Spot the difference?

Good Afternoon.

Announcing outstanding financial successes for Rangers PLC the then Chairman of the club opened his Chairman’s report in the annual financial statements with the following words:

“Last summer I explained that the Club, after many years of significant investment in our playing squad
and more recently in our state of the art facility at Murray Park, had embarked on a three year business
plan to stabilise and improve the Club’s finances. The plan also recognised the need to react to the
challenging economic conditions facing football clubs around the world.

Following a trend over a number of years of increasing year on year losses, I am pleased to report that
in the first year of this plan we have made important progress by reversing this trend. Our trading loss
for last year of £11.2m reflects a £7.9m improvement versus the £19.1m loss for the previous year and
although it will take more time to completely reach our goals, this is a key milestone. We also intend to
make significant further progress by the end of the current financial year. This improvement is the
consequence of having a solid strategy and the commitment and energy to implement the changes it requires”

Later on in the same statement the chairman would add:

“Another key part of our plan is associated with the Rangers brand and our Retail Division goes from strength to strength. Our financial results this year have been significantly enhanced by an outstanding performance in merchandising Rangers products, in particular replica kit, which makes our Retail Division one of the most successful in Europe.”

In the same set of financial reports, the CEO would report:

“To further strengthen Rangers hospitality portfolio, a new dedicated sponsor’s lounge was unveiled this season. The Carling Lounge is a first for the Club and was developed in conjunction with our new sponsor, Carling. ”

and

“Our innovative events programme continues to grow and this year saw a record number of official events including the highly successful annual Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony, Player of the Year and 50 Championships Gala Dinner, all of which catered for up to 1000 guests.

At Rangers, we continually develop our portfolio of products and as a key area of income for the Club, we evaluate the market for new revenue opportunities on an ongoing basis in order to exceed our existing and potential customer expectations and needs.

Demand for season tickets reached an all time high last season with a record 42,508 season ticket holders in comparison with the previous season`s figure of 40,320. Over 36,000 of these season ticket holders renewed for this season – a record number.

For the new season, we are delighted to welcome brewing giant, Carling on board as our Official Club sponsor. Carling is one of the UK’s leading consumer brands with a proven track record in football sponsorship.
The Club also continues to work with a number of multinational blue chip brands such as National Car Rental, Sony Playstation 2, Bank of Scotland and Coca-Cola. This year, we will also experience the evolution of the Honda deal via Hyndland Honda and welcome the mobile communications giant T-Mobile to our ranks.”.

The year was 2003 and in the previous 24 months Rangers Football Club, owned and operated as a private fiefdom by Sir David Murray, had made operational losses of some £30 million.

Yes – 30 MILLION POUNDS.

Of course the chairman’s report for 2003 was written by John F Mclelland CBE and the CEO was one Martin Bain Esq.

As Mr Mclelland clearly stated, by 2003 the club already had a trend of increasing year on year losses covering a number of years and was losing annual sums which stretched into millions, if not tens of millions, of pounds.

However, the acquisition of Rangers Football Club was absolutely vital to David Murray’s personal business growth, and his complete control of the club as his own private business key was more important than any other business decision he had made before buying Rangers or since.

When he persuaded Gavin Masterton to finance 100% of the purchase price of the club, Murray had his finest business moment.

By getting control of Rangers, Murray was able to offer entertainment, hospitality, seeming privilege and bestow favour on others in a way that was hitherto undreamed of, and he bestowed that largesse on any number of “existing and potential clients” and contacts – be they the clients and contacts related to Rangers Football Club or the existing and potential clients of David Murray, his businesses, his banks, or anyone in any field that he chose to court for the purposes of potential business.

His business.

It wasn’t only journalists who benefited from the succulent lamb treatment.

Accountants,lawyers, surveyors, broadcasters, football officials, people in industry and construction, utilities, financiers and other areas of business were all invited inside the sacred House of Murray and given access to the great man of business “and owner of Rangers” while attending the “record number of official (hospitality) events”.

Twelve months on from when John McLelland made those statements in the 2003 accounts, David Murray was back in the chair at Ibrox and he presented the 2004 financials.

In the intervening 12 months Rangers had gained an additional £10 million from Champions League income and had received £8.6 million in transfer fees from the sale of Messrs Ferguson, Amoruso and McCann. Not only that, the Rangers board had managed to reduce the club’s wage bill by £5 million. Taking all three figures together comes to some £23.6 million in extra income or savings.

Yet, the accounts for 2004 showed that the club made an operational loss of almost £6 million and overall debt had risen by an additional £7 million to £97.4 million.

However, the 2004 accounts were also interesting for another reason.

Rangers PLC had introduced payments “to employees trusts” into their accounts for the first time in 2001 and in that year they had paid £1million into those trusts. Just three years later, the trust payments recorded in the accounts had risen to £7.3 million per annum — or to put it another way to 25% of the annual wage bill though no one in Scottish Football asked any questions about that!

By the following year, the chairman announced that the 2004 operational loss had in fact been £10.4million but that the good news was that the 2005 operational loss was only £7.8 million. However Rangers were able to post a profit before taxation if they included the money obtained from transfers (£8.4 million) and the inclusion of an extraordinary profit of £14,999,999 made on buying back the shares of a subsidiary company for £1 which they had previously sold for £15 million.

All of which added up to a whopping great profit of ……… £12.4 million!

I will leave you to do the maths on 2005.

Oh and of course these accounts included the detail that 3000 Rangers fans had joined David Murray in participating in the November ’94 share issue where the club managed to raise £51,430,995 in fresh capital most of which was provided by Mr Murray… sorry I mean MIH ….. sorry that should read Bank of Scotland …… or their shareholders……. or should that be the public purse?

The notable items in the 2006 accounts included the announcement of a ten year deal with JJB Sports to take over the merchandising operation of the club and increased revenue from an extended run in the Champion’s League. However, the profit before tax was declared at only£0.1 million in comparison to the £12.4 million of the year before but then again that £12.4 million had included player sales of £8.4 million and the £15 million sweety bonus from  the repurchase of ones own former subsidiary shares for £1.

Jumping to 2008 Rangers saw a record year in terms of turnover which had risen to £64.5 million which enabled the company to record a profit on ordinary activities before taxation of  £6.57 million although it should be pointed out that wages and bonuses were up at 77% of turnover and that a big factor in the Rangers income stream was corporate hospitality and the top line of income was shown as “gate receipts and hospitality”.

However, 2009 saw a calamitous set of figures. Whilst Alastair Johnston tried to put a brave chairman’s face on it, the year saw an operating loss of £17.325 million which was softened only by player disposals leading to a loss before taxation of a mere £14.085 million.

Fortunately Sir David did not have to report these figures as he chose to stand down as chairman in August and so Johnston stepped in and announced that he was deeply honoured to do so.

In 2010, the income stream jumped from £39.7 million to over £56 million with the result that the club showed a profit before taxation of £4.209 million.

However, by that time the corporate hospitality ticket that was Rangers Football Club was done for as a result of matters that had nothing to do with events on the football field in the main.

First, the emergence of the Fergus McCann run Celtic had brought a real business and sporting challenge. This was something that Murray had not previously faced in the football business.

Second,the Bank of Scotland had gone bust and Lloyds could not and would not allow Murray to continually borrow vast sums of money on the basis of revalued assets and outrageous hospitality.

Third, the UEFA fair play rules came into being and demanded that clubs at least act on a semblance of proper corporate governance and fiscal propriety.

Lastly,Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs tightened up the law on the use of EBT’s which meant that Rangers could no longer afford to buy in the players that brought almost guaranteed success against domestic opposition.

On average, since 2002 Rangers PLC had lost between £7 million – £8 million per year – or roughly £650,000 per month if you like – yet for the better part of a decade David Murray had been able to persuade the Bank of Scotland that this was a business that was worthy of ever greater financial support or that he himself and his MIH business was of such value that the Banks should support him in supporting the Ibrox club whilst operating in this fashion.

Of course, had Murray’s Rangers paid tax on all player remunerations then the losses would have been far larger.

Meanwhile, all the other clubs in Scottish football who banked with the Bank of Scotland faced funding cuts and demands for repayment with the bank publicly proclaiming that it was overexposed to the football market in Scotland.

But no one asked any questions about why the bank should act one way with Murray’s club but another way with all others. No one in football, no one in the media and no one from the world of business.

Looking back,it is hard to imagine a business which has been run on such a consistent loss making basis being allowed to continue by either its owners or by its bankers. However, a successful and funded Rangers was so important to the Murray group that David Murray was clearly willing to lose millions year after year to keep the Gala dinners and corporate hospitality going.

Rangers were Murray’s big PR vehicle and the club was essentially used by him to open the doors which would allow him to make more money elsewhere on a personal basis and if it meant Rangers cutting every corner and accumulating massive losses, unsustainable losses, then so be it.

Today, the new regime at Ibrox run the current business in a way which clocks up the same colossal annual losses whilst the club competes outwith Scotland’s top division. Each day we hear that the wage bill is unsustainable, that the playing staff are overpaid, that the stadium needs massive investment and that the fans are opposed to the stadium itself being mortgaged and the club being in hawk to lenders.

Yet, in the Murray era the Stadium was revalued time and time again and its revaluation was used as the justification for ever greater borrowing on the Rangers accounts. The playing staff were massively overpaid and financially assisted by the EBT’s and most years the Chairman’s annual statement announced huge losses despite regular claims of record season ticket sales, record hospitality income, European income, shirt sponsorship and the outsourcing of all merchandising to JJB sports instead of Sports Direct.

The comparison between the old business and the current one is clear for all to see.

It should be noted, that since the days of Murray, no major banking institution has agreed to provide the Ibrox business with any banking facilities. Not under Whyte, not under Green, not under anyone.

Yet few ask why that should be.

The destruction of the old Rangers business led those in charge of Scottish football to announce that Armageddon was on the horizon if it had not actually arrived, yet today virtually all Scottish clubs are in a better financial and business state than back in the bad old days of the Bank of Scotland financed SPL. Some have succumbed to insolvency, and others have simply cut their cloth, changed their structure, sought, and in some cases attracted, new owners and moved on in terms of business.

In general, Scottish Football has cleaned house at club level.

Now, David Murray has “cleaned house” in that MIH has bitten the dust and walked down insolvency road.

What is interesting is that the Murray brand still has that capacity to get out a good PR message when it needs to. Despite the MIH pension fund being short of money for some inexplicable reason, last week it was announced that the family controlled Murray Estates had approached those in charge of MIH and had agreed to buy some key MIH assets for something in the region of £13.9 million.

The assets concerned are land banks which at some point will be zoned for planning and which will undoubtedly bring the Murray family considerable profit in the future, with some of those assets already looking as if they will produce a return sooner rather than later.

However, what is not commented upon in the mainstream press is the fact that Murray Estates had the ability to pay £13.9 Million for anything at all and that having that amount of money to spend the Murray camp has chosen not to buy any football club down Govan way.

Perhaps, it has been realised that a football club which loses millions of pounds each year is not such a shrewd investment and that the Murray family money would be better spent elsewhere?

Perhaps, it has been realised that the culture of wining, dining, partying and entertaining to the most lavish and extravagant extent will not result in the banks opening their vaults any more?

Perhaps, it has been realised that the Rangers brand has been so badly damaged over the years that it is no longer the key to the golden door in terms of business, finance and banking and that running a football club in 2015 involves a discipline and a set of skills that David Murray and his team do not have experience of?

What is clear, is that the Murray years at Ibrox were not good for the average Rangers fan in the long term and that when you have a football club – any football club – being run for the private benefit of one rich individual, or group of individuals, then the feelings and passions of the ordinary fan will as often as not be forgotten when that individual or his group choose to move on once they have decided that they no longer wish to play with their toy football club.

David Murray did not make money directly out of Rangers Football Club. He used it as a key to open other doors for him and to get him a seat at other tables and into a different type of “club” altogether. He did not run the club in a day to day fashion that was designed to bring stability and prolonged financial, or playing, success to the club. its investors and its fans. He did not preside over Ibrox during a period of sustained financial gain.

Mike Ashley will not subsidise 2015 version of Rangers to anything like the same extent that the Bank of Scotland did in the 90’s and naughties.

However, Ashley, like Murray, will use his control of the Rangers brand to open doors for him elsewhere in the sports retail market, and he will use the Rangers contract with Sports Direct to make a handsome profit. He will also control all the advertising revenue just as he does at Newcastle. In short, Mr Ashley is only interested in The Rangers with a view to using it as a stepping stone to achieve other things elsewhere.

However, don’t take my word for any of this, take the opinion of someone who knows.

Mr Dave King is quoted today as saying the following about the current board of Directors who are in charge of the current Ibrox holding company.

“History will judge this board as one of the worst the club has ever had. There is not one individual who puts the club above personal interest.”

That is an interesting observation from a man who became a non executive director of the old Rangers holding company in 2000 and who had a front row pew for every set of accounts and all the financial statements referred to above.

Whether or not Mr King is a glib and shameless liar is a matter of South African judicial opinion. Whether or not he can spot someone who puts their own self interest ahead of the interests of Rangers Football Club and the supporters of the club is a matter that should be discussed over some fine wine, some succulent lamb and whatever postprandial entertainment you care to imagine.

I wonder if he has ever read the accounts of Rangers PLC and compared them to the corresponding accounts of MIH for the same period?

 

4,992 thoughts on “Spot the difference?


  1. GoosyGoosy says: 9:27

    Can you ask your friends how sorry they now feel for all fans now that they know the LNS investigation was a farce & can you ask them will they demand the investigation be revisited ?

    If they don’t want the investigation revisited then they can rot in hell for all I care.


  2. Christyboy says:
    January 21, 2015 at 9:05 am

    Of all the times he could have given an interview, in Le Chateau, at the racecourse, in the bloody SKY News centre but no! In a bed. As a patient. With a gown on WHY?

    =================
    If I understand the “script” correctly, Charles had decided to be interviewed straight away as soon as heard about those wicked Sons of Struth rumours earlier that day that he had been arrested in France. As my Irish mammy would have said, and the band played “believe it if you like”.

    I am cynical enough to believe that the arrest rumour was “placed” with Sons of Struth for 2 reasons- firstly to embarrass SofS, and make them out to be unreliable rumour mongers, and secondly, to set up the scoop of the century for White, while giving our Yorkshire hero a platform from which to give Dave King some of his own back.

    The whole show tells me that Green is still getting paid in some way that links to Ashley- otherwise, why would he bother. It would be very easy to quash rumours that he had been arrested by a simple one line press statement, incorporating a threat of legal action. Ashley wanted someone to get a few home truths about King (and McCoist) into the public domain. Charles has obliged, with bells on. Brilliant!


  3. A wee reminder about the shameless one.

    Authority says businessman entered a plea of guilty on 41 counts of contravening Section 75 of the Income Tax Act

    The State versus David Cunningham King (Case No: CC 257/2005)

    29 Aug 2013

    Mr David Cunningham King, the accused in the case of The State versus DC King (Case no.: CC257/2005 – otherwise referred to as the King 1 case), today entered a plea of guilty in the South Gauteng High Court held at Palm Ridge, on 41 counts of various contraventions of section 75 of the Income Tax Act 58 of 1962, as per the indictment.

    The said plea is in accordance with a plea and sentence agreement in terms of section 105A(1) of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977, entered into between the accused and the National Prosecuting Authority. The High Court was satisfied that the aforesaid agreement complied with the requirements of the provisions of section 105A(1) of the Criminal Procedure Act, that the accused admitted the allegations in the above-mentioned counts and that he was guilty of the offences.

    The Court was moreover satisfied that the sentence agreement was just, whereupon the Court proceeded to convict the accused of the offences and sentenced the accused in accordance with the sentence agreement.

    In terms of the agreement, the accused was sentenced to a fine of R80 000.00 or 24 months’ imprisonment on each of the 41 counts, being the maximum sentence provided for in the Income Tax Act read with the Adjustment of Fines Act 101 of 1991. The effective sentence, as confirmed in the agreement, is a fine of R3 280 000.00 or 984 months (82 years) imprisonment.

    The accused has, moreover, agreed to pay to the Criminal Assets Recovery Account (“CARA”) the amount of R8.75 million as contemplated in section 64(e) of Act 121 of 1998. This payment will be effected within 30 days of the plea agreement having been finalised today. The plea and sentence agreement was entered into having due regard to the following factors, as stipulated in the agreement:

    the State consulted with the complainants, being representatives of the South African Revenue Service (“SARS”) and representatives of the South African Reserve Bank (“SARB”), and afforded them the opportunity to make representations; as required by the law.
    the said complainants, namely SARS and SARB, are satisfied with the agreement as entered into
    SARS has instituted various actions against the accused relevant to the offences and will (in terms of the actions and by agreement with the accused) recover an amount of R 706.7 million (figure verified by SARS)
    the accused has reached an agreement with SARS and SARB to settle all disputes between them. In terms of the agreement with SARS, the accused has entered into an agreement to settle his tax indebtedness with SARS and has reached a settlement with SARB
    the length of the trial should the accused plead not guilty, and the consequent burden on the criminal justice system
    the trial related prejudice by virtue of material witnesses who have passed away or have become unavailable or unable to testify
    the expense to which the State would be put by such a trial, which would be lengthy and require the testimony of experts and witnesses based in foreign countries
    the nature, aggravating circumstances and facts relating to the offences
    the personal circumstances of the accused
    the fact that the accused has no previous convictions
    the interests of society.


  4. Regardless of who ordered it, Green’s mission was clear. Discredit Rangers Men with the message that King’s a convicted tax dodger who has yet to put any money into the new club, McCoist is a wage thief, the main opponents of the board (SoS) are gullible rumour mongers. While there was no mention of Onerous Contracts his other points were true in that he raised plenty cash via the IPO and Ashley and the Easdales are sticking their hands in their pockets.

    That being said he is comedy gold and you can’t help admire the sheer brass neck of it all.


  5. yakutsuki says:
    January 21, 2015 at 8:24 am

    I want a safer Scotland for my children. If the rallying point for hatred of them was removed, would I be saddened? No chance – bring it on!

    If you go through life sowing thorns, don’t expect roses. Hell mend them!
    ============================================================

    Roses too have thorns ❗

    I believe all sensible Scots want a safer Scotland for all who live here. That’s not an issue.

    However there isn’t a single rallying point IMO there are many although Ibrox is an important totem. But the real problem is a cultural one and until that’s effectively dealt with the hatred from both sides of the divide will continue to fuel bigotry in all its forms.

    And there are haters in both Rangers and Celtic supports and it is a big part of the continuing problem if that cannot be recognised let alone dealt with. I doubt if this is the place to examine the origins and their continuing existance that created Scotland’s shame.

    But until Scottish Politicians from all parties say that it’s time to blow the whistle then there will be no quick and radical solutions. We will simply have to wait and let time continue the process of winnowing the haters and hope that new generations are no longer affected by the folk memories fed to them as babies.

    A major part of the education in any democracy is a free press and when I look at the courage of those throughout the world that lose their lives in pursuit of trying to make things better and then look at the SMSM I want to boak.

    They are a disgrace – I would fight in every way I can to protect the Freedom of the Press to tell the truth and expose evil. I won’t lift my little finger to support the PR-fed journos who spin lies and myths to fulfill their masters’ agendas.

    If bigotry is Scotland’s shame then the majority of the country’s MSM are Scotland’s disgrace.

    I have no intention of getting involved in futile tit-for-tat whataboutery but watching the Rangers v. Hearts game on the telly and listening to the old anthem of hatred being clearly belted out at the end to a national TV audience I was left dumfoonered.

    Not at the silence from the pundits. Not at the madness of wanting to be tied to a violent and sectarian Glasgow gang – thankfully long dead. Not even to the embarassment of the fact that it was being broadcast on national TV. Not at the silence of gawd knows how many recent Ibrox Boards on the issue.

    This hymn of hatred designed to strike fear into the hearts of enemies was sung by a significant number of Rangers fans.

    And that’s when I felt truly sorry for them. Here they were in the ideal conditions to beat possibly the best footballing side in Scotland – Belting out defiance in their threadbare stadium that soon won’t belong to them.

    And they couldn’t even afford to turn the undersoil heating on or pay anyone to brush the snow off the pitch. They couldn’t even let the fans do it gratis in case they started digging-up the turf.

    So all the fans have left is to retreat into the warm fuzzy feeling of the good old days and glorify Glasgow razor slashers. I doubt if Bill Struth had been alive he would have been singing – more likely weeping in shame at the embarassment Ibrox and its support has become.

    But I don’t glory in the death of Rangers but see it as an opportunity for Bears who want to watch and foster good football and to follow the financial rules and Sporting Integrity.

    That takes me onto Scottish Football Governance or the lack of it – however I think I’ve said enough for now other than to observe the SFA remains a significant part of the baggage and a major road-block to reform.


  6. mcfc says:
    January 21, 2015 at 9:43 am

    How do you smear someone with 42 convictions?

    You don’t bother smearing anyone, you unveil a paragon of virtue who has only 41 convictions as your champion to lead the people into the promised land?


  7. Two points both related
    1 Welcome back GS.Well Done..we need someone of authority in the media to tell it as it isand not pander to inhabitants of a parallel universe as all the others are doing. I hope you keep going..as this will bring the crucial issues into wider public view and have them debated

    2 Ginola and FIFA: ..isn’t it just time that we had someone we all loved and trusted implicitly at the head of our Sport .someone like eg Wille Miller or the like .There are other great names as well.
    Looking back CO should never have been allowed in the door never mind ascend to presidency ..never mind be re-voted as president when so badly conflicted..recipe for complete disaster which hs happened and continues to engulf them
    If not now …then if and when the SFA contrive to allow King or Ashley or a combo run Rangers ..the fans should demand the 41 clubs walk away from the Sfa and form a new association and bring in real football men we all trust


  8. wottpi says:
    January 21, 2015 at 9:39 am

    That being said he is comedy gold and you can’t help admire the sheer brass neck of it all.
    =====================================================
    I hope the knee opp will mean he can retain his school sprint world record 😆


  9. From the Hoots:

    Ashley’s emergency loans of £3 million before Christmas to keep the club solvent

    Eh? Keep it solvent? Keep the lights on mebbies… otherwise it appears to this layman to be a sticking plaster being applied to an amputation wound.


  10. Resin_lab_dog says:
    January 21, 2015 at 3:09 am
    GoosyGoosy says:
    January 20, 2015 at 9:27 pm
    …………The SFA control the license
    It can create a rule preventing this sort of behaviour and apply it to Ashley
    Meanwhile
    To demonstrate who is in charge
    The TRFC license should be suspended until Ashley has been repaid his debt and sold his shareholding

    __________________________________________________

    You make excellent point here Goosy.
    About the grieving bears.
    But I think you miss some of the failure and Opportunity.

    If MASH is stopped, either King and the bears step up, or TRFC go down.

    ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
    Resin_lab_dog
    This is not about taking sides in a Spiv battle
    I`m saying the behaviour of Ashley is far and away the most important threat to our game in Scotland since Mastertons antics with the BOS
    Withdrawing the license puts a stake in the ground for the credibility of the governing bodies
    If TRFC go down in the process its a price worth paying.
    Some form of TRFC will continue But it needn`t be rushed
    With the license back in their pocket the SFA could demand a lot from whoever starts the next Newco
    Like a significant degree of Fan ownership
    Like a commitment to abandon the most objectionable parts of their culture backed up with agreed sanctions if they don`t

    The SFA have only one effective tool in the toolbox
    They need to use it


  11. Those ‘d’un certain age’ will remember ‘The Guns of Navarone’ with Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, David Niven and other greats. In one scene, Anthony Quayle has been wounded and left for the H..s to pick up. Desperate for information, they take him to the ‘interrogation centre’ and decide to inject him with scopalomine to be sure he would answer all questions truthfully – it didn’t work, of course….

    Now why did that scene occur to me as I watched JW at work??…


  12. mcfc,

    Don’t know why, but I’m reminded of the old joke, the newspaper laddie shouting “92 taken in Glasgow Scam.” A punter buys the paper and has a quick flick through but finds nothing about any con. “93 taken in Glasgow scam” shouts the youth…


  13. Never to be outdone, Keith Jackson pays tribute to——— Paul Murray!!! Always the bridesmaid, never the bride, has he caught the bouquet this time? These guys have some brass neck. We can laugh at Charles Green (he is comedy gold, after all, and looks like Sid James) but for all his faults, Charles is just a pretty upfront snake oil salesman.

    I would much rather deal with a snake oil salesman than a bunch of snakes. Would anyone buy a used car from Dave King? I wouldn’t buy one from Charles either, but at least I’d get a laugh from his sales pitch.

    Jackson back to his worst. Read this crap and weep.

    http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/former-rangers-director-paul-murray-5011803


  14. neepheid says:
    January 21, 2015 at 9:28 am
    21 1 Rate This

    … Charles has obliged, with bells on. Brilliant!
    ———–

    The repeated, ‘I don’t like Mike Ashley’ had that whiff of ‘You are Sevco … and I’ll speak fookin ill of you, nod nod, wink wink, say no more!’ 😆

    White-meets-Green was actually funnier than Only an Excuse. Jim White does a great Jonathan Watson. Of course, knee operations are no fun, so get well soon Charles!


  15. Chuckles said – he was “in with Rod Petrie
    (of the 5 way agreement and Regan’s holiday adviser)
    and Rod told him to give the titles back and cups back
    . . . and when we were in the SPL then got thrown out of the SPL…”

    That is a blatant lie.

    Chuckles is on record
    as saying the fines and penalties at ibrox (don’t laugh) were nowt to do with them (Sevco) as they had never BEEN in the SPL and in all likelihood, he would refuse to play in the SPL if Sevco got there (via promotion)?

    Oh, and he bought those Titles !!

    Who from ?
    how much ?
    did he get a receipt ?


  16. Goosey,

    I accept the basic premise that withdrawal of a licence would stop Ashleys experiment ((c) phil) stone dead. Ashley, of course, is aware that that will never happen without significant change at the top, i.e. it will never happen.

    I would however, constructively, question your priorities that they need to address;

    Fan ownership – yup fine, but that always falls down when the fans are supposed to stump up the cash. A bit like community ownership of land, there is always a presumption that creeps in that the community should just be ‘given’ ownership in the first place. Doubt it would be any different here.

    Cultural heritage – nuff said

    No. Top of the list, far far away at the top of the list is the decision to run at considerable loss. BRTH demonstrates this is not a new phenomenon. The new owners, whoever that may be, can either demonstrate the austere changes required to achieve this or they can show, up front, the wherewithal to allow them to continue as is. A cash bond on top wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

    Everything else, from “Fitba’s” point of view is secondary at this point in time.


  17. Danish Pastry says:
    January 21, 2015 at 10:12 am
    0 0 Rate This

    neepheid says:
    January 21, 2015 at 9:28 am
    21 1 Rate This

    … Charles has obliged, with bells on. Brilliant!
    ———–

    The repeated, ‘I don’t like Mike Ashley’ had that whiff of ‘You are Sevco … and I’ll speak fookin ill of you, nod nod, wink wink, say no more!’ 😆

    White-meets-Green was actually funnier than Only an Excuse. Jim White does a great Jonathan Watson. Of course, knee operations are no fun, so get well soon Charles!

    ………………………………

    Yeah, that’s Jonathan Watson got his first sketch for next Hogmanay sorted.

    I didn’t realise humans had a Funny bone in their knees !!!!


  18. yakutsuki says:
    January 21, 2015 at 8:24 am
    59 2 Rate This

    GoosyGoosy says:
    January 20, 2015 at 9:27 pm
    =========================================

    “Enough is enough….even for Celtic Fans
    The banter has to stop
    Many of these grieving Bears are friends and relations. Behind closed doors, their pain is our pain.”

    Whoah there Goosy! Don’t include me anyway.
    ————————————————————–

    I also do not agree with goosygoosy.
    The govan club and their fans have shown absolute no remorse and blame everyone else for the demise of the club. They as fans did not do enough from day one. They should look no further than all of their owners past and present for answers to why they are were they are at present. Also the smsm are at fault but then again alternative and more factual info has been out there and they as fans could have accessed this info and maybe just maybe believed it and acted quicker. I for one have not missed this club or their fans presence in our top league. This game coming up will confirm why I do not want them back imo.
    On a lighter note what I will miss ( if the club ever resolves their issues or is liquidated) is the ongoing saga concerning the behind the scenes activities and the people involved. For example Paul Murray in the DR said he wants rid of these pantomime villains from the club (someone on twitter pointed out that they are trying to bring in a real villain instead) made me chuckle (no pun intended). I watched the Charles Green interview and like Mr Green I also had tears in my eyes, if you have not seen it I recommend dress attire if going to watch it should include a pair of incontinent pants. Sounds harsh but when you consider his past remarks like bigotry, racist remark about fellow director, them over there statement, they wearing of an orange top etc.. He was absolutely ruthless concerning making his money from the club without remorse or any consideration to the fans, who applauded him in the beginning. The truth will prevail concerning this club and hopefully the true role of the SFA will come to light and the forth coming potential ramifications will not show our sport in a good light,but I will welcome this to help give us back our sport. My wife remarked this fiasco at Ibrox is similar to a good long running west end production as entertainment value is excellent with all the cast involved, she actually likened it to Barnum and who am I to argue.

    Also just seen this article about Mr King, truth will prevail

    http://t.co/HFvAnxYNgT


  19. Ballyargus says:
    January 20, 2015 at 10:44 pm

    The Green and White interview as published in the DR differs from other versions in that it has edited out Greens reference to McCoist and Bain.
    “My salary was £360,000 a year. It was going to be double that but we were in the SPL. When we were thrown out the SPL I halved my salary. Ally McCoist refused to so he kept his £760,000. I though the chief executive previously, Martin Bain, was on more than I was on but I reduced my salary to £360,000.
    =========================================================================
    And no one asks him about his 5 million shares or his bonuses or his pay-off.


  20. Occam,

    Ah, but does Jim White step aside and let a much more sinister jackbooted KJ step in, delicately rolling the butt of his em, typewriter?, on CG’s post operative knee joint causing Craig Whyte to roll around on the floor pretending to be sick and psomising to tell all?


  21. neepheid says:
    January 21, 2015 at 10:09 am
    10 0 Rate This

    Jackson back to his worst. Read this crap and weep.
    —————————————————
    I disagree I think it is Jackson at his best and that is why I laugh wholeheartedly.


  22. ParanoidWellFan says:
    January 21, 2015 at 10:40 am

    Well done Tom English, some facts about the convicted [..]

    —————————————————————

    Also good to see an all too rare SMSM acknowledgement of David Murray’s culpability in the old club’s downfall.


  23. Nice article from Spiers and English.

    Pity they are behind the likes of

    HirsutePursuit says:
    January 20, 2015 at 1:18 am

    Who reminded us of the SFA Judicial Panel’s musing yesterday along with all the others who have clearly reminded us of what the SA courts decision was.

    TSFM – showing the way for the SMSM since July 2012


  24. ParanoidWellFan says:
    January 21, 2015 at 10:40 am

    1

    0

    Rate This

    Well done Tom English, some facts about the convicted [..] http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30911000
    =========================

    David ‘Pants on fire’ King is correct, his fines are “Favourable.” Well, better than 82 years in prison anyhow.

    By the way, great stuff BRTH. Thanks.


  25. Bottle or Tragedy
    I know very little about Kenny McDowall, but I would have thought the upcoming semi-final would be the match of a lifetime for a coach/manager, so it seems strange that he has stood down now after sticking it out alongside Super for so long. He may not want to be the man who got a world record drubbing by Celtic – but that would not be the Rangers way – well I hope it is that, because let’s not forget that another manager back in the news recently stepped down for personal reasons that proved to be noble and not up for discussion at the time. I hope it is colossal loss of bottle rather than anything more important than football. Let’s give the guy the benefit of the doubt until we know.


  26. bfbpuzzled says:
    January 20, 2015 at 8:04 pm
    82 0 Rate This

    ‘No you cannot buy my football club Mr Murray you do not have any money’ Reported comments from Ayr United chairman and the rest is as they say is history

    ========================

    I was involved in the rail freight business in Ayrshire at that time & the rumour was he wasn’t interested in the football club, but the land it stood on, adjacent to two rail lines & a couple of large redundant industrial sites.

    The Honest Men were to go to Dam Park, where they had played a few times previously.


  27. Says a lot when people consistently described as ‘spivs’ appear to have claimed the moral high ground from RRM past and present!

    Btw, is the new firm: Level5 v Media House? Irvine’s comment about ‘the living dead’ and Paul Murray was a bit close to the skeletal tissue!


  28. I cannot for the life of me understand the naysayers here who seem to think that the Charles Green (bless ‘im) video was a little disingenuous. Couldn’t you feel the emotion when his voice cracked:

    “I had meetings with Rod Petrie, who was just saying, ‘Oh we’ll hand the titles back and the cups back’, and I didn’t do that. So I fought for Rangers…and..I’m upset”…(hand sweeping towards his heart and head turning away dramatically from the camera, shedding dry tears).

    “I can see you’re upset Charles” says Jim White compassionately. (Cue camera pan to close-up and delay of the intravenous valve imbedded in Charles’ hand.

    “I don’t want to take advantage of you as you lie here in front of me in a hospital bed”.

    After seeing this, I’m convinced that the man is not a spiv, he’s a saint!


  29. Is Llambias Knowingly Oversold

    Derek Llambias is certainly Mike Ashley’s best known lieutenant from his time at Newcastle. And by all accounts Derek did a solid job there for Mike. But when Mike controls a plc with a market cap of £4,370,000,000 and he puts Derek in charge of a basket case venture with a market cap of £22,410,000, (about half a percent of SD plc) that’s not exactly a high power job is it? It follows that Mike has 100-200 other people with jobs of similar importance. So Derek will be lucky to get half an hour of Mike’s time each month. If Mike choppers up to Ibrox for a match from his Derbyshire HQ, that would use up a whole year’s worth of Derek’s face time – well conference call time.


  30. by EWING GRAHAME
    Published on the
    14 January
    2015
    04:26

    Published 14/01/2015 04:26

    CASH-STRAPPED Rangers have not been asked to pay in advance for the 21,000 tickets they have been given for their League Cup semi-final against Celtic – because such a request would be against SPFL rules.

    The Hampden showdown on 1 February will be the first meeting between the Glasgow giants since Celtic won 3-0 at Parkhead on April 29, 2012 and is a guaranteed sell-out.

    Priority tickets were made available at Ibrox yesterday for season-ticket holders but, although the tickets will raise over £500,000, Rangers won’t need to part with that money until the middle of next month. That’s in spite of the fact that the club has been forced to ask for emergency loans in recent months simply to keep the lights on. Ironically, when Craig Whyte’s Rangers were heading for administration and liquidation, Celtic insisted on cash up front before providing them with tickets for a league game at Parkhead on 28 December.

    However, they won’t be forced to post a bond for the cup tickets – revenue generated will be shared between the four semi-finalists and the league – according to the ruling body.

    “Our company regulations state that participating clubs don’t have to provide the money raised from ticket sales for the League Cup semi-finals or final to the SPFL until ten days after the ties have been played,” said SPFL secretary Ian Blair. “While we obviously monitor the reality of the situation it’s important that all of our member clubs are treated fairly and equally.”


  31. Resin,smugas et al

    Firstly,lets be clear, Ashley plays by the rules, and he is very, very good at it.

    Secondly, Rangers in many respects, deserve everything they get, there have been a number of opportunities for Rangers to make things right, they have spurned every one of them.

    That said, this is bigger than Rangers.

    The closest analogy I can come up with is Bosman. Bosman was a disaster for football, and in no small measure is responsible for the state of the game to day.

    In 5 years time we could well be saying, we should have stopped the Ashley Diet Plan when we had the chance. Forget Rangers for a moment, play the video to the end.


  32. There is more than one Green giant with corn…

    Murray M said he was a ‘Scottish mathematician ‘ on the day of the ‘Extraordinary (sic) AGM’ which degree of Rangersness does thar denote?


  33. mcfc says:

    January 21, 2015 at 11:17 am

    18

    2

    Rate This

    Bottle or Tragedy
    I know very little about Kenny McDowall, but I would have thought the upcoming semi-final would be the match of a lifetime for a coach/manager, so it seems strange that he has stood down now after sticking it out alongside Super for so long. He may not want to be the man who got a world record drubbing by Celtic – but that would not be the Rangers way – well I hope it is that
    _____________________________________________________________

    He’ll still be in the dugout for the Celtic semi-final as he is on his notice period. Other than in the unlikely event that RFC fork out for a new manager to be installed immediately


  34. MoreCelticParanoia says: January 21, 2015 at 1:07 pm
    ———————
    The cross subsidy of other Murray group companies from RFC’s income is also evident from the related party transactions.

    Value of contracts paid to related parties from RFC accounts
    1998 675,000
    1999 673,000
    2000 975,000
    2001 3,082,000
    2002 4,221,000
    2003 3,896,000
    2004 4,298,000
    2005 3,941,000
    2006 1,918,000
    2007 1,875,000
    2008 1,177,000
    2009 1,140,000
    2010 665,000
    2011 407,000
    Total 28,943,000


  35. Brilliant article, although I have a question:

    “David Murray did not make money directly out of Rangers Football Club”

    The list of EBT beneficiaries says differently does it not? His name was at the top of the list running into millions as I recall.

    As for the interview, Mr Green was unequivocal in stating that Mr Super did not take any cut in salary, a statement which seems to have had little attention
    ************************
    Presumably that is why the word “directly” appears in the story.

    My fading memory suggests Murray’s total take from EBTs was £6 million – but happy to be (upwardly) corrected.

    PS Congrats to BRTH on the latest blog. A rogues gallery of corporate failures.


  36. Fascinating as usual from Phil. Looks like checkmate MA.

    If it works out as Phil is intimating the only road out of future subservience to SD really is to start a newco newco; but the will to start as a ‘diddy club’ is probably not appealing to the majority. Pity, it could be the proper rebirth needed and a real sporting challenge.

    Can see these RRM doing another Blue Knights’ job and fading into the background again (or back to their ‘lairs’, as JI describes them. Ouch.).


  37. MoreCelticParanoia says:
    January 21, 2015 at 1:07 pm

    As for the interview, Mr Green was unequivocal in stating that Mr Super did not take any cut in salary, a statement which seems to have had little attention.

    ——————————————————————————

    In fact the DR made no mention of it whatsoever by seemingly missing it out of their text all together. Now why would that be?


  38. Maybe RFFF would be better tasking their expensive legal eagles with understanding the current securities against Ibrox. I’m sure Mike is in possession of the full facts.

    “Rangers fans contribute £500,000 for Ibrox legal fight”

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30917103
    *************************************************
    Can anyone who understands this situation better than I/me clarify – how can this lot contest any decision to secure the stadium against a loan ? Can any schmoe just get some money and go to court ? Don’t you have to at least be a shareholder or someone with a financial interest in the club ? Otherwise , this is a recipe for anarchy and we’ve all had quite enough of that down Ibrox way.

    Haven’t we ?


  39. MoreCelticParanoia says:
    January 21, 2015 at 1:16 pm

    He’ll still be in the dugout for the Celtic semi-final as he is on his notice period. Other than in the unlikely event that RFC fork out for a new manager to be installed immediately
    =====================================================================
    I read it that he’d returned to his pre-caretaker job. The staement is not exactly clear but I read it as meaning he’s given up control to a caretaker caretaker (unnamed) – either because he can’t handle the stress – or he needs to concentrate on other “personal” things. So, yes probably in the dug-out – but not the main man.

    “KENNY McDOWALL has tendered his resignation as caretaker manager of Rangers Football Club, citing personal reasons for stepping down.

    Kenny, who has been a fantastic servant of the club, will serve his 12-month notice period, during which time he will remain 100% committed to his normal duties.

    The club respects Kenny’s decision and he will continue to have the full support of everybody at Rangers.”


  40. tearsofjoy says:
    January 21, 2015 at 1:32 pm
    Can any schmoe just get some money and go to court ?
    ============================================================
    The article suggests several times that they are casting around for some possible legal angle – because they don’t have an earthly at the moment. It turns out that “legalized theft” is legal so that was a non starter. Bless.


  41. MoreCelticParanoia says:
    January 21, 2015 at 1:07 pm

    Well, as my mathematician son never tires of telling me, when he is looking for a sub, Maths has very little to do with Arithmetic. If Murray Minor has little understanding of arithmetic, it would certainly go some way to explain what happened to Rangers Mk1, when he was a director :mrgreen:


  42. scapaflow says:
    January 21, 2015 at 1:05 pm
    =================================================================
    My gut feeling is that overall Ashley may prove to be a good thing. It may be hard to appreciate now, but Ashley may be the Edward Jenner of Scottish football by eradicaating Rangeritis from Ibrox, Hampden and the MSM. Just think how good it could be with that pox defeated by the simplest of remedies – indifference. Imagine an SFA and SPFL focussed on the good of football for everyone involed at all levels, of referees not put in charge of their own team’s matches and disciiplined for dubious decisions. Imagine this forum discussing nothing but football – on the pitch.

    If Mike stays the course I think many incumbants will be revealed as incompetent and conflicted – and will have to fall on their swords, making room for a new generation who will know from the off that the old ways are dead and gone – you may say I’m a dreamer – but I’m not the only one . . . .

    http://www.discoveriesinmedicine.com/General-Information-and-Biographies/Jenner-Edward.html


  43. Say what you like about Sandy and James but “the Easedale family adviser” has a nice ring to it. It makes them sound like they are somebody.

    Who knows? These bus boys may soon be building libraries all over Inverclyde and sponsoring operas at the Met in New York.


  44. broganrogantrevinoandhogan | January 20, 2015

    “Spot the Difference?”
    ——————————–
    BRTH

    I think what you are alluding to in this post is that the mindset built up during the Sir David Mirage era has created an almost insurmountable fable. Shrouded in his own personal myth and in collusion with others who were similarly all to eager to believe their own personal image of invulnerability, attitudes were fostered that became so seductive that their progenitors could not drag themselves from the clutches of their thrall.

    The financial crises certainly shows all the symptoms of this outlook. Even after the banking collapse there was a collective unwillingness within that industry to embrace a new reality. Bank bail outs, quantitative easing and continuing bonuses have sought to legitimise the risk taking that was evidently ill considered.

    To quote that childish phrase, it was all the fault of a big boy who subsequently ran away.

    Having founded such myths and placed them at the very heart of a belief system it would now make its inceptors appear foolish if they were to renounce their previous convictions and adopt a fresh outlook. They would be seen for the blowhards they almost undoubtedly were.

    So as in wider society, in the context of football; it is the ordinary person that needs bear the brunt of these miscalculations: Calculations that they had little or no hand in accumulating.

    So whilst those in positions of power and influence seek to reconstruct their past glories it has been left to football fans and supporters to salvage from the hubristic wreckage those things of true value; affinity, integrity, endeavour and equaninimity: Concepts that have little significance in the world of big business.

    It is so easily forgotten that so many industries have been created by the endeavours of ordinary people, only to be later annexed by the influential and powerful. Banks and insurers were primarily a method whereby ordinary people could pool their capital and risk for their own mutual benefit.

    Football too was not the design of some great capitalist mind. It was not nurtured by wealth or privilege but grew of its own accord into a mammoth undertaking: Many willing hands made light work.

    The many hands that constructed this edifice have embarked recently on the task of disassembling it to reconstruct it anew. Perhaps when there is no advantage to the powerful in the sport they will move on to discomfit some other group of citizens.


  45. mcfc says:
    January 21, 2015 at 1:59 pm

    I have no doubt that Ashley, would eradicate Rangersitis, but that is not my point.

    In killing off one virulent and unpleasant disease, in your hand say, it’s usually not seen as win, if in the process, the doctor infects the entire body with a virulent, debilitating parasite, which then spreads through a significant proportion of the population, within the UK, and without.

    I think there is a real danger, that people are being blinded by their entirely justifiable anger towards Rangers, and are not subjecting the Ashley recovery plan, to a robust & critical impact analysis.

    As vastly entertaining as all this is, there could be serious consequences, that reach way beyond Rangers.


  46. I watched yesterday’s Charles Green/Jim Whyte’s bedside meeting and my mind flirted with the current debate about assisted euthanasia.
    Whether Green should be the “volunteer” and Whyte the “aider and abetter” or vice-versa, is a moot point.
    Less a case of Dignity, more of Dignitas.


  47. Tartanwulver says:
    January 21, 2015 at 7:09 am

    “…that only leaves £107 million for the warchest. Surely Messi will cost more than that?”
    ——————————–
    I think your comment illustrates a fear that has previously insidiously crept into the sport. Competitive advantage can be acquired not just by careful and resolute attention to detail but also by the shock and awe of marquee signings. This might be sustainable in larger leagues but in Scotland I suspect it has the effect of eroding the sound principles that would go on to put the game in a better place over the longer term.

    There was a time when Scottish teams could compete with the best in Europe but circumstances are now changed. If we wish our teams to compete at the highest level we need to use intelligence rather than brute force. This resort to brutality is all too evident in many spheres of society and psychologically its effects are extremely detrimental.

    There was a political campaign recently that extolled the virtues, initially set forth by Nelson Mandela, that hope would win out over fear. We are no longer afraid. We now have hope.


  48. Scapa,

    I’m struggling to see how it extends beyond Rangers other than in showing up the authorities for what they are which cannot be a bad thing. Yes, the Ashley virus will be very debilitating to RFC* but as you said yourself they were well warned. I’ve watched to the end of the video, but I’ve a feeling I’m missing the second instalment of the box set.


  49. scapaflow says:
    January 21, 2015 at 2:11 pm

    As vastly entertaining as all this is, there could be serious consequences, that reach way beyond Rangers.
    ============================================================
    The thing is Ashley simply wants is to milk The Rangers for evermore. That means a club with a big following, spending no more than it earns over many years. It is perfectly possible for a professionally run club with 50,000 paying fans to pay Ashley say £3mil rent per year plus a big chunk of the retail revenue and still be competitive in the premiership. But there’d be no place there for succulent lamb and brogued hangers on – just hardnosed accountants and modestly paid football professionals. Now take out the emotive “milking” idea and what you have is a profitable, well managed football club with reasonable ambitions, doing ok – and possibly very well on the pitch.. In fact you could say that is exactly what Ashley has done at Newcastle. The fans don’t like the idea that they are not a massive club that deserves to be in Europe – but when were they? If it wasn’t for a variety of oligarchs, sheikhs, billionaires and shysters the rest of the EPL would have to be run that way too and we wouldn’t be constantly looking to the Bundesliga for a better model.

    So Ashley’s model may not be such a bad result at the end of the day.


  50. neepheid says:
    January 21, 2015 at 9:28 am

    “The whole show tells me that Green is still getting paid in some way that links to Ashley- otherwise, why would he bother.”
    ———————————
    Agreed. This puts Ashley in the drawing room with Mr. Green and the piece of lead pipe at the time the murder was committed.


  51. easyJambo says:

    January 21, 2015 at 1:22 pm

    MoreCelticParanoia says: January 21, 2015 at 1:07 pm
    ———————
    The cross subsidy of other Murray group companies from RFC’s income is also evident from the related party transactions.

    Value of contracts paid to related parties from RFC accounts
    1998 675,000
    1999 673,000
    2000 975,000
    2001 3,082,000
    2002 4,221,000
    2003 3,896,000
    2004 4,298,000
    2005 3,941,000
    2006 1,918,000
    2007 1,875,000
    2008 1,177,000
    2009 1,140,000
    2010 665,000
    2011 407,000
    Total 28,943,000
    _________________________________________________

    So in essence, over the period 2002-2005 RFC were paying out in the region of £4million per annum to the Murray group? And many more millions since 1998. A time period over which RFC were making losses hand over fist.

    That’s one hell of an onerous contract!

    No outrage from any fan group or media outlet but that is no surprise. That’s reserved for guys who actually use their own money to keep the wolf from the door.


  52. OMG – it’s just occurred to me that the EPL is the The Rangers of world football leagues – I am the people !!!!


  53. mcfc says:

    January 21, 2015 at 1:37 pm

    I read it that he’d returned to his pre-caretaker job. The staement is not exactly clear but I read it as meaning he’s given up control to a caretaker caretaker (unnamed) – either because he can’t handle the stress – or he needs to concentrate on other “personal” things. So, yes probably in the dug-out – but not the main man.

    “KENNY McDOWALL has tendered his resignation as caretaker manager of Rangers Football Club, citing personal reasons for stepping down.

    Kenny, who has been a fantastic servant of the club, will serve his 12-month notice period, during which time he will remain 100% committed to his normal duties.

    The club respects Kenny’s decision and he will continue to have the full support of everybody at Rangers.”
    _________________________________________________

    I suppose that depends on the definition of “normal duties”. Another customary vague statement from the club/company/etheral thingway. It could well be as you interpret it as a return to his previous coaching duties. That being the case I would have thought RFC fans would be clamouring for the identity of who is actually the manager of their team with the biggest fixture in their 2.5 year history imminent. Maybe I’ve missed that.


  54. Smugas says:
    January 21, 2015 at 2:26 pm

    My issue is that we may not be seeing a one off case, where Ashley spotted a unique opportunity at Rangers, and is exploiting it.

    A lot of people have been wondering why Ashley is bothering, because lets face it, in relation to Ashley’s business, any return that he gets from Rangers is literally a drop in the ocean.

    However, if you look at this operation as a test bed, perfecting a methodology that could then be repeated elsewhere, then the effort & the hassle makes a lot more sense.

    There are any number of Football & other sports companies, where this methodology could be applied, greatly benefiting Ashley, but, at the price of immense damage to the sports involved.

    I could be wrong, and Phil’s analyst could be wrong, but, I believe that people should step back for a minute, and think through the potential ramifications of what’s happening.


  55. MoreCelticParanoia says:
    January 21, 2015 at 2:44 pm
    ========================================================
    yip – clear as mud 🙂


  56. scapaflow says:
    January 21, 2015 at 2:45 pm
    There are any number of Football & other sports companies, where this methodology could be applied, greatly benefiting Ashley, but, at the price of immense damage to the sports involved.
    ========================================================
    I’m not sure why running a club for money is against sport – surely subsidizing a club is against the interests of sport.

    If Ashley perfects the model and stabilizes ailing clubs – setting them on the straight and narrow – without asset stripping them to oblivion – isn’t that a good thing for the future?

    In fact, maybe it’s Sarver guiding Ashley to a franchise style approach, rather than Sarver being used by Ashley at Ibrox.


  57. Esteban 1400
    Stuff the libraries in Inverclyde…. turning the ‘TON into the next Scottish football superpower more like…..at that point who gives a toss about FPP rules when there are war chests for new players going..?
    That’s the rules ..isn’t it? I got that right didn’t I?


  58. Let’s not forget that in days of olde, Charlies funniest outbursts were always a prelude to some creative skullduggery – who’s in the watch tower ?


  59. mcfc says:
    January 21, 2015 at 2:53 pm

    MFC you’re missing the point, or I’m not making it clear.

    Football/Sports companies have limited numbers & types of revenue streams. In order to compete, they need to husband their resources carefully, and use them to grow and prosper like any other business.

    what I’m afraid the Ashley plan will do, is to remove effective control of some of those revenue streams, (and the tangible & intangible assets they depend on) and reduce the stream of revenue to an anaemic dribble, leaving the company able to “soldier on”, but, making it extremely difficult to grow or compete.

    How would Celtic, or Hearts, or Aberdeen, or Oldham, or whoever, do if the only revenue stream they had full control over was ticket money?


  60. valentinesclown says:
    January 21, 2015 at 10:20 am

    “Also just seen this article about Mr King, truth will prevail”
    ———————————
    Credit to Spiers and English for calling it as they see it. As wottpi says above, credit also to Hirsutepursuit for providing them with large tranches of ammunition.


  61. Was just watching an episode of Little Britain; you know the characters, Lou and Andy; where Lou, played by David Walliams is the mild mannered, easy to take advantage of carer, with Matt Lucas playing Andy Pipkin, the fake invalid, forever taking the pi** out of Lou by leaping out of his wheelchair and doing incredible stunts while Lou looks the other way. I was chuckling away, as you do, when it suddenly dawned on me – I was watching the Jim White interview of Charles Green…


  62. scapaflow says:
    January 21, 2015 at 3:08 pm
    How would Celtic, or Hearts, or Aberdeen, or Oldham, or whoever, do if the only revenue stream they had full control over was ticket money?
    ==================================================================
    I think we pretty much agree. It would be a fine balancing act of staying competitive whilst making money. But that’s business – especially large scale business. There would be no point killing the host. Ashley can bring business skills and attitudes that are rare in football especially when it comes to cost control and commercially intelligent buying/selling – see NUFC. The big upside is that running a tight ship for money greatly reduces the risk of crashing the bus through a series of expensive emotional mistakes.

    Companies that are able to drive down costs and sweat every pound win in the long run, just as SD has caught its competitors and left them far behind. I’m sure Ashley can operate at least 10% more efficiently than any existing club in the SPFL if he sets his mind to it. He probably looks at Celtic and thinks I can turn Rangers into that – and better.

    In the longer term, if Ashley franchised out a few clubs to investors under an umbrella company he would be in a strong position to gain further cost advantage by hard bargaining with suppliers – security, catering, player agent etc etc. Bingo – competitive advantage over any club without a sugar daddy and within the rules. It could be revolutionary, or maybe he’s just bored and this is a bit of fun on the side – only time will tell.

    PS And the more FFP bites, the fewer clubs will have proper sugar daddies and so the more important cost advantage will be – is Mike just working a mega trend ?


  63. MoreCelticParanoia says:
    January 21, 2015 at 2:40 pm
    easyJambo says:
    January 21, 2015 at 1:22 pm
    MoreCelticParanoia says: January 21, 2015 at 1:07 pm
    ———————
    The cross subsidy of other Murray group companies from RFC’s income is also evident from the related party transactions.

    Value of contracts paid to related parties from RFC accounts

    2004 4,298,000
    2005 3,941,000
    2006 1,918,000
    2007 1,875,000
    2008 1,177,000
    2009 1,140,000
    2010 665,000
    ==========================================================

    I’m not sure it’s as simple as money being syphoned out of Rangers Football Club Plc’s accounts to MIH.

    The reason I say that is because of the undernoted Payments annual payments from RFC Plc to Rangers Youth Development Ltd. It seems to me that paying for wages and services at Murray Park was swallowing a lot of Rangers’ cash.

    UNDERNOTE

    Payment from parent company for services provided to it by RYD Ltd

    2004 £1,041,667 (5 months)
    2005 £2,500,000
    2006 £2,500,000
    2007 £2,388,850
    2008 £2,366,256
    2009 £2,400,623
    2010 £2,381,960


  64. While looking for the ruling on how free entry/compensation works for games postponed before half time, the Web just helped put a smile on my face by reading some of the comments of Bears boards with regard to the late postponement of the St Johnstone v Rangers game on 20 Feb 2010 due to a small section of the pitch not thawing out due to faulty under soil heating at McDairmid

    What goes around comes around eh!

    Do any Saints fans know if they got fined for that postponement?

    A wee selection below that ties in nicely with the ‘Spot the Difference ‘ theme of BRTH’s blog.

    this is an absolute joke. St Johnstone have undersoil heating and yet the game still fails to survive the weather. This cannot be allowed to continue and fines should be handed out to clubs like them who’s carelesness clogs up the fixture list with re-arranged games not to mention messing up peoples days

    No matter who the team is, there should be a fine. Hopefully to prevent this. Perhaps, if the game is called off more than 24 hours before the scheduled kick-off a fine isn’t necessary.

    They should be fined, but the money should be given out to the Bears that bought tickets & spent money traveling to Perth. A tenner a head would do the job & amount to approximately the normal fine amount.

    Disgrace they should be given a hefty fine for this. The SPL need to get there house in order on this sort of thing starting with St.Johnstone and then onto Motherwell for the state of that pitch it makes us look like some sort of sunday football league set up

    This is shocking. The weather in most places in east-central Scotland has been frost and snow for the last couple of days and it has been forecast that it would be like this so they should have known days ago that they might have ti put their under-soil heating on. If they put it on and it failed then fair enough but to not put it on is a fucking joke. They should be fined.

    It’s high time these diddy teams were made to forfeit the points if they can not fulfil their fixtures! I count this to be the 4th or 5th game they have had called off. It’s one thing having 3ft of snow land on your pitch, but for it to be frozen when they have under-soil heating is ludicrous! And people wonder why there’s a lack of investment in Scottish football…it’s because of teams like this being stuck in the dark ages!

    And finally

    When was the last time a game at Ibrox was called off due to a frozen pitch?


  65. scapaflow says:
    January 21, 2015 at 3:08 pm

    How would Celtic, or Hearts, or Aberdeen, or Oldham, or whoever, do if the only revenue stream they had full control over was ticket money?
    =========================================================
    Very badly indeed. They would be totally exposed to the multitude of factors that can affect attendances with no other financial ‘cushions’ to fill in revenue troughs when punters didn’t come through the gates.


  66. mcfc says:
    January 21, 2015 at 3:36 pm

    I thought about that, but I don’t think that’s the end game. I don’t believe Ashley, wants to be involved in running football clubs, period, he wants the profitable bits that complement his business. He’s interested in the vertical integration, of those segments of the footballing businesses, which fit with his clothing/branding business, and the rest is someone else’s problem.

    You make an interesting point about umbrella companies. I have often wondered, why Doncaster doesn’t do more in this area. I have seen it work in other sectors, where competing companies, agree to come together for joint procurement etc, the SPFL could make some money by being innovative for once!


  67. A wee PS

    St Johnstone claimed the late postponement had cost them a six-figure sum and feared a fine from the SPL when calls for an investigation were made.

    SPL chief Neil Doncaster announced earlier this month that the club had been warned over the postponement but would not face a fine. He said St Johnstone had given “clear and transparent” answers to questions regarding the cause and accepted that the postponement was a first offence and merited no further action.


  68. mcfc says:
    January 21, 2015 at 2:33 pm
    ==============================

    Ashley could never do with Rangers what he has done with Newcastle. At Newcastle he took over a club whose fans , by and large, were happy with a modicum of success. Small achievements, in relative terms, would be seized on by the Newcastle fans as huge rewards for their loyalty ie a cup win every now and then would be seen as success. With RFC this would never be the case. For them it would need to be domination or nothing. To achieve this would require the sums of money that, IMO, Ashley would never put up. A misfiring Rangers would quickly be given a wide berth by the support. The downward spiral would quickly descend into another administration and, most probably, the switching off of the life support machine.

    If RFC do manage to make it into the Premier league next season then it might well prove to be their undoing. Unless there is a pot of gold at the end of their journey I think the fans will turn their back on the club a lot sooner than we think. However, without spending a lot of money it is clear that Rangers would be simply making up the numbers next season. No-one is going to provide the level of cash they need to be serious challengers, not even Ashley.

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