As we all know, this site emerged from the ashes of RTC. The wish of the original administrator of the site, one which I wholeheartedly share, was to keep together the wonderful community RTC had built, in terms of both personnel and spirit. There are still many individuals around who were also part of RTC, and regrettably many who are no longer with us. The RTC spirit however, that of a cross-party football site where issues can be discussed in a respectful and insightful manner remains. The “wisdom of the crowd” phenomenon is also with us to perhaps an even greater extent than before, and consequently SFM’s credentials as a formidable alternative to the print media have grown.
In recent times, many contributors have expressed frustration that we are pretty much a talking shop and little else; characterised as “a lot of gum bashing and no teeth”. I think that is fair comment up to a point, but then again our aim – up to now – has been to simply present an alternative view – a view that has increasingly become the fan view as opposed to the industry view (the industry being made up of club officials, players, and press).
In fact the way I see it personally, SFM has evolved to a point where it has become the watchdog (monitor if you will) of an industry which is subject to very little oversight. The Rangers situation will eventually be done with (no laughing at the back please), and like everything else will be consigned to history (albeit more than one). The same self-interest and lack of regard for sporting integrity though will still remain, and the need for oversight will remain also.
Having arrived at those conclusions, we have two alternatives; the first is to remain as we are (which is not a bad place to be), and the second is that SFM has to expand its role.
In recent weeks, the mods have met to discuss this, and we think that we ought to give the latter option a try. As to how we want to achieve that, and we have come up with a skeleton plan as follows;
1. We need to move into the area of gathering news content as well as commenting on what appears elsewhere;
2. We should act as a cross-club portal to get good fan site content from all clubs to a wider audience;
3. We need to highlight the positives in the game as well as the negatives;
4. We should become an actively campaigning body, aligning with fan groups to lobby for the changes we think important.
In order to achieve these objectives, more time will need to be spent on communication like podcasts, adding news content, expanding membership and building links with other fan groups. Time will also need to be spent setting up features, attending press conferences etc. Later in the year, one of the mods will have much more time on his hands to help achieve this.
Podcasts, premium content, labour, organisation and all of the above costs money, and ultimately a subscription based model backed by sponsorship seems to be our best way of achieving that. In order to give us a head start, we will in the next few months be putting together a business-plan and a pitch for Crowd Funding investment.
This is not to say that our existing model has been a failure. We have successfully managed to keep ourselves afloat through the ad-hoc generosity of people in our community, although the inability to keep the podcasts going has been a bit frustrating. Finding income streams which are more solid will allow us to respond to events more quickly (for example mounting an ad campaign to respond to some event or other, or buying new equipment), and hopefully achieve all of our objectives – and build a bigger audience base for our message.
Of course a move of this nature will require that, in the interests of transparency, anonymity of SFM will have to be set aside. That will not affect any of our contributors, and our practice of using (sometimes) imaginative names on the blog will remain. However, for crowd funding to be successful, we will require to have a board in place, and there is no hiding place from Companies House. The make up of the board is also crucial, and in addition to consideration of blog members for that role, we will be looking to have respected people from without.
I imagine there may be a consequent subtle effect on moderation policy to take into account.
The reason I have made this post is to keep the community up to speed with events. Although we have decided to move forward to see if we can get support for our business plan, that plan is by no means finished. As I said earlier, the “wisdom of crowds” has made our community unique and given it its credibility. There’s a lot more wisdom out there we hope to tap into before we go ahead with our initiative.
We already had someone in mind for chairman of the new board, but events have conspired tragically to rob us of that – and had the effect of postponing this announcement. However we would like to hear suggestions for suitable outside candidates for board and committee places.
We also want to hear from you if you have a suggestion to be added to our wish list of SFM function above – or even if you think it is a mistake to embark on this course.
This is a very big move for SFM, so we don’t want to rush into anything. We need to listen to what you folks have to say, because if the merging SFM is not considered a better SFM by our community there is very little point in looking to fund it.
I note from DCK interviews including the one posted earlier from Rangers TV there is much talk about Euro income andhow that may play with regard to investment levels.
I may be incorrect but is it not the case that little money is to be earned in the qualifying stages and indeed clubs like Motherwell, St Johnstone and even possibly Aberdeen have been in the negative income bracket when off on Euro jaunts.
So even if T’Rangers got back into the Premiership and Celtic dare win one the the 45% of titles they are apparently entitled to, Europa League riches are hardly going to be flooding into the Ibrox coffers and any glamour ties that would have the home crowd at capacity is of course dependent on negotiating a few lowly Johnny Foreigner teams, who like Motherwell, will not be lying down as they are supposed to.
causaludendi says:
Member: (71 comments)
June 1, 2015 at 1:46 pm
I’m fairly certain I heard Stuart McCall, in two maybe three separate interviews, state quite unequivocally that he hadn’t seen the incident involving Moshni. However unless it’s a quirky camera angle the picture in Roddy Forsyth’s article, in The Telegraph – link on previous page, seems to show McCall was well aware of the incident… curious.
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/03324/mohnsi2_3324616b.jpg
_______________________________________________________
Given there’s every chance that he could be looking for a new position soon, maybe his ‘didnae see it’ comment was uttered with the SFA squarely in mind, w.r.t. demonstrating his suitability for any refereeing vacancies they might need filling?
Today might be a good day for Dave King to let the bears know his plans for taking the club forward. They really need some good news, and the sooner they get some the better (for them and TRFC). In fact, today would have been a very good day for him to address the support even if they’d won through to the Premiership. He could easily have had that good news ready to be announced whatever the result. Either he doesn’t have any good news, regardless of the result, or he just isn’t a very good leader of a football club. Or maybe both.
Watch this, by the time I’ve pressed ‘Post Comment’ there’ll have been a statement from King, and all will be well…
The King’s £55mil Speech
• ST Price Cut by way of apology (£2mil)
• Warchest & Name 2-3 Big Signings (£8mil)
• Big Name Manager (£3mil)
• Pay Off Ashley Loan (£5mil)
• Buy Out Ashley Retail Deal (£27mil)
• Restore Ibrox (£10mil)
btw Anyone know King’s jetting status?
Interesting to note of the 12 T’Rangers players out of contract 4 started yesterday:-
Miller, Boyd, McCulloch, and Foster.
Three were on the bench:-
Mohsni, Smith and Simonsen
The remainders are Black, Daly, Hutton, Robinson and Fuare.
So presuming the 12 all get released and the Newcastle lads will be sent back south only six of yesterdays starters and four of the subs will remain at the club, add the suspended McGregor and there you have a new starting 11 made up of players that struggled this season.
Bell
McGregor
Zaliukas
Wallace
Murdoch
Law
Ferguson
Walsh
Clark
Crawford
Shiels
Stevie in IT better cancel all leave and get his skates on!!
Allyjambo says:
Member: (971 comments)
June 1, 2015 at 2:45 pm
Either he doesn’t have any good news, regardless of the result, or he just isn’t a very good leader of a football club. Or maybe both.
================================================
Charles would have them eating out of his hand by now – they’d be thanking him for saving them from the Premiership and they’d be queueing up for STs. King appears too mean spirited to invest in charm and charisma.
http://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/9414-club-statement
Not the statement you would expect
But still managed a wee finger point at motherwell supporter’s
BTW it would not suprise me if theSFA/SPFL put in place pulled out rules that let them over turn the result and award a 3-0 win to TRFC
Stranger things have happened especially over the last 3/4 years
Looks like my earlier post was a wee bit premature, the club have released a statement that will have the bears rejoicing!
http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/9414-club-statement
“RANGERS Football Club will co-operate fully with investigations following the disgraceful scenes at the Motherwell game yesterday.
Bilel Mohsni’s behaviour was completely unacceptable and had his contract not now expired, the Club would have started disciplinary proceedings.
The Club will also assist with any investigation into the behaviour of Motherwell supporters and we would like to thank the Rangers fans who were excellent in showing admirable restraint despite severe provocation.”
Maybe not rejoicing over the news of a warchest, but they are assisting Scotland’s finest into an investigation into the behaviour of a new enemy, and their own fans’ were ‘excellent’ (already walking away, heavily outnumbered), so cause for some celebration, surely 😉
trfc club statement…….
richard wilson tried the same thing on sportscene last night,of blaming m’well fans, unfortunately for him his tortured angst ridden face gave away his innermost on the big screen…. its not fair the well fans were goading the trfc fans he wailed…. son for your starter for ten ‘ read their lips’ 10+ years of wrongly registered players buys stadiums full of goading…….. not to mention…………………………………………………. etc etc
If King was to declare that he wasn’t going to sign any new players at all, but instead have his manager use remaining players plus youth academy players – that would be good for Scottish football.
If King declared that McCall would remain as manager to develop these youngsters – that would be good for Scottish football, [I think McCall did well, and deserves a full season at least].
If King declared that the TRFC club will gain promotion ‘the proper way’ on merit alone – and with the fans dropping the dodgy singing etc – that would be good for Scottish football.
If that all happened, then most other fans – I believe – would give TRFC the benefit of the doubt and tentatively welcome them to the SPL.
There are still a lot of positives which COULD be achieved at TRFC – for the good of Scottish football – if King chooses to do the right thing, IMO.
Level 5 working nights to arrive at a form of words to describe the next leg of the journey in positive terms the people will understand – no investment to speak of, no signings to speak of, learn to like Ashley, accept our position in thw world, work hard like everyone else and drop the attitude.
Level 5 will earn every penny they won’t get paid if admin is not avoided by ST sales.
mcfc says:
June 1, 2015 at 2:52 pm
btw Anyone know King’s jetting status?
————————————————-
Bear forums have commented that he wasn’t at the match yesterday as his jetting status is currently set to ‘out’, and of course that he couldn’t have watched it on TV as he hasn’t forked out for a satellite dish, or whatever the story was.
It could be a ruse, of course, and he could be locked in a back room with his sidekicks thrashing out the finer points of the masterplan (see Rangers TV footage below)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYvAYwpUDv8
2 Scottish Clubs have won the Scottish Cup for the first time in their history over the last 2 years. This is what all football fans live for, well done to ICT and St Johnstone. If only Armageddon arrived many years ago (when it to be honest should have). Scottish football is not in any form suffering because of one team missing from the top league. We should be suffering, as that is what the SFA and the SMSM have preached/predicted continuously over the last 3 years. Will they now stop? Congratulations to Motherwell as IMO this is not what the SFA and smsm wanted. Well deserved victory.
senior @ 12.43pm:
Ian Baraclough gave me, via my uncle (his father-in-law), a ticket to the first-ever senior football match I attended, in 1994 at Field Mill, Mansfield. My uncle, grandfather, father and I watched from the rickety wooden seats as Mansfield Town defeated Doncaster Rovers 3-2. That game, in the then-Third Division had me hooked. It’s the only match I ever attended with my late grandfather, and a cherished memory.
We met up with him in the players’ lounge after the game. Totally down-to-earth, yet optimistic almost to a fault, I’m delighted to see him managing in Scotland, and looking forward to following their exploits – along with (I can barely believe I’m typing this) attending some European games featuring my local side I.C.T. – next season.
It’s an odd feeling, being genuinely excited about a Scottish football season. I haven’t felt this way since the Clyde of Hutton, McGowan, Malone, Higgins, McKeown, McGregor, McHale, Bryson, Masterton, O’Donnell, Brighton, Arbuckle, and yes even Alex Williams and Roddy Hunter were competing at the top end of the First Division.
Not to mention the Rangers fans against Hibs with their missile throwing,repeat,not to mention the Rangers fans against Hibs with their missile throwing,repeat,not to mention and so on,and so on.
Talking to a Motherwell fan after yesterday’s match and he mentioned that there where quite a few Rangers fans in the stand and it was one of them that ignited the flare then threw it onto the park before a crowd of them quickly exited the ground,interesting investigation to come.
Not getting at Leigh Griffiths, there’s a line they all seem to have to follow, but why on earth would a die-hard Hibs fan be disappointed that TRFC weren’t promoted? Surely he was praying for Hibs to beat them a little over a week ago, a result that would have had the same effect as yesterday’s match on TRFC.
I’ll give this to Griffiths, he does seem embarrassed when he answers the question, presumably put to him before the recording starts, and is a bit more comfortable talking about Aberdeen etc. He’s so flustered in his answer he can’t remember if he’s meant to be a Hibs or Celtic supporter.
It is getting way beyond the pale, this trotting out of Celtic players to push the ‘we miss Rangers’ mantra. I wonder why it is considered so necessary, surely they don’t think we are falling for it!
http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/celtic/1322072-leigh-griffiths-rangers-failure-to-win-promotion-is-disappointing/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
tcup 2012 says:
Member: (220 comments)
June 1, 2015 at 3:33 pm
BTW it would not suprise me if theSFA/SPFL put in place pulled out RULES
that let them over turn the result and award a 3-0 win to TRFC
Stranger things have happened especially over the last 3/4 years
11 2 Rate This
////////////////
Spotted a massive error in my post 🙁
Please insert
INTERPRETATION for RULES
Feel better now that is fixed 😆
wottpi says:
Member: (624 comments)
June 1, 2015 at 2:57 pm
Interesting to note of the 12 T’Rangers players out of contract 4 started yesterday:-
Miller, Boyd, McCulloch, and Foster.
Three were on the bench:-
Mohsni, Smith and Simonsen
The remainders are Black, Daly, Hutton, Robinson and Fuare.
So presuming the 12 all get released and the Newcastle lads will be sent back south only six of yesterdays starters and four of the subs will remain at the club, add the suspended McGregor and there you have a new starting 11 made up of players that struggled this season.
Bell
McGregor
Zaliukas
Wallace
Murdoch
Law
Ferguson
Walsh
Clark
Crawford
Shiels
Stevie in IT better cancel all leave and get his skates on!!
…………………………….
Will the accountants on ‘Follow Follow’ not be expecting the players you list here, as being ripe for Selling…which would bring in approx £1,000,000 per player
…so that’s an £11,000,000 war chest to start with for the Follow Follow accountants !?
The longer King stays silent the more it looks like a total absence of professional public relations advice being taken and/or being acted on. PR is so much more than pushing out press releases to a compliant MSM – especially in a crisis. Does Level 5 understand this – if Traynor is at the helm – from previous experience – I think we can assume they don’t know their arse from their elbow when it comes to real public relations. This is a foreseeable scenario they should have planned for weeks ago and be ready to roll out a communications strategy starting 24 hours ago. Like a medical emergency – the first hour(s) are critical to the long term outcome.
Public Relations 101 – in a crisis – NEVER stay silent and NEVER hide away and hope it will go away. These ALWAYS engender the most NEGATIVE perceptions.
Hello, hello, is there anyone there?
You would have thought next seasons books would have been rolled out first thing today ,being skint and all that,or are other avenues being quickly checked out,wouldn’t put it past them,did a pitch invasion not help them a few years ago.
When the next BDO report to creditors of RFC 2012 is published, it should be found here:
http://www.bdo.co.uk/services/business-restructuring/rfc-2012-plc-formerly-the-rangers-football-club-plc-in-liquidation
Previous reports are available from the same web page.
Don’t you just hate it when that happens?
Just when you’ve accused someone of being a ruthless, conniving, predatory and probably illegal son of bitch who you’re going to drag through the courts from here to Timbuctoo – you find you need to ask them for the loan of a few million to keep the administrator at bay – because it turns out your millions of millions are a bit tied up elsewhere – and things have got – well – a bit Armageddonish – awkward or what?
PMG reporting that King has gone cap in hand to Ashley and Green – I do hope they are not the easily offended sort of chaps
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/sevco-seek-talks-with-ashley/
This pish that the fans are being forced to swallow that it would be good for all if they were back in the premiership is akin to your Mammy telling you “to drink it down” (cod liver oil) “it will do you good”. The only difference is, we had a sneaking suspicion that the cod liver oil was in fact good for us. On the other hand we are certain that to have them back, with their continuing attitude, would kill us – the game I mean.
mcfcmcfc says:
Member: (1302 comments)
June 1, 2015 at 5:21 pm
The longer King stays silent the more it looks like a total absence of professional public relations advice being taken and/or being acted on.
——————————–
Great post. And I couldn’t agree with you more.
The lack of any apparent communications strategy is another manifestation of the new regime’s (are we still allowed to call them that after all this time?!) seeming complete lack of plan. For anything.
I am struggling to think of one substantive thing that the new regime has said it will do that has then been put into effect.
You simply can’t take over an organisation of any size (let alone one with a high profile and financial problems) without a multifaceted and resourced plan to get you from where you are, to where you want to be.
‘Winging it’ isn’t a viable option. That way lies trouble!
It will be interesting to see if the EGM (if it happens) or any other discussions with Ashley’s people result in some sort of explanation of intentions emerging.
And in other news… I see that the media is having a hard time dealing with the failure of Sevco to secure top-flight football.
Nevertheless, the stirrings of a renewed “we need Sevco for the good of the game” campaign are already underway. I wonder what succulent morsels Level 5 will have lined up for us over the coming days?
If anyone is interested, here are some further thoughts on the fall-out from the play-off final.
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2015/06/01/the-mourning-after-the-night-before/
Enjoy the rest of the evening!
mcfc says:
Member: (1302 comments)
June 1, 2015 at 6:54 pm
_____________________________________
A cracker!!!!!
jimlarkin says:
Member: (301 comments)
June 1, 2015 at 5:14 pm
wottpi says:
Member: (624 comments)
June 1, 2015 at 2:57 pm
Interesting to note of the 12 T’Rangers players out of contract 4 started yesterday:-t
Miller, Boyd, McCulloch, and Foster.
=====================================
Miller might need to be taken off the list as there was an (unconfirmed ❓ ) report that he’d copped an appearance based extension.
With all the play-off chat, I feel it’s worth pointing out that, not so long ago, finishing first in Division One was no guarantee of promotion to the self-serving SPL. Maybe I should follow that up with some praise for the way things have changed but I can’t bring myself to do it.
Also, I noticed the reference, on Reporting Scotland, to Rangers’ play off final against Motherwell. The bad news of the match result was sandwiched in the giant punching squirrel story (a knuckle sandwich?). At least that avoided reporting it in the sport section.
Credit, for once, to the Ibrox club for not saying “it Mohsni us”. 😛
I saw someone posted a link to the BBC’s article in 2013 where the Sevco “blueprint” was laid out. I tackled that today in a piece.
http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/good-enough-for-me/
TheClumpany says:
Member: (42 comments)
June 1, 2015 at 7:13 pm
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2015/06/01/the-mourning-after-the-night-before/
————-
Ten million pounds lost per Old Firm game next season – hey Mr Football Finance Expert, can you break that down in detail for us? Unbelievably inaccurate and fanciful to the point of deceit. Truly desparate stuff – the pain of the “rightful place” brigade is causing them vascular dementia.
jimlarkin says:
Member: (301 comments)
June 1, 2015 at 5:14 pm
wottpi says:
Member: (624 comments)
June 1, 2015 at 2:57 pm
_____________________________________________________
I heard a rumour that McCall is lining up Josh Meekings as his first choice replacement to take over from Cammy Bell. 😈 😆
Sorry… is it too soon!? 😳
(TDs expected and deserved… hangs head.)
As Mohsni is the hot topic currently, it is worthwhile to reflect on the quality of the DR reporting – from not even a month ago.
=======================================
StevieBC says:
Member: (694 comments)
May 5, 2015 at 5:15 pm
Oh dear, another b*llox headline.
At least the DR churnalist had the decency NOT to add his name to this cracker.
“Rangers defender Bilel Mohsni heads for Ibrox exit door and eyes up possible move to the BUNDESLIGA!”
==================
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-defender-bilel-mohsni-heads-5641134
“TUNISIAN believes his time in Glasgow is up and is close to agreeing terms with German top tier side Freiburg…
But centre-half Mohsni believes his time in Glasgow is up, regardless of whether the Light Blues seal promotion…
Reports in Germany have suggested the 27-year-old former Southend defender is close to agreeing terms with Freiburg…
=========================
So the DR can confirm that Mohsni is off to Freiburg then ? :slamb:
Resin_lab_dog says:
Member: (432 comments)
June 1, 2015 at 9:15 pm
I heard a rumour that McCall is lining up Josh Meekings as his first choice replacement to take over from Cammy Bell.
Sorry… is it too soon!?
(TDs expected and deserved… hangs head.)
===========================================
Actually, I’m guessing that the only TRFC person who is happy with Mohsni’s pugilistic display is Cammy Bell.
All the focus is on the melee – rather than Bell’s woeful attempt at punching the ball clear.
And mibbees Bell could get a few sparring sessions with Mohsni before he departs Ibrox – to improve his punching accuracy ? 🙄
http://img4021.photobox.co.uk/935905053acdf3f01efd39716e05b8bcc36e9a64388bee4bdfc4acd0731f19bd5832423b.jpg Wee griffiths helping the enemy there
Bam Potter – that Clyde team were the only second placed team in Europe not to be get anything promotion or play offs that season. The excitement was palpable that day ICT came for the virtual title decider followed by the wrong result, heady times indeed and almost a perfect season, even some of the perpetual negative ranting folk got close to being less unhappy.
in years to come.. karma… couldnt possibly be defined as a new football club failing to win the junior divisions petrofac trophy four times and needing league re- organisation to get into a country’s top flight league following ‘a rising’from a defunct club caused by tax evasion and avoidance…. could it
Oh dear. Herald to on full volume of why lack of Rangers in the premier league is a disaster for Scottish football. And get Paul Lambert to fire the bullets “if I was a Celtic player I would want my strongest rivals to be in the league because you need that” he does go on to say they have to earn the right to be there
Thought it was pretty straight forward. Rangers didn’t progress due to sporting reasons. What other options does the MSM suggest the leagues use instead?
The simple fact about this sporting integrity thingie, that the Herald and Mr. Lambert appear not to have grasped, is that Celtic’s strongest rivals ARE in the same division as them. They are currently Aberdeen, perhaps next season their strongest rivals will be them again, or maybe another club. it is open to any club to be their ‘strongest rivals’. All they have to do is be good enough to play in the top division, then prove it on the pitch over the course of a season.
Don’t know what to say about thisthis
http://www.vanguardbears.co.uk/article.php?i=61&a=vb-admin-statement—fir-park-31st-may
The chasm between Phil’s blogs and most of the current media coverage has never been greater. Intriguing stuff, if his sources are even remotely accurate. Bravo.
Only way to describe SSB & Sportsound yesterday is ‘wailing and gnashing of teeth’. That probably suits both shows’ particular experience of Armageddon. Not quite sure how Derek Ferguson has graduated to BBC pundit, perhaps he’s a kind of fans’ representative? Well done to Alan Burrows, though. More than stood his Motherwell ground, especially as Kenny M. once again attempted to raise the contrived outrage of ticketgate. Dearie me, the BBC.
Over on SSB, the studio legned was trying to make out that the hapless supporter trying to poke the ball into play with a stick was somehow attempting an attack on McCulloch, at least that’s what it sounded like. And if goading visiting supporters consists of singing their bigoted refrains to the lyrics ‘Ha-ha, Ha-ha, haha hahaha ha’, then bring on goading 🙂
Clumps, yer blogs are great. Nothing better than lacing it all with humour. The latest is very funny. That bit about the neighbours doing that ‘bloody conga’ had me tittering.
Otherwise overcast in Northern Sjaelland. 12C. Rain expected later so the dug and I will take a (potentially offensive) brolly for oor wee donner doon the beach.
tcup 2012 says:
June 2, 2015 at 7:38 am
—
Beyond hope. It’s actually worrying. The day they indulge in a bit of self-deprecation might be the sign that things are changing. But it may never come.
tcup 2012tcup 2012 says:
Member: (222 comments)
June 2, 2015 at 7:38 am
Don’t know what to say about thisthis
http://www.vanguardbears.co.uk/article.php?i=61&a=vb-admin-statement—fir-park-31st-may
——–
I have an image of statements from that source being written by someone living on a union-jack adorned street in the northern part of Ireland, with a big mural (of that guy on the white horse) on the side of the house. I had a quick look at the ‘About us’. ?
If The Rangers have a few problems prepping for next season, it’s becoming clear that some mighty obstacles will be held accountable:
• A Motherwell fan with a stick
• The Daily Record
• Erwin’s chin.
Genuine lol. When’s the Crimewatch special?
tcup 2012 says:
Member: (222 comments)
June 2, 2015 at 7:38 am
Don’t know what to say about thisthis
http://www.vanguardbears.co.uk/article.php?i=61&a=vb-admin-statement—fir-park-31st-may
____________
Don’t know what to make of that; give you a TU for bringing it to our notice, or a TD because of the content. In the end I gave it neither, but thanks for bringing it to our notice, it is cringingly stupid and sad at the same time. Sad that anyone could write such rubbish, it’s almost soppy in it’s ‘poor me (all Rangers supporters)’ kind of way, and stupid in what it says and to let the worldwide community of ‘Rangers haters’ know how successful our coampaign of truth has been. If the writer of that piece is typical of all their supporters, the events of the past 3 or 4 years have hurt them very deeply indeed, more deeply than they have previously been prepared to show.
Still, it was very naughty of those Well fans to chant nasty sweary words at such damaged people, people who have never done a naughty thing in their lives!
tcup 2012 says:
June 2, 2015 at 7:38 am
re: vaguardbears
———————————————————-
Pot, kettle and black
All the big squirrels and sideshows at Fir Park on Sunday cannot disguise the harsh reality- this is the worst team ever to play out of Ibrox, and by some considerable margin. Yet the SMSM are beating the drum ever louder to get this shambles squeezed into the the top league, “back where they belong”.
Simply in footballing terms, that side has no place in the top flight. But I fully expect that yet another league construction will now be undertaken simply to make certain that next season has no potential for any more unfortunate slips “on the journey”.
I feel sorry for McCall, who is likely to pay the price for McCoist’s total incompetence. He had to work with what Ally left him, a group of players who were mostly no good to start with, and many of whom knew they were heading for the exit in June, regardless. Jock Stein or Alex Ferguson would have struggled in the circumstances McCall found himself in.
I think this failure, and the manner of it, is going to seriously impact on King’s plans -if he has any, which is looking increasingly doubtful. How many season tickets can he expect to sell, and at what price? 30,000 at £300 would be a good outcome. It could even be worse than that. So £9 million income from STs, plus what, precisely? Ashley currently owns 75% of Retail, and can hold back any money due to TRFC for as long as he likes. Which leaves some income from walk-ups, whatever they get from the league, for TV etc, maybe the catering income, if there’s no onerous contract involved, and that’s pretty much it.
Assuming that about £3.5m has to be paid for using Ibrox, and a wage bill which will likely exceed £1m every month, plus the cost of Murray Park and everyday stuff like electric, rates, security, police etc, then the operation is heading for a huge loss (again).
But this time round, the shares are delisted, so no access to the markets, and any share offer will be restricted to the fans and RRM, basically. No wonder they are back to Ashley with the begging bowl. Now Ashley may or may not be a vindictive man, I’ve no idea, but he would have to be a saint not to have been annoyed at the absolute cr*p chucked at him by King since King’s EGM “triumph”, which is now looking like a very hollow victory indeed. If I was Ashley, I would graciously let the Three Bears access the second £5m, but on one condition- that King and Murray were replaced as directors by Leach and Llambias. And if I was one of the Three Bears, I’d be snapping his hand off.
Did King really walk into this without any business plan whatsoever? His jet appears to be grounded in South Africa, and the silence is deafening. Even some bears are asking questions, because it doesn’t take a financial genius to work out that a very large amount of money is needed more or less immediately, with further large sums required on a regular basis for the foreseeable future. I can only see two ways out. King ponies up, or King pisses off, leaving Ashley to drip feed the patient on life support.
Yet according to the SMSM, the whole of Scottish football is somehow dependent on this basket case, and its “blue pound”. Well the “blue pound” has funded a nice lifestyle for Charles Green in Normandy, a luxurious garden at McCoist towers, and brought riches to many others around the world, no doubt. But I have seen no benefit whatsoever to the other Scottish clubs, or to Scottish football in general.
Totally OT. How’s the DIY army coming along to fix Ibrox? Mike’s latest venture may be able to help them source some DIY tools http://www.megavaluedirect.com/ 😉
I have enjoyed much of the commentary from Derek Ferguson over the last couple of years. He is clearly a real football enthusiast. The BBC have often used him to report and comment on lower league football, where he has provided an insight and communicated genuine enjoyment for much of what he reports on.
The game needs that much more than the curmudgeonly comments of others , who’s perspective is unremittingly negative. Ferguson is clearly out of his depth on business and financial matter, however there is no shame in that especially as he makes no pretense at expertise in this area
Where he can be criticised , is that he sometimes doesn’t take the blinkers off when it comes to Rangers. Not so much about their shortcomings on the field, where he has been highly critical, but more about status and position in the game. I understand any fan being sensistive when their club are in the mire , I sympathise when it seems like everyone is against you.
In life in general , people don’t like whingers and moaners, especially when all of the problems have been self inflicted. So Derek, if you’ll take some advice. Stop talking about entitlement and dependency. Rangers are no more entitled to be competing at the top of the SPL, than Celtic are to be competing in the last 8 of the Champions League. Scottish football is not dependent on Rangers for anything any more than UEFA need Celtic to sell their competitions.
The TV deal was lousy when Rangers were in the SPL. Hearts took more away fans to games than Rangers . Dundee Utd have produced many more talented young players than Rangers ever did.
Scottish football survived when Celtic , Aberdeen and Hibs had awful teams . We didn’t have media campaigns for any of those clubs to get back to where they “deserved ” to be. A period of silence from all connected to Rangers about how huge, great , vital and powerful they are would be welcome.
Just shut up and put together a decent team and let them do the talking. In the meantime you can depend on fans of other clubs to expose the hypocrisy and hot air coming from King , Murray & Co
Apologies for continuing the OT, but if the DIY army are going to gear up for a summer of repairs, whoever is coordinating it will no doubt have read up on the revised construction safety law, which is now in effect, as he or she will bear responsibility under criminal law.
http://www.shponline.co.uk/cdm-2015-implications-new-regulations/
“The revision of the Construction (Design & Management) regulations, and forthcoming enactment of CDM 2015 this year, will bring many of the smaller operational and maintenance-type projects within its scope for the first time, and place new obligations on clients and facilities managers throughout the UK.”
Taking this seriously is so important, the tragedy that we are seeing unfold in Qatar shows just why football can’t afford to think of itself as being above the law on construction safety.
After reading Phil’s latest revelation that they have approached the amenable Mr Ashley for the 2nd £5 million I was reminded of a poster saying always follow the money and you won’t be far away.And hasn’t Agent Whyte been very quiet for a man who was supposedly duped of the treasure.
Barca,
If you access a Chick Young article from the mid noughties about Aberdeen being bottom, about how “you’re never too big to fail” and how “business is business” it more than backs up your post above. (apologies I can’t find the link just now and some of my direct quotes may be getting confuddled with SDM’s ‘tough luck Airdrie’ Email but the message I recall was absolutely clear.
Re Ferguson, its a tough one. I too have enjoyed his obvious enjoyment at the matches. He has indeed been highly critical of this current Rangers team. However it slips when, like Sunday, someone (I forget who, they were comparing this Motherwell tie to the cup tie when Motherwell were like rabbits in the headlights) suggests this a totally different Rangers Derek then got into linguistic contortions about how “yes this Rangers side is totally different, and yet the club is still the same!!!”
Anyhoos purpose of my post is actually in relation to the Vanguard Bears Statement. Is the writer aware that supporters like me stopped taking little uns (which meant I didn’t go myself) to specifically, and in particular, RFC ties. Yes this was not specifically an RFC supporters problem per se. Their very presence seemed to bring out the worst in our own support too but the end result was the same. Lower attendances than would otherwise have been the case for a top end fixture against a fellow competitor (can’t wait for ICT next year!) that actually meant something.
Not their problem I hear them say (and sorry if I’m putting words in the poor down trodden darlings’ otherwise spotless mouths). Correct, which is why I’m enjoying family attendances in the top league like never before and their entirely self inflicted absence is to be enjoyed and is certainly not my problem either.
Where does this leave TV coverage. Had the Govan team won then surely that would have been the end of the coverage from diddysville. But as they are still in diddysville that will have to be re thought out
I listened to Sportsound yesterday evening. The programme ran from 6.30pm – 7.30pm and would reflect on the two games played at the weekend. They finally began to discuss the first ever win of major silverware for a Highland team at 7.20! How symptomatic of the MSM treatment of the Scottish game! I’m afraid their distorting lens just invites ridicule.
On the previous day I listened incredulously to Mark McGhee as it became clear beyond doubt that Motherwell would prevail, comment on how embarrassed Motherwell should be to be playing in the game. How could they possibly celebrate as if they had just won a trophy? Well I could understand how much it meant to them Mark even if apparently an ex-manager was struggling to get it. As for Chic Young, it was like listening to a man at a funeral. Thank goodness the Moshni squirrel was there as an excuse to hang his disappointment on.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the media. Scottish football is enjoying a renaissance! The last few years of the top flight have been the most enjoyable in many years.
To fans of nearly every club there is no significant difference in a monopoly compared with a thirty year duopoly. What we do see is reason for hope, green shoots of recovery. Higher average attendances at Aberdeen, Dundee, Dundee United and Hearts and strikingly Falkirk to name a few. Inverness Caley Thistle winning the Scottish Cup for the first time following a similar feat by St Johnstone last year. Aberdeen’s first win of silverware for nearly 20 years last year and challenge for most of the season this year.
Perhaps the MSM would care to ponder what the sharing of cup success does for the profile of teams in Perth and Inverness and even to help revive support for a relatively larger team like Aberdeen. What will a Hearts team who’ve shown the right way to come back bring to the Premiership next season?
The play offs have been a huge benefit in terms of excitement and profile. Maybe more Motherwell fans will be twisting and shouting at Fir Park next season, encouraged by the large turn out and experience of being there on Sunday, while at the other end of the SPFL Montrose had a very large home crowd to celebrate their preservation of their place in the Second Division.
The MSM doom mongers may do their best to maintain a sense of a prevailing wind from a depressing direction, addicted as they are to the worship of a city rivalry laced with poison. But for the many who now see beyond their distortion, there is much to be enjoyed with this ongoing Armageddon for the Scottish game!
Have just listened to last night’s Sportsound podcast and can’t help but thinking what how spiteful and bitter Chick Young sounds. His hurt that Rangers did not get promoted is palpable and his lack of precessional is shocking and an affront to us as license payers.
A St Mirren fan??? You’re having a laugh.
Tom English called the need for Rangers in the top league perfectly – he must be reading SFM a lot – while Chick, MacIntyre and Derek Ferguson could not harangue him hard enough.
Shocking but very typical BBC Scotland sports output.
L’esprit de l’escalier
I first came across this perfect Frenchism in the context of “something witty/charming/sophisticated you think of on the stairs that you wished you’d said to your lover in the bedroom.”
More prosaically: “thinking of the perfect retort too late.”
Either way, I think we’ll all agree that Mr King is now well past the l’esprit de l’escalier stage and is on the metaphorical last bus home alone with regard to non-promotion and future plans. It seems we will need to wait for the Emergency Gazebo Meeting to learn if his intentions towards The Rangers are honourable.
btw – lovers and romantics may want to avoid Google Translate based on their translation as: “the spirit of the staircase”.
There is something about the article I am linking that makes my skin crawl, I feel sick at the thought that my Country allows this to take place in the 21st Century. I’m sure most of you will feel the same, and shame on those who don’t!
The reason I am posting it, though, is very much pertinent to this blog. If what the last paragraph of the article says, and I know nothing about the publication, is true, then you will all find it very revealing, and should make a certain DoF at a club not far from my heart very angry indeed, though vindicated in his actions of a few years ago.
http://athousandflowers.net/2015/06/01/orangefest-set-to-take-over-glasgow-this-saturday/
For anyone unable to access the link, the article is about an ‘Orangefest’ taking place in Glasgow, the football related part is as follows:
“UPDATE: It’s since come to our attention that among the performers on Saturday will be “Pastor Michael McCurry”. The same Pastor Mike McCurry that quit as an SPL referee in disgrace after continual allegations of being biased towards Rangers? Could it just be?”
My appologies to the blog if this should turn out to be a spoof or an untruth, it does seem quite bizarre if genuine. Regardless of the article’s veracity, there will still be marches and the ‘Order’ (should such chaos to be called order??) lives on in my beautiful homeland.
Strange how the land that brought us the Nazis has a ‘Bierfest’, surely a symbol of inclusion and genuine merriment, while Scotland has advanced to an ‘Orangefest’, a clear symbol of much of what the Nazis stood for!
Allyjambo says:
Member: (974 comments)
June 2, 2015 at 9:06 am
tcup 2012 says:
Member: (222 comments)
June 2, 2015 at 7:38 am
Don’t know what to say about thisthis
http://www.vanguardbears.co.uk/article.php?i=61&a=vb-admin-statement—fir-park-31st-may
____________
Don’t know what to make of that; give you a TU for bringing it to our notice, or a TD because of the content. In the end I gave it neither, but thanks for bringing it to our notice, it is cringingly stupid and sad at the same time. Sad that anyone could write such rubbish, it’s almost soppy in it’s ‘poor me (all Rangers supporters)’ kind of way, and stupid in what it says and to let the worldwide community of ‘Rangers haters’ know how successful our coampaign of truth has been. If the writer of that piece is typical of all their supporters, the events of the past 3 or 4 years have hurt them very deeply indeed, more deeply than they have previously been prepared to show.
Still, it was very naughty of those Well fans to chant nasty sweary words at such damaged people, people who have never done a naughty thing in their lives!
17 0 Rate This
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After soiling my eyes with this rubbish this morning (thought I had picked up the DR 🙁 lol)
I realized the scariest thing for me
Is not them wanting a Nation wide man hunt
Not that the Motherwell fans are big bad bullies (sorry All Well fans 😳 )
Its the fact these people want a representative on the board
mcfc says:
June 2, 2015 at 11:01 am
L’esprit de l’escalier
Whilst I agree with the sentiment in the reference to Diderot I prefer:
Yesterday upon the marble staircase
I met a man who wasn’t there
He wasn’t there again today
I wish, I wish he’d go away
With apologies to Hughes Mearns.
tcup 2012 says:
Member: (223 comments)
June 2, 2015 at 11:09 am
…I realized the scariest thing for me…
…Its the fact these people want a representative on the board
_________
Even scarier is the fact (think Chris Graham) that they would be welcomed by the board!
Smugas says:
Member: (809 comments)
June 2, 2015 at 9:44 am
Barca,
If you access a Chick Young article from the mid noughties about Aberdeen being bottom, about how “you’re never too big to fail” and how “business is business” it more than backs up your post above.
============================================
This one is from December 2011- here’s a taster-
The man is the rankest of hypocrites, in my humble opinion. Maybe I should just laugh, but it really makes me want to weep- especially since he works for the BBC that I have to pay for.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/scotland/16056249
Giovanni says:
Member: (22 comments)
June 2, 2015 at 11:11 am
I met an investor who wasn’t there ? 🙂
OT
So much for the Scottish Governments stance against sectarianism 🙁
http://athousandflowers.net/tag/glasgow/
What a sad stupid wee country we live in 😡 😡
Good Morning!
I can’t decide whether I feel pity or unadulterated mirth towards the desperate Sevco spin that is in today’s papers. Particularly in relation to their ‘next’ manager.
Here are some further thoughts. Warning: contains mud-wrestling Arsene Wenger.
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2015/06/02/mud-wrestling-for-sevco
Enjoy the rest of the day
Time to eat my virtual hat.
I was utterly convinced that in the event of ‘honest mistake’ intervention being required in the play offs it would happen.
It didn’t, and six matches later there has been no significant criticism of the officials whatsoever. I think one Well supporter suggested Sevco should have had two red cards on Sunday. Both were what I call ‘yellow plus’ fouls, but a straight red for either would have been harsh. Perhaps Erwin would only have been booked but for what followed, which leads me to my only minor criticism. Moshni’s conduct merited at least three red cards (kick, punch, rammy).
But after literally decades of utter certainty about our officials I feel the need to reflect and reassess. Anyone like minded?
Smugas on June 2, 2015 at 9:44 am
Re Ferguson…linguistic contortions…
——–
Goes to show that good commentators don’t necessarily make informative pundits, and good pundits are sometimes awful commentators. DF ain’t ready to graduate to Sportsound pundit imo. And yes, the blue-tinted specs were much in evidence. But maybe they’re looking for the new Billy Dodds?
In the review of the season (think that was on SSB) the bottom two tiers were ignored. It’s as though they don’t exist. I thought the finish to Div 1 (Div 3 in old money) was brilliant. And as mentioned, superb drama all the way down to the final match at Links Park in the bottom tier.
@Bryce I think one of the deserved red cards alluded to was for the Zaliuskas elbow on Stephen Pearson. It either wasn’t seen or not deemed serious enough because unlike 99.99999999% of other players Pearson didn’t fall to the ground clutching his face. The elbow was swung though at face level and under current interpreatations of the laws of the game is an instant red card. I saw one or two incidents that could really have been honest mistakes including the referee intercepting a Motherwell pass (He doesn’t have to get out of the way but should make a reasonable effort to do so). I also think Thompson was too quick of the mark awarding the penalty with the ball already bound for the back of Bell’s net.
Whether we believe in the euphemistic honest mistakes or not I don’t think there was much point in deploying them. Motherwell wanted it more and were the better team in both legs so it might be better not having to explain dodgy penalties, sendings off and cancelling of opponents goals when there would have to have been far too many of them to make a difference. Just my thoughts on it
Managerial candidate Mark Warburton has clearly been keeping up to date with events via the MSM myth perpetuation version of news from Ibrox over the last four years. :slamb:
“I am well aware of the tradition and history of the club so I would never be anything other than absolutely respectful of a club of that stature.”
Full article at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/32972187
for those interested in the latest big name linked with the opportunity to “Open the Box” and see the size of the King’s Ransom. Unfortunately for him, it would be the company that employs him rather than the “club”.
Nice to hear it’s working out for the young man: http://m.stv.tv/sport/football/clubs/rangers/1322095-as-rangers-count-their-bruises-francisco-sandazas-la-liga-dream-nears/
Allyjambo
June 1, 2015 at 12:31 pm
On the ludicrous claims from the ‘experts’ yesterday that Motherwell shouldn’t have been so overjoyed at their win; it’s the same every year when a club avoids relegation in the last game; been there, done it. I’ve never before heard criticism of any ‘relegation avoidance’ celebrations, in fact, more often than not, the joy of the players and the supporters is commented on in a very positive manner by pundits on both sides of the border.
____________________________________________________________________
Miserable so and sos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyAUkaC6nsI
Hamburg annaw, aw that celebratin, whit ur they gettin excited aboot? I mean they hunvae won anythin’. Naw, away hame and be miserable instead 😉
http://www.bundesliga.com/en/liga/news/2013/0000294677.php
http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2015/jun/02/which-european-football-clubs-have-never-been-relegated?CMP=share_btn_tw#comment-53155487
Fill your boots
Warburton is an interesting character, having only come back into football in the last few years after a career in the City. Brentford are a good team with an ambitious owner, but on the few occasions I’ve seen them this season (once live and the others on telly), their play was largely dependent on the form of Alex Pritchard – a talented loanee from Tottenham – through whom much of their attacking play is directed.
Nonetheless, he will be in demand in the Championship down here (and Watford need a manager in the EPL). He may choose to bide his time before committing anywhere.
Allyjambo says:
Member: (976 comments)
June 2, 2015 at 9:06 am
tcup 2012 says:
Member: (222 comments)
June 2, 2015 at 7:38 am
Don’t know what to say about thisthis
http://www.vanguardbears.co.uk/article.php?i=61&a=vb-admin-statement—fir-park-31st-may
____________
Don’t know what to make of that; give you a TU for bringing it to our notice, or a TD because of the content. In the end I gave it neither, but thanks for bringing it to our notice, it is cringingly stupid and sad at the same time. Sad that anyone could write such rubbish, it’s almost soppy in it’s ‘poor me (all Rangers supporters)’ kind of way, and stupid in what it says and to let the worldwide community of ‘Rangers haters’ know how successful our coampaign of truth has been. If the writer of that piece is typical of all their supporters, the events of the past 3 or 4 years have hurt them very deeply indeed, more deeply than they have previously been prepared to show.
Still, it was very naughty of those Well fans to chant nasty sweary words at such damaged people, people who have never done a naughty thing in their lives!
__________________________________________________________
If you could only see the text and did not know the source of the article I would suggest that most people would genuinely think this was written by the Daily Mash or some other satirical site. It almost beggars belief that people can be so blinkered and delusional.
They might want to read up on this if they expect to be taken seriously:
Poe’s law is an internet adage which states that, without a clear indicator of the author’s intent, parodies of extremism are indistinguishable from sincere expressions of extremism.[1][2] Poe’s Law implies that parody will often be mistaken for sincere belief, and sincere beliefs for parody.[3]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe%27s_law