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?
I never mentioned Fort William ???
🙂 Sorry Brenda! No was just a comment on why the entire West of Scotland is tarred with the same brush over what is largely a Glasgow-centric topic (largely).
Against my better judgment, and possibly like many on here, I sat down to watch the game. The first 45 minutes was enough for me. The sight of so many Union jacks, Irish tricolours and the like was familiarly depressing. And the singing from some of the Rangers fans? An embarrassment. Disgraceful. I’m not sure if some Celtic fans sang anything inappropriate because I have no idea about any of their songs.
My thoughts on the decisions made, in trying to keep a Rangers in or as near to the top division as possible, by the SFA and SPL (as was) is that they were done with the best of intentions. I don’t subscribe to establishment conspiracies or anything like that. I believe they genuinely thought our game was all about Celtic and Rangers. They were wrong, of course. I believe Celtic and Rangers were of that opinion too. They were too big for Scotland, It was holding them back. Celtic could be as big as Man Utd, according to Peter Lawell, if only they had the access to the TV revenue down south. They have been guilty of treating the game in this country disgracefully and they were allowed to get away with it. They would have left if given half a chance by the powers that be.
Sunday was so underwhelming I reckon some in the media must surely be rethinking the line they took when the game was announced. Scottish football needs this? This? That thing on Sunday? I think not. The media was and are still full of doom and gloom when reporting on Scottish football. They are wrong and demonstrably so. Scottish football has left Rangers behind. Celtic hasn’t done so yet. Listening and reading to the nonsense coming from some proper Celtic legends, those running the club and the number of fans at Hampden is all the evidence you need of this. They might want a serious rethink after yesterday.
Yesterday was an embarrassment and many will have seen it for what it was – Something that belongs in the distant past. Scottish football has been adjusting these last few years. Clubs are becoming sustainable, youngsters are regularly making the first team at a number of clubs and the football played in the top flight is pretty entertaining. In other words, nothing but good news.
Caught some of the second semi-final, missed first but saw cracking second goal. My impression was that the pitch, helped by a referee ready to stop the game whenever he could, helped slow it all down to create a low key game of little excitement. Ideal for keeping temperatures at a minimum, both on and off the field. The only bad foul I saw was the Elbows elbow – par for the course really!
Disappointing game, correct result, both on and off the field, I believe, with the ‘community singing’ in the Elbows elbow category – par for the course really!
TRFC looked like a team who didn’t believe they belonged on the same pitch as their opponents, and I went to Tesco 10 minutes into the second half despite the ‘you don’t have to come!’ offer from my wife 😆
Hope I’m right in thinking violence kept to a reasonably low level.
Did I just suggest there’s a level of violence that is reasonable? Sadly, in this match, there probably was.
One thing lost in the faux drama of The Freak Show yesterday was Kenny McDowall’s detached indifference to the result. He was clearly in the same “couldn’t give a toss” mode that many of us were over this non-event.
I think he is angling for the same green-finger action as McCoist – or even a pay-off?
It certainly would appear to be obvious that he has very little motivation, and as someone else remarked, how motivated will he and the out of contract players be come the play-offs?
One wonders if the powers at Ibrox have resigned themselves to another season in the Chamionship – perhaps to regroup and start afresh with some motivated youngsters next term?
???? Maybe it was because I mentioned the DR 😉
I only watched about half an hour of the game and felt that both sets of supporters were as subdued as the game itself. Was this the case, or had the BBC turned the volume down? There was certainly no sense of atmosphere coming across on the TV, though perhaps because, by the time I’d switched on, it was clear there was only going to be one winner.
Different circumstances, and distinct bias from me, but, on an awkward for a different reason, surface a much better game was shown on Saturday night, with Alloa showing a passing and skill level much higher than that shown by the losers on Sunday.
I’ve said it before, but I am gobsmacked by the efforts of nearly all the teams in the Championship to at least try to play football. There is one team, though…
I was never great at understanding football tactics, but have sat at matches and listened as various pundits (usually in the row just behind me) opined on the defence and midfield, and the merits of individuals, and managers. (“Lennon’s tactics are all wrong” heard just before Celtic go on to put 6 past DUFC).
But yesterday was so different that I was able to compete with the BBC pundits in my analysis. Pundits who reminded me that this team (who hadn’t played for 3 weeks) had already beaten St Johnstone, Kilmarnock and ICT. But they are the pundits, so I must be wrong!
Yes, there were two teams yesterday. One of them played possession football, with usually accurate diagonal crossing, closing down the opposition when necessary, standing up to the 50/50 challenge, dominating in every part of the field.
The team that played in blue on this occasion met my every expectation. They were outclassed, as they were by Hearts and Hibs in the league. Their fans brought along an old tattered songbook and union flags to support the recently acquired, but already in debt, club (or team with strips) that struggles to meet the monthly payroll.
It’s when I realised that the match was, in reality,
Celtic FC v Business & Assets FC.
The game yesterday was not an even contest which was in contrast to the other semi final. IMO it did not half the feel of past Celtic & Rangers games on the field of play.
The SMSM have been peddling the term we need a strong Rangers over the past 3 years as Scottish football needs that in their opinion. This is the sad indictment of our media in general. Scottish football needs football teams to compete but most of all it needs them to be strong in their financial being as a business and this to this day is not present in Ibrox. If this changed we would all welcome the team from Govan but that at this moment in time does not look likely (or anytime in the near future) due to how the club is being run at present. The problem for me is that the team can change and improve with proper managing but the fans that support the team have a real problem in this area. Yesterday was an absolute disgrace from those fans and has been documented in a couple of papers. If those songs or anything similar were sung at as an example at a game in England I would imagine there would be a completely different approach to it from the media. It is accepted in this country and always has been and I will not expect any punishment or repercussions taken against the club for that behaviour yesterday.
I do not want the press/media to continue with the “we need a strong rangers myth”. Also far more important than that I do not want is fans that continuously sing that bile, as that is something I have not missed and Scotland should not need.
We need a stronger fabric in our society a fabric that can strongly deal with the above without fear or FAVOUR
What also was a disgrace was the playing surface.
Scotland need strong groundsmen.
stifflersmom says:
February 1, 2015 at 9:55 pm
Ewan Murray of the Guardian says it as it is….
The Billy Boys, Famine Song and No Pope of Rome were bellowed out by the blue-and-white masses in what proved a disappointing throwback to the times when Rangers attracted attention for all the wrong reasons. Those embattled and embittered fans do not care about that as, history tells us, the same is the case with Scotland’s policing and football authorities.
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Unless Ashley is willing to throw millions at TRFC in the next few months there is every likelihood that yesterdays display and result will be repeated over and over again for the foreseeable future
No arrests at the ground for sectarian singing
No serious attempt by Celtic to do any more than needed to win the game
No fight from TRFC with damage limitation the main tactic
To use mba waffle type language and apologies for it yesterday was the proverbial dead cat bounce. Despite Mr Black’s delusional comments in the DR if it bounces again it will not be so high. Even with all the theoretical physics thought experiment wishing in the universe it is dead but does not know it yet.
incredibleadamspark says:
February 2, 2015 at 10:02 am
17 7 Rate This
I have no idea why you have got so many TD’s, I totally agree with everything you say here.
I watched the 2nd half on my laptop, crap game, It was like a good under 16 team against an under 14’s with the manager telling them to “take it easy” against the wee boys.
Despite all my best intentions I watched the match yesterday. Plenty have commented on the “Social” aspects of the day and all that needs to be said has been. My overiding thought was, “how the heck are TRFC in second place in the Championship”?
Are some of the other clubs still affected by a “fear factor” – Ibrox, Rangers, players reputations etc?
On yesterday’s evidence I would have thought that a sustained dip in results could not be ruled out.
And by the way – that pitch!!!!!!! Is that the best they can do?
MaBaw says:
February 2, 2015 at 9:34 am
There is not an ounce of ambition at the SFA. Scotland has a poor stadium and they cannot even provide a decent surface. We have a lack of ambition to promote and enhance our game. A red ash park would have provided a better surface to play football.
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Hampden Park- what can one say? I have so many happy memories of the “old” Hampden, Scotland games and Celtic games, with the old place packed out there really was nothing to match it anywhere in Europe. And no, I’m not forgetting the bad parts, the lack of cover at the Celtic end, the use of lager cans (by the gentler souls, many didn’t bother) as a substitute for facilities that didn’t exist, the need for excellent eyesight if you were at the top of the terracing, but it was a brilliant experience, especially if your team won.
Fast forward 40 years, and look what the SFA suits have done with over £70 million. An international icon transformed into a national disgrace. When I first visited the “new” Hampden 7 years ago, I was absolutely gobsmacked. What a complete and total waste of all that money, which should have been spent on a new stadium on a greenfield site somewhere between Stirling and Perth.
That really is the only answer, sell Hampden for whatever the site is worth, and build a decent new stadium in a more central location. It’s a shame that the £70 million has gone the same way as the contents of all those lager cans 40 years ago, but it’s never coming back, having been squandered by a collection of prize idiots.
I don’t know how a new national stadium could be funded at this stage, but the current pathetic shambles is quite simply not fit for purpose as a national stadium.
joburgt1m says:
February 2, 2015 at 10:53 am
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Agreed, the football on display was poor. I know the pitch was terrible, to put it mildly, with Celtic vastly superior to Rangers in every department and they were still nothing to write home about. Rangers kicked off, played the ball to black, he passed it to the CB and he lumped a hopeless ball up the field to no one in particular. I burst out laughing and shook my head.
When coaching kids it’s all about touch, passing, movement and improving technique. Results are of no importance until (happy to be corrected) around 11 or 12 years old? I’m using Rangers kick off as an example of a wider problem and you wouldn’t be allowed to do something like that with a kids team so why is it ok for senior teams to do this? Why do clubs waist money, time and recourses teaching youngsters good footballing habits only for it to go out the window when they get older?
I’m not saying long balls shouldn’t be allowed but yesterday it was noticeable just how poor the technique of a number of players was. That’s down to poor coaching and tactics that belong in the dark ages.
incredibleadamspark says:
February 2, 2015 at 11:29 am
Actually, yesterday’s match really proved the idiocy behind, Doncaster, Regan, Lawwell. Oglivy and the rest’s, clinging to the utterly pointless two team model. Put Ranger’s in the top flight next season, and Ibrox will be back down to 1982 attendance levels before you can say EBT
neepheid says:
February 2, 2015 at 11:14 am
I don’t know how a new national stadium could be funded at this stage, but the current pathetic shambles is quite simply not fit for purpose as a national stadium.
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Why a national stadium at all? Sell Hampden, create a nice wee suitable stadium for Queens Park. International matches can be held around the country, the venue picked to suit the likely crowd size so that our national team always plays to a packed house. The Germans do that, and their national team has had the occasional bit of success. Finals can be held at Murrayfield, Celtic Park, Ibrox, or wherever is geographically neutral and suits the size of anticipated crowd. Why not? Better than a stadium that is a national disgrace.
Advertising from an asbestos removal company, really,at a cup semi-final can someone enlighten me I cannot fathom this one out.
From the North East press. Reports that Newcastle are set to send a clutch of loanees to TRFC. My understanding is that there is no limit on the number of loanees between teams of diferent nations.
Also not unkown for EPL clubs to continue to pay a very high proprtion of the wages so long as their players are gaining experience.
If this takes place, (hoepfully not) it will be a direct challenge to the SFA/SPFL on the dual control issue. Any chance of the authorities growing a pair? No, me neither.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/glasgow-rangers-bidding-sign-clutch-8561228
Any reason why there is so much analysis of the standard of one of the semi-finals today?
It was bad enough suffering through the build up!
By all means criticise the SFA for the preparations (didn’t really hear much on that after Saturday’s game…) but I thought discussions around ref performances were frowned on and much of the other semi-final coverage would be more appropriate to Club (or in some cases, holding company) forums.
Danish Pastry – “Btw, can someone tell me the significance of the inflatable monkeys at Hampden”
…………………
I’d like to know the answer to that too!
The Celtic fans being accused of racism for it !!?
Tartanwulver @ 1207pm
Spain do the same as Germany.
DP, dunno, but a few brass ones are singing soprano at the moment.
scapaflow says:
February 2, 2015 at 11:48 am
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Can’t understand why anyone would pay good money to see that type of football at Ibrox and I’m sure boardroom shenanigans are not the only reason for the drop in attendances. One interesting development, if Rangers were to get promotion to the premiership, would be the effect it had on attendances at Celtic Park. If they went up to previous levels, similar to when a Rangers were in the SPL, what would that tell us? Would that confirm their symbiotic relationship, put a few more quid in the bank and a smile on Peter Lawwells face? Who knows. Would be interesting to find out though.
oddjob says:
February 2, 2015 at 12:34 pm
Spain do the same as Germany.
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They do, and again, they have done rather well in terms of success in qualifying for (not to mention winning) tournaments
Don’t want to encourage the pash that is peddled for “journalism” in the daily retard
……. However, they are running an “old firm” poll
Does Scotland need any more old firm games (apart from the fact one of them is deid)
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-match-reports/pictures-tears-jeers-celebrations-best-5086814
So you’d been expecting an “Old Firm” game? Hahaha … you must be sad that only one team showed up on the day …
http://thecelticblog.com/2015/02/competitions/an-effortless-afternoon
I see that DK has jetted in from South Africa yet again. :slamb:
He must be getting close to a world record number of such spectacular arrivals from that continent. Perhaps he’s going to offer MA the Air Miles in exchange for a seat on the board of Rangers (the “club” or “company”).
On the assumption that he didn’t pilot a single seater, did the other passengers also jet in, or did they merely fly in?
Or is there a special “jetting in” type of ticket available that only RRM can purchase that confers additional privileges unavailable to others even those in first class? :irony:
The Cat NR1 says:
February 2, 2015 at 12:41 pm
At this rate he might get a wee demand from HMRC
Tincks says:
February 2, 2015 at 12:23 pm
There’s a similar article in the Shields Chronical quoting McCoist from back in November as the only support for the speculative piece.
http://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/football/newcastle-united/newcastle-could-loan-four-players-to-rangers-1-7083964
Might happen, but I reckon it’s still just guesswork from the the writers of these articles.
Should any loans happen between TRFC and NUFC then I’d suggest Ashley is looking for a confrontation with the SFA, and might actually weaken his position if things should escalate to the courts, as it would be a clear link to his influence and clearly football related. A loan too far, perhaps 🙄
Exchange of e-mail with Darryl this morning:
Good morning Darryl,
The SFA had the responsibility over the week-end to provide a suitable playing surface and good standard/competent referees, bearing in mind the Sunday match was televised to 54 countries, it did neither.
Many Scottish football supporters are asking the question, what exactly do the SFA add?
Regards
Hi John, you may not be aware that we, like the SPFL, have a rental agreement for Hampden Park. The stadium is owned and operated by Queen’s Park and Hampden Park Ltd respectively. I would advise you to contact them re pitch provision.
In terms of the match officials, what is your grievance in particular? With the exception of one or two instances – particularly not playing advantage in one instance – I believe the referee yesterday had a good game.
Darryl Broadfoot
Head of Communications
Scottish FA
Really Darryl? Did no one from the SFA actually inspected the pitch post Commonwealth Games until the semi final on Saturday?
I thought the refereeing was abysmal in both games, and yes, I was a qualified referee when younger.
Well, apart from the ridiculous refusal to play advantage you mentioned, how did Craig Thompson miss McCulloch smashing his elbow straight into Griffiths head?
Free kick awarded to Rangers in the ‘D’ when even the match pundits were incredulous that it should have been a Celtic free kick. That’s only a couple off the top of my head from the Celtic game, Aberdeen fans will have probably stronger points to make than mine about referee quality.
Darryl:
It’s not our semi final!!!!
John:
They’re YOUR referee’s
I’ve just finished reading a Guardian columnist who says the English transfer tally for this season is now approaching £1 billion.
That is extraordinary. And shocking.
How the Hell can they indefinitely sustain that insanity?
James Forrest says:
February 2, 2015 at 12:57 pm
I’ve just finished reading a Guardian columnist who says the English transfer tally for this season is now approaching £1 billion.
That is extraordinary. And shocking.
How the Hell can they indefinitely sustain that insanity?
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They can’t. And when the crash happens, it will come as a complete surprise to them.
That was awful yesterday, just an embarrassment. Celtic were as good as they needed to be – which in all honesty, was pretty poor. The pitch was awful, the general standard of play was dreadful, lets not even go into the song book.
It was like watching one of those old Pathe newsreels, the ones where you have to remind yourself it was a different era, so you can’t judge them too harshly.
When previously compliant, tubthumping journos are openly questioning the value of the fixture, you know the game is up. This was the only thing that the SPFL/SFA had going for them in their quest to have a Rangers, any Rangers, in the top league. This was going to be the fixture that the world watched, the pinnacle of Scottish football. I hope the world wasnt watching, otherwise we’ll never have a sponsor again.
Oh, and given how quick we are to criticise on here,fair play to the media for actually mentioning the emergency service preparations, and, to varying degrees, the offensive songs. As little as 5 years ago, this wouldn’t have even merited a single word.
James Forrest says:
February 2, 2015 at 12:57 pm
I’ve just finished reading a Guardian columnist who says the English transfer tally for this season is now approaching £1 billion.
That is extraordinary. And shocking.
How the Hell can they indefinitely sustain that insanity?
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Is that net outgoings though?
If I bought something off you for £1M and you then bought something off my mate for £1M and he then bought something off me for £1M, would that be a total spend of £3M using their criteria?
In real terms it is a net spend of £nil, but the likes of Sky in their obsessive überhyping of all things EPL only look at the turnover quantum rather than the net spend. As the paymasters, it is clearly in their interets to perpetuate such inaccuracies to maximise sales to punters and advertisers.
The Newcastle Rangers
If Mike loans TRFC four decent, young players from NUFC – will TRFC be meeting the full costs?
Surely this kind of squad doping mid-season is exactly what is wrong with multi-club ownership?
I’m sure those chaps at Hampden will be in like Flynn to prevent any suggestion of impropriety and ensure a level playing field for all.
http://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/2015/2/2/7962379/mike-ashley-rangers-loan-Vuckic-Mbabu-bigirimana-Newcastle
At least the poor refereeing in yesterdays match had no effect on the final outcome. In Saturdays game the mistakes decided the match (and not for the first time this season).
The Cat NR1 says:
February 2, 2015 at 1:16 pm
There is still rather a lot of money lost to the game even if every transfer pans out as you describe. Agents fees, signing on fees and wages comensurate with the transfer fee all have to be factored in, and that’s each time that million is spent. Plus, just read that in the summer 63% of transfers paid went abroad! It’s an awful lot of money going out of English football whatever way you look at it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31094114 :slamb:
I think Kenny Miller must have been on the sauce before this one.
Perhaps his Old Firm schizophrenia drove him to the Buckie?
I’m not really sure if the license fee funded state broadcaster is publishing it out of loyalty to their pet project or as a tongue in cheek p*sstake to publicise the delusional state of the majority of those associated with Rangers (the “club” or “company”). :slamb:
jimlarkin says:
February 2, 2015 at 12:30 pm
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Danish Pastry – “Btw, can someone tell me the significance of the inflatable monkeys at Hampden”
…………………
I’d like to know the answer to that too!
The Celtic fans being accused of racism for it !!?
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See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil?
Police Scotland, SFA, SPFL?
mcfc says:
February 2, 2015 at 1:29 pm
I posted earlier a link to the Shiels Gazette where a similar article was written linking the speculaion to a quote from McCoist from November.
http://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/football/newcastle-united/newcastle-could-loan-four-players-to-rangers-1-7083964
I’m not sure if it has been mentioned already here about the clear singing of banned songs yesterday. It was so obviously going to happen that and clearly not enough was done to “educate” fans on unacceptable behaviour.
I have just gone through the BBC complaints process online and made my thoughts clear. If I get a response I will post it here.
The Cat NR1 says:
February 2, 2015 at 1:42 pm
Is he really that stupid?
There is no gulf between the sides, Celtic are only better than TRFC because they are top of the Premiership and we are second in the Championship! And they have better players!
If that doesn’t represent a gulf, Kenny, what does?
Yesterday the Ibrox team were utterly dire. Celtic were really quite ordinary but they didn’t have to be much more, given the disparity in abilities.
However, all is not bad for the outfit out of Govan, as one Kenny Miller assures all on via BBC website that his team ‘proved the doubters wrong’, since, in his opinion, there does not seem to be such a gulf between them and Celtic. The delusion continues for the benefit of the fans of the team in Ashley Blue.
Some heads must have been damaged when that train to Delusiana runs through that wall from Platform 9½! Why does the BBC give voice to such obviously deluded views on their site?
Re the singing,police Scotland must have given the rookies the wrong song book
Allyjambo says:
February 2, 2015 at 1:47 pm
I posted earlier a link to the Shiels Gazette where a similar article was written linking the speculaion to a quote from McCoist from November.
http://www.shieldsgazette.com/sport/football/newcastle-united/newcastle-could-loan-four-players-to-rangers-1-7083964
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It may just be rumour then – we’ll soon see.
There may have been a rethink in the blue room today – it’s harder to make honest mistakes if your favourite team never get into the opposition box. So them play-offs could get tricky. Might need some of those new fangled ball-on-the-floor players from abroad (well Newcastle).
Been informed by a reliable source that the monkeys were there to represent the 3 wise monkeys ( hear/see/speak no evil ) ???
Allyjambo says:
February 2, 2015 at 1:38 pm
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The Cat NR1 says:
February 2, 2015 at 1:16 pm
There is still rather a lot of money lost to the game even if every transfer pans out as you describe. Agents fees, signing on fees and wages comensurate with the transfer fee all have to be factored in, and that’s each time that million is spent. Plus, just read that in the summer 63% of transfers paid went abroad! It’s an awful lot of money going out of English football whatever way you look at it.
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IMO wages is more of an issue than transfer fees. We had transfer inflation back in the early 80s when player wages were far lower and clubs’ incomes were far lower. That was pre-Taylor Report and football was still a relatively cheap entertainment. I imagine that those £1M plus fees represented a high percentage of the balance sheet value of clubs back then
Transfers will lead to an increase in wages that will lead to an increase in money leaving the game. Given the high stadium matchday occupancy in EPL, there is little potential to increase matchday turnover through attractive transfers, so a few extra shirt sales may offset some of those wages, but not to a material extent in all but a handful of cases.
The pervasive activities of the leeches surrounding the game described as agents sucks plenty of money out, but the vast majority of transfer fees still remain in the game as a whole, although as you say, not necessarily in the English game.
The situation where other European leagues are purely nursery leagues for the EPL has not yet arrived as the relative failure of EPL clubs in European competition shows.
However, are we heading for an analagous situation that brings us back on TSFM topic? Is the EPL now to European football, what Rangers was to the Scottish game under (S)DM?
Just a thought, could the inflateable monkeys be the ‘media monkeys’ Vladimir Romanov described to us all? With Jim Traynor and Keith Jackson the most inflated (egos) of them all?
jimlarkin says:
February 2, 2015 at 2:24 pm
The Cat NR1 says:
February 2, 2015 at 1:45 pm
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jimlarkin says:
February 2, 2015 at 12:30 pm
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Danish Pastry – “Btw, can someone tell me the significance of the inflatable monkeys at Hampden”
…………………
I’d like to know the answer to that too!
The Celtic fans being accused of racism for it !!?
==============================================
See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil?
Police Scotland, SFA, SPFL?
……………………………………
Excuse my ignorance – are you saying the “monkeys” are representative of Police Scotland, The SFA and The SPFL ?
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The identity of the analagous monkeys was speculative, hence the question mark at the end.
I thought that given the three year history of failure to act on repeated acts of sectarian singing at TRFC games, the three wise monkeys would refer to the bodies that would be responsible for taking action against the perpetrators in both football and legal senses.
However, it could just as easily refer to the three non-RFC parties to the five way agreement that meant yesterday’s events came to pass.
jambocol1874 says:
February 2, 2015 at 2:51 pm
4 1 Rate This
…but we still have a bit to go when Craig Thomson will no doubt be congratulated by the SFA for the game not getting out of hand and keeping 11 players from both sides on the pitch despite being against the basic laws of the game.
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“Game management” by referees, as opposed to applying the laws, is damaging the sport, of that there is no doubt.
Danish Pastry says:
February 1, 2015 at 2:30 pm
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It’s like a wake in the Sportscene studio.
============================================
Shirley they didn’t all put their shirts on “Honest” Ian Black’s 3-0 tip. ❓
jambocol1874 says:
February 2, 2015 at 2:51 pm
Good points
The only statement Delia had to make yesterday, was to come away with a comfortable win. That goal was pretty much achieved by HT. There wasn’t anything to be gained by risking, injuries, cards and God knows what else, by going all out to stick 6 or 8 past them.
His eyes are on the prizes, Inter Milan, a league that is not over, and a cup final which will be a far more difficult test than yesterday.
I can see I’m not the only one who is stumped by the blow-up monkeys. You know, from a distance, on the telly, I thought at first they were Pink Panthers. They were kind of cute and benign but I saw some Celtic fans with differing opinions, some not at all happy about the poster or the inflatables.
The joy of ignorance.
Allyjambo says:
February 2, 2015 at 1:52 pm
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The Cat NR1 says:
February 2, 2015 at 1:42 pm
Is he really that stupid?
There is no gulf between the sides, Celtic are only better than TRFC because they are top of the Premiership and we are second in the Championship! And they have better players!
If that doesn’t represent a gulf, Kenny, what does?
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A few more honest mistakes and an even worse pitch would close the gap to only a mere chasm. Perhaps if they played the game at night and with the floodlights off?
Who cares anyway, as we have the prospect of Dundee United v Celtic to look forward to in the final of the SLC (presented by QTS) on Sunday 15 March. We can but hope that the authorities allow the two sides to play on a pitch and with officials that allows them to showcase their talents, and to show the watching world all that is good about Scottish football.
How deep would Ashley’s contempt for NU need to be, to consign any young player to the football graveyard that is Ibrox.
To date, even average players that have gone there have deteriorated to an alarming degree.
There would be absolutely no benefit to a young player’s career if shanghaied to Govan.
ThomTheThim says:
February 2, 2015 at 4:05 pm
Sent to count trees in football’s Siberia
Even if NUFC loaned several players to assist TRFC on ‘its journey’, there is still the small matter of a new, motivated and experienced manager to acquire…and possibly with his own preferred backroom team ?
That would cost another chunk of money.
If they don’t replace McDowall ASAP, then TRFC will not even be treading water, but regressing in ability and self-belief, IMO.
http://t.co/FGhmjV6IJY
Peter Dallas of Hampden Park Ltd tries to explain the state of the pitch at the weekend.
Yet more gutless cowardice from the authorities re the pitch.
Doncaster or whoever was ultimately responsible for yesterday’s debacle should have come out front and centre as all decent CEOs would do and take it on the chin doing a press conference quickly this morning and apologising to all of us and 51watching countries …and promise it would never happen again
Imagine the Apple or Samsung CEOs or any credible organisation after a major product failure allowing their supplier of service to take the hit for them in public. Never in a million years
We have MICE not MEN at Hampden !
Apologies if mentioned already.
Although not an apology, at least the SPFL has communicated with the fans.
“The players of the teams involved in these special games deserve to enjoy the best possible football pitch conditions…however this clearly did not happen over the weekend.
“We have written to HPL to understand what they plan to do over the next six weeks to ensure that we get the quality of pitch in a condition we require for our Scottish League Cup Final..”
http://spfl.co.uk/news/article/hampden-pitch-statement/
Possible comment from the compliance officer.
It was not our semi-final.
“The players of the teams involved in these special games deserve to enjoy the best possible football pitch conditions…however this clearly did not happen over the weekend.
“We have written to HPL to understand what they plan to do over the next six weeks to ensure that we get the quality of pitch in a condition we require for our Scottish League Cup Final..”
,,,,,,,,,,,,,
The SPFL missed out a bit
“We are seriously considering moving the Final to Ibrox and paying the rent in advance”
Sorry to post agin on this
I Hadn’t seen the ‘we have written to HPL” when I posted above !
That is even worse!
Again Imagine any CEO in a disaster scenario trying to say ..I have written to my supplier!…..
They really don’t even understand the fundamentals of leadership or management
There is absolutely no hope for these Buffoons …I can’t think of any other word for them
Seeing as its Transfer deadline day, here is a wee beauty from the decade of moonbeams
http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11788/2341321/gers-monitor-messi
With rumours rife that TRFC are about to sign up to four Newcastle players on loan, can anybody think of a reason why any deals have not yet been done/announced? Surely, if the Ashley connection is the driving force behind any such move, then all the negotiating will be done on a ‘what Mike says’ basis, or at least with quibble free negotiations. The players, of course, might not be happy and refusing to sign (any quibbles they have won’t involve wages, I’d expect), and who could blame them?
The only reason I can think of, other than players refusing to come, for any delay in announcing any loans (if the rumours have foundation), is that they depend on TRFC offloading more players, perhaps a one out, one in basis.
The Rangers Fans Board have revealed details of a meeting held with Llambias and Leach last week. Some of the points raised have reached the SMSM but it was my first sight of some of the numbers in particular.
http://therangersreport.com/2015/01/31/rangers-fans-board-clears-the-air-with-derek-llambias-co/
Tailothebank says:
February 2, 2015 at 4:16 pm
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We have MICE not MEN at Hampden !
———-
Which is a pity when a few moles would come in handy, especially the ones that are whistleblowers.
If any moles are reading, the blog is here…
easyJambo says:
February 2, 2015 at 4:51 pm
– Retail problems: Charles Green wanted to order 400,000 shirts which were decreased to 200,000 by Sports Direct. 125,000 shirts were sold but with 75,000 left provisions had to be made for obsolete stock.
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Charles was a turn, was he not? I’ll bet there’s a typo in there, and it was actually 400 million shirts that Charles ordered. Well that’s less than one for every Rangers fan on the planet, but there’s probably some poor bears in India and China who can’t afford a replica shirt.
“We have MINCE not MEN at Hampden !”
It looks like Charlie is already preparing Hampden for the tatties,
I’ll get ma howker
jambocol1874 says:
February 2, 2015 at 5:25 pm
1 0 Rate This
If Rangers take 4 loanees from Newcastle, they first one registered will have to be released immediately the 4th signs on.
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Max three?
I honestly expected the second half to start with the TRFC players getting ‘really stuck in’ and pressing the Celtic players.
Maybe it was a lack of fitness and/or belief, but TRFC seemed to be resigned to accepting a 2-0 loss.
And if I was a disillusioned TRFC fan before the game, I would be enraged after the game at the apparent lack of fight and pride displayed by the well paid TRFC players.
If the players can’t be bothered, then why should the bears pay their money to watch them ?
The club from Ibrox desperately needs some good news to keep the remaining fans onside, IMO.
jambocol1874 says:
February 2, 2015 at 5:25 pm
If Rangers take 4 loanees from Newcastle, they first one registered will have to be released immediately the 4th signs on.
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My understaning is no limit between clubs in differing nations. I could be wrong though, it has been known. 😕
When the Commonwealth Games contracts were awarded in 2009(?) Celtic F.C. did a bit of forward planning re: the relaying of its pitch. Celtic hired a Dutch company to grow several acres of nice green grass and cultivate it over the next four or five years. As soon as the Games finished, the landscaping contractors moved in to prepare the new pitch. Meanwhile in Holland the grass was cut up into rolls and loaded on to a series of articulated trucks. This convoy arrived in Glasgow at the appropriate time for a smooth relaying operation. The club grounds men thus had the advantage of reasonably good weather to cultivate the grass in time for the new season.
I know that Hampden had the added work of removing a false floor, but arrangements could have been made to draft in extra manpower. Why didn’t Hampden Park Ltd adopt similar forward planning to that of Celtic – and I presume the Ibrox club? The SFA would have known the ground was required by the end of January. Did our footballing authorities stipulate any clauses in its contract with HPL in the event of that company not meeting the SFA’s requirements?
Why was the Hampden pitch not relayed until November? Surely the removal of the CG track platform did not take three months? Broadfoot’s smart a*se reply to Bawsman merely illustrates the contempt with which the sixth floor at Hampden treat the genuine concerns of fans and clubs.
I’m sure I read on here that part of the SD contract Was that any unsold merchandize had to be bought back at Full retail price
Could be wrong but if I’m correct that’s about 300k for the tops alone if its £40 a top