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.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22465783
Rangers: Sandy and James Easdale keen to build Ibrox stake
By Chris McLaughlin
Senior Football Reporter, BBC Scotland
Comments
Greenock businessmen Sandy and James Easdale are aiming to increase their shareholding in Rangers and hope to earn a place on the board as a result.
The brothers, who run McGill’s Bus company, are in line to buy the former Rangers chief executive Charles Green’s shares , giving them about 14% at Ibrox.
“When you spend that amount of money on any business you wouldn’t go without a voice,” said James Easdale, 42.
“A presence on the board is something we would be seeking in the mid-term.”
“
There are many at Ibrox who are sensible and know the way forward but they are struggling to get there because of different factions in the boardroom or outside the boardroom working against them
”
Sandy Easdale
Rangers investor
The pair, who are lifelong Rangers fans, were approached by Green towards the end of last year about investing.
They did so and acquired about 6% of the shares.
Now, with Green ousted and with the Yorkshireman announcing on his departure that he would be selling to the Easdale family, the brothers are looking to further extend their shareholding.
“We took a decision to invest in the club,” said Sandy Easdale, 44.
“It is very hard to comment but we are serious about taking it forward.
“We have a delicate deal that when shares are available, we will purchase them.
“Other shares are an option to us and that is growing stronger.
“Every day we have some more negotiations with other parties.
The Easdales’ business interests extend into taxis, property and manufacturing, as well as McGill’s, which has grown to become Scotland’s largest independent operator.
They say they are keen to see a “togetherness” at Ibrox to end the turmoil that has afflicted the club over the last 18 months.
However, they describe acquiring complete control of the club as “a far distant place”.
“Somebody needs complete control at Ibrox,” said Sandy Easdale.
“I don’t know if that is where we want to be. We are quite willing to share Ibrox with people who want to do the job, do it properly and support Rangers as a club.
“[The turmoil] is very concerning for any Rangers fan.
“If we get enough support from the fans and other shareholders, together we could maybe turn it round.
“There are many at Ibrox who are sensible and know the way forward but they are struggling to get there because of different factions in the boardroom or outside the boardroom working against them.
“We need a togetherness and Rangers can move on.
“They have a togetherness with Ally McCoist, a great Rangers icon who has held it together under extreme circumstances, and Ally well deserves a chance to move Rangers on.
“And people like Walter Smith, what can you say? The man is a gentleman.”
His younger brother added: “We would hope to bring some sort of stability.
“If we can get some other shareholders on board hopefully we can bring Rangers back to where they should be, in a better position financially and playing at a level of football that everyone who supports them would like them to be.”
Sandy Easdale also spoke of the situation affecting Rangers chairman Malcolm Murray, who has been asked to stand down by the board.
“Personally, I have nothing against him, I don’t know him that well, but if you are asked to leave twice there must be something amiss,” he said.
And asked about fans’ concerns about his conviction for VAT fraud, he replied: “It was 1996, about 17 years ago. We have built up a reasonable-sized business in that time, we employ up to 1,000 people.
“To cast up 17 years ago seems silly when everybody else has moved on. Let’s look at what is happening now.”
ecobhoy says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 12:25
bawsbustedanatha says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 12:04
I know of four people, two of which I do know personally, who invested £1m between them with a written contract doubling this amount after 6 months. It was around the turn of the year, perhaps just prior. They have since collected their money.
=================================================================
Interesting – I’m a little confused on timing as to when they actually invested their £1 million and when you mention ‘turn of the year’ I assume you mean Dec 2012 to Jan 2013. Were they actually investing in TRFCL as seems likely. It really makes you wonder what kind of unexploded bombs are out there waiting to be paid.
And how much from the flotation has actually been paid-out to meet these ‘loans’ presumably made to TRFCL. If RIFC Plc is making these payments and therefore lending money to TRFCL I assume this would be secured against the assets of TRFCL to protect the position of RIFC Plc.
I wonder if any of this made the interim accounts – I suppose it boils down to the repayment date and/or the date the loan plus interest was repaid.
============================================================
Interesting but confusing also.there are obviously a few “unknowns” in this fiasco.
Fag packet time.
If losses continue at the rate stated in the interims and IMO they would increase as ST money was included in the 1st set of figs,then TRFC could be say £14-£15m in debt.If repayments to investors are not included in the figs then all it takes is a couple of consortia like the one mentioned then the money’s all about gone.
Remember Corsica 1968s tweet about Murray trying to raise £30m cash?.
Also,if they’re desperate for cash why no ST sales announcement for next season?.
In the first instance – Green said that overall control at Ibrox was one thing he was working to prevent from happening.
In the second instance – Green looks to sell his shares to the Easdales –
‘”Somebody needs complete control at Ibrox,” said Sandy Easdale’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22465783
Some day philosophy students are going to be taught about the great leap forward in thinking of our age – ‘Ibrox logic’ – where no control means complete control, guilty means innocent, ‘walked away’ means ‘still present’, sporting advantage equals no sporting advantage…
bogsdollox says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 12:47
Read my own post and it’s poorly worded.
They collected just prior to the new year.
I knew what I was trying to say 🙂
Those student will also learn about Dignity being a song by Deacon Blue
bogsdollox says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 12:47
When they first mentioned this to me I sensed money was being sought desperately given the high return.
I wish I could even hint at the names but for obvious reasons I can’t, just to add a bit of weight to this but I’ve been on this and the previous RTC since the beginning and would never throw in even hearsay. This is absolute fact.
Can’t stop laughing @corsica1968 1m
My new blog on RFC/Sevco charity:
http://alzipratu.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/i-dont-do-walking-away/ …
I read that Stiliyan Petrov has announced his retirement from football and has indicated that he will devote much of his time to charity work. He is quoted as saying
“Since being diagnosed with acute leukaemia in March 2012, I have come to understand and appreciate the way in which this disease impacts the lives of so many people.
“I can help and I want to help and, in setting up a foundation to help address the issues involved when people are diagnosed with this illness, I hope to make a difference.
“For the life I’ve lived in football, I will always be incredibly grateful. For the opportunity this crazy thing that happened in my life has given me, I also feel grateful in a strange kind of way.
“This crazy thing, somehow, has touched people and I want to try to channel this in a positive way. This will be the greatest challenge of my life.
My hat off to the man because I/we often think of footballers as selfish self centred people who do not recognise what a privileged life they lead
I should have added that I wish him all the best on his route to recovery
torrejohnbhoy says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 13:15
Just read this.
Well done that man.
bawsbustedanatha says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 13:05
Read my own post and it’s poorly worded. They collected just prior to the new year.
=====================================================================
That makes sense as there was a later investment tranche into TRFCL after the initial consortium investments and the Flotation money from RIFC Plc wasn’t paid until the end of December, from memory, so your time scale fits.
What’s interesting is perhaps no TRFCL shares were issued for the £1 million loan or, if they were, they weren’t swapped for RIFC Plc shares because there weren’t that many sold after flotation.
This would appear to be backed-up by your comment that your mates had the deal confirmed in writing which they would be unlikely to say if shares had been issued.
Another strange incident which ties-in with stories about some of the original consortium loan agreements.
ecobhoy says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 13:43
They didn’t mention shares at all. They wouldn’t understand that world and wouldn’t want to.
Well it looks as though the Easdales have already made their mind up re Murray going:
Speaking of the situation affecting Rangers chairman Malcolm Murray, who has been asked to stand down by the board, Sandy Easdale said: “Personally, I have nothing against him, I don’t know him that well, but if you are asked to leave twice there must be something amiss,” he said.
Quite sad hearing that as it appears judgement has all but been made without any actual facts. I’m not privvy to what’s happening between the factions of the Rangers International Board but I have always been of the opinion that Murray was fighting the good fight against the spivs.
Whether he should have ever got involved with Green in the first place is another question and I have little doubt that Murray has asked himself that question repeatedly over the last few months.
But I suspect Murray has fallen between two stools: The spivs on one hand and the McCoist protection society on the other. Purely as a Celtic supporter I am happy for McCoist to remain as manager forever but, in a wider sense, whether he stays or goes will be down to Rangers fans and whether they vote with their feet.
Tbh trying to view it from the fans point of view it seems to be a finely-balanced argument but positions are deeply entrenched and no matter the decision made there will be unhappiness. But it looks as though the Easdales are prepared to back McCoist which effectively means the rug is being pulled from under Murray and possibly Mather.
It all depends at the end of the day how deep the pockets of the Port Glasgow pair are and how much they are prepared to pour into a financially out-of-control Rangers. They appear to be successful businessmen so I can only assume they know what needs to be done in terms of cutting. Or perhaps they are just keeping their cards close to their chest until they achive control. It would appear this affair still has a lot of mileage left in it.
But I truly dislike the Easdale ‘no smoke without fire’ line over Murray particularly as Chris McLaughlin left a sour taste in my mouth with his report the other day resurrecting the ‘personal behaviour’ issue which first surfaced from the Green Camp and for which I haven’t seem a scrap of evidence. And suddenly Chris pops-up with his Easdale interview although I admit that I haven’t checked whether it’s an exclusive or a PR press release. If an exclusive I hope part of the price wasn’t stabbing Murray in the back.
bawsbustedanatha says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 14:05
ecobhoy says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 13:43
They didn’t mention shares at all. They wouldn’t understand that world and wouldn’t want to.
==================================================================
Just had a good laugh there – they sound as though their heads are screwed-on and actually had to earn their cash and are therefore immune to blandishments of snake-oil and moonbeams 🙂
ecobhoy says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 14:16
Spot on.
Have to go now. Plane to catch. Keep me up to date guys….
Life’s a beach you know 🙂
bogsdollox says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 12:35
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arabest1 says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 12:26
It may be unpatriotic of me, but I have sneaking feeling Jose will get the Man U job…..one last poke in the eye from SAF, to his assumed suitors, Chelsea and Man C………..
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I’m afraid I can’t see it old bean. Jeeves tells me that Man Yoo do not have a penchant for Jose. Their penchant is for classic scots managers such as that working class little oik David Moyes.
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Not sure what you mean by the old bean, jeeves, oik stuff,…… I’m just surmising that to swipe Jose from under the noses of Chelsea and MC, would be quite a coup, and Man U would soon learn to love the special one. He would milk the ‘Theatre of Dreams, biggest club in the world’ discourse to the max. I may be wrong, just a thought.
Sad to see today’s publicity on BT Sport’s output for next season would suggest that Darren Fletcher is taking up a permanent pundit’s position.
Another Scotland player we can ill-afford to lose, especially in such circumstances.
bogsdollox says:
I’m afraid I can’t see it old bean. Jeeves tells me that Man Yoo do not have a penchant for Jose. Their penchant is for classic scots managers such as that working class little oik David Moyes.
———————————————————————————–
I would not disagree with BRTH and his tribute to working class achievement in football, which is impressive and undeniable in equal measure, but JM has not lost a home league match since 2002, he has spent the past decade jousting with AC Milan, Barca, Dortmund et al he has one of the most impressive CV’s in football………this surely mitigates the fact he does not come from Glasgow?
“I’m afraid I can’t see it old bean. Jeeves tells me that Man Yoo do not have a penchant for Jose. Their penchant is for classic scots managers such as that working class little oik David Moyes”
David Moyes went to Bearsden Academy…
Let me get this right.
Some chaps “invested” £1m in Rangers prior to it’s owner being floated on the stock market. They did this on the written agreement that they would get their money doubled after the IPO.
Green then tried to convince them to leave their money in a bit longer and they declined that kind offer, taking their £2m instead.
Presumably the £2m came from the money brought in from the floatatio. Or put another way the money the fans put in.
Nice work if you can get it, and pretty much risk free I would have thought given that Mr Green declared a negative equity of £20m in the interim accounts.
So, Green has had his £3m or £4m in payments (money or shares) Ahmad has had a couple of million, these chaps have made a million. There can’t be much of the fans money left.
arabest1 says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 14:53
He lost at home to Barca last season.
http://www.statto.com/football/teams/real-madrid/2011-2012
And the season before that to Real Zaragoza & Sporting Gijon
http://www.statto.com/football/teams/real-madrid/2010-2011
Apart from that you’re spot on!
Even so, his unbeaten home league record was quite unbelievable.
David Moyes has resigned from Everton.. will leave at the end of the Season… So looks like Moyes is the New Manager of MUFC…
thespecialswon says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 15:13
1 0 Rate This
“I’m afraid I can’t see it old bean. Jeeves tells me that Man Yoo do not have a penchant for Jose. Their penchant is for classic scots managers such as that working class little oik David Moyes”
David Moyes went to Bearsden Academy…
=====================================
I do believe that he (or certainly his parents) lived in the same street as a certain Ogilvie of Campbell fame
ecobhoy says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 14:13
16 0 Rate This
……. Chris McLaughlin left a sour taste in my mouth with his report the other day resurrecting the ‘personal behaviour’ issue which first surfaced from the Green Camp and for which I haven’t seem a scrap of evidence. And suddenly Chris pops-up with his Easdale interview although I admit that I haven’t checked whether it’s an exclusive or a PR press release. If an exclusive I hope part of the price wasn’t stabbing Murray in the back.
——————————————————-
Sounds rather like Chris’ exclusives are coming from Green and Ahmad?
And if the decision to ban the BBC from Ibrox was taken by the current board or a senior director of the board would that also fit with the scenario of the ex-directors (still current shareholders) leaking stuff to the BBC to weaken the credibility of the remaining board, or at least factions of it?
Jane Lewis @JaneLewisSport 3m
#Dunfermline found guilty of breaking SFA’s rules by entering administration. Their punishment – a transfer embargo – same as imposed by SFL
Moyes confirmed as MUFC manager on a bumper 6 year deal!
Moyes gets six year contract to manage United!
zendavista says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 12:03
‘.This is abit OT but when all is said and done Scottish football has to find away too bring all the other clubs within at least a chance of challenging Celtic and Rangers/Sevco ,because in afew years they will be in the same league and what will have changed ,they will by crowds and advertising wealth be that further ahead than the other clubs, so I guess they will be challenging and winning as in previous years every thing sight [well not quite everything ] So what will have changed ? As I see it this is the fundamental problem with scottish football . In my opinion ,By the way Im English and have no bias either way.@
—-
Not at all OT, zendavista.
But I don’t really share the pessimistic view.
European ( and indeed world) football is having to square up to the harsh realities ,and clubs will no longer be able to take the insanely cavalier attitude to debt ,and financial chicanery to get out of debt, that many apparently rich clubs have taken in the past.
A single league structure, with, I hope and expect, a much more diligent and open relationship with a new SFA CEO and Board ( and that is a must!), should make it virtually impossible for any new ‘Rangers’ creation ( or for any other club) to do what the old RFC did and expect to get away with it. I fancy that many club chairmen were as aghast at how the incredibly close, not to say intimate, connections between the RFC board and the SFA contributed to the dire mess that was caused through that connection.
They will not want to see that happen again.
Eagle eyes will be watching at every turn, to ensure that the Footballing authorities exercise all of their functions transparently and that there are no secret deals, cover-ups, entrenched bias ( of any kind , e.g, against non-central belt clubs), disregard of fundamental rules, or any other kind of preferential treatment for any club.
And fan pressure also has to be maintained to ensure there is no slippage into old ‘established’ ways.
There may or may not be a ‘Rangers’ of any description next or any subsequent season.
Personally, I am jack- easy on the point, while hoping that anyone guilty of misuse of power, gross negligence of duty, collusion in wrongdoing, etc gets dealt with.
But now that there appears to be little likelihood of specially rigged promotion for the illicit RIFC, the troubles and dissension in that club, interesting and amusing as they be, are strictly of no more concern to me than board-room fights and squabbles in any other club.
As said before, the wrong-doing of a club was one thing ( and bad enough).
The wrong-doing of the SFA in subverting truth and justice in trying to accommodate that wrong-doing was infinitely worse.
If the SFA will now be cleansed, purged of compromised individuals, such that our football is once again genuinely sporting and honestly run, I think the future won’t be too bad.
Michael Grant@MGrantScotland5h
From The Herald: Fergie time, chewing gum, bed sheets, brilliance,
and Sky Sports News the rolling adulation channel.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/sport/football/from-humble-beginnings-to-the-greatest-of-all-time.21028900 …
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Auldheid@Auldheid4h
@MGrantScotland @GerryBraiden
Aye. It would be interesting to hear SAFs views on the damage done to Scottish Football by Sky Sports.
Auldheid@Auldheid4h
@MGrantScotland @GerryBraiden
and if he was willing to play his part in rescuing our game.
So question to TSFM. Would SAF be the kind of guy to be asked to lead in sorting out Scottish Football?
TU for yes
Tu for no.
Auldheid (@Auldheid) says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 16:24
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Michael Grant@MGrantScotland5h
From The Herald: Fergie time, chewing gum, bed sheets, brilliance,
and Sky Sports News the rolling adulation channel.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/sport/football/from-humble-beginnings-to-the-greatest-of-all-time.21028900 …
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Auldheid@Auldheid4h
@MGrantScotland @GerryBraiden
Aye. It would be interesting to hear SAFs views on the damage done to Scottish Football by Sky Sports.
Auldheid@Auldheid4h
@MGrantScotland @GerryBraiden
and if he was willing to play his part in rescuing our game.
So question to TSFM. Would SAF be the kind of guy to be asked to lead in sorting out Scottish Football?
TU for yes
Tu for no
============================================
Don’t you think he’s already done his penchant, oops sorry penance
torrejohnbhoy says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 13:15
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Can’t stop laughing @corsica1968 1m
My new blog on RFC/Sevco charity:
http://alzipratu.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/i-dont-do-walking-away/ …
_________________________________________________________________________________
In such cases when the authorities are dragging their heels is it not best to drop a line to Anne Robinson and the Watchdog team at the BBC.
They usually like exposing dodgy chartity scams.
smartie1947 says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 14:39
=======================================
Smartie, I don’t think it’s the footballer from Dalkeith on BT Sport. It may be this guy:
One of the BBC’s top football commentators, Darren Fletcher can be heard regularly on Radio 5 live and BBC 1’s Match of the Day as well as top Football Phone-In show 606 along with his close mate Robbie Savage.
http://savethemightyimps.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/are-glasgow-rangers-considering-oliver/?
…”With new money set to come into the Glasgow giants coffers courtesy of the Easdale Brothers, any fee for the tall target man, would be small beer for the Gers and Champagne money for the cash-strapped Imps.”
——
more pash from the “meedja”
i did see the easdale brothers being tipped to purchase chico verde’s pieces of eight.
what i did not see, was that the easdale’s said anything about putting any “additional” money into
the sevco franchise by way of transfer money or players wages.
I voted no auldheid purely because I think that at 71 he deserves to spend some time with his family and also to spend more time at the racecourse and the golf course 🙂
On BT taking over from ESPN, could it eventually help our game and should SPL be talking to them now?
Grant Russell@STVGrant5h
This RT @jamiekborthwick: Aside from opinions on who’s signed up to @BTSport’s team, disappointed they make not one mention of SPL coverage
Auldheid@Auldheid52m
@STVGrant @jamiekborthwick @BTSport The only way to get more TV money is competition between providers. We need BT to step into that role.
Pauline McVey@McVey1023m
@Auldheid @STVGrant @jamiekborthwick think they will. BT has SPL til 16-17 via ESPN deal. Don’t think they’ll collude w/ Sky like ESPN did..
Pauline McVey@McVey1022m
@Auldheid @STVGrant @jamiekborthwick …when the rights come on the market again for 2017-18 and beyond.
Pauline McVey@McVey101h
@Auldheid @STVGrant @jamiekborthwick given level of investment in sports rights and w/ revenues of £19bn to protect, BT in it for long haul.
Auldheid@Auldheid7m
@McVey10 @STVGrant @jamiekborthwick Plenty of time for the new kid on the block to establish a presence. Target households of 5m Scots.
Having just seen the british banned corporation broadcast of the easedales I can see why we never see Malcolm Murray in public,according to our duo he’s been asked to resign from the board twice but so far refused.maybe he’s hiding under the bed or he,s not sure if its day or night with those security shutters permanently closed.the easedale plan if they can attain some control seems to involve the continual employment of ally mccoist so they’re obviously not football fans ,unless the plan for ally involves some corporate after dinner speaking.if I was a sevco fan my head would be buried deep in the sand no doubt about it.
smartie1947 says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 16:31
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Auldheid (@Auldheid) says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 16:24
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Michael Grant@MGrantScotland5h
From The Herald: Fergie time, chewing gum, bed sheets, brilliance,
and Sky Sports News the rolling adulation channel.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/sport/football/from-humble-beginnings-to-the-greatest-of-all-time.21028900 …
Expand Reply
Auldheid@Auldheid4h
@MGrantScotland @GerryBraiden
Aye. It would be interesting to hear SAFs views on the damage done to Scottish Football by Sky Sports.
Auldheid@Auldheid4h
@MGrantScotland @GerryBraiden
and if he was willing to play his part in rescuing our game.
So question to TSFM. Would SAF be the kind of guy to be asked to lead in sorting out Scottish Football?
TU for yes
Tu for no
============================================
Don’t you think he’s already done his penchant, oops sorry penance
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If his health is not up to it then OK, but SAF and Man Utd have benefiitted from the world wide platform Sky have provided them not to mention the flow from Sky subsciptions into Man Utd coffers whilst impoverishing Scottish football by making their game richer and ours so much poorer as we struggled to compete on wages.
Whilst that is not SAF’s doing I reckon he would see validity in the point and is the perfect guy to raise the issue with Sky.
In paralel whilst it might be 2017 before the SPL is in a position to renegotiate if I were BT my slogan would to the households of a population of 5 million woulde be
” BT Sport – Supporting not screwing Scottish football”
torrejohnbhoy says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 13:15
Can’t stop laughing @corsica1968 1m
My new blog on RFC/Sevco charity:
http://alzipratu.wordpress.com/2013/05/09/i-dont-do-walking-away/ …
=======================================================
Interesting piece – and this para is deserving of a ‘Wow Just Wow’ !
“…Please also bear in mind that there is only 1 trustee at the Rangers Charity Foundation and there has been since September 2012. She is a salaried employee of Sevco and therefore has a very clear conflict of interest. Furthermore, decisions can only be legally made by trustees if there is a quorum or if special dispensation has been given by the Charity Regulator (according to OSCR, no such dispensation has been given). In Rangers Charity Foundation’s case a quorum is 3 trustees. So I ask the question again; who made the decisions to proceed with these games on behalf of the charity and were they lawful?…” 🙄
bawsbustedanatha says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 13:13
bogsdollox says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 12:47
When they first mentioned this to me I sensed money was being sought desperately given the high return.
I wish I could even hint at the names but for obvious reasons I can’t, just to add a bit of weight to this but I’ve been on this and the previous RTC since the beginning and would never throw in even hearsay. This is absolute fact.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Nae bother I wasn’t questioning the veracity of the information I was confused by the timing but it is clearer now. I accept you have a good track record on here and respect your penchant for facts over hearsay.
Auldheid (@Auldheid) says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 16:24
Auldheid, I think your wording of the question may be unfortunate. Rather than ‘Would’, you may have been better putting ‘Should’. As things currently stand, there’s no chance that he ‘would’ be asked – he might actually have some idea of what he’s doing, and call things exactly as they are. That would never do.
Should he be asked? That’s a different question – of course he should. How could Scottish football not benefit from someone of his stature and experience at the helm? Given his penchant for expensive Red, there might even be some creedence in the claim that £95,000 was merely the cost of a good night out!
ecobhoy says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 12:2
bawsbustedanatha says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 12:04
I know of four people, two of which I do know personally, who invested £1m between them with a written contract doubling this amount after 6 months. It was around the turn of the year, perhaps just prior. They have since collected their money.
=================================================================
Interesting – I’m a little confused on timing as to when they actually invested their £1 million and when you mention ‘turn of the year’ I assume you mean Dec 2012 to Jan 2013. Were they actually investing in TRFCL as seems likely. It really makes you wonder what kind of unexploded bombs are out there waiting to be paid.-
———————————————————————————————————————–
I think bawsbusted’s info is very good. CG raised his original stake to buy the club from the duffers with exactly this type of deal.ie loans with a 100% coupon. As I mentioned in an earlier post CG tried to convert debt into equity. Bawsbusted mates obviously struck to the original deal whereas others were a bit pressurised. I am betting that the two investors Bawbusted mention are a team from Glasgow who were on the wrong side of a previous Manchester deal….
With regard to the Mather connection I do not know about any prior CG connection although they were both football agents, both big horsey boys and both lived in Nottingham at the same time. Is it just me or is putting an agent in charge of your training facility a bit like giving an arsonist a set of matches.
The hotel I mentioned earlier reference Broxi Bear is a reference to the only shareholder in Callcentres Scotland who is an Ian Sutherland who also owns the St Rule Hotel in Ardrossan. Not that interesting really.
paulsatim says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 12:48
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22465783
Rangers: Sandy and James Easdale keen to build Ibrox stake
By Chris McLaughlin
Senior Football Reporter, BBC Scotland
Comments
Greenock businessmen Sandy and James Easdale are aiming to increase their shareholding in Rangers and hope to earn a place on the board as a result.
——————————————————————————————————————-
“It is very hard to comment but we are serious about taking it forward.
“We have a delicate deal that when shares are available, we will purchase them.
“Other shares are an option to us and that is growing stronger.
“Every day we have some more negotiations with other parties.
Good way to lose money is to tell people that you will buy shares when they are available….unreal comment!
Hi Folks.
OT but related to the finances of TSFM. We have used up the £400 and more we received in donations purchasing domain names, forum software, and made a start on some of the basic equipment required to enable us to produce podcasts starting in the summer.
We will need some more cash to put together the whole equipment shooting match and pay for hosting when we move to vBulletin. Rather than solicit more donations perhaps looking at external ads might be better. We have had requests to run some (very unobtrusive) ads on the blog (see link below for example).
I’d appreciate some feedback on current attitudes to this. I have already refused to take ads for William Hill. Not because we have anything against them, but because Ralph Topping’s role at the SFA/SPL conflicts us a bit in that regard.
If you follow the link below, look for the words “Championship betting” in the text of the article.
http://www.byfarthegreatestteam.com/posts/time-is-up-for-neil-warnock-at-leeds-united/
areyouaccusingmeofmendacity says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 17:28
=====================
Glad you saw my point.
TSFM says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 18:19
++++++++
TSFM, carry on with the adverts, even those more noticeable like those on the right of your example. And re, Wm Hills, I think it would be deliciously perverse to take their ads and cash!
TSFM says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 18:19
You should never refuse to take anyone’s money in this economy. If William Hill want to make a contribution, grab it with both hands. William Hill have a strong interest in sport, as does this website. It is a good match for all parties.
In the meantime, I’ve made a small contribution. Keep up the good work.
[TSFM – Thanks. It is appreciated.]
TSFM says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 18:19
‘..If you follow the link below, look for the words “Championship betting” in the text of the article.’
—-
my own feeling is that that kind of surreptitious ,embedded advert should be avoided. Articles ( or posts!) written simply to serve as a vehicle for an advert are pernicious.
Newspapers have been at that con for a long time, with articles written by what appear to be regular columnists exercising an objective journalistic function really just advertising puffs dressed up as ‘special reports’, with the words adverising feature in very small print!
If Ii knew how to put a link in a post, I could refer everybody to, say, the magnificent Cicero restaurant in Edinburgh ( which offers a twenty per cent discount on all meals to season book holders of any professional football club in Scotland), in which I have a 50 per cent share!!!
I wish!
But you get my drift.
Not wholly against limited advertising, but it should be clear that it is advertising.
100bjd says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 18:19
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Good way to lose money is…
_________________________________________________________
of course, one might speculate that the extent to which someone may care about the extent of any losses could depend upon how ‘hot’ the money that is burning a hole in an given pocket pocket actually is at a particular point in time, and specifically how much cooler the (albeit diminished) sum could appear after a quick rinse through the books of a well known holding company.
Fortunate then, that there is nothing remotely suspicious about these dyed in the wool Rangers men who clearly only want what is best for the club.
john clarke says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 18:50
___________________________________
Good point Luggye 🙂 TBH I had taken the view that if it were hidden it would look unobtrusive, but I suppose that might patronise our audience which is a bit more grown up than that.
I’ll take your points on board.
TSFM says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 18:19
———————————————
Scottish football has to find a way to see past the rivarly when it comes to reporting and as fragile as it may be, this is the only forum where too many or specific partizan comments are seen as unacceptable.
Personaly speaking, I think a forum for all fans of all clubs is almost impossible but somehow, we are managing to keep it together with the help of reasoned argument and strong willed St. Mirren supporters 🙂
Soooooo…. Makes no difference to me if and what type of advertisements are used, do what has to be done to continue the fight.
blu says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 16:33
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smartie1947 says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 14:39
=======================================
Smartie, I don’t think it’s the footballer from Dalkeith on BT Sport. It may be this guy:
One of the BBC’s top football commentators, Darren Fletcher can be heard regularly on Radio 5 live and BBC 1′s Match of the Day as well as top Football Phone-In show 606 along with his close mate Robbie Savage.
==============================================================
Cheers, Blu
Put 2 and 2 together and made 5.
On other posts re BT Sports coverage of matches for 2013/14, they certainly mention details of SPL content on both their new internet advert and on the trailers now running on Sky channel 413.
I don’t want to make this seem like a puff for BT Sports, but the 2 BT Sports channels (and ESPN) are now free on the Sky platform to anyone with BT Broadband.
the BBC are not to be messed about with.
just the 3minute feature on the national news tonight for the sevco / easdale story.
that’ll show them chris !!
vforvernacular says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 15:57
==============================
Your Avatar seems very familiar!
Wonder if Wee Craigy and Masterton are interested in this:
No Safe Havens for Offshore Tax Cheats
Skip to downloads »
09 May 2013 12:23
HM Revenue & Customs
HM Revenue & Customs
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) confirmed today that it is working with the United States and Australian tax administrations (the IRS and ATO) on data which reveals extensive use of complex offshore structures to conceal assets by wealthy individuals and companies.
The 400 gigabytes of data is still being analysed but early results show the use of companies and trusts in a number of territories around the world including Singapore, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, and the Cook Islands. The data also exposes information that may be shared with other tax administrations as part of the global fight against tax evasion.
So far HMRC has identified over 100 people who benefit from these structures and a number of those individuals had already been identified and are under investigation for offshore tax evasion. They have also identified more than 200 UK accountants, lawyers and other professional advisors who advise on setting up these structures who will also be scrutinised. UK residents who use these offshore structures should review their taxation arrangements, and seek advice if necessary, to ensure they are compliant with UK tax law. HMRC encourages voluntary compliance and early disclosure of tax irregularities. Failure to do so may result in a criminal prosecution or significant financial penalties and the possibility of their identity being published.
Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne said:
“The message is simple: if you evade tax, we’re coming after you. The Government has invested hundreds of millions of pounds to fund the fight against tax evasion, both at home and abroad. This data is another weapon in HMRC’s arsenal. Ahead of the UK’s presidency of the G8 this year, the Prime Minister has made it a key priority to drive an international effort to increase transparency and clamp down on tax avoidance and evasion. By working with our international partners in this way, we are again demonstrating our commitment to this work.”
Jennie Granger, HMRC Commissioner and Director General for Enforcement and Compliance said:
“Working with the international tax community to pursue offshore evasion is another important step in closing the net on tax evasion.
There is nothing illegal about an international structure, especially in a globally integrated economy and these arrangements may be perfectly legitimate and may already have been declared to HMRC. However they may involve tax evasion, avoidance or other serious offences by taxpayers. What has to stop is using offshore structures to illegally hide assets and income”.
TSFM says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 18:19
Re – advertising, is there a social responsibility angle to be considered. Gambling and alcohol might offer good ‘fits’ and a more lucrative revenue stream but not sure how this sits in a forum that at its heart is about preventing the commercialisation of everyday life.
A while back someone asked where you can get a good pie nowadays. Well, Bradfords the Baker in Glasgow definitely maintains a hight quality of offering and I think Aulds meat content has got a little better since the horse meat scandal (no slur intended. I think a lot of food suppliers will have reviewed their ingredients recently). Not particularly health eating options but close to fans and supporters hearts (arteries) anyway. Rather than having the marketeers identify TSFM affiliates as a target audience perhaps it would be possible to go the other way and market to organisations the benefit of having a presence associated with TSFM.
Also (even) less likely but thrown in for colour, what about vendors of the services that are often debated on here; legal firms, accountants. They might feel an association with a forum that kicks around such ideas and has a contributorship that has at least some knowledge of these matters, a ‘good fit’.
TSFM says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 18:19
Personally I think we should be selective in our advertising, I abhor the scandalous advertising by these loan sharks such as Wonga and I have no time for all these gambling adverts. I have known of individuals who have got caught up in both these vices at the same time, scarey really. As for Lawyers! my apologise in advance to those decent ones but all this “did you have an accident today” is creating a working environment obsessed with health & safety and a blame culture. So there you go I have shown that I am outstanding upright citizen with strong moral fibre who cares about the wellbeing of my fellow citizens and bloggers.
For advertising can I suggest we look at call girls, porn sites and mature dating 🙂
On a more serious note what is it that we need in terms of funds?
mullach says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 19:36
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TSFM says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 18:19
Re – advertising, is there a social responsibility angle to be
considered. Gambling and alcohol might offer good ‘fits’ and a
more lucrative revenue stream but not sure how this sits in a
forum that at its heart is about preventing the commercialisation of everyday life.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It’s ok. I don’t think the good people at Balvenie were listening anyway 🙁
upthehoops says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 19:26
3 0 Rate This
vforvernacular says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 15:57
==============================
Your Avatar seems very familiar!
————————————————
“Borrowed” from a well known comicbook so yes, i’d imagine its familiar enough to some 🙂
“Independent” Commission Finds Green Not Guilty”
Quote:
Charles Green has been found not guilty of links with disgraced ex-Ibrox chief Craig Whyte in a report commissioned by the club.
Queen’s Counsel, Roy Martin QC, who oversaw the investigation has completed a draft report which will be handed to the clubs board confirming there is no credibility in obscene claims made by serial liar Whyte that he was part of the Charles Green led summer takeover which saved the club from administration.
The findings of the report look set to spell the end for club chairman Malcolm Murray who has lost the support of the original investors in the club who purchased the assets Duff & Phelps. It is well known that these original investors are still loyal to Charles Green.
It does raise a problem for the club in that the blue chip investors such as Legal & General and Hargreave Hale stumped up the cash once Murray, a well respected ex pension fund manager in London, became involved in the club.
I’m led to believe there is a lot of political manoeuvring behind the scenes to clear the air with these investors before Murray is finally pushed aside.
Despite tabloid rumours Walter Smith will NOT be following his friend, Murray, out of Ibrox.
Although Walter has some misgivings about the motives of many who sit alongside him in the Ibrox directors box both him and Ally McCoist have decided they are best placed to defend the interests of the club and its fans from within the corridors of power at Ibrox.
In better news I can also confirm that the club have sought legal advice over the ownership of Ibrox stadium, Murray Park and the Albion Car Park.
Under Scottish Law those assets are all owned by Sevco Scotland Limited which later became The Rangers Football Club Ltd.
It is thought that the best case scenario for Whyte would be a successful clam against the club for damages if he was misled by Green or Imran during the summer fight for control of Rangers.
In the event of any successful claim the most that Mr Whyte would be awarded would be £1.35m (33% of the value of the assets when purchased from D&P).
It would appear that when Ticketus won their case against Whyte, that has sent him to the brink of bankruptcy, he has tried via a compliant press to put pressure on Green and Imran to give him a pay off.
When no pay off was forth coming we were subjected to the usual bluster from Whyte, his friends in the media and the Timmy conspiracy theory mob on the internet.
I hope you’ve found this information helpful and I’ll look to blog again soon about what the future holds for the club.
http://celticnewco.livejournal.com/3474.html Taken from KDS
liveinhop says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 20:34
“Independent” Commission Finds Green Not Guilty”
==========================================
Ah well…the Worthington Group could have saved themselves £250K then!
liveinhop.
Why am I not surprised 🙂
Funny that Brenda neither am i
liveinhop says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 20:34
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“Independent” Commission Finds Green Not Guilty”
_____________________________________________
And In other news, Celtic are a newco founded in 1994.
Souce on this piece is this RFC twitter. Never come across him before so will make no comments as to his access to facts/ contact with reality.
https://twitter.com/CelticAreANewco
liveinhop says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 20:34
“Independent” Commission Finds Green Not Guilty”
So, just as RTC called it a few days ago.
But, rather than thank Mr Murray for clearing up the ambiguity and letting them move on, he is lambasted for spending money to sort it out.
I thought they were flush with £22m in the bank, that should be sweetie money to them!
Strange bunch indeed.
I’ve come across ‘@celticareanewco’ on Twitter when others have retweeted him into my timeline. He is a moon unit.
Hope that helps.
Directors `left
BBC `banned` – Easdales on Telly
Lord Cardigan on the brink – goin` on a week now
No Ally `says` – or 38,000 hateley /gorums this week
Independent Inquiry – to rapidly cleanse – now a month in and nothing
MM eats babies and will have to go…
Usual MSM Claptrap fits tho…………….
Moderators please delete my post of 21.23
[TSFM – Iki, as you wish. Your support is very much appreciated.]
liveinhop says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 20:34
The investigation is still ongoing according to super sleuth, white breeks man. Only yesterday he was spouting that “Now, I believe, the probe will reveal no evidence of any such Whyte claims when it is finished in a fortnight”
iki says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 21:44
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Moderators please delete my post of 21.23
====
Thank you for deletion.
Donated as promised, of course.
If keeping the blog free of intrusive adverts requires donations then I for one am happy to do so.
angus1983 says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 10:59
63 1 Rate This
Whilst on the subject of Aberdeen, Radio Scotland this morning
played a bit of commentary from THE Bayern Munich game.
I nearly had to pull the car over as the memory of being in the
Beach End for those completely mental two minutes of equaliser and winner came flooding back. Truly a once in a lifetime experience.
Lovely stuff.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Just watching Gothenburg ’83 on BBC Alba. Terrific stuff.
Thankfully they were speaking in Gaelic rather than that impenetrable Doric! 😀
Araminta Moonbeam QC says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 21:24
7 0 Rate This
I’ve come across ‘@celticareanewco’ on Twitter when others have retweeted him into my timeline. He is a moon unit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry, but I won’t have that. There is nothing wrong with Frank’s kids.
Nae idea fit yir spikin aboot wombly min 😀
Lord Wobbly says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 22:01
Thankfully they were speaking in Gaelic rather than that impenetrable Doric!
——
Fit aboot i loons bidin’ in i “Fars Hatt” hotel at Gothenburg? Couldna mak it up, ken?
🙂
Hewitt cantering up the middle of the park and McGhee placing the ball on his head without him having to break his stride … I was just raving to the magyar missus about that team of 83, only to be met with “ah yes, but Hungary’s ‘Golden Team’ were better …”. Ach.
TSFM says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 18:19
Rather than solicit more donations perhaps looking at external ads might be better.
_______________________________________________________________________
On site advertising.
With advertising comes payment
With payment comes a loss of independence.
With loss of independence comes loss of credibility
With loss of credibility comes loss of influence
With loss of influence comes loss of relevance.
With loss of relevance comes loss of confidence.
The risk of such losses against the risk ? of soliciting donations.
It’s donations for me every time!
Lord Wobbly says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 22:06
Araminta Moonbeam QC says:
Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 21:24
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I’ve come across ‘@celticareanewco’ on Twitter when others have retweeted him into my timeline. He is a moon unit.
___________________________________________________________
Thanks. I suspected as much, but thought I’d better be circumspect just in case he ever had any genuine inside info – in among the nocturnal howlings -.
Juts wanted to make the point that livenhops cut and paste – which I am assuming was either well intentioned (or possibly ironic( was nevertheless (a) dubious in provenance and (b) not actually from KDS as quoted.
(Makes the roses come up a treat though!)