Good Evening.
When considering any type of protracted negotiation or discussion that seems to be going on too long, there is a story that is always worth remembering– whether it is actually a true story or not as the case may be.
It is said, that heads of state all met at a congress in what is now modern Germany sometime after the Franco Prussian war of 1870-1871.The entire congress was being run almost singlehandedly by the then Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismark and he was keen to get all the necessary signatures on paper to seal some deal or other.
However, others at the congress were not too keen to sign up to certain elements of the proposed deal and so they hithered and dithered and in the eyes of Bismark they simply waisted time by concentrating on the minutiae- the little matters, with a view to ensuring their own interests were best served in these small areas– and did not focus on the big issue.
Having tried to talk these others round and educate them in his own beliefs and point of view on the bigger picture without any success, Bismark grew weary of the continuing delay and the posturing of his colleagues. All attempts at reason and diplomacy had failed in his eyes and so he decided to take a different tack.
Accordingly, it is said that whilst others were still inside debating endlessly on this matter or that, Bismark left the building and began simply shooting the windows in with the aid of a riffle which he just happened to have handy.
Those inside were naturally alarmed at this turn of events. They soon forgot about the minutiae under debate, they abandoned the previously expressed self interest and simply signed up so that they could get away from the mad chancellor and his house.
Job done so to speak.
Whilst I do not in anyway condone the behaviour of Otto von Bismark in this instance, and have no doubt that he was an autocrat, what I will say is that he believed that there was too much time being spent on the unimportant stuff and not enough time recognising what really needed doing– from his point of view of course.
Today– and it seems every day for months— we have endless debate about the future of Scottish Football. League reconstruction and the redistribution of footballing wealth has become a marathon– even before it has started.
Yet I believe that at the moment all parties concerned are not focusing on the radical reform that is fundamentally needed which is the creation of one, strong, properly structured and constituted body which is capable of the proper and ethical governance of Scottish Football and the business that surrounds football.
No matter what system you try, or distribution you agree, without proper sensible strong governance you are wasting your time.
Further, whatever body is set up, and whoever is chosen to be its CEO (or whatever the head honcho is going to be called), they must tackle the issue of corporate and fiscal compliance and the proper administration of any body corporate which actively takes part in Scottish Football– and that includes any such body or person who is involved in the running of a member club.
In addition, in so dealing with any corporate malfeasance or chicanery or whatever, the rules have to be applied with a rod of iron by an iron body.
As we can now clearly see, Football clubs and football in general is not, and never will be, immune from the effects of bad corporate governance and on occasion downright manipulation of facts, figures and contracts.
Whilst great play has been made of the fact that Gavin Masterton has handed over his shares in Dunfermline FC ( or its holding company ) the fact of the matter is that this in no way solves the problem faced by the football club. Whoever gains control of that club will still have to rent the ground from Mr Masterton’s company– and it is a rent that the club may just not be able to afford.
Ever!
It is only my opinion of course, but I am of the view that Mr Masterton has sealed a loan deal with his bankers which is of a type and duration which could not normally be achieved by other borrowers. The Loan has a lengthy period during which no repayments are necessary and interest can continue to accrue.
All very good you may say, but the level of debt concerned is not one that appears to be sustainable by Dunfermline FC and so whoever buys the club as a going concern ( if anyone buys it at all ) will have to pay an agreed rental to Gavin Masterton– and if the rental is not sufficient to repay Mr Masterton’s lenders, then I suspect that the end game here will be a search to find a buyer for the ground at some point over the next twenty years or so, with the hope that as part of the deal a space will be found somewhere for a new ground like New St Mirren park– the difference being that in that instance St Mirren were in charge of their future whereas Dunfermline are not.
The Governance of that club and the financial arrangements behind the club should have been looked at and examined by the SFA long before now– and the Dunfermline fans warned about the dangers of any such arrangements. Effectively those finance arrangements, should they continue, will probably mean that the club will have no option but to move from its established home!
All to suit one man!
Thankfully Dundee were spared a full takeover by Giovanni Di Stefano, however is it not a bit worrying that this man who has been jailed for over 14 years for various fraudulent acts, was allowed to roam around Scottish Football for a prolonged period?
Not so long ago Di Stefano did play a part at Dens, was in line to buy almost 30% of the shareholding, and was oft quoted in the papers and so on. The thing is that there were those who were prepared to give him a place at the Dundee table and in so doing invited him into Scottish Football.
Surely the SFA, had they been inclined to, could quite easily have pointed out that many of the claims of Mr Di Stefano were at least dubious if not completely incorrect? Yet nothing was being said at the time and silence prevailed.
Whilst not in the same calibre as Di Dtefano, Vladimir Romanov has now been at Hearts for a prolonged period. While I have no quibbles about the legality of Romanov’s takeover of Hearts, any money of a sizeable size which is transferred into Scotland from a foreign country will be subject to scrutiny by the Crown office to ensure that it is clean. Lithuania in particular is said to have a banking system which is governed loosely and sometimes does not meet the compliance standards expected in this country.
With his bank having gone bust, Romanov still retains the majority shareholding at Tynecastle, but there are questions still to be answered about what has happened at Hearts but life will be very different for the Edinburgh club going forward.
Again– could the SFA have done more to monitor the situation and could they have demanded clarity and detail from the Hearts owner as to his business dealings and the detailed arrangements with his bank?
At Ibrox, well things just go from the weird and inexplicable to downright astonishing– and all through a tremendous amount of smoke and mirrors.
It is clear that the SFA have no idea what to believe from Charles Green or for that matter Craig Whyte. On the face of it, there are clear links between Whyte and Green with the former paying over a six figure sum in return for absolutely nothing it would appear– with similar transactions going between Whyte’s colleague, Aiden Early, and Charles Green.
What is clear is that Green gave a clear undertaking to the SFA that he had nothing whatsoever to do with Whyte and would have nothing to do with Whyte going forward. Now, at the very least he is admitting that he met Whyte on several occasions, and whilst he may have made representations to Craig Whyte— these were all lies designed only to get Whyte to where Green wanted him.
This is hardly the act of someone who has been bona fides in his business dealings either with Whyte or with the SFA as the licensing body.
It is against this background that the Scottish Football Agencies need to wake up before they find the fans of the game ( at least those who want to stay interested in the game ) doing a Bismarck and panning in the windows of this whole house of cards.
Football Clubs, football fans, and indeed football itself needs protected from the financial and corporate shenanigans, and the governing body must be much more active and permanently vigilant in watching out for and if necessary anticipating the people and the transactions which have and will jeopardise clubs and the game in general going forward.
It is clearly no longer acceptable to rely on self regulation or mere declarations and undertakings from the clubs themselves. The Administrators must be much more active and employ far greater professional expertise in carrying out an almost constant analytical and reporting function in relation to club finance and corporate regulation.
All and any changes in funding, boardroom changes, investor changes and anything else major should be the subject of immediate and proper scrutiny by the SFA and there should be fair, immediate and stiff sanctions for non compliance, and any type of dilatory behaviour on the part of club officials who would seek to conceal the truth or who fail to properly disclose vital matters which should be out in the open.
Further, the funding detail– such as the never ending loan re Dunfermline should be a matter of public record in all its detail so that fans and investors can make information based value judgements when dealing with any club.
Such stiffer regulation should not develop into anything like a corporate witch hunt or any kind of draconian big brother syndrome, however the need for change given all of the current troubles is obvious to one and all.
Further, the attempted fudge surrounding Rangers league status last summer and the ongoing disquiet surrounding the position of Campbell Ogilvie does nothing to boost faith in and the reputation of Football Administration in Scotland.
Things are far from clear and there appears to be continual dithering and fudging. No one has any idea where the Nimmo Smith Report has gone nor what import it is to have— if any. Why is that?
Dithering and bumbling over detail is no longer an option. Strong clear governance is required to protect the game from being hijacked by those who have their own corporate and financial agendas.
Such people cannot be allowed to determine the way Scottish Football runs or to conduct themselves in a fashion that leaves football and everyone involved in limbo.
It is time for Scottish Football to find its own Iron Chancellor! There is a need for someone who will, if necessary, come along and shoot the lights out of any club or Company Director who wishes to play fast and loose with the game of football.
Who did you speak to at Ibrox John? Tell the nation! Comedy ,sheer comedy on BBC Sportsound!
never heard craig called tycoon.
typhoon maybe ??
SFA will not act. I fully expect them to say nothing to do with the football club, this is a company dispute.
I want to know how Goosy could have nailed it so easily when Kenny McIntyre on BBC Sportsound has just told the nation that the Rangers story was an incredibly difficult one for the press to follow – oh and Tom English sagely agreed.
But Bomber nailed it – just there Media House got paid £140K from Diouf & Defer (money that should have gone to creditors) to shut the MSM up on the deal and it worked a treat.
Traynor, it seems continued to keep Bomber in his confidence without revealing that Traynor was about to join all those already aboard the Marrakesh Express at Ibrox.
Meanwhile, over on SSB, as the train hurtles towards a widening chasm, they are debating who should be on the long, long list of those who could end up at Ibrox. Strangely that list doesn’t include the SFO, BDO, and Polis Scotland
Chris McLaughlin, BBC Reporting Scotland on “Why I believe this new bullshit about the new Rangers Chief Executive”. “It brings clarity”, says Chris. Ye couldnae mak it up!
John Brown confirms:
McCoist knew
Smith knew
And neither of them did anything about it, and in fact continued to dupe the fans who were parting with their cash.
Disgraceful.
nowoldandgrumpy says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 18:37
SFA will not act. I fully expect them to say nothing to do with the football club, this is a company dispute.
=======================
alex thomson@alextomo41m
And to all those asking yes, I am in touch with the SFA about the apparent Whyte involvement with the registration of the club after his ban
Auldheid@Auldheid28m
@alextomo But, but on matters of integrity SFA have no power over leagues by their own admission. Does that not extend to clubs/companies too?
Auldheid@Auldheid24m
@alextomo or are SFA as useful as a chocolate fireguard when protecting and governing Scottish football? The full time whistle has blown.
nowoldandgrumpy says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 18:37
SFA will not act. I fully expect them to say nothing to do with the football club, this is a company dispute.
==================================
alex thomson@alextomo41m
And to all those asking yes, I am in touch with the SFA about the apparent Whyte involvement with the registration of the club after his ban
Auldheid@Auldheid28m
@alextomo But,but on matters of integrity SFA have no power over leagues by their own admission. Does that not extend to clubs/companies too?
Auldheid@Auldheid24m
@alextomo or are SFA as useful as a chocolate fireguard when protecting and governing Scottish football? The full time whistle has blown.
http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail.html?announcementId=11561457
HirsutePursuit says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 18:23
“Some very, very difficult decisions may be rolling up in front of the RIFC board.”
========================================
The same kind of decisions they should have taken at a number of points since 2000 but refused to make e.g. 2001 – EBTs, 2008 spending on players when faced with EBT bill, 2011 giving the club away to Craig Whyte, 2012 D&P given admin work.
This river is no longer flowing by itself, it is entering the rapids.
re Worthington’s missing 3M – apparently it looks like they haven’t got it back yet : http://www.thelawyer.com/cohen-and-stephen-liquidators-of-rangers-fc-and-ors-v-collyer-bristow/1016288.article
OT – didn’t realise Santa Claus was a ger’s fan.
neepheid says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 18:10
Craig Whyte tries to settle it.
http://beerandamovie.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/mars-attacks-jack-nicolson-dies.jpg
Tom English v ‘Bomber’ Brown
========================
Apparently ‘Bomber’ contacted the BBC over articles written by Tom English after Brown’s fiasco on the steps of Ibrox…which included the memorable line, “Yous buy aw the pies”.
English and Brown came face to face in the Sportsound studio tonight, with the current Dundee manager demanding an apology from English.
English made it clear there would be no apology coming, and after ten minutes of skirmishing,the conversation turned to what ‘Bomber’ knew and who he told at the time of his infamous Ibrox speech.
After Brown confessed he ‘knew’ Green was a con man, English asked him who he had told in an effort to expose him.
‘Bomber’ said “I told Walter Smith and others within Ibrox”, but since he had no written proof his allegations were ignored.
“I also told a couple of journalists,…said Brown…”one of whom was a good friend for years,who let me down, and he turned up at Ibrox in a new job as a PR man a couple of weeks later, I think he was just topping up his pension”.
The full programme can be listened to, when listed on the following site later tonight.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/scotfoot
I don’t think the AIM market is well-known for its fastidious behaviour. Is it not known to be a bit lax compared to the main exchange?
Like on the occasion a host of incidents before this, I fully expect some room to be found under a rug.
The only thing in this whole sorry mess that has been as comparable in its relentlessness as the systematic mismanagement and tax evasion at Ibrox is the determination of those in authority to send out the snowploughs in advance of the Big Blue Bus to ensure that the safety of the SPL is reached, as soon as is decently possible, in a debt-free and blame-free condition.
Two things are certain in life. Flat roofs leak – and Rangers will be exonerated.
£100 discount on a season ticket? Doff of cap to those at Celtic who seek to offer that olive branch to the fans – but are there really still 40000 who are happy to participate in this sham, discount or otherwise?
Auldheid (@Auldheid) says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 19:33
Craig Whyte tries to settle it.
http://beerandamovie.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/mars-attacks-jack-nicolson-dies.jpg
Brilliant! What a likeness!
But in reality, as in the picture, I think Whyte has his finger on the trigger- he might even have pulled it by now.
Auldheid (@Auldheid) says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 19:26
===========================
As you say they have had plenty of seminal moments, they have never taken the hard or right decision.
Perhaps it is worth remembering the calibre of the people on their board a lot of the time. The rogues, the charlatans, the cheats, the male models. What chance did they have.
The last three top men – Murray, Whyte, Green. A quarter of a century being run by that calibre of “businessman”. Deary deary me.
It feels that the house of cards is about to fall down.
To those who could have prevented this – hell mend you.
You did not think about the people who matter the most in all of this – the fans.
With all the accusations/investigations/negative press etc. swirling around the iBrox Boardroom, it would seem the person who potentially has most to lose from a professional perspective is ‘young’ Brian Stockbridge. [I am discounting Murray as he is of ‘mature years’.]
Stockbridge is the FD of the plc.
He is also – I am assuming – a qualified accountant.
And just for good measure – he is also Company Secretary.
At face value, Stockbridge might not be a brazen spiv a la Whyte/Green, so he might be struggling with his own decision-making ?
Never have a fan base been so let down by their alleged supporters ’leaders` – some record for posterity
Rabo Karabekian says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 19:40
What sham.
If they buy season tickets from Celtic it is to watch Celtic play in domestic and European competition.
The same as it will be for Motherwell fans if they buy theirs and any other clubs’ fans who buy their, though not all will get the European opportunity.
Quite a tweet this:
@Hullbhoy:
Brown warns Traynor, Smith, McCoist re Green.
McCoist £750k salary, 1m shares
Traynor £220k salary
Smith £50k salary and shares
Bought off
StevieBC says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 19:48
==============================
Stockbridge is likely going to assist Ahmed in the next phase of operation fastbuck.
I very much doubt he will be going into that blind.
He was a Nominated Advisor at Allenby Capital (Ahmed was managing director), before going to Zeus Capital, (as did Ahmed).
Just been on a rare trip to the Bears Den, and found this gem from “Guardian”-
“Posted Today, 05:57 PM
Bomber is a moron. Got led by a bunch of tims and is still trying to save face.
Is he seriously trying to tell us that after the experience with Whyte, Green came in and managed to scam us all, esp the board.
Methinks not. ”
Methinks yes.
I think Craig Mather will get a few surprises now he is C.E.O at Ibrox, not least:
– He will now be portrayed as a businessman of world stature
– There will be frequent references to him being a ‘Tycoon’
– He will no longer fly in and out of the country, he will now ‘jet’ in and out
– He will have gained a level of dignity and honesty which may surprise even himself
Will he be able to sort out the almighty mess he now presides over though? In the past the Bears seemed to think there was either no mess, it was an anti-Rangers fabrication, or if there is a mess it will just go away or someone will sort it out just because it’s Rangers.
rantinrobin says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 17:21
rantinrobin says:
Tuesday, April 23, 2013 at 12:29
41 0 Rate This
I have just been on chat with Tom English,re licence issue.
His response .
‘ I would advise caution before you start getting a bulge in your trousers over their licence being revoked. Remember the near orgasmic anticipation among some Celtic fans about title stripping. Don’t second-guess things is my advice’
———————————————————————————————————————–
No harm in second guessing Tom.I hope you are well prepared for BBC Sportsound bout with John Brown tonight.You might get more than ‘a bulge in your trousers.
=====================================
Methinks any bulge in TEs trousers will be in the back 😆
As linked to by Father Murphy above:
—–
Worthington Group Plc
24th April 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Worthington Group Plc (the “Company”) – Conditional Fee Agreement
Conditional Fee Agreement
The Company is pleased to announce that Law Financial Ltd (“Law Financial”), its 26% owned associate, has now entered into a Conditional Fee Agreement in relation to claims that Law Financial, through its subsidiary Sevco 5088 Ltd and separately, has to all of the business and assets of The Rangers Football Club (“Rangers”) which were purchased from the Administrators of RFC 2012 Plc by Sevco 5088 Limited, or Sevco Scotland Ltd, in June of 2012.
The principle terms of the Conditional Fee Agreement are as follows:
Solicitors and Leading Counsel acting for Law Financial will share 7.5% of the recently issued and to be issued unsecured convertible loan stock and up to 18.5% of any successful claim in relation to the business and assets of Rangers.
The Company notes the announcement made on 22 April 2013 by Rangers International Football Club Plc (“RIFC”) in which, contrary to other recent public announcements and statements by Mr Green and RIFC, RIFC now, five months after the publication of the Admission Document published for its flotation, claim to own Sevco 5088 Ltd.
We also note today’s announcement by RIFC, and would like to confirm that solicitors, acting for the Company and Law Financial, are in a position to provide compelling evidence that Messrs Green and Ahmad received a letter before claim in December 2012, having received previous correspondence, and chose to ignore it.
In the light of recent public admissions by Mr Green, including his admission that he and Mr Ahmad deceived Mr Whyte, a fresh letter before claim is being prepared against, inter alios, The Rangers Football Club Ltd and Messrs Green and Ahmad. This letter will include additional or alternative causes of action to those already particularised in the December 2012 letter.
The shares in RIFC purportedly owned by Messrs Green and Ahmad will also be the subject of this claim.
During the course of the Company’s due diligence process, relating to its purchase of a stake in Law Financial, information has been discovered relating to the conduct of Mr Charles Green and Mr Imran Ahmad, this has today been reported to the Serious Fraud Office.
Enquiries:
Douglas Ware, CEO Worthington Group Plc: dougware@worthingtongroupplc.co.uk
Anne Alesbury, PD Cosec Limited,
Company Secretary, Worthington Group Plc on 0208 940 0963
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
So CG is hinting that he will sell his shares to transport moguls from Greenock .
Since his announcement we have learned that these moguls actually own 6% of sevco already .How many more of the mystery backers are in this very big closet .
IMO if this comes to pass then the real sevco /ex ragers fans I have believed were always out there will be irrelevant as they could nip this in the bud right away by mobilising and making it clear no ST will be bought ,if they do not and go ahead and buy anyway then they have no one to blame but themselves .
They have all the power as to who runs their club at the moment so get your club sorted instead of sitting blaming everyone else and waiting for some sugar daddy to fulfil your pie in the sky ambitions ,run the spivs out of town and take the tough decisions and the hard and honest road to building something different
Statement from the SFA :
” “
I have not had access to the radio this evening. What did bomber say?
I saw a summary that A Mc and Walter knew what was going on.
Could someone provide more detail?
I am at a stage where I don’t believe what anyone says and question every document laid bare in this saga.
Take today’s Worthington statement, reproduced by the Stock Exchange, having been meticulously vetted by eminent legal gentlemen.
Why then does it have an elementary spelling mistake?
Line 9
” The principle ( sic) terms of the Conditions”
Am I just paranoid or is there something more to this than it appears?
English v Brown
http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/scotfoot
bayviewgold says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 20:03
Statement from the SFA :
” “
========================
😆
bayviewgold says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 20:03
Statement from the SFA :
” “
============
Good one.
We really need an emoticon equivalent of tumble weed rolling across our screens where SFA inaction is concerned…
StevieBC says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 20:17
0
0
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bayviewgold says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 20:03
Statement from the SFA :
” “
============
Good one.
We really need an emoticon equivalent of tumble weed rolling across our screens where SFA inaction is concerned…
==========================================
In case anyone’s forgot,It’s a year today since Stuart Regan(remember him) posted anything on the SFA website.Happy Birthday Stuart,where ever you are!
StevieBC says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 20:17
We really need an emoticon equivalent of tumble weed rolling across our screens where SFA inaction is concerned…
here you go :
http://gifb.in/QTBV
All joking aside,
Surely selling STs whilst this fiasco is ongoing must break a law or 2.
How can RIFC at this time guarantee they’ll be playing football next season?.
torrejohnbhoy says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 20:29
How can RIFC at this time guarantee they’ll be playing football next season?.
Because they have ‘conflicted’ friends in high places ?
@Long Time Lurker
At first, when asked by English and McIntyre what he told Smith, Brown is coy and says they should ask Smith directly and do their jobs as journalists. But shortly afterwards, when asked what their reaction was, he said they wanted to see the evidence. So he told them, and they chose to ignore it.
I actually feel sorry for Murray ( how did I get involved in this nightmare? ) and to a lesser degree Smith… (probably placed on there by DM…to keep an eye on things for him and keep the fans onside )
How do you even start working out all the moves and angles that need to be considered in this debacle to protect your club ,the fans and decent shareholders,employees etc ??
Horrible!….but we all know the architect of all of this and boy are the chickens coming home to roost there for him!!
….but forget for a minute RIFC and their internal issues ..lets focus on the SFA and SFL?
It is actually very simple for them
They have more than enough information now ( ignore the data request to Green.he has gone!) to demand that RIFC produce clear and unequivocal evidence demonstrating to SFA and SFL lawyers that there is not a scintilla of doubt that CW was NOT involved in any way shape or form in SEVCO 5088 and the acquisition and /or has no links or rights to any assets of the club
RIFC should be given a maximum of 14 days to produce this evidence or the license is revoked immediately and the games played this year all awarded to the competition.
The SFA should then intimate that they will then only look at a future license application when that evidence is forthcoming or where a completely new set of ‘fit and proper persons’ own the club
That is the only conceivable way IMO that the SFA will retain even a vestige of integrity here.
if they do not pursue this course of action ..the CEO and Chairman have to resign immediately.
As a group the press must also coalesce around ,and insist on , this or a similar course of action or (if the SFA continue to take their daily dose of Ostrich pills ) they will be yet again complicit in hammering another nail in Scottish footballs battered reputation.
Spiers , English Cosgrove ….time to get off the fence and man up guys and start driving the agenda
csihampden says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 21:00
So incompetence, cowardice, or deliberately missing a huge point just put to them.
Any one of the three is unacceptable.
Question for anyone who thinks Ticketus are behind this.
Who do you think is acting on their behalf.
Green
Whyte
Both
Someone else
Both and someone else.
jonnyod says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 20:02
They have all the power as to who runs their club at the moment so get your club sorted instead of sitting blaming everyone else and waiting for some sugar daddy to fulfil your pie in the sky ambitions ,run the spivs out of town and take the tough decisions and the hard and honest road to building something different
================================================
Have a look at this tweet to two Scottish Journalists regarding the possibility of Dave King returning:
Frankie @GersnetOnline 7h
@mcgowan_stephen @TomEnglishSport I’m sure he isn’t. But does he have a spare £50m ready to buy and fund the club?
It is clear that no-one associated with that club is willing for it to generate its own cash and live within its means like all other Scottish clubs are now having to do. It is desperate, and this mentality is what the Scottish Government and the Scottish Footballing Authorities argued long and hard to support last year. Where will this all end?
The football world is certainly changing ,Dortmund now 4-1 up on Real,lesson to learned somewhere Mr Regan.
Having listened to John Brown v Tom English i have to say Bomber has went up in my estimation
He conducted himself extremely well
Best of luck John and Dundee FC
So far you are the only Bear in this saga who has shown any genuine dignity
LTL
First Bomber debunked English’s notion that he wasn’t fit to manage Dundee
Then he admitted the Rab Douglas affair was out of his hands following allegations by Douglas, and the matter is being dealt with by the board.
Then he alleged that there was a fraud going on at Ibrox, he found out about it and hinted that Walter and Ally knew about it and stayed on board. He also said Media House were paid £140K to shut the MSM up
Finally he said his one confidante breached his trust by getting him to talk on several occasions, and then leaving the paper he worked for to join Sevco. Not sure who he was referring to there – maybe someone on here can help – but Bomber was scathing about the man and his lack of principles.
That’s it in a nutshell – do catch the podcast if you can. There’s a great line from Kenny McIntyre -“it was so difficult, almost impossible for the Scottish press to follow what was happening at Rangers…”
I take the Bayern result and current Borrusia scoreline to be full and final proof that we need safe standing areas in the Scottish game.
SFA inaction.
Funny.
The key to inaction lies with the 5 Way Agreement.
In particular : Sevco undertakings to the SFA
e.g.
2.5 Sevco shall provide to the SFA all information and documentation reasonably required by the Board of the SFA to enable such board to consider the Application (including,without limitation,information about the beneficial ownership of Sevco and biographical details of any such person),which information and documentation will be formalised in the acceptance (if any) of the Application isssued by the SFA,together with other such matters,arrangements and undertakings as the SFA and Sevco shall agree.
The sooner this “Agreement”is made public, and open to scrutiny ,the better
Missed out my punchline.
New motto for SFA
SFA – IN ACTION!
Humble Pie says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 20:56
torrejohnbhoy says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 20:29
How can RIFC at this time guarantee they’ll be playing football next season?.
Because they have ‘conflicted’ friends in high places ?
=================================
HP,
I’ve no doubt that the SFA/SPL will move hell or high water to assure,from the footballing side that TRFC will be OK for next season.
I’m talking about a company selling tickets for next season for matches to be held in a venue that they may not own and their reticence to produce proof of ownership only muddies the waters further.
Todays statement by CW,nee Worthington ups the ante.An official statement,via the Stock Exchange involving the SFO is a challenge the board of RIFC cannot ignore.They must reply to this immediately.Any sign of delay will be viewed as admission that CW is right,and Browns revelations tonight that he told Smith and McCoist months ago and they did nothing only adds to the pressure on the RIFC board,of which said Smith is a NED.
To delay production of proof,at this time, can only damage RIFC further.
tailothebank says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 21:05
I dont in the least bit feel sorry for Malcolm Murray. He should’ve checked Green and Ahmad out thoroughly.
Too many actors in this story have played their part wearing blue tinted specs. From McCoist, Murray, the MSM through to the impotents at the SFA & SFL, the “there must always be a Rangers” approach has been exploited by the spivs.
It was assumed it would be alright in the end, they took the cash, the tie, spoke sentimental claptrap, filled endless PR releases to get the fans onside, backed the IPO and they have been played, good and proper.
There are no oligarchs, sheikhs, or dotcom billionaires coming to the rescue. There is nobody. Its over.
If Pincent Masons & Deloittes concur there is something amiss, Murray has only one move left. He must tell AIM to suspend the shares.
Whatever happens after that is for the authorities to decide.
Do the right thing or be damned forever.
Shame on the lot of them
Time for resignations
but;
[no pay-off `s– no pension for being useless / exploitative]
& Rid the game
therampantbaron says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 21:22
===============================================
Most refreshing for me tonight was John Brown, as loyal, traditional, dyed in the wool Rangers man as you’ll get, telling Tom English what us Celtic fans (and no doubt other fans too) have been saying for two years, ‘do your job, the info is there – find out about it and report it’.
I doubt I’d get along greatly with John Brown if I encountered him often in everyday life, but I have a respect for him from afar tonight I never had before. His honesty and willingness to avoid the ‘don’t rock the boat’ stance so favoured by other ex-Rangers players deserves positive recognition.
Sugar Daddy says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 21:36
They will not do the right thing and they won’t be damed and the reason for this is that everyone is in it up to their necks.
‘Good of the game’ and ‘without fear or favour’ and my own personal favourite ‘dignity’ will all be trotted out again.
These phrases mean nothing if no one is willing to understand what these words actually mean.
Let me spell it out to our governing bodies. The ‘dignity’ and ‘good of the game’ depend on you acting ‘without fear and favour’ so just take a deep breath and do it.
I feel a strange case of Déjà vu…. No, not because the Green thing seems to be the same as the Whyte thing, more because the events of the last 12 months have panned out almost exactly as predicted by many of the superb posters on RTC.
I remember someone saying it could be dragged through the courts for years…
I remember someone saying that Rangers would end up a poor relation of it’s former self…
I remember someone saying that there could be a power struggle with the possibility where 2 or more people claiming to own part of Rangers
I remember someone saying that 2 different teams called Rangers could exist at the same time…
I remember someone saying that this could end up with key individuals facing the law…
I remember someone saying that we should not take our eyes off King…
I remember…I remember…I remember
Cue Jim Royle: “99% crap my arse!”
chipm0nk says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 19:50 (Edit)
What sham.
_________________________________________________________________–
The sham that further participation in Scottish football compels us to be part of. The last two years have proved that we are not participating in a sport, but in a carefully (although rather sloppily) scripted drama.
And without that foundation of honest participation in a domestic setting, even European stuff is just bit of fluff in my opinion.
You are of course entitled to participate if you wish – and I have no gripe with that. People get involved in all sorts of activities and entertainment, but to sell tickets to what takes place in Scottish football on the basis that it is a sport is demonstrably an illusion. My original question did not seek to denigrate those who buy season tickets.
It was;
“Are there really still 40,000 who agree that it is not a sham?”
So that sham then.
It does of course go t the heart of why we watch our teams. Do we want our clubs to be purely sporting institutions who serve the community of fans, or as great sucking devices, hovering up trophies as we saunter along? Or maybe somewhere in between.
I don’t believe my club was founded just to accumulate either trophies or wealth. I believe it was founded principally to serve its community, a job which, like other clubs, it has done (usually) successfully and (often) joyously for over a century.
If I accept that to be true, then if we (and by “we” I mean all clubs other than the one that died) continue to be part of a competition that includes that club; a competition that has no regard to rules, sporting merit or sporting integrity; then we are just as guilty, and the co-authors of the sham itself.
I believe that the vast majority of the posters here and on RTC spend inordinate amounts of time on the blog not because they want to shaft Rangers (although a reasonable amount of Schadenfreude is probably not too terrible), but because they hope to help save the game as a sport. I couldn’t spend the amount of time I do reading this blog just to see something bad happen, but because up to now, even at this late and unpromising stage of the game, I am hoping something good may happen for the sake of the game.
To many, seeing their team’s colours is enough, but just not for me. I am still hopeful, but I fear we are running out of time and options.
http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=1961&newsCategoryID=3&newsID=10252
Key points:
– The Scottish FA has received all necessary information and documentation from Sevco Scotland Ltd, including details of the company structure, shareholders, financial projections and business plan.
QUESTION TO SFA:
Did “company structure” reveal relationship of Sevco 5088 Limited to Sevco Scotland Limited, and the names of the directors thereof? What steps did the SFA take to verify the information received?
torrejohnbhoy says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 21:36
……Todays statement by CW,nee Worthington ups the ante.An official statement,via the Stock Exchange involving the SFO is a challenge the board of RIFC cannot ignore.They must reply to this immediately.Any sign of delay will be viewed as admission that CW is right,and Browns revelations tonight that he told Smith and McCoist months ago and they did nothing only adds to the pressure on the RIFC board,of which said Smith is a NED.
To delay production of proof,at this time, can only damage RIFC further.
———————————————————————————
With such accusations now in the public domain Smith, as a NED, must issue a statement setting out what actions he took, and when, to ascertain the veracity of Brown’s claims.
This is am extremely serious matter that needs to be addressed quickly and may require Smith’s resignation from the Board should he have failed to properly execute his duties as a Director.
Additionally I trust that any further press releases are subject to full prior legal scrutiny to avoid contradicting earlier statements. Having them checked by someone who speaks English and has a dictionary to hand would also be a good idea…
“media monkeys” and “football mafia”
Thumbs up if you think Vlad is sane…
goosygoosy says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 21:21
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Completely agree with your comments re “Bomber”, Goosy
Despite the ridiculing he received at the time, he seems to have been the only “Rangers Man” who tried to tell the fans what they needed to hear, rather than what they wanted to hear.
Sportsound podcast.
Tom English admits to liking the cut of Paul Murray’s jib. However P Murray along with Brian Kennedy gave hints they thought D&P were putting the club into the wrong hands. Bomber did the same.
P Murray comes over as being a ‘decent’ Rangers man. Brown comes across as having a deep love for the club and had the dignity to walk away and quit his job because of what he knew..
So why is Tom so complimentary towards P Murray but not that way inclined to Bomber.
Can’t help feel that if Bomber was a bit more articulate and ‘middle class’ Tom might have given him a bit more credit for being one of the few people outwith the Internet Bampottery to call it right early on.
Well played Bomber and a nice couple of mentions of all the talent, including Andrew Shinnie, that he has coached over the years to stick in Tom’s pipe.
Another example of the MSM failing to ask the question(s) that the fans need answering…..they had Bomber Brown on the spot and not one of them asked about the pies!
http://t.co/6vPp0A56xK
No to Newco petition asking for publication of the 5 way agreement.
Sign up anyone ?
regarding the tom english and bomber “discussion”.
bomber said he knew everything.
i have always been of the view that “sevco” was a new club.
i read a post today on phil mac g’s site, which stated that because of the continued involvement
of the previous owner/director – mr craig whyte
then there is obviously a “continuation” of old rangers into new rangers
which constitutes a “phoenix” operation going on
which in turn, means that it is the same club
which means, that
all the debt should be paid back – properly.
so come on BDO and HMRC
get them to court and get the court order slapped on them to pay up.
http://t.co/i9jDqqZdR5
And this one,should the SFA be cleansed?
Listening to tonight’s podcast was a depressing exercise. Mr Brown is what he is, a product of time and a system, that did not do right by boys that could kick a football.
We are all certain that something is horribly wrong at Ibrox, but we lack the documentary evidence to prove it.
We are all deeply frustrated at the media’s unwillingness to properly confront the situation.
In that at least, We Are All Bomber
The Rangers Standard claims that Imran Ahmad is a poster on RM
http://www.therangersstandard.co.uk/index.php/articles/current-affairs/250-exclusive-ibrox-leak
Going by some of the posts, there might be some merit in the claim
I think before we all rush headlong to canonise Bomber, we seem to have overlooked his ‘bheast’ comments when he gave his ‘Whaur’s the Deeds?’ speech. I’ve no doubt that he has Rangers at his heart, and have to agree that he was telling the Rangers fans what they needed to hear, not what they wanted to hear.
He was still a bit of a tw@t at Clyde, though…..
goosygoosy says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 21:21
26 0 Rate This
Having listened to John Brown v Tom English i have to say Bomber has went up in my estimation
He conducted himself extremely well
Best of luck John and Dundee FC
So far you are the only Bear in this saga who has shown any genuine dignity
————
He defended his corner well. Tom English was clutching at straws when trying to defend his on-air reaction to Brown’s Dundee appointment. JB’s criticism of Traynor was devastating.
So how was the £140,000 used by media house? Lamb chops & Beaujolais?
after all this uncertainty, its good that some things are a constant in life.
tom english is still an obnoxious git.
Well RIFC is either still in Green’s direct control, or they’ve woken up to the fact that some of CW’s claims could kill the club if true – which forces them to do Green’s bidding in any case.
Why else would they pre-judge their own lawyer’s investigation and call Whyte’s claim false.
goosygoosy says:
Wednesday, April 24, 2013 at 18:00
A good take on things Goosy but I’m wondering who was working with Green on this. I would suspect that Green must have been taking advice or working with others, he surely would need someone to help mull over the ins and outs of the options. In that there must be people at a professional level who knew what he was doing.
The sad fact is that AIM just want the problem to go away as any criminal behaviour or even just non-compliance with disclosure requirements devalues the product (its a market in competition with other markets) it is selling. AIM = SFA = FIFA and any other faceless organisation. Long grass beckons…
If AIM suspend trading in RFC it will be a first. It’s a roughouse and you take your chances.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/scotfoot
For those that missed the John Brown & Tom English
I reckon Bomber got the better of English tonight. English even had to resort to condescension when he said to him ” I doubt you even read my paper “.
When Bomber expressed doubts whether the current Rangers would survive in any form, English proceeds to ask him why he thinks Green was bad for the club – ” he raised £22 million in the share issue, he had the clubs interests at heart”.
Hello Tom, that money, like Green is gone. Are you that naive or were you trying to coax der Bomber into revealing more?