Guest Post by Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan
Good Evening,
Last night, I found myself sitting at home when an e-mail arrived from the administrator of these pages suggesting that I write a guest article for all to consider. At that precise moment my television was full of the efforts of James T Kirk attempting to escape the Wrath of Khan, who blames old James T for all his ills and troubles including what he sees as his ridiculous and malicious banishment to a distant star in the middle of nowhere— amongst other things. He seeks vengeance, causes mayhem, and refuses to recognise the rule of law.
It may seem strange, but there is much to be learned from The Wrath of Khan. For example, in the midst of the action Admiral James T acknowledges that when he first faces what is at the time an unknown adversary, in most unusual and unknown circumstances, he ignores rules and regulation and as a result “gets caught with his pants down.”
That is the consequence of ignoring rules and regulation more often than not—even for the good guys.
This is also the movie where we are introduced to the Kobayashi Maru—the supposedly impossible test in which members of star fleet are asked to rescue a stricken ship and its crew without sacrificing themselves, their starship and all members of their crew. The test is meant to be impossible to solve as it cannot be achieved—unless you change the rules of the game!
Captain’s log: Star date 2012; This is the voyage of the Starship Scottish Fitba—and we’re lost!
How can it come to be, that as we approach September 2012 the world of Scottish Football is in such a state of flux and disarray with an unbelievable amount of uncertainty and doubt about fundamental matters and principles, after months when we have seen the spiralling demise of one of our country’s biggest football clubs and the threatened disintegration of the entire system of football administration in Scotland as a result?
Surely after all that has happened in these past months the administrators would have learned to not only play by the rules, but be seen to be playing by the rules, insisting on the rules, and reinforcing the principles and platforms that those rules are based on?
Rangers PLC has ceased to be a part of Scottish football and the failure to deal with that simple fact, even more than the demise of what was regarded as an institution, is baffling in the extreme. The simple fact of the matter is this: There are rules and laws —regulations if you like —which were pre written to deal with such an event. Apply the rules and everyone knows where they stand— ignore the rules and, as James T Kirk points out, you get caught with your pants down!
So far, the rules have been half implemented half ignored. Rangers were automatically deducted points for going into Administration and properly so. They were convicted, by a properly convened independent panel, of various rule breaches, and duly sentenced as a result—again properly so. Thereafter, the company was consigned to Liquidation because it could not pay its debts- with the result that it loses its SPL share and the right to participate in football altogether— and with the further result that it left a trail of unpaid debts to creditors, including football clubs, which ran to millions of pounds.
Further, let’s be clear, The SPL and the SFL only exist with the consent of the SFA. The SFA are the ultimate governing body in Scottish Football, with the two league associations merely management tools to achieve what is supposed to be the efficient management of the game in compliance with the pre agreed rules, procedures and principles that are meant to govern football and football administration. If you wish to play under this system, then you have to accept the very same rules procedures and principles, and there should be no contracting in or out of either membership, or the laws of the game.
Yet when Rangers went into Administration, and stared liquidation in the face, The Administrators, and subsequently everyone from Bill Miller through to Charles Green stated publicly that they, together with the SFA and all of Scottish Football, were facing the Kobayashi Maru whereby maintaining the rules and the principles of the game whilst at the same time saving Rangers FC could not be achieved!
The rules had to be ignored for the sake of expediency cried some press members. Whilst principles are all well and good, you can’t apply them if it means the death of Rangers—Rangers are too big — cried others. If you apply the principles and the rules you will kill Rangers—and yourselves—said some.
It would appear that when it came to Rangers and their wellbeing, some took the view that principles were not quite so important and that, no matter what, Rangers FC had to be saved—- and there it was—the impossible task— The Kobayashi Maru!
I wonder if those who spouted that argument looked at The SFA website in any detail? Because there it states specifically that the SFA wants its coaches to educate all its young players, trainee managers and future coaches to “ Honour the game-respect your opponent- play to the rules–value sportsmanship–redefine winning- not just focusing on match results and league positions- and to help produce positive, respectful, and confident people with useful life skills“. Presumably those life skills include playing by the rules, valuing integrity, behaving with honour and respecting the position of others and so on.
Yes—It is hard to believe—but all of those phrases are direct quotes from the Scottish Football Association webpages—they are the words of the SFA themselves. How could they be seen to abandon such principles—especially when they so publicly proclaim them?
What a choice then for the SFA—abandon your principles—or lose an institution—The Kobayashi Moru! You just can’t win!
Except, Green & Co—and I include sections of the media in that phrase—clean forgot who was sitting the Kobayashi Moru test. The SFA were never faced with the test—if anything it was their rules that posed the test for whoever wanted to try and save Rangers. In the end, nobody was willing to attempt that task under the existing rules. No one was prepared to come along and pay the debts and so save the club—and at that stage it was Rangers and Rangers alone who faced the Kobayashi Moru.
Green, by way of his Servco company, then sought admission into the footballing world at a time and under circumstances which the rules dictated must result in failure. He had no accounts, no history in the game, effectively no players and nothing that would suggest that he could meet the criteria of the pre agreed rules for entry into the SFA.
It was at this juncture that the footballing executives made the error of ignoring the rules and principles that govern our game—the ones that the SFA espouse on their own website. They tried to shoe in Green against all the rules, with the result that supporters, fans, and club chairman voted them down and left them with their pants firmly glued to their ankles in Kirk speak.
The SFA, at the instigation of the member clubs from all leagues, then played the Kirk role in attempting to solve The Ibrox Kobayashi Moru by changing those rules with the agreement of the majority, so that Mr Green and his cohorts could gain membership, by effectively agreeing to allow Green’s Servco to obtain membership of the SFA on a conditional basis— with one of those conditions being that Mr Green’s company will pay ALL outstanding football debts—and make no mistake Captain Green accepted that he would play by those rules as otherwise he faced oblivion.
Here is what Green said as published on the SFA website following the signing of the 5 man agreement:
“The agreement signed today allows Rangers to be granted membership by the SFA and finally enables the Club to move forward.
“The Board, the Manager and senior executives have been working tirelessly over the last few weeks to secure the future of the Club and today is the start of that process.
“The Board has had to take some very difficult decisions to gain SFA membership, including accepting the delayed transfer ban and paying outstanding financial penalties. But we are now able to get back to playing football and plan for the new season, starting this Sunday with our match against Brechin.”
The website also reported that Servco had been granted conditional membership with one of the conditions being – “Sevco Scotland Ltd has agreed to settle all outstanding football debts to other members of the Scottish FA plus clubs under the jurisdiction of other Football Associations.”
You will note that nowhere does it state that the SFA or the SPL will pay any of the footballing debts out of any money supposedly due to the second place team in season 2011/2012 as Charles Green appears to claim – and besides it is obvious to everyone that Servco did not participate in the league during that season and so cannot be entitled to any such payment as they were not Registered with the league nor had membership of the SFA or SPL.
Rangers PLC were so registered, but if they were due any money that money would go to their Administrators. However, given that Rangers PLC were the Registered body and were convicted of offences which were described as only second to match fixing, then it follows that they should not be allowed to profit by so much as a penny in that season as a result of their rule breaking activity. Had they been expelled from the league they would have been entitled to nothing at all, and it should be remembered that it was the same Mr Green who took that situation to the Court of Session with the result that the court sent the case back to the panel with the clear instruction that such a penalty may well be appropriate and that in the circumstances the tribunal may have little alternative but to impose such a sanction.
Clearly, this is a scenario that Charles Green had to avoid. In this instance he ignored the footballing rules of not going to courts of law, and found himself with his pants down and facing the Wrath of The Court and the Kobayashi Moru whereby any technical success at the court was likely to result in certain extinction by way of expulsion from the league.
Now Captain Green seems intent on steering his starship into yet another dead end with fatal consequences. He claims that the Scottish Football debts are paid. If we ignore for the minute that he has never attempted to pay any footballing debts outwith Scotland – thus jeopradising his conditional acceptance into the SFA— his claim that it was agreed that these debts would be paid by the SPL or the SFA out of 2011/2012 prize money is derisory.
No fundamental principle of fair play, respect for opponents and attempt at honouring the game could allow for such a situation. Besides the SFA were quite clear in their statement and he has at no time demurred. From the date of the 5 man agreement onwards Captain Green undertook to pay all of the footballing debts— and if he doesn’t, then again he risks the withdrawal of his conditional membership. There is no other solution to the issue. Those are the rules he signed up to, and if you ignore the rules………….
However, this entire affair still has far to go. Where is the transparency and clarity championed by Henry Mcleish and oft promised by Stewart Regan and others? Why are the details of Green’s investors and his business plan, timescales for meeting obligations and everything else about his operation kept so secret? Given the history of those who have been in charge of Ibrox over the last twenty years, the complete failure of their administration and what is now known about their tenure there and in football generally,— and given Green’s latest public statements—, does it not occur to the SFA that the rest of Scottish football has a right to know the details of what they have been told and what Green has promised?
He has promised to clear the footballing debts and appears to be making little attempt to do that whilst his manager hails as triumphs the signing of what he sees as the best players from other teams at relatively huge expense—whilst the debts remain, and the obligations are unfulfilled.
Again that cannot be right and goes against all principles of respecting opponents and honouring the game. It is a circumstance that amounts to the antithesis of the principles espoused by the SFA and appears to be completely contrary to the mandate given to Regan and the powers that be by the clubs and fans of all divisions. Further, the current position gives the impression that Mr Green believes that he can run his company and participate in football as and how he wants, as and when he wants and under his terms and conditions.
This smacks of previous regimes that hovered around Ibrox for far too long with ultimately disastrous results particularly for Rangers fans, investors and creditors.
History cannot be allowed to repeat itself under these circumstances and the SFA must bring pressure on Green to pay the obligations that he undertook to meet within a publicly known timescale. Not only does he need to do that for the benefit of the clubs owed money—he needs to do it for the sake of the integrity of the whole of Scottish football, and he should not be allowed to build at team or field a team if he breaches the agreement. That should be the rule.
He should not be allowed to sacrifice publicly proclaimed and nationally accepted principles for the sake of his own financial expediency “for the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few—- or the one!”
Oh—and lest anyone think that it is mere trivia to link the current plight of Scottish Football with Star Trek and the Wrath of Khan, and that any such comparison is childish and of little consequence, that last quote was specifically relied upon, referred to and quoted in the Supreme Court of Texas in a decision issued on 22nd October 2010 in the case of Barbara Robinson, Individually and as Representative of the Estate of John Robinson, Deceased, Petitioner against Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc., Individually and as Successor to Mundet Cork Corporation, Respondent— thus bringing the undoubted logic and wisdom of Mr Spock well and truly into the Law of the United States of America!
Few would argue that Spock’s logic is not a sound legal principle!
It also seems to me that perhaps Spock had some solid business advice for those who choose to ignore the rules with a view to seeking short term gain or advantage—whether that be by way of trophies, money, position or what have you—but peril their entire existence by engaging in unlawful or illegal activity. It is advice which was ignored apparently by Sir David Murray and his board and by Craig Whyte and his entire cabal. We wait to see if Charles Green will have learned the lesson that they so clearly didn’t, or whether he believes in the potential rewards of the quick fix at any cost?
Live long…….. And prosper!
FIFA @ 12:29
Forgot about those kids, although he used to say wee Spencer and Billy A were the two who would make it
Blu
Thanks for that– why is there no wider recognition of that?
And what can be done to encourage such teams to step up a division and so on?
FIFA says:
August 21, 2012 at 12:21
Hengist
Does your mother know your on the web.
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Aye, she does. Thanks for asking, in your grammatically unsound fashion.
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Longtimelurker says:
August 21, 2012 at 12:02
Total rubbish mate, even to mention Celtic in the same sentence wrt help from ‘officials’ is completely stupid unless your looking for a reaction which you’ve evidently got.
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I wasn’t looking for a reaction – I’m far too old to be trolling. Just seeing whether the Scottish Football Monitor was capable of monitoring any other aspect of Scottish fitba other than Rangers, specifically whether it could stand up to questions regarding sporting integrity where CFC were involved.
I think we can all see that isn’t the case.
Back to the RFC(?) thing, then. Nae big deal. As long as we’re clear what topics are acceptable for discussion, and which are completely stuipid or require one’s mother’s approval before posting. 🙂
Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan says:
August 21, 2012 at 12:41
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It’s been covered elsewhere but Spartans, formed out of Edinburgh Uni IIRC, has been keen for a number of years to get SFL membership. The forthcoming reconstruction will allow for competition to gain admission. It is clubs like Inverness and Ross County that bring new energy to the leagues that provide the strongest case for avoiding some arbitrary ‘rationalistation’ being mooted elsewhere. Charlie Brown provides a good argument against and I believe that he’s got it right – the lower league clubs generally exist within their means, taking little or nothing from the SPL. They were also needed as a bulwark and moral compass when required this year.
Charlie Brown says:
August 21, 2012 at 12:26
Who does the rationalising? who decides which teams and clubs are surplus to requirements? Who gets to play God and decide the worthy and unworthy? and on what criteria?
There are 90+ member clubs of the SFA, there are many more as members of the SJFA & SAFA.
All clubs have a right to exist and have to find a way of sustaining themselves. To be honest most of the clubs below SPL & SFL1 are part-time community clubs who play home & away winning promotion & relegation much as they always have done for over a century in most instances.
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In answer to the first paragraph the answer is Stewart Regan and Charles Green, the criteria is that the club which rises to the top will be called Rangers.
Of the 90 clubs which ones openly objected to a new club, not one of the original 90, gaining entry to the SFL3??? None.
How can clubs exist and find ways to sustain themselves when there is no pyramid dtructure all through Scottish fottball? No other team was asked to apply for SFL3, there is no relegation from SFL3.
SFA and SEVCO = Corruption bending / breaking rules, can we please all keep this as our main focus as was on RTC? Once we’re ahead and exposing the cheats for what they are, I’m sure more enjoyable topics about our beloved Scottish Football will be discussed in depth. Please lets all keep the pressure on and help expose this unbelievable corruption that nearly killed our game. Thanks. 🙂
Hengist: give it a chance. I believe that discussing actual football on here is frowned upon as it is too tribal. Google for ‘debatable decisions’ if you want a site that looks at individual referee performance.
However, I agree with you that ‘refereeing’ is part of the problems of Scottish fitba. I believe it tolerates (and therefore encourages though omission) a very agricultural style of play that hurts the marketability of the league. I’m wondering whether this is condoned by the individual clubs, or whether they are simply told how it will be by the head of refereeing.
I’d love to see the referee reports after a game. How was he scored?
I’d love to hear the conversation between the referee and assistants. Why not mic them up like rubgy referees? Why not get them to explain their justification as the game goes on?
HengistPod says:
August 21, 2012 at 12:45
2 7 i Rate This
I wasn’t looking for a reaction – I’m far too old to be trolling. Just seeing whether the Scottish Football Monitor was capable of monitoring any other aspect of Scottish fitba other than Rangers, specifically whether it could stand up to questions regarding sporting integrity where CFC were involved.
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On the one hand we have:
Rangers defrauding the taxpayer out of tens of millions of pounds
Rangers withholding circa £13million in PAYE and VAT
Rangers going into liquidation and demanding that established rules and regulations be waived/amended to accommodate their Phoenix incarnation
Rangers officials issuing veiled threats and statements designed to rally and exploit ill-feeling among their supporters resulting in threats of violence
etc. etc. etc.
On the other hand we have:
Celtic scoring an equaliser almost three minutes into injury time.
Your whattaboutery is not compelling.
Seamus says:
August 21, 2012 at 13:12
1 0 i
Rate This
SFA and SEVCO = Corruption bending / breaking rules, can we please all keep this as our main focus as was on RTC?
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Sevco was not the main focus of RTC, the clue is in the name.
Sevco have only took whatever they could get, if someone offered an inch they took a foot, the offer had to be given first though.
I have no knowledge so far of either corruption or bending/breaking rules, for Sevco. Taking advantage of them yes, breaking them , no.
The Iceman says:
August 21, 2012 at 13:14
@ Hengist
I believe 3 minutes of additional time is fairly standard – with time- wasting tactics and substitutions – the notion that it was excessive is not borne out by any scrutiny of that game! The goal was scored with 17 seconds of that time remaining according to the ESPN clock!
Hengist – grow some sense.
Celtic and Rangers( as was) when behind always tended to score late goals whether they be 83rd 88th 93rd minute as the opposition are defending what they hold.
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This is fair comment. Aside from the sense-growing bit :), thank you for a reasoned response.
Everyone else – please don’t assume an anti-CFC agenda on my or anyone else’s part. It brings you dangerously close to simulating the siege mentality displayed by certain other groups of “fans” who have been much discussed, representatives of whom also reach straight for the TD button if a comment doesn’t blow smoke up parts of their preferred team’s anatomy.
miki67 at 12:12
On the fence says:
August 21, 2012 at 11:20
3 2 Rate This
BRTH at 22:18 (20/8)
For those who say that this site has become an anti Rangers site– I agree— there is a very strong sense of dislike from many on here towards the team cuurently calling themselves Rangers.
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Good to see a “heavyweight POV” on here call it how it is.
All I would add is that if TSFM want´s to be taken seriously wrt what it pretends then this issue must be addressed.
I don´t pretend that Rangers aren´t the main topic of conversation.
It´s more the tone of said conversation and in many cases language employed.
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Well…..then more football fans of other teams need to be more vocal in their opposition to corruption and not leave it to Celtic fans to point out the defincies of their most bitter rivals.
And who created this entire mess anyway. That’s right, rfc,the sfa,the sfl,the msm,and a plethora of extremely dodgy ‘businessmen’.
And language will get heated when injustice is rampant and justice is denied. And arrogant stupidity is condoned and lauded by the debased and discredited msm.
That’s life. That’s human. NOT cold calculation.
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At least you recognize the problem.
It´s understandable that a forum used by football supporters from mostly one team will use heated and emotive language against it´s rivals.
That there is as BRTH opines “….a strong sense of dislike from many on here towards the team cuurently calling themselves Rangers…..”
However if a website pretends to be operating at a level whereby it can influence Scottish football in a fair and even handed manner (whilst calling the MSM out for bias) then it has to leave the hateful tone (of various levels) and emotive language behind.
There was a Kilmarnock supporter, Paulie Walnuts (RTC) who I thought gave what I´d say was your ideal type of contribution.
He looked at the facts and presented his take or whatever in a fair and balanced way.
We can´t all be as informed as PW or as clever with words but we can try and be more balanced, deal in facts where possible and leave your clubs colours/spectalcles for other websites.
From the ever watchful, suspicious and sometimes brilliant CFCblog on KDS
His latest theory re Sevco, Whyte et-al.
http://kerrydalestreet.co.uk/single/?p=11672343&t=8719788
HengistPod says:
August 21, 2012 at 12:45
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Aye whitevva mate.
Keep on taking the tablets.
been hearing from TRFC fans about a figure of over £2.5M that SPL ‘ reneged ‘ on paying.
Can someone tell me where this figure comes from (I know it is price money, but what is the breakdown )
Is it owed at all, owed to oldco or newco. Need some facts before I go back to them 😉
tonybananas says:
August 21, 2012 at 13:23
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Ah.. whataboutery – an automatic response when you can’t be bothered to say why you disagree with a post. HengistPod @ 13:36 and On the fence @ 13:40 have something worthwhile to add to this discussion. Try reading, reflecting and then responding. You’re allowed to disagree but it’s better if you give them some credit then present a case as to why you disagree with them. If this all sounds a bit priggish feel free to TD or rubbish it.
Hi All,
I have been thinking about the current debate about what Rangers should now be called? My opinion does it matter? We all know that they have been responsible for the actions, which have corrupted Scottish Football.
In my view the name Rangers will always be associated with corrupt practices, and is a “toxic” brand, and should remain with them?
Common sense tells me that responsible business would surely think twice about providing services to this club, which seems to be heading out of control again, and spending lavish amounts on players way beyond any 3rd Division side’s reach.
I think that the main point of this blog is to try and ensure that the SPL/SFA take action for all the wrongdoings at Rangers. I suspect that the ruling organisations are hoping that by next season, we will all be bored with the subject, and that the “Internet Bampots” will have disappeared, and normal service can be resumed, meaning Rangers back in the SPL, with no debts and Moonbeams in the air again.
It would seem that frustration is high among us, mainly because there has been no humility from anyone inside Ibrox, and they continue to spend above there means. If this is allowed to continue, it is only a matter of time before Rangers and Scottish Football will be in crisis again.
Through this whole soap opera I have read many contributions from Rangers fans, and what frustrated me most is that they have no voice at Ibrox. I read all the time about decent Rangers supporters, and I know many of them, but why can never take any kind of action to get control over what is always called the “minority”?
A lot of comments about we are all pro Celtic anti Rangers on here. I would love to see Rangers back in the SPL, Scottish Football needs them. However, I want to see a Ranger’s where everyone is welcomed, and the current agenda’s from both Celtic and Rangers supporters condemned to history!
The question I will ask is will the decent Rangers fans stand up and allow this to happen?
Can we rid ourselves of the bile?
I am a Celtic supporter, and I could really do without the sectarianism that tarnishes us all.
This is as an opportunity for all decent people on both sides to unite, can we make it happen?
If you want to pick pockets, distraction will play a key role in your tactics. Get a pal to barge into someone or hold up a cute baby and, while the punter’s concentration is elsewhere, you can nip in for their wallet or purse.
If you’re the victim of such a crime, you will pledge that you’ll never fall for such a blatant ruse again. Now, that would be really stupid, wouldn’t it?
Which brings us to the Sevco franchise.
Thanks to Sir Minty Moonbeams and wee Craigie Whyte, the club formerly known as Rangers was comprehensively killed off, before its followers swallowed the myth of a phoenix-like resurrection.
Now, with Chuckie Green leading the cheerleading and rabblerousing, they are applauding like seals that have been thrown a basketful of fresh fish.
Not a word will they hear against the straight-talking Yorkshireman and his bizarre collection of investors – Mazen Houssami (Lebanese lawyer working in Dubai), Pierre Haddad (Lebanese businessman based in Monaco), Elias Kaisar (Lebanese businessman based in Monaco), Jude Allen/Javed Abdullah (Malaysian hotelier), Chris Morgan (replaced Charles Green as director of Rafat Rizvi’s company Nova Resources), Glenmuir Holdings and Alessandro Celano of Blue Pitch Holdings.
Trying to find a link between them all is hard work. Sevco is being run by Green (with his Manchester and Rizvi connections) and the Zeus Capital pair of Imran Ahmad and Brian Stockbridge, who have worked alongside the Ticketus owners Octopus Investments in the past.
Celano has links to Morpheus Holdings, a London firm whose directors include Giles Green (son of Charles?) and Andrew Murray (perhaps related to Sevco chairman Malcolm?).
But perhaps a key link was established in June when Merchant House Group (which Whyte remains a key shareholder of) announced that its new adviser was Allenby Holdings – linked to Sevco CEO Ahmad and Octopus Investments.
The same announcement to the Stock Exchange added that a significant loan had been made to Merchant House Group by Beia Capital Holdings.
Through director Simon Schmidt, this firm specialises in procuring investment from the Middle East (which includes, of course, Lebanon and Dubai).
And listed as an associate is one Patricia Haddad. Remember that surname?
So off we are expected to head down murky foreign avenues littered with tales of bank fraud, cigarette smuggling, airline catering and so on.
But why?
There are, I admit, intriguing connections between all the names mentioned so far. But the more I look, the more I’m convinced they are ostensibly red herrings.
Because the real story lies much closer to home.
Behind the whole Sevco shenanigans lies, I’m convinced, Whyte and Ticketus.
All of this will become clearer once BDO begin the liquidation process of RFC PLC RIP.
Which may be why Duff & Phelps are taking as long as possible to finish off their highly paid administration work.
That may give Chucky Green – fresh from duping 33,000 mugs into giving Ticketus back some of their cash – time to get a share issue off the ground.
And hope that the mugs don’t notice, in the small print, that a major part of the former RFC PLC assets were hived off to Rangers FC Group (owner: wee Craigie ) prior to what was left being passed on to Sevco.
If this transaction did indeed take place (which I strongly suspect – otherwise, why would Liberty Corporate have a Floating Charge over the RFC Group assets?) it stands a chance of being challenged by BDO as “gratuitous alienation of assets”.
Cue a lengthy court case. By which time the stupidest fans in the world may well have had their pockets dipped for a second, or even third, time.
But do yourself a favour – don’t waste your time warning them.
Just sit back and enjoy the fun.
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From KDS.
Meanwhile over on Sevco Rangers Holding Company Mediawatch website (RM) we have the following stretching of the facts…………..
http://www.rangersmedia.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=889:traitors-or-history-makers&catid=98:players&Itemid=526
The subject was widely debated back in June when these players decided not to transfer their contracts over to the club’s new holding company and has been raised again somewhat in the past week or so, with a handful of these players featuring in their respective international squads.
Looking at the statement from Steven Naismith, he said that his decision to leave, had been a difficult one to make and he had spent time discussing it with his family. Following the initial wage cuts that he and his fellow players had agreed to take and then for the club to have to be taken over by a new holding company – leaving The Rangers Football Club plc still in administration – he was “disappointed and angry that Rangers Football Club no longer exists in its original form”.
Now this has been a point of much debate and I disagreed with Steven’s statement here, but it doesn’t matter whether I or any others person disagree or not. That part of the statement was factually incorrect! I don’t need to explain this to any of you. Whether you are a Ranger, or not, this needs no explanation.
And so the Holding Co fable gets repeated and repeated until it becomes the truth (@Josefgobbels)
lies or fables repeated endlessly never become the truth, the just become common misperception, misunderstandings or simple ignorance.
The Rangers Football Club Ltd is a NEW Rangers company and football club that was given an existing SFA membership.
OLD Rangers Football Club PLC is in administration soon to be liquidated and wound up forever.
It doesn’t really matter what the deluded or wilfully blind choose to believe, those are the facts of the matter.
Simple question; If it’s the same club then why did players & staff have to TUPE over? why did Naismith and all the other villains exercise their rights to choose not to do so? If it’s the same club then NEW Rangers already held their registrations and the players had no rights at all to leave? right?
oops! 😉
Having flicked through all the papers in the local newsagents, newco seem to have even more coverage than oldco ever got.
Charlie Brown – agreed.
My parents encouraged me to think for myself and if it does not make sense to try to analyse to make sense of all the information at hand. I also had Maggie to thank for perfecting my youthful questioning of what was reported on TV and in the papers (the only good thing she ever did for me!)
Shame the modern youth cannot seem to either think for themselves or have a reasoned debate without resorting to insults……
I sound like my dad 🙂
There are two arguments that inevitably blow the holding company and club/company are separate myths out of the water
The first is that if it was the holding company that went into administration, why was the football club deducted 10 points ?
The second is when you look at the report and accounts for the plc, (in the days when they produced those), the plc claims the trophies won, and the other on field achievements
The vast majority know full well that RFC(IA) is dead, and the Sevco version is a new company and club
They cannot admit to this though, as it would mean losing their tradition, culture and history
Once the FTT returns a result, once the SPL independant enquiry returns it’s findings, once BDO start acting, liquidate Rangers & publish their report(s), once Lord Hodge’s decides on Duff & Phelps then many of the outstanding questions will become clearer and many of the points of debate will have been ruled upon and have some finality.
It will be more difficult for followers of The Rangers to make some of the claims they are making now – perhaps hopefully it will force the politicians and football authorities to enforce some necessary changes so that the governance and financial management of Scottish football is vastly improved.
In the early seventies I used to buy Sounds the weekly paper on rock music and in the letters page some guy wrote that “Eric is God” but he was talking about Eric Faulkener of the Bay City Rollers who he claimed was better than Eric Claptrap or Ritchie Blackhole. For the next month every letter was about that, with people telling him to listen to track 3 off such and such album or “have you heard the amazing solo such and such does on this or that album” He was slated and even had threats made against him. A week after that he wrote in again laughing his head off at the reaction from everybody. It was a wind up and we all fell for it. Similar here is HengistPod with his own wind up and getting everybody off topic. For Gods sake his name comes from “a carry on film”. Just ignore him and he’ll go away.
Fat Sally ”I don’t think we’ve ever won the Ramsdens cup”. I think you will find your club has won nothing. We can’t let them repeat it often enough and think they are the same entity that perished. We must keep the heat on and not let the oldco become very newco.
campsiejoe says:
August 21, 2012 at 15:21
2 0 i
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There are two arguments that inevitably blow the holding company and club/company are separate myths out of the water
The first is that if it was the holding company that went into administration, why was the football club deducted 10 points ?
The second is when you look at the report and accounts for the plc, (in the days when they produced those), the plc claims the trophies won, and the other on field achievements
The vast majority know full well that RFC(IA) is dead, and the Sevco version is a new company and club
They cannot admit to this though, as it would mean losing their tradition, culture and history
——————————————————————————————————————
there is actually a precedent on this. Southampton were previously deducted points for the holding company going into admin. But before any supporters of the holding company theory get excited the reason given for the deduction despite the club not being in admin was that that in effect, the holding company and club were deemed to be one and the same.
Oh my The Guardian gets it
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/aug/21/rangers-falkirk-apology-fans#start-of-comments
Smell the glove says:
August 21, 2012 at 15:01
Having flicked through all the papers in the local newsagents, newco seem to have even more coverage than oldco ever got
——————————————
Hence the reason that most of the talk on here is regarding Sevco. It is the story of the hour/month/year and until it reaches its conclusion it will remain so. It also follows that, as most of the press coverage is designed to show Sevco in a positive light, this blog will endeavour to pick at the bones of their pieces and expose them for any hypocrisy that they show. It might be frustrating for some of the viewers and contributors on this blog but that’s just they way it is I’m afraid.
The blog is currently following a broadly similar plot-line as “Waiting for Godot”.
A group of individuals divert themselves while waiting expectantly, vainly for someone named BDO to arrive. They claim he’s an acquaintance but in fact hardly know him, admitting that they would not recognize him when they do see him. To occupy the time they eat, sleep, converse, argue, sing, play games, exercise, swap hats, and contemplate suicide – anything “to hold the terrible silence at bay”.
tomtomaswell says:
August 21, 2012 at 15:46
Spot on as to why some might perceive the blog as anti-TRFC. It IS the big story and because everyone else seems to be misrepresenting on it, this blog is right to expose that.
IMO Hengist has every right to raise other issues that he sees as potential bias/corruption. I actually thought that some posters reacted well to his comments about the extra time at Dingwall, explaining about the timewasting and correcting his claim that more than 3 minutes had been played. These showed that such debates are welcome here. In his subsequent post at 13.36, he seems to acknowledge this. I’m not sure then why he decides at 14.52 that “I’m out” (though i acknowledge there were some responses that didn’t welcome his challenge with open arms!)
You know,in all the months i have been reading this blog i have never ONCE read a post from a Sevco supporter that backed up any moans that they had,not ONCE has anyone of them showed us an article that can contradict the Fully researched comments from our more illustrious Posters,they moan about minutiae,but never about hard facts. Why is that i wonder?
I could guess that it’s because they know the truth,and they know that behind every comment that they pretend to be offended by is a feckin’ great guffaw.
It’s Sevco for me because the name Rangers sticks in the back of my throat.
Another thing while i’m here,an old adage springs to mind when i see the moans about nothing,
” If you cant stand the heat ,stay out of the kitchen.”
By all means come on here and discuss, disagree,we need that.But if your sole purpose is to come on because you are offended by the different names we use to describe the most corrupt club in Scottish History,then you really are on the wrong blog,because it WILL NOT STOP.
Tic 6709 says:
August 21, 2012 at 16:36
…………………………………….
There has not been one single logical post supporting the inclusion of Sevco because you simply cannot defend the indefensible.
They are and will continue to be in denial until the FTT and BDO complete their tasks and even then they will put it down to bias.
Hoopy 7@ 16.46. Dead right Hoopy,when they come on here and tell us that they have set up an alternative blog to investigate All of the wrongdoings and corruption then they will earn the respect of Everyone.They complain that they are shouted down on RM,TBD,FF,aye right.They know what to do but it’s much easier coming on here to complain about trivia.
Hoopy 7 says:
August 21, 2012 at 16:46
4 0 Rate This
Tic 6709 says:
August 21, 2012 at 16:36
…………………………………….
There has not been one single logical post supporting the inclusion of Sevco because you simply cannot defend the indefensible.
They are and will continue to be in denial until the FTT and BDO complete their tasks and even then they will put it down to bias.
________________________________________________________________________
You can’t talk to ‘them’ mate they are totally in denial.
I had a brief conversation with one of them yesterday who said that Sevco fans are getting a great deal at £15 a ticket for a league match, which I actually agree with in relation to the cost of getting into a game, but he went on to justify the price on the basis that SPL team are “shite” so he would rather watch the likes of East Stirling rather than Dundee Utd which basically means that he doesn’t care who the Sevco are playing as long as their is a bogot fest every two weeks.
He want onto say that Sevco are now debt free so I said good when are you going to pay the £130million that you owe and he just laughed and said that they owe no one anything.
Totally pointless talking to them.
The truly sad thing here is that we could have had a new Rangers with a new licence emerging at the lower echelons of the game with a full wind in their sales and genuine good will from all and sundry, that could have met the needs of those in Gasgow and wider afield who desire to see a strong counterpoint to Celtic without the sectarianism, recrimination and bitterness.
That club would have had to be formed and taken some years but with a revamped pyramid structure and fewer divisions of larger clubs in the SFL and SPL ( desirable in itself ) it would have emerged stronger, respected and potentially the major force in Scottish football within a decade – as it would have a lot of goodwill and a massive support behind it.
Instead we have the breaking of the rules of the game to breaking point with invented entities (conditional registrations/ Share transfers/ any nonsense ) to allow a company with no transparency and no obvious connections to Scottish football to claim a history of a tarnished claim and be given a place which ensure that this new/old hybrid monster will be born in acrimony and eternally viewed as illegitimate by the vast majority of fans in Scotland whilst its undesirable culture of supremacy and exclusion will be forever reinforced.
campsiejoe says: August 21, 2012 at 15:21 14 0 Rate Up
There are two arguments that inevitably blow the holding company and club/company are separate myths out of the water
The first is that if it was the holding company that went into administration, why was the football club deducted 10 points ?
The second is when you look at the report and accounts for the plc, (in the days when they produced those), the plc claims the trophies won, and the other on field achievements
The vast majority know full well that RFC(IA) is dead, and the Sevco version is a new company and club They cannot admit to this though, as it would mean losing their tradition, culture and history
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Last paragraph hits the nail on the head – right smack in the middle.
Ianc, August 21, 2012 at 15:45 –
The writer (Jacob Steinberg) succinctly sums it all up in one simple sentence:
“There comes a point where it is not a football club, it is a cult.”
It all now makes sense.
HengistPod @ 14.52
As you have said, the wider the viewpoints, the better the discussion, up to a point. I think the word is heterogeneity of blog. The current demographic of football support probably means most contributors will have a pro-Celtic leaning. I don’t think TU/TD mean a lot. I’ve given you both from time to time.
I think you’re like most of us. You put in some good stuff, and some not so good. Maybe you’re being a shade over-sensitive to hyper criticism, which is no use to anybody. I for one hope you’ll reconsider, and declare yourself back in.
Folks. This thing is going to run for years. Be patient, be persistent, be prepared. (The last one is just cos I used to be a cub scout 🙂 )
What are we about?
Is this just about the Rangers (IA) saga? I don’t think so – but clearly it is the biggest story in Scottish Football at this time. This would probably still be true even if we had a team winning the CL or the national team reaching the 2nd round of a major tournament (reaching a major tournament would make a welcome change!)
Our purpose should be (is?), I believe, to expose corruption in the game wherever we find it, without fear or favour. My team, your team, the SFA, SPL, SFL, juniors – it’s our game and we need to protect it from cheats and nurture it for future generations.
So by all means let’s discuss other instances of real or perceived corruption in the sport. Let’s do it in a rational and good natured manner. Try not to cause needless offence and try not to be too easily offended. (repeat daily, hourly, or as often as required)
Remember that without substantiating evidence, an ill-formed accusation is likely to receive fairly short shrift around here. Provide compelling evidence and I think you have a willing community who will fight it all the way.
What is in a name?
I have used a variety of names in earlier posts to describe the previous team that played at Ibrokes (doing it again) and the team currently plying their trade there. I imagine that there will be those that might be offended by my choice of language. It has not been my intention to deliberately cause offence (see above).
However, it most certainly has been my intention to maintain a clear distinction between the two entities and to contribute to the collective effort to keep the spotlight firmly on the club, and the various shady characters associated with that club, who have caused such damage to our game and, without exaggeration, our society.
The RFC(IA) debacle is not an issue that can be let go for the simple reason that to do so means complete surrender of control of the game to those who would condone, support and reward the cheats. The use of accurate labels to identify the relevant party is an important element in constructing coherent arguments in this case. There will also be an inevitable level of creative lampooning in the choice of label – this is a football community after all – Try not to cause… (see above)
Anti-TRFC?
One of the uglier aspects of the debacle is that fans of the club currently playing in blue from the south side of Glasgow are going to face a continuing barrage of reminders of their inglorious history wherever they go – this simply goes with the territory of their club having been seen to receive such enormous preferential treatment despite the massive earlier deviation from the laws of the game and the land.
A clean break, a new start. Then you get a chance to stand up as a new club without the baggage and look the rest of the sport in the eye as an equal.
Until that happens… don’t expect too much sympathy I am afraid.
There is unlikely to be a ‘moving on’ from this anytime soon. Sadly, there is little prospect of normal relations with the southside blues in the foreseeable future. It could have been different…
I honestly believe that the same would be true for any other club that found itself in such a situation.
the lie becomes the truth -MJ ( copywrite acknowledged)
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. (told ya first on here anyway, can i claim copywrite lol)
The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State( the Establishment) can shield the (ra)people (peepel) from the political, economic and/or military (footballing) consequences of the lie.
It thus becomes vitally important for the State (the Greene Rangers(copywrite acknowledged)/ SFA/SPL/MSM) to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth (by us bampots) is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth( as reported on here and by notable exceptions in the media) is the greatest enemy of the State.”
Joseph Goebbels
QED….
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. (told ya first on here anyway, can i claim copywrite lol)”
Ok, what I MEANT to say was I think I was the first on here to reference Goebbels re repeating lies ad nauseum. Apologies if that’s incorrect.
How many times?
This is not the place to complain about refereeing decisions or perceived bias from match officials. Everyone can highlight their team being on the end of bad decisions, with Diddies undoubtedly suffering more than most, but to continually harp on about them, and link them to some form of grand conspiracy, merely makes us look like a bunch of crackpots.
If my pubs name is still the same for over a 100 years and has went bust, plenty different owners and hey, still the same name over the door, it’s not called a Newco !
The signings continue:
Sebastien Faure becomes Rangers’ sixth summer signing
Defender Sebastien Faure has signed a three-year contract with Rangers subject to international clearance.
The 21-year-old left Lyon without playing a top-flight game for Les Gones, although he did feature in the French League Cup.
Faure was in the France squad at the 2011 Under-20 World Cup in Colombia, helping them to a fourth place finish.
Last season Faure spent time on loan with Nantes and was on trial with Leeds United before joining up with Rangers.
Rangers have now brought six players to Ibrox this summer.
Faure joins Ian Black, Dean Shiels, Francisco Sandaza, Kevin Kyle and Emerson Cribari in moving to Glasgow’s southside as Rangers prepare for a transfer embargo which is to begin on 1 September.
Faure is not eligible for Wednesday’s game against Falkirk in the Ramsdens Cup.
Manager Ally McCoist is hopeful that international clearance will be granted in time for his latest recruit to feature at Berwick Rangers on Sunday.
This is an anti corruption monitor, celtic have many more fans than the other clubs so of course there will be many more fans of celtic in any open forum, but i have read comments from fans of many different clubs on here. I dont believe that the blog is intrinsically pro celtic or anti rangers, rather it is just a sign of the times and the here and now.
Rangers and the sfa were corrupt. This should be investigated and any guilty parties should be exposed and punished fully.
The rangers and the sfa are corrupt. This should be investigated and any guilty parties should be exposed and punished fully.
Celtic scoring a late equiliser inside stoppage time on a day when a stonewaller was denied is not remotely the same and should not be discussed purely as a means to include some celtic scrutiny.
If any proof of celtic corruption is available then lets see it, if any evidence that celtic were involved in the sevco in the spl debacle exists then lets see it, is there any proof of celtic and the sfa colluding to cover up or carve up secret agreements purely to benefit celtic. Any shady business practises needing aired, any confusion over our assets or finances. Is there any doubt that celtic are a danger to society or are possibly about to bring the entire game crashing down without a care.
I would be voice lost among thousands of other celtic voices calling for change at my club, the guilty removed and punished appropriately. If the club itself was compromised i would call for the rules to be applied and accept the outcome so that the club could move on without new compromise to tarnish it.
I am not bored fighting corruption in our game, the alternative is no game at all, i will fight it where i see it amongst clubs but i would fight harder if it was my own club.
Rangers FC listed at 50 on Uefa coefficient table which would appear to show that SFA has advised Uefa that they see The Rangers as the same club as the club which is currently in administration awaiting liquidation.
Interestingly there is no link to the club as with all other clubs on the table.
http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/club/index.html
Looks like Goian is off to Italy.
eddie rice says:
August 21, 2012 at 18:57
=====
Would they not remain there until the liquidation, as they are technically still in existence?
BTW guys is it really possible for Ticketus to be doing what’s been suggested on here and on other forums, i.e. a silent owner if you will?
I mean can someone/company who has been sh@fted the way that Ticketus appear to have been shafted actually get away with getting their money back in this way?
Would HMRC really stand back and watch that happen?
BTW, I think, for what it’s worth, that Ticketus have been involved from when before Murray sold the deid club to Whyte. I think Murray was the money man behind the Ticketus investors.
What this new entity is called is central to the whole fix
Aided and abetted by the SFA/SPL/SFL. the MSM and Scottish football as a whole, they have been allowed to adopt with minimal change, the name of a soon to be liquidated club, and encouraged to portray themselves as that club
Having done that, they have been allowed to carry on as if nothing has happened, with virtually no punishments, and the only real difference being their membership of Division 3
They have been allowed to walk away from up to £135 million of debt, with barely a word of recrimination, and they now quite openly wear this as some sort of badge of honour
The truth is, that this new business should not even be in existence in its current form, but to the eternal shame of our legislators, rules have been waived and bent to breaking point to allow their continued presence in our game
Everyone involved in the fix should hang their heads in shame, and be treated with contempt by the rest of us, as they have condoned and encouraged financial irregularity on a monumental scale
I will never use the name of the liquidated club when referring to the new entity, and I will always refer to it as Sevco, because no matter how much everyone pretends, they are a brand new club and company
CE says:
August 21, 2012 at 18:19
=============================
I’m afraid it’s getting very close to being there already.
Just another mob of crackpots on the internet with their outlandish theories and paranoid delusions.
So it goes. (For Kilgore)
nowoldandgrumpy says:
August 21, 2012 at 18:53
Faure joins Ian Black, Dean Shiels, Francisco Sandaza, Kevin Kyle and Emerson Cribari in moving to Glasgow’s southside as Rangers prepare for a transfer embargo which is to begin on 1 September.
Faure is not eligible for Wednesday’s game against Falkirk in the Ramsdens Cup.
Manager Ally McCoist is hopeful that international clearance will be granted in time for his latest recruit to feature at Berwick Rangers on Sunday.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So does anyone know how close The Rangers are getting to having a full complement of 22 players over 21? They must be near it now.
nowoldandgrumpy says:
August 21, 2012 at 19:05
Looks like Goian is off to Italy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m surprised anyone wants him. He’s not exactly covered himself in glory in the third division.
Smell the glove says:
August 21, 2012 at 18:20
Rate This
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
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I have followed RTC from the start. I will do walking away from this gloat-fest. The above contribution speakes very eloquently as to the depths that this blog has descended.
I had fondly hoped that we had a forum where the mal-administration of our game could be challenged in an intelligent and considered manner as was the case under RTC. This has become just another fans’ site. Good luck with your Rangers bashing.
It is a very great pity. Like others, I am out of here.
[TSFM Edit: Sorry to see you go Auld Leith Exile. I agree with your sentiments re the above post which has been removed. Stick around and ignore the trolls]
Lets hope Ticketus are still involved somewhere and are wanting to get some of their cash back.
That means more stress on the annual budget for running the club if a decent whack of revenues are going straight out the backdoor to Ticketus.
IfIf the Sevconians are going to put cash into the club they better be damn sure they know where it is going before signing on the dotted line.
Auld Leith Exile
I agree with your sentiment and the poor taste of the comment used in your example – occassionally the RTC site would be repetitive with lots of “preaching to the converted” during a slow news period (I liked the waiting for Godot analogy) but contributors refrained from cheap pejorative comments about all things Rangers.
I hope this comment is an exception and the blog maintains its focus on fighting corruption and collusion with same in Scottish Football (albeit TRFC is the biggest story in that category right now) – if it becomes a ‘Celtic’ site for bashing the gerrs then I’ll be off before long too….
CE says:
August 21, 2012 at 18:19
How many times?
This is not the place to complain about refereeing decisions or perceived bias from match officials. Everyone can highlight their team being on the end of bad decisions, with Diddies undoubtedly suffering more than most, but to continually harp on about them, and link them to some form of grand conspiracy, merely makes us look like a bunch of crackpots.
=============================================================
If there is perceived bias why is this not the place to discuss??
[TSFM: It’s not the place. there are other blogs and forums available]
It would appear Rangers only have 2 signed goalkeepers, Neil Alexander & Scott Gallacher, would this be enough for 2 seasons??
Is there any clause which allows the embargo to be broken if a GK is required because of injury or suspensions??
OOps forgot, no publication of the conditions has ever been made available by the SFA or the SFL.
Starofdavid says:
August 21, 2012 at 18:08
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. (told ya first on here anyway, can i claim copywrite lol)”
Ok, what I MEANT to say was I think I was the first on here to reference Goebbels re repeating lies ad nauseum. Apologies if that’s incorrect.
*********************
Nope I did it many months ago in RTC under Exiled Celt – copyright is mine 🙂
All those who are deluding themselves that RFC still exists remind of those people who keep the body of a loved one who has passed tucked up in bed.
Now that’s a start !
smallteaser says:
August 21, 2012 at 19:42
It would appear Rangers only have 2 signed goalkeepers, Neil Alexander & Scott Gallacher, would this be enough for 2 seasons??
Is there any clause which allows the embargo to be broken if a GK is required because of injury or suspensions??
OOps forgot, no publication of the conditions has ever been made available by the SFA or the SFL.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I think they have two young lads as well.
Are there any monies going to whitstheirname for the likes of Goyan and Edu?
I have not heard nor read of any.
Looks like he is going on loan??????? for a year according to the BBC.
Why a year, is this a further sign of the restructuring as claimed by TRFC?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19338654
Rangers: Dorin Goian leaves for Spezia loan
Defender Dorin Goian has left Rangers to join Italian Serie B club Spezia on a season-long loan.
The 31-year-old Romanian international has experience of playing in Italy, having moved to Ibrox from Palermo in July 2011.
Rangers manager Ally McCoist also told BBC Scotland that midfielder Maurice Edu may be joining Stoke.
“We hear from his agent that there is a potential deal to be done with Stoke,” revealed the Ibrox boss.
On Monday, McCoist said the club had received an offer for USA international midfielder Edu from Ipswich.
With Rangers relaunched in Division Three, the 26-year-old has not featured this term and is seeking an exit.
Goian, who has two years of his contract to run, has played in all of Rangers’ games this season, featuring in the league as well as the League Cup and Ramsdens Cup.
nowoldandgrumpy @ 20:19
This is what we must be on our guard against
Part 2 of the fix is being prepared, and I have no doubt that in the not too distant future, the first leaks to test the water will appear
I’ve just checked up on some of the early TV audiences for live TV games from this season. The Sky audience for the Peterhead v TRFC game was 166K, which is not too bad although somewhat less than last season’s cup ties of Peterhead v Celtic (298K) and Arbroath v RFC (247K), all of which were shown on Sky Sports 1 which generally has the highest audiences.
However numbers from the early ESPN games must be some cause for concern. Dundee Utd v Hibs 16K and Hibs v Hearts at just 25K are away down on last season’s equivalent games. Last season, games featuring neither Celtic nor RFC would normally attract around 50-60K while the Edinburgh derby would attract around 100K when shown on ESPN.
I can’t see ESPN in particular being particularly happy if those numbers were to continue.
Viewing figures can be had here with a little searching about: http://www.barb.co.uk/report/weeklyTopProgrammes/?
Raising this again on here as a topic to be potential – how can player who has TUPE’d over to Sevco be talking to Stoke unknown to McCoist – and Bedoya went for free….
Something stinks on the player registrations….who are they registered to – someone needs to tell us.
Why do the BBC think that anyone looking for updates on a Champions League Qualifier would be interested in what is happening at Falkirk?
DeeperStill says:
August 21, 2012 at 16:06
18 0 Rate This
The blog is currently following a broadly similar plot-line as “Waiting for Godot”.
A group of individuals divert themselves while waiting expectantly, vainly for someone named BDO to arrive. They claim he’s an acquaintance but in fact hardly know him, admitting that they would not recognize him when they do see him. To occupy the time they eat, sleep, converse, argue, sing, play games, exercise, swap hats, and contemplate suicide – anything “to hold the terrible silence at bay”.
=============================================================
Tremendous.
Guest article by DeeperStill? Probably not.
[TSFM Edit. Why not?]
campsiejoe says:
August 21, 2012 at 20:28
0 0 Rate This
nowoldandgrumpy @ 20:19
This is what we must be on our guard against
Part 2 of the fix is being prepared, and I have no doubt that in the not too distant future, the first leaks to test the water will appear
==================
The silence from the SFA, SPL and SFL, leads me to think that this is what is taking place at Hampdung right now.
scottc says:
August 21, 2012 at 19:49
I think they have two young lads as well.
==========================================
Yes one at 17 & one at 19, however would they say they need experience and would it be allowed?
Auld Leith Exile says:
August 21, 2012 at 19:20
Smell the glove says:
August 21, 2012 at 18:20
Rate This
The only club to carry over from oldco is the .
—————————————————————————————————————————
Auld Leith Exile,
I’ve posted on this and RTCs blog since it basically started.I don’t remember your name.Only reason I’m saying this is because,after supposedly following here since inception,you decide to make a point.
Why?.
I assume it’s because of the content of said post.You’ve decided to inform us you’re “walking away” when we didn’t know you were here in the first place.Wonder why?.
That aside,this post by Smell The Glove lowers the tone of the blog.There are other places to post this stuff if you wish.Keep it off here,If you feel you can’t,then keep yourself off.you lower yourself down to the level of CG,A McC and every one else who thinks Bogited comments are acceptable.
They’re not acceptable to me and I’m proud to have been,and still am,associated with this blog and its forefather.By denigrating this blog,you denigrate me,and others like me.
Torrevieja Johnbhoy @ 21:16
Seconded
Interesting article, found via Aberdeen Mad, thanks fellow sheepies.
http://www.scottishreview.net/DominicBrown8.shtml
In football, the fans
are taking over
from the freeloaders
By Dominic Brown
The limits of democracy are exposed by events, suggesting our powerlessness to change things. History will judge this context to be of major significance when considering the recent farce that reveals the Scottish football establishment as a circus without bread.
It’s often said that football is the last trace of community; it’s also been observed that communities stand in contrast to players whose salaries give them more in common with gods from other galaxies than with ordinary supporters. However, at all levels, sport functions as a metaphor for fair play; although as adults we are aware that much of life is unjust, we expect to see fairness in sport. This accounts in no small measure for sport’s social and cultural significance; it’s a means by which children are socialised into living by the rules.
And yet, what we’ve seen recently is an establishment bent on breaking those rules. We’ve heard scaremongering about ‘social unrest’ and ‘dire consequences for Scottish society’ if the rules are followed. An ex-first minister, deciding things will improve if he gets involved, observes that ‘unless or until we put our house in order, a lot of people will be looking at us and saying we are not fit for purpose’. So far so good, you might think, but apparently our ex-first minister sees this as an argument against applying the rules.
We’ve also seen, recently, an alignment of people who pay to get into games, against the people who get paid to attend those games. We’ve seen a rejection of our rulers’ assumption of market forces for the poor, socialism for the rich. The common folk, the taxpayers, the fans, those who pay, sensed greater potential that their voices may be heard in the debate on Rangers’ immediate future than in any constitutional abstraction. And they were right, and it’s a cause for optimism that the views expressed appeared to transcend club allegiances. It’s been refreshing, too, to see clubs make a moral choice, or at least prioritise the feelings of their own customers.
We’ve seen how power operates, or flails about, when it’s scared. And this was not confined to the governing elite. We’ve had a case study in modern media. The traditionally-constituted news outlets didn’t report Rangers’ financial troubles when the world and his dug knew of their existence. Now that they’ve seen which way the wind blows, journalists are willing to criticise, but for long enough it was left to bloggers to educate and inform. In this regard, rangerstaxcase.com, winner of the 2012 Orwell Prize for political writing, stands out but any number of websites are playing a part in the devolution of importance away from conventional outlets. What we’re seeing is no less than a democratisation of the media.
Football journalists and pundits belong to the get-paid-to-go-to-games brigade, assuming themselves possessed of specialist technical knowledge, conferred only on the inner circle. Certainly, such knowledge may have existed in the pre-satellite past when maybe three or four games were televised live every year. Now, however, the wall-to-wall TV coverage, paid for at no small expense by ordinary supporters, has expanded fans’ technical knowledge, moving it closer to that of ‘experts’ who become little more than gossip columnists. Their dumbed-down coverage is symptomatic of the symbiotic relationship between media and game. Is it any coincidence that RTE, with (no offence) a poor level of national league, manages to provide cuttingly articulate and insightful football analysis, light years ahead of that provided by any UK-based broadcaster?
The traditional media pride themselves in their disdain for the quality of football in Scotland, as if they themselves write like Shakespeare. In particular, they scorn supporters’ attraction to the off-field cultural dimensions of the game, ignoring the fact that this attraction affords them a good living. In its absence, fewer folk would be interested in Scottish football, a fact that journalists (who, as has become increasingly apparent, often have covert agendas and allegiances) would do well to remember. In recent decades, social science has come to accept that ‘neutrality’ is little more than an unattainable aspiration; it’s far more honest to declare interest and let your public judge. This is the approach adopted by web media; print and television are being left behind.
There has been no little conjecture about the effect of Scotland’s failure in the 1978 World Cup on the cautiously indecisive result in the devolution referendum nine months later. Few observers would deny the existence of some sort of connection, and it would be unwise to discount the significance of people power in the recent Scottish football circus. History is not short of examples of strange things happening when ordinary folk get a wee glimpse of their collective strength.
The danger to the Scots game is present and real, and we’ll hear a lot about coats and cutting cloth in the near future. But no one in Scotland seriously believes our football is much good anyway; debate addresses the question of whether it’s second-rate or third-rate. If you want top quality, you buy yourself a Sky subscription (or go to the pub) and watch the Spanish or English leagues. The game in Scotland functions more as a vehicle for identities, sometimes tribal, sometimes familial, sometimes individualistic. Of course there is a threat, but the biggest danger is not to the fans, but to the freeloaders.
There will always be football in Scotland, but the parasitical administrators and media figures who constitute much of ‘Scottish football’ are clearly frightened. And with reason.
The Duffs are due to produce a 6 month report I have read it’s due at the end of the month – thought it would have been due 14th – where will it be published now that sevco are running the website from the RFC2012 (IA) website?