour and counter rumour is swirling around
SSB will have their heads in the sand batting worried calls away with “Lets wait and see”,” Deserve the benefit of the doubt” etc etc
There was no signing embargo. It was a registration embargo, The Rangers could have signed who they wanted,but could not register them. Another Myth by the SMSM.
JimBhoy says:
January 12, 2014 at 10:26 am
‘..I’d love to see a stand named after McCann, he deserves his legacy to be preserved at Cetic park.’
————
The man is humble and modest enough simply to be happy that he used his superb business skills and personal drive to bring Celtic into the (then) 20th century, taking on the Bank of Scotland saboteurs ( would you bank with such an unprofessional organisation which allowed prejudice to get in the way of sound business?), and getting shot of the misty-eyed sentimentalists who reduced the club to near-bankruptcy.
A statue at Celtic Park may or may not materialise.
What we can do, is simply write a wee personal thank you to him, for saving the club. We may be sure that the SFA etc would not have lifted a finger to help by way of any bending of rules or 5-way agreements, if the club had suffered the fate of the dead club.
I shall send a wee thank you to Fergus, who is
‘President
Limoliner Inc
100 Wales Avenue
Avon, MA 02322
USA.’
Unfortunately, I haven’t got an email address for him.
I read an extract this morning from a new book written by former MP and current Celtic Director Brian Wilson, concerning the takeover by Fergus McCann. McCann spoke of his resentment as to how the Bank of Scotland treated the club and believes they did not want him to succeed, eventually meaning the club moved its banking facility to the Co-op Bank which were English based. McCann could not believe a business deal could not be struck with a Scottish owned bank, and revealed the only BOS offer was a secured £2.5M overdraft.
It has been a source of real anger to me that the role played by the Bank of Scotland in ensuring Rangers preeminence in Scottish football was maintained has never been subject to any serious scrutiny. If the BOS had not fallen out of Scottish hands I believe it is fair to say Rangers liquidation would never have happened, and they would still be running at a debt level way beyond what any other similar sized company would be allowed. Were Rangers under David Murray simply the Scottish banking establishment at play, and ergo did that mean Celtic were not to be allowed to succeed? This matter really should be examined, although I suspect it never will be.
Edit: Just noticed JimBhoy raised this issue at 10:26 am
JimBhoy says:
January 12, 2014 at 10:26 am
……………………………………………
I fully agree…I had many an argument with fellow supporters in the day about Fergus….and my belief he was 100 percent correct in his spending approach…however I do believe Fergus would have struggled to get involved in Celtic had they had the same level of debt and issues the liquidated club had.
Fortunatley Fergus only had a 6 miilion debt to re structure and deal with…which at the time was still significant.
No sensible buisness man would or could have stepped in to take ownership of the gargantuan mess Murray had created with an FTT outcome still to be decided..without major financial wealth behind him as contingency for worst case scenario.
In that sense both cases are different. Clubs who have a significant number of fans have the potential to force change at board level…and I believe the majority of fans at most clubs with those kind of numbers would be prepared to take up that fight because they follow their club for football reasons.
In Govan however I kinda think football is not the primary purpose in following that club and therefore does not attract the same determination to force change when push comes to shove and the flow of keech was hitting the fan. Their apathy since day one has reinforced that belief.
Yes you are correct I utterly agree a registration embargo.
A very poor one at that…
TRFC could hav signed MESSI, but not registered him.
TRFC could have played him though and probaby got away with it, as they would not have gained any sporting advantage by playing the best player on the planet.
Buddy
upthehoops says:
January 12, 2014 at 12:47 pm
…………………………………………..
That applied to all Scottish clubs where the BoS had influence…from memory the subject of influence Murray may have had with knowing the finances of other competitors who were aligned with BoS was discussed back in the RTC days.
@John Clarke, upthehoops and paulmac2, very good posts…. Upthehoops mentioned my source for the conversation, looks like an interesting book.
Fergus was also faced with legislation forcing a change to stadia, this in itself is very sizeable and 12k avg crowds… All this when the then board were playing their own games, moving to Cambuslang etc… The latter would surely have killed the club.
Well anyways we can all look back and admire how the wee chap conducted himself and if not mistaken wee Fergus found a new wife through it also.. Win – Win. Good luck to the man who was sipping tap water when Murray was on the expensive plonk, the man who saved the Celts.
Yes you are correct I utterly agree a registration embargo.
They pretended to the fans they were being punished by not being able to get player in(As if they had lot’s of money to spend but just could not do it because of a transfer embargo ). The truth was it was all a lie.Just another scam to get the fans on board. The real truth was they could have signed anyone even messi (If they had the cash ) They just could not register them.
The poor us the victim card played yet again
JimBhoy says:
January 12, 2014 at 1:04 pm
==========================
Fergus is also on Record as saying Celtic were forced to pay rent at Hampden when he subsequently learned there was no law whatsoever that would have prevented the club playing at Celtic Park during reconstruction. Jim Farry was the man who told Fergus otherwise. Only recently Farry was being fondly recalled by radio show pundits. The fact he deliberately cheated Celtic (admitted by SFA lawyers) and is still eulogised by the Scottish media in the way he is, tells us a story in itself. Fergus described the SFA at the time as ‘not nice people’.
I think the difference between a transfer ban and a registration ban is kind of splitting hairs.
Of course Rangers could agree contracts with people, no-one could stop them doing that. They could employ those people. However they could not have the player registered with them, allowing them to actually play competitive football.
I would argue that it is the registration which is bought and sold, which is transferred from one club to another. So it was really a transfer ban, they could not have the registrations transferred to them.
What puzzles me in all of this is there was a precedent for rebuilding a football club that was tried and tested,no need to re-invent the wheel,the Fergus McCann way,why could Paul Murray not have copied this formula,get rangers men to invest circa 1m [or more] and they would have been up and running in no time and an IPO would have been the icing on the cake,am I missing something here.
Of course Rangers could agree contracts with people, no-one could stop them doing that. They could employ those people. However they could not have the player registered with them
Ergo, No transfer embargo 🙂 The line Transfer embargo is a myth to play the poor us the victim card.
Some McCoist quotes to make you laugh – and shake your head.
====================================================
“Brian made that statement. I don’t have a clue because I don’t know the accounts.
“I can only work within the budget and try to get the team to win the league. There will be debates and arguments about how high that wage bill should be.”
“But I would hate people to think I’ve been told my budget is too high and haven’t been responsive.”
=======================================
But perhaps his most honest – and revealing – quote is this one;
“The most important thing is the club still being in existence.”
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-boss-ally-mccoist-admits-3013560
Paulmac2 says:
January 12, 2014 at 12:50 pm
‘…Their apathy since day one has reinforced that belief…’
———
Tom English in today’s ‘Scotland on Sunday’ has a reference to the more or less forced shut-down of Sonsof Struth by Wallace and Somers, as demonstrating that all the verbiage about ‘outreach to fans’ was just a load of baloney.
And one of the most remarkable features of the whole saga is the continuing readiness of the new club’s support to put up with the contemptuous attitude of successive Boards.
They seem, in their cringing need to ‘obey’ and to ‘to shut up but pay up’ ,to have been so traumatised as to have lost any collective self-respect as supporters, season-book holders or investors- or even as men and women individually.
There’s a PH D thesis in group/mass psychology in there somewhere.
“It would have been easier, certainly a lot less expensive, to go bankrupt but everybody got paid….Fergus McCann
By all accounts a number of people within Ibrox yesterday were moved due to safety concerns, and this on a day where there was no wind. I’m amazed the media think there’s no story there. I’m also amazed how they managed to move people given Rob McLean told us on BBC the ground was ‘packed’. Only Rob can answer why he decided to speak such utter nonsense live on air. Thinking back to early 2000, and THAT Celtic v ICT game which remains forever in the minds of many, albeit for differing reasons. The original game was to be played on a Saturday, but was called off due to high winds loosening a piece of guttering at Celtic Park. The media had a field day and the Rangers fans wallowed in a chant of ‘Parkhead’s falling down’ for the rest of that season. So why, when people are actually moved during a game for safety reasons, do they not want to report it?