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.
If the players have any idea of the true financial position at their club they will know what happened at the old club when wage cuts where agreed,there is probably not the same deal on the table and that is where the problem will be,they also will know that if they do turn up one morning to find the empty milk bottles still outside then they are free to agree some nice sign on fees with new clubs to offset the difference in any new wage with a new club ,only some will get this advantage ,but the players will surely have some idea of what the true position is ,even if their Manager doesnt .
Paulmac2 says:
January 20, 2014 at 5:18 pm
……………………….
Yep…I blame the bears for the flooding here in Surrey…climate change…the JFK assassination…the Eurovision song contest failures…Charles Green’s big hauns….global warming….Graham Spiers….Flairs…Ear ache….tooth ache….my neighbours bawheid…my dug’s flatulence….burnt toast….world hunger….the flu…no winning the Euro lottery….newspapers….biting my tongue while eating….bad haircuts….expensive holidays….thrush….a bad pint….ugly people….annoying people…cauliflower cheese….raisins….a burst tyre…..celery (seriously who eats that sh&t?)
The list is endless GJ 😆
============================================================================
Paul, agreed that the list is endless, but “thrush”…?
Is this a particular strain of that embarrassing ailment in my “beloved Surrey”….? (in memory of the twenty glorious years I lived in Sutton and Cheam!)
PS…never tried fresh celery juice?…just don’t!
donnybhoy
20 Jan 2014, 06:16 PM
Wailer
20 Jan 2014, 02:35 PM
Balleruptim34
20 Jan 2014, 02:33 PM
Sky Sports News @SkySportsNews 7m
Coming up on #ssn football finance expert Ken Pattullo joins us to discuss the ongoing financial situation at Rangers
They really think it needs an expert to dissect the state they are in?
“Expert” you say. http://www.scotsman.com/news/judge-critical-of-leading-liquidator-s-wind-up-of-firm-1-2698941
Pattullo is another “football finance expert”* (see: Patey, Neil) who clearly doesn’t know his abacus from his elbow.
“Rangers have no debt” he proclaims on SSN…
That will be news to my mates firm who are being “effed about bigtime” over a £200k debt in respect of services rendered some months ago. I’ve tried to console him with info suggesting the Sevco credit control department is every bit as incompetent as their colleagues in Purchase Ledger , alas…
* Could someone please explain the difference between ‘debt’ and ‘bank debt’ to these dolts?
On Lee Wallace leaving: I think he is pivotal in giving GW the room to make redundancies across non playing & playing staff alike. A fee around the £1m paid up front or borrowed against would give him the cash to fund some payoffs and start making some inroads to the cost base. Their only other saleable asset is MP.
That said, I am, and not for the time, somewhat bewildered at the approach to cost cutting. GW botched the “conceptual” 15% cuts to player wages as he clearly hadn’t considered what he was going to do if they said no.
Who is the ‘enemy within”, McCoist, Stockbridge? Whoever it is they are “winning” as GW looks weak now and seemingly unable to make progress.
If Wallace & MP are still part of TRFC come Feb 1, there can only be one outcome.
Administration.
upthehoops says:
January 20, 2014 at 7:55 pm
I think Hearts were underpaid by £300,000, though what one club is prepared to pay for a top tier player is surely no guide after 18 months in the lower reaches of any league, but players are continually being sold for ridiculously high fees and he could be seen as a useful addition to an English Championship side’s squad. Unless it turns into an auction, though, I’d suspect TRFC would struggle to get £1m, and could get as low as £300,000. With no video of him performing against the SPL teams for over 18 months, and none showing him in Europe for the same length of time (EDIT: oops, should have said 30 months, silly me), his agent (Gary MacKay, I think,) won’t have much to punt around. His apparent determination to stay at Ibrox might require a much larger sweetener that might be deducted from the maximum a club would be prepared to pay. Only time, and there’s not a lot of that left, will tell.
FIFA says:
January 20, 2014 at 7:56 pm
I understand it would be a nice we bonus for them to leave for free with nice little sign on fees but in the case of lee Wallace who is supposed to be settled in Scotland with a young family. In his position I would rather push for a move now saying I wanted the sevco club to get some money for me. Rather than put up with the abuse that would come with walking away for free.
The problem is that Lee Wallace and the buying club have all of the cards and Rangers have none.
He is playing in the third level of Scottish football, and with no disrespect playing against very mediocre opposition. The Forfar lads for example, they train twice a week and for the most part have daytime jobs. Some of them had to take time off to play in tonight’s game.
How many people outside of Scotland have actually watched Wallace play this season or last, very few I would suggest. How many clubs in Scotland can actually afford to pay his wages. One probably, and that isn’t Rangers.
If he does go it will not be for very much money, because whoever buys him will have to put money aside to pay him a higher wage and in all honesty any club that would take him probably can’t afford to better his current deal.
Greenock Jack says:
January 20, 2014 at 6:35 pm
================================
You’ve made a good case for violent acts to be properly punished regardless of who commits them but you ignore the reasons why society has decided to come down hard on ‘crimes of offence’. Psychiatrists (or psychologists, I don’t remember) talk of reinforcement. What this means in terms of, e.g. racism that people make jokes about other races, run them down, even insult people to their faces purely because of race. And if this is not challenged in reinforces the idea that is OK to do so, OK to have these attitudes.
The punishment you quote for this is not all that heavy as far as I can see, a few months and they’ll get time off that anyway. Note: this wasn’t just an angry word in the heat of an argument with someone, it was a deliberate campaign against someone. What is wrong is treating seriously violent acts too leniently. I am not a hanger and flogger – and there’s no ‘but’ here, I don’t want the law to overreact. However unless there are genuinely proved extenuating circumstances I think the law should come down hard on nasty acts of violence even first offences.
You seem to be coming close to claiming that because one type of crime is under-punished another type of criminal should be let off or treated far more leniently. That is not an honest argument. It’s a sad thing that our society needs ‘offence crime’ legislation but unfortunately we do. How far these things should extend is maybe an argument that can be had but anyone who thinks we don’t need it to some extent is IMHO not paying attention what goes on in our society.
You need only look to the lack of progress made by Templeton to strengthen the case that playing third and fourth tier football has a detrimental effect. I rated his prospects higher than that of Wallace. and he would be the one that I would be looking to take to the SPFL on the cheap, unless his wages are too high obviously.
After reading that back, I’m not surprised the players refused a wage cut. Very irresponsible what TRFC have done, gambling with the careers of those two at least, I’d have worked my ticket out of there by now, surely there would be a case if your employer tells the world you are overpaid. Money would not come in to it for me, as I see that as a factor in why so many young prospects don’t fulfil their promise in the first place, IMHO.
Tif
The selling club always has one card. The player the buying club wants.
Wallace is a decent left back capable of playing at international level. I completely agree that he hasn’t progressed playing in the nether regions of Scottish football for the past couple of seasons. Nonetheless a English championship side in need of defensive cover as they push for promotion, play offs or avoid relegation would view him as a “bargain” between £750k & £1.25m.
Fairly sure anyone would move the family if the wages were greater or more secure than those on offer at a financially distressed Rangers. Just about anywhere in England is within an 1hr or so of the Central Belt by plane so its hardly a major hurdle.
Any competent CEO could make a case that a current international player that was bought for around £1m a couple of years ago is worth at least the same money now & be able to counter the objections of poor quality opposition.
Happy to role play that with you. 😉
coineanachantaighe says:
January 20, 2014 at 8:47 pm
I think you are attributing words to Greenock Jack that in fact belong to an article he pasted on here, author Stuart Waiton. I personally found it an interesting and thought provoking article, I truly struggle to explain why GJ got 10 TD’s for posting it.
Sugar Daddy says:
January 20, 2014 at 9:12 pm
As long the purchasing club weren’t watching the Forfar game, all that’s missing is jerseys for goal posts
Live score.com tells me it’s 0-0 in Forfar with 18m left
Soothsayer.com tells me a pen and red are about due
andygraham.66 says:
January 20, 2014 at 9:14 pm
0 0 Rate This
Live score.com tells me it’s 0-0 in Forfar with 18m left
Soothsayer.com tells me a pen and red are about due
===========
Please don’t say that, I’ve just put a fiver on Forfar at 9-1
andygraham.66 says:
January 20, 2014 at 9:14 pm
Live score.com tells me it’s 0-0 in Forfar with 18m left
Soothsayer.com tells me a pen and red are about due
=============================
Oooh good game! Can I take the 88th minute for the TRFC goal?
New on here, but I’m a long time lurker and made a couple of posts on RTC.
I also have a lurk on RM once in a while to see what the views are over there.
There’s a very recent thread on there “Players we should have signed” 🙄
Reminds me of a saying I saw recently on someone’s Facebook page.
“When you are dead, you don’t know that you are dead. It is difficult only for the others…………
It’s the same when you are stupid”
neepheid says:
January 20, 2014 at 9:14 pm
… I truly struggle to explain why GJ got 10 TD’s for posting it.
———————————————————————————–
Maybe someone needs to explain the rules to me. On some posts it’s TDs for the message delivered even when copied and pasted from another source.
That’s why I gave a TD to it.
1-0 with 15 mins to go – you jinx
NEVER talk about a team holding out before the final whistle goes
When Rangers asked their players to take a 15% wage cut they declared themselves short of cash and made themselves very much a “selling club”. They announced to the World that they were really running out of money and practically announced a fire sale.
I’d be interested to know which English Championship team had seen anything of Wallace to even think of buying him, and even more interested to know why they would be wiling to pay him double the average salary in that league to better his current wage, and not by very much.
Wallace may be seen as one of the best players in the third tier of Scottish football, probably even the best player. However that isn’t saying much and it’s unlikely many people outside of Scotland have even seen him play at all.
neepheid says:
January 20, 2014 at 9:14 pm
—————————————-
Agreed, and I agree also with Stuart Waiton. When a law in this country only applies to some people and not to all of its people, something has gone wrong and Waiton is right to highlight it, as is GJ.
Laws must be applied equally across the board or else scrapped. It is simply inequitable that a football supporter can be admonished for singing “F*** the Pope and F*** the queen” simply because “this law is not meant for you…”, the reported words of the sherriff who dismissed the case involving the Partick Thistle fan.
We are moving towards a police state where the trendy, polo-top wearing chief constable of Police Scotland can dictate laws to the hapless Kenny MacAskill – to date the only Justice Secretary to have been held in a London Police station, accused of being drunk and disorderly going (ironically) to a football match – on matters such as behaviour at (Celtic and Rangers only) football matches or scrapping the centuries old law of corroboration, instituted precisely to guard against those who would lie in court (not that cops would do such a thing).
One regret I do have is that the chasm between Celtic and Rangers supporters has become so wide since February 2012 that they cannot bridge it to work together and have this odious, partial, discriminatory law abolished. They actually have a lot in common in terms of the way in which they have been singled out for police attention in the past 21 months.
Jinxed, sorry
Actually were this entity to run out of money then the more points they amass the better because nothing will emphasise the absurdity of the last two years than a team running out of cash that has stats of
P25 (ish) W 24 D 1 L 0 F 88 A 15 (roughly)
It would maybe hit home to all and sundry how big a joke this charade has been
fergusslayedtheblues says:
January 20, 2014 at 6:53 pm
Sorry for the very late reply to your post on Saturday regards my questioning of a new posters input that was not my intention.
=========================================================
I have no problem about anyone questioning anyone else’s input but I do have a problem when a poster is demanded to reveal who he has worked for which, for me, is unacceptable.
As the offending posts have been removed by TSFM I am unable to answer your current post in any depth and to be fair probably wouldn’t do so anyway as the blog has moved on. But I will answer some points which you have raised in your latest post – especially those which misrepresent what I have said previously. I am sure youir misrepresentation isn’t intentional but if you take the trouble to check my posts I am sure you will see exactly what I said.
You were disparaging of BDO’s investigation of the ‘omnishables’ and I asked if you had any evidence to back-up your opinion. You have now said that you don’t have any.
I will repeat that no one has a clue what is happening in the BDO investigation except those directly involved and that’s how it should be. You say I believe BDO will get to the bottom of things but I expressly stated that BDO, for various reasons, might fail in that task no matter how skilled, honest and diligent they are. How can I possibly express any opinion on their success/failure when I don’t have a clue what evidence they have gathered to date and what they will gather in future.
I think my reply above also answers your further question as to what I expect the final outcome to be. I could toss a coin and give you an answer but I think I will wait and see what happens 2/3 years down the line when BDO have completed their work.
I stated in my earlier post that I believe our only hope of any actual justice in this whole affair can only come from BDO and I, of course, mentioned that if the FTTT appeal is successful then that too is a victory for the taxpayer and will actually help urge BDO on although I have a feeling they don’t need much urging.
More often than not the Spivs get away with their activities without punishment but I have the patience to wait and see how things pan out to borrow a phrase. In the meantime I will continue trying to assemble fact-based posts which hopefully throw a little light on relevant issues. I will also post my rather cryptic attempts at humour just to lighten my mood even if it causes others to tear their hair out 🙄
And most of all I will try and refrain from posting non fact-based statements and assertions based on either hot-air or wishful thinking although I know from time to time I will fail in that endeavour and be slapped-down by those posters who have the facts or better knowledge.
jean7brodie says:
January 20, 2014 at 9:23 pm
0 0 Rate This
neepheid says:
January 20, 2014 at 9:14 pm
… I truly struggle to explain why GJ got 10 TD’s for posting it.
———————————————————————————–
Maybe someone needs to explain the rules to me. On some posts it’s TDs for the message delivered even when copied and pasted from another source.
That’s why I gave a TD to it.
==========
There isn’t any rule, I just thought the article was interesting and worth posting. If we TD people based on what we think of the external content they take us to, then Stunney would have got some real hammer on here.
By the way, I do hope he’s ok, I know he hasn’t been well, but I really enjoyed his early morning paper round. He was an integral part of the scene here for a long time, and I, for one, have missed him.
slimshady61 says:
January 20, 2014 at 9:32 pm
One regret I do have is that the chasm between Celtic and Rangers supporters has become so wide since February 2012 that they cannot bridge it to work together and have this odious, partial, discriminatory law abolished. They actually have a lot in common in terms of the way in which they have been singled out for police attention in the past 21 months.
==============================================
Too true. But it was no accident of timing by the Police. They saw the chance to increase control and seized the moment assisted by a combination of idiot and weak MSPs.
Paulmac2 says:
January 20, 2014 at 5:18 pm
……………………….
…..celery (seriously who eats that sh&t?)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Me! I like celery.
Tomatoes* on the other hand…
http://www.tomatoesareevil.com/
* specifically raw tomatoes
Think this has been the plan for this season .get to 25 or more points ahead then announce admin .still win the league or into the playoffs .up to the next division debt free .wee cash injection from some diehard bears.hope I’m wrong but can really see this happening
ecobhoy says:
January 20, 2014 at 9:40 pm
Sorry being a massive celtic fan I believe the real chasm started roughly a year before when bombs and bullets were sent to some very public figures who happened to be celtic related.the police and msps went about it the wrong way and tarred everyone with the same brush in a futile attempt of stamping out sectarianism from all sides.
Simply because the world was watching they had to be seen to do something.
They panicked pushed through the new bills and no one I believe knows how to address them in the courts as it seems
Paulmac2 says:
January 20, 2014 at 5:18 pm
Lol you would be surprised how much celery you actually eat
Tif Finn says:
January 20, 2014 at 9:27 pm
11 2 Rate This
When Rangers asked their players to take a 15% wage cut they declared themselves short of cash and made themselves very much a “selling club”. They announced to the World that they were really running out of money and practically announced a fire sale.
I’d be interested to know which English Championship team had seen anything of Wallace to even think of buying him, and even more interested to know why they would be wiling to pay him double the average salary in that league to better his current wage, and not by very much.
Wallace may be seen as one of the best players in the third tier of Scottish football, probably even the best player. However that isn’t saying much and it’s unlikely many people outside of Scotland have even seen him play at all.
———–
I watched that and wondered which player would attract a big-money move. The football looks a bit improvised and makes them all look a bit, well, poor. Forfar were extremely unlucky not to score, and started best. The TRFC goalie was a bit of a stand-out as was Templeton for his well-worked goal. Otherwise? Maybe they’ve been told they are free to talk to other clubs? Or Is Paul Hartley being lined up to manage a bunch of kids? Then again perhaps the club got a short-term loan at xxxx% interest from a friend of a friend?
The pies were the highlight of the evening, judging by the commentators remarks.
slimshady61 says:
January 20, 2014 at 9:32 pm
16 2 Rate This
neepheid says:
January 20, 2014 at 9:14 pm
—————————————-
Agreed, and I agree also with Stuart Waiton. When a law in this country only applies to some people and not to all of its people, something has gone wrong and Waiton is right to highlight it, as is GJ.
Laws must be applied equally across the board or else scrapped. It is simply inequitable that a football supporter can be admonished for singing “F*** the Pope and F*** the queen” simply because “this law is not meant for you…”, the reported words of the sherriff who dismissed the case involving the Partick Thistle fan.
——————————————
I do not agree that the law has not been applied equally. The PF brought a conviction against the supporter and the judge deemed that the singing of the song in question was not in contravention of the particular law used.
The song in question has been banned from Firhill for a number of years and prior to the ban, the fans themselves debated whether it could be construed as sectarian. The consensus was that as the song is a parody aimed at ridiculing the sectarian elements which are associated (rightly or wrongly) with CFC and TRFC, it should not be deemed as sectarian, however, that it was probably safer to ban it as it could, under the banner of “anyone taking offence” at it, be taken as such.
Also, the actual last line should read “F*** your Pope and f*** your Queen!”
I know that many Clubs can claim to have been heavily impacted by both CFC and TRFC/RFC in the past but I firmly believe that it is only Thistle fans who were subject to the follow up question, “Aye right, but who do you really support?”
A business can’t just “announce admin” become debt free and carry on as before. It doesn’t work that way. I think the absolute nonsense which happened with Rangers / Duff and Phelps has distorted people’s view of how it really works.
Look at the what a proper administrator did and is doing in the cases of Hearts or Dunfermline and you get a better picture of the reality. Of the pain involved for those concerned.
I think it is also worth bearing in mind that the previous Rangers went into administration, failed to get out of it and is being liquidated. The myth that the club survived only goes to propagate the nonsense that administration is some kind of cure for debt.
Administration is not a panacea, it is a means of protecting a company from it’s creditors in an attempt to keep that entity alive and move it forward as a viable business. No matter what football clubs and football administrators think.
Slim
One regret I do have is that the chasm between Celtic and Rangers supporters has become so wide since February 2012 that they cannot bridge it to work together and have this odious, partial, discriminatory law abolished. They actually have a lot in common in terms of the way in which they have been singled out for police attention in the past 21 months.
————————————————————
This legislation was so full of holes it should never have been passed, in fact if it were for society as a whole it wouldn’t have been. However if you wanted to start accustoming the larger population to the looming Police State, where better to make a precedent than on football supporters (aka hooligans), where polar-division would make opposition less effective and the media would revel in it.
What this type of law is designed to do is Orwellian in nature and if similar such legislation is gradually brought in to prevent offence being taken then we will have not an idealic society but a population increasingly scared to express themselves as cameras are pointed at them wherever they may be and in a couple of generations time, few will remember how it used to be.
The state (moreso London based) increasingly want to control and sometimes intimidate the population.
Tif Finn says:
January 20, 2014 at 10:37 pm
I’m not a savvy law guy here I don’t really know the ins and outs of administrations but is it possible for them to go into admin shed the higher earners from the club get the costs down across the board take the points deduction and still get or have a great chance of promotion?
Have to agree with Danish – the goalie (Chuck Norris, was it?) did well to make a sharp save after a long period of inactivity, and Templeton moved well for 5 seconds to find the opening and score.
Other than that, and allowing for the lack of guile shown by Forfar probably not providing much stimulation to perform, this Rangers team is probably less entertaining and more inert than the worst ever Rangers team of last year.
God help them in the next league up – should be most entertaining for the rest of us!
Most of them were just clocking in, not bothering their collective arse, and thinking how amusing it was that they’re picking up such a large pay packet for turning up at places like Forfar and doing very little indeed.
The bears were of similar mindset – dutifully turning up to witness almost certain victory, not bothering in the slightest to get behind their team. I’ve heard a noisier Pittodrie in “sweetie wrapper” mode. A short period of booing at Rab Douglas was about the best they could muster. Not even a “sing when they’re winning” crowd anymore.
Bridies at Station Park DP
First question, who are the “them” who you think might for some reason go into administration.
Second question, who do you think will petition for that administration.
Third question, on what basis will that petition be made.
Tif Finn says:
January 20, 2014 at 10:51 pm
Please help me understand.
To whom are you addressing these quesions?
Sorry I should’ve said sevco, new co , trfc instead of them going into administration.
Erm the current board or so called investors at ibrox might want an admin
The basis for that petition is it possible simply to get the business in a sustainable way?
As far as I know sevco, new co trfc have no debt but are running out of cash due to lavish spending.
Is it possible for sevco new co trfc to go into admin to get they’re house in order.
For the record; online self assessment for 2012/13 tax year completed today and three figure underpayment settled via online transfer to the good folks in Cumbernauld (I’d be a liar if I said it didn’t piss me off that I owed HMRC money but rules are rules and I’m no special case).
My sincerest hope is that the proportion of the taxes I pay from my hard earned income that are going to cover the costs of the UTT and BDO are well and honestly earned by those that they finance.
GJ/Slim
Its a really bad law now, and was a really bad piece of legislation when it came out of La Grahame’s committee. About the only people in Holyrood who don’t accept that are La Grahame and Kenny MacAskill, I’m not even sure about MacAskill these days.
Unfortunately politicians will not admit a mistake any more, for fear of getting slaughtered by the opposition, the media and everybody else, so they persist with idiocy instead. I’m coming round to the view that people are just waiting for the right case to go to the European court, who will kick the stuffing out of it, and then everyone can blame Europe for it’s repeal, er I mean amending beyond recognition
Still, the football act not withstanding, there is something wrong when we see a higher rate of stop and searches than the ruddy Met, without the safeguards even the Met have in place. Though I am told that similar safeguards are going to be brought in somewhat belatedly – again the threat of the European Court looms.
Edit
A single Police force was another really stupid idea. However, it was refreshing to see Edinburgh Council effectively tell Police Scotland to Go Feck Themselves recently.
The Justice Minister has gone native, and needs a new brief
Rangers are awash with debt. Their debt levels are almost certainly now higher than their annual turnover. In fact I think all right thinking people have already accepted that. They are also running at a loss on an ongoing basis, meaning they keep having to borrow more and more money just to keep going.
However that does not mean they cannot pay their bills as they fall due, if their holding company is providing them with credit on an ongoing basis. If they are providing loans to cover those losses.
The real question is, what happens what the holding company no longer has funds to provide those loans. How do they then pay those bills. If they can’t pay them, what will the creditors do to collect that money. They are unlikely to just accept that situation.
The previous club took a simple way out, they stopped remitting PAYE, NI and VAT they were collecting from their staff and customers and used that to pay the other bills. I can’t imagine the current club will go the same way. So what does that leave, further borrowing, but from whom. If their holding company has no money left then it has to be from someone else willing to finance a failed business model, but at what cost.
It’s not going to end well.
scottc on January 20, 2014 at 10:48 pm
9 0 Rate This
Danish Pastry says:
January 20, 2014 at 10:31 pm
The pies were the highlight of the evening, judging by the commentators remarks.
Bridies at Station Park DP
———-
Indeed, they mentioned both. The bridie was given a higher rating than the Cornish Pasty by that anglo-Scot sounding commentator. Prices appeared to be £1.50 outside and £1.80 inside ( 🙂 ). Half-time highlights included Gary McCallister wolfing a bridie or pie! The multi-pundits pitch-side had a whole plate of the local specialities. I think there were seven commentators & pundits, including the bonnie lassie who interviewed Oor Ally by the tunnel. BT Sport certainly like their pundits … and half-time snacks
Tif Finn says:
January 20, 2014 at 11:35 pm
Ok mate I’m guessing you’re saying the ipo cash and season ticket sales went to the holding company And not the club?
Danish Pastry says:
January 20, 2014 at 11:42 pm
Quite liking the BT coverage so far, its all a bit retro. her indoors has confiscated the booze, time for bed
Tif Finn says:
January 20, 2014 at 11:35 pm
Just nice cosy internal debt not that nasty old external debt 😆
Tif Finn says:
January 20, 2014 at 11:35 pm
The pressing issue is-apart from making payroll-is keeping suppliers onside.
There is already some chatter that reminds me of early 2012.
PhilMacGiollaBhain says:
January 20, 2014 at 11:46 pm
Lol I get that but do the club still have a chance at administration cutting they’re cloth accordingly taking the points deduction and still gaining promotion?
PhilMacGiollaBhain on January 20, 2014 at 11:47 pm
3 0 Rate This
———–
Phil, what do you make of the bold assertions that there will be no admin event.
Straight to liquidation?
PhilMacGiollaBhain says:
January 20, 2014 at 11:46 pm
What reminds me of 2012 is the transfer window everyone knew something was going down and I think they only sold jelavic and even brought in players.
Jelavic was sold late on or even the last day aswell
When it reaches the stage that you cannot pay your bills when they fall due, by whatever means, then you are trading whilst insolvent.
I believe it is an offence to take on further debt when that is the case. Someone who pays for a season ticket is paying for services in advance. They are a creditor, that is further debt.
If Rangers reach the stage where they cannot pay their bills as they fall due then they should not be selling season tickets and should work on a game by game basis.
Tif Finn says:
January 20, 2014 at 11:58 pm
That’s brilliant so basically rangers fans buying all those season tickets could be the thing that makes them trade insolvent am I getting that right lol it sounds to good to be true?
pepperami says:
January 20, 2014 at 11:50 pm
Essentially Graham Wallace has to undo the financial and organisational carnage of the last 18 months and do it in a few weeks-not easy.
From The Mail Online: They were listless on the park for most of the evening, despite a spot of pre-match pampering at the four-star Carnoustie Hotel ahead of taking on the Forfar part-timers, with the Rangers fans also subdued in the stands.
………………..
And so it goes on. Skint but swanning about a 4 star hotel,still living beyond their means.Their arrogance knows no bounds. I can just hear McCoist.” Well no one told me I couldn’t go for the best digs.Thats not my gig”
helpmaboab says:
January 21, 2014 at 12:16 am
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/all-aboard-the-gullible-bus/
Mine from July last year.
I am glad that the lavish hotels story has been picked up by the Award Winning Journalist at the Daily Record.
🙄
Agreed Phil especially with the transfer window getting smaller with each passing day.
Apparently The Rangers team and staff all had an expensive slap up meal at a posh hotel en route to Forfar. The Forfar players had a bridie and chips. Says it all really.
The band was still playing as normal as the Titanic sunk.
When the money is about to run out you take what can from the dwindling reserves. (tick)
You do not pay creditors on time (tick)
Ally cannot get anyone to write a new contract so has to stay on 850,000 a year or 16,000+ a week (tick)
You say it will take another 90 days to make a plan (Tick)
How hire an expensive 8,000 a day financial guru to confirm there’s nowt (tick)
This has echoes of 2012. I turn on my computer each day to see if Liquidation day has arrived. I guessed early February, I now think the end of January.
pepperami says:
January 21, 2014 at 12:24 am
Graham Wallace doesn’t have an easy task on his hands that’s for sure.,
Here’s why I think Lee Wallace is going nowhere.
He’s on more money now than he’ll earn outside of Celtic, an EPL club or maybe a cash rich English championship club. Whatever strings the old Rangers boys pulled to get him into to Scotland squad succeeded too, so he doesn’t have international selection or cash as an inventive to leave.
While he might be available at a fire sale price, his wage demands will negate this benefit, while his level of football means he would basically have to be developed again back to something near his previous standard and he’ll have to unlearn some bad habits too, which for a defender is a serious downside.
Cheaper to bring in two or three youngsters. They’ll learn quicker and even if they don’t make the grade, their experience will set them up for a lower league career. You buy Wallace now and pay him enough to leave Ibrox, you better believe you won’t be able to cut your losses and sell him if he fails, without subsidising his contract with any lower league buyers.
He’s an albatross around TRFC’s neck.
PhilMacGiollaBhain says:
January 21, 2014 at 12:22 am
Hehehe history can repeat itself popcorn time?
Fisiani says:
January 21, 2014 at 12:25 am
Too many moving pieces to call this-especially apropos timescale.
However they’re in a mess-no doubt about it.
Tif Finn says:
January 20, 2014 at 11:35 pm
TRFC is clearly running at a loss and is being funded by it’s parent company RIFC. RIFC got the money from the IPO (less expenses and hugely more expenses), RIFC do not have a bank borrowing facility because they are not deemed credit worthy. Suppliers may extend Trade Credit but that is very short term and can dry up at any time, also a message to any suppliers who are left out of pocket this time: your own fault for being so stupid.
Compare the situation to the previous Rangers football Club, In the past the holding Company was MIH, which was huge and apparently hugely successful. Very importantly MIH had a tame bank, like an open piggy bank on a National scale. MIH had such access to funds that it appeared that the Rangers profligacy could be accomodated as the Chairman’s little diversion.
RIFC do not have a tame bank, they have minimal banking facilities; and quite rightly so for a new Company with £19m losses in 13 months. RIFC have squandered their IPO windfall and, having no Bank facilities have limited options:
– A saviour, the ‘King over the water’ may arrive and free them from their slavery. Aye right, look at the Queue.
– Another share issue. This one would have to protect and enhance the dominance of the big sharehiolders. I think their failed resolution was to this effect. The big guys would then provide bridging Finance at Wonga plus rates until the Season Ticket money comes through. Very short term solution if it is even feasible.
– Sell assets. Whatever they sell will be at fire sale values. Players are seen as has beens and never have beens, devaluing quickly, plying their trade at lower divisions in a lowly ranked country. Who on Earth wants MP, an overblown ego investment. Albion car park, now who wants a car park in Govan especiallly if the football club is in trouble. Any sales will raise very little up front but will slow down the drain.
– Call in the £2.5m finance agreed by whoever. A real possibility, seems this was the reason the accounts were signed off as a going concern. I bet the terms would make Wonga jealous.
– Take up the managers kind offer of a pay cut. May be just a ‘Conceptual discussion’ though.
– Cut costs, that could be discussed before the next game at the posh hotel. I am sceptical that they understand the concept and Consultants to explain it will cost more than the profligate hotel costs.
– Withhold remittances to HMRC. Done that and got the T-shirt. I hope (as a taxpayer) that HMRC don’t leave it for 10 months this time.
– Pray for miracle, best chance in my view !
Certainly not going to end well.
ptd1978 says:
January 21, 2014 at 12:26 am
“He’s an albatross around TRFC’s neck.”
Indeed, but you could state that is equally true with regard to quite a few of their top “stars”.
They won’t get similar personal terms anywhere.
They’re effectively unsellable.
ptd1978 says:
January 21, 2014 at 12:26 am
I get that mate he’s making a nice wee wage down ibrox but for his own safety wouldn’t it be better for him to push for a transfer now rather than wait to see what happens? Especially if he isn’t as lucky as say the previous incarnation of the clubs players to basically get out of Scotland?
Den says:
January 21, 2014 at 12:33 am
RIFC needs external finance-no question.
Took advantage of a couple of freebie tickets to go to a preview of a play this evening ( oh, I see it’s now this morning! Got home after socialising not that long ago, it seems to me!)
” Long day’s journey into night” was the title of the play.
It wasn’t , as my subconcious may have thought, about a football club in terminal, interminable, decline.
I enjoyed it nevertheless.
Here is my view – all of course my own opinion – but nonetheless as a disclaimer I could be wrong, but I of course think I may well be right. 🙂
Wallace is not really being as serious in his so called mission to restructure costs as we think he is – but he is following orders and is going through the motions of reigning in the costs only so far as it affects the money his spivmeisters can take out.
He needs to get TRFC more lean – but with the money from IPO all safely vaporised to BVI and Far East, the only thing of concern is the assets, it is clear that what is happening is to run up the amount of money owed by TRFC to RIFC to be just enough for them to be able to legally take over the assets as per costing in IPO etc. Once assets go to RIFC to pay off these amounts “loaned”, the carcass of TRFC is effectively stripped clean and bare, ready for the next step..
Remember – everything they are doing has to be legal or as legal as possible with enough doubt so that the authorities will not be able to do much about it.
Here is why Wallace – and MSM – are being a bit disingenuous with us all.
(1) The cost of buses and overnight stays suddenly being highlighted – this was all raised 18 months ago – and along with the executive bus – could have been stopped long ago, Funny the MSM has just noted this though…its as if they have briefed to do so………….
(2) McCoist is still apparently on his original salary – on one website there was someone saying it was being deferred – but to allow someone to draw a salary for 3 months that they themselves (allegedly!) offered to half – well its stretching incredulity a bit! Only ever heard of payraises taking months to take effect – paycuts are always easier to implement. Best to wait for admin!
(3) Paying off Durrant and the backroom staff would cost more in payoff pay than savings – better to wait for admin!
(4) No one needed 120 days – nor additional consultants to be able to determine they were in trouble.
(5) All of a sudden the newco and oldco scenario is being acknowledged in MSM and by our friends like Bryce slowly and surely – why now?
Here is where we are going……..
TRFC will be cut leaner to exist by a given budget of what the spivs have determined they can give in order to placate and encourage the ST sales – this will never be moonbeams – more likely 1980’s Ibrox spending. The old saying of speculate to accumulate is their mantra – the spivs will give a few million in order to get loads more back! In rents and over inflated contracts they have in place!
RIFC will then own the assets courtesy of debts run up by TRFC and be rented back
TRFC will go into administration if needed to do more pruning- will be spun as needed to be able to renegotiate all these expensive contracts set up by spivs – but in reality the contracts to RIFC and their friends will remain for catering/security/retail. Only the non spiv contracts (players/staff) will be cut.
Players/staff will be forced to accept paycuts and administration will be what D&P should have been.
Call will go out to Bears for ST to get them back on track – minor bump in the road etc etc – and they will have little choice but to follow follow.
Spivs are following the model as laid out by Simon Cowell. Yes – there is a connection. Simon Cowell realised that once you get people investing their time and their money by calling into one of his shows to vote for someone, they become invested in the success of that person and no matter how bad a performance, will more likely still vote for their favourite despite their inner voice says is a waste of time. So his dire shows have people watching and dialling in each week to keep their investments on the show.
So – by the same token – having invested by forking out for STs and shares, what proud TRFC fan is going to admit defeat – especially in front of all his giggling Pacific Shelf associates – and walk away? A few – but most are invested in the roadmap to the CL while playing at Ibrox in blue………and will not walk away easily no matter what their inner voices tell them. They will still keep the hope that the “return” is on course! And the hoped retribution to the others will of course still be able to done once they get there………
Spivs will end up owning the assets and “renting” it to TRFC Mk2 – exactly who down the road will own Mk2, the spivs don’t care. Could be Lord Cardigans mob or whomever – but if the roadmap illusion of getting to the CL whilst playing at Ibrox is to be maintained, it has to be at the agreement of the spivs. No one wants to support TRFC at another ground now.
Money paid to RIFC means less money for TRFC. RIFC has TRFC by the short and curlies. The spivs know it – the investors know it – the MSM know it – and SFA know it! Mid table austerity is in the offing for the Peepil no matter what – there will be little they can do about it. Cannot raise money on property they don’t own, so no line of credit there – so with no sugar daddies and no banking friends to help, the budget world we all operate in is now in the only option for them.
As Kenny Everett would say, “its all been done in the best possible taste…….”
Unless you like your blue cheese Ibrox burgers……………
In this article by Mark Walker
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/scotland/article3981302.ece
the following statement from McCoist caught my eye:-
“I have meetings with Graham Wallace, we’ll have a brief chat tonight. We have one penciled in for Friday but I certainly think we’ll be meeting tomorrow or Wednesday as well. We’ll react to the decisions that are made and get on with it as best we can.”
Perhaps I’m being presumptuous, but to me that reads as if he already knows what decisions have been made, and they cannot wait until Friday to be announced.
Graham Wallace confirms to Tom English, the following:-
– McCoist has taken a pay cut, not just agreed to it
– Stockbridge has repaid £200k
– Tax & VAT bills are up to date
– All other bills are up to date
– No contact with Dave King
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/tom-english-interviews-rangers-ceo-graham-wallace-1-3275716
Its obvious none of the Ibrox suppliers handed in the usual free diaries for Ally this year .
Re Graham Spiers. He spent yesterday on Twitter laughing off a story on a Rangers blog that he had ‘bought’ 19,000 Russian followers on Twitter. The author of the story was Chris Graham, the Rangers blogger. Whether or not the story is true, and Spiers insists it is not, it struck me that Chris Graham seems to have little else to bother him other than trying to embarrass Graham Spiers, and to help facilitate the fantasy that Celtic are in bed with almost every state agency in Scotland. I have no sympathy for Spiers or anyone else in the media who almost slavered over Chris Graham when he first appeared, with many mainstream outlets giving him air time or column inches. The question is when the proverbial hits the fan again, will our intelligence be insulted with Chris Graham being presented as a voice of reason and authority? Just how stupid would that look?!!!
Fisiani at 12.25am
That is shocking. Professional football players (even impoverished ones) should not be eating bridie and chips before a game.
Exiled Celt says:
January 21, 2014 at 3:43 am
Remember – everything they are doing has to be legal or as legal as possible with enough doubt so that the authorities will not be able to do much about it.
============================================================================
EC…This line, written in superbly succinct “non-legalese” sums up exactly what has been going on over in Govan (and the City of London!) since the beginning of this proverbial omnishambles.
The saddest part is that even in full possession of the knowledge of all nefarious intentions of the Spivs, the UK regulatory authorities are loathe to act, let alone act swiftly to prosecute, let alone prevent it
upthehoops says:
January 21, 2014 at 7:20 am
3 1 Rate This
You bet they will use Mr Graham as the ‘intelligent’ fans’ spokesman.
They have to, the options are Dingwall or Leggat.
selfassessor says:
January 20, 2014 at 11:04 pm
……………………………………
Don’t get me started on tax….
How’s this for a corker…I had a Company vehicle a few years back….had it for 6 years…each year I had to pay the same amount of cash in Benefit in Kind?…I spoke to HMRC and asked why as the cars value dropped each year therefore so shoud the Bik….the answer from HMRC…if we allowed the owner to submit a new value each year it would be open to fraudulent values being submitted…so I then asked…’so to stop a fraud you commit a fraud?’…clearly they could not answer that with a straight yes or no…but in essence they applied the tax to a value knowing it to be false….they finished the call with…’it is what it is’…
Tax…don’t get me started…
Good Morning
Just seen picture of Regan and Doncaster with a poster saying keep it clean.
I have the ideal way of keeping our game clean. Get those two out of our game along with their puppet master CO.
Not throwing this out as a conspiracy theory but has anyone noticed just how many of the Sevco games have been 0-0 at half time with a late winner.
I think the bookies would have taken a hammering from this if punters had cottoned on to this pattern. Not saying there is anything dodgy just pointing out the facts.
I still think the dark side will hobble along till ST renewal and rip the fans off again before dumping the carcass unless CW has a move to make before then.