The Continuing Voyage of Scottish Football – and the Wrath of Khan

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!

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About Trisidium

Trisidium is a Dunblane businessman with a keen interest in Scottish Football. He is a Celtic fan, although the demands of modern-day parenting have seen him less at games and more as a taxi service for his kids.

1,316 thoughts on “The Continuing Voyage of Scottish Football – and the Wrath of Khan


  1. Sepia
    There will be more at Ibrox today than the SPL combined.
    This is the reason that Rangers can increase their wagebill, the exact amount not being known although that doesn´t stop the best guess estimates appearing in the press.
    All indications point to league reconstruction which may mean that Rangers need to have some players that can compete at a much higher level than currently needed, bearing in mind the transfer embargo.

    Re. Celtic
    You can cite “integrity” but it´s more to do with having accumulated a plethora of players that needed to be pruned before others were brought in.
    That connected with the known unknown whether the club have CL revenue.
    It stands to reason eg. Lennon has a centre forward in mind but he may have to lower expectations if there is no CL money.


  2. Agrajag @ 11:42am

    Very true when I met him many years ago, I was very young, very naive, and had no interest whatsoever in football 🙂 when I look back all the signs were there, as you say when any pressure is applied the mask slips ……. Revert to type, let’s hope the SFA just apply the rules and hammer him and Rab C Nesbitt will look classy compared to him 🙂


  3. Agrajag says:

    One final note, the anonymity of panels was agreed unanimously. His club voted for it, so his rants about openness and transparency had no basis. It is quite clear he was simply playing to the crowd and increasing their paranoia and blood lust.

    ———————————————————————————————————————————-

    In many ways this episode is a microcosm of this whole saga…………Glasgow Rangers encounter a rule that may inconvenience them, therefore they ignore it and demand exemption, rules are for the little people, ra peepil!


  4. Logie says:
    August 18, 2012 at 11:42

    Agrajag on August 18, 2012 at 08:45

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

    Thanks for that. Very clear and I await the outcome of the flotation….good time to be going to the stock market selling shares in a recently formed SFL D3 club… 🙂

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

    Thank you.

    I think what’s important to bear in mind is that there are two issues really. Overall turnover / profit for the year and cash flow.

    The current regime’s strategy seems to be based on the front loaded nature of a football clubs cash flow. Using that to buy them time so that additional income can be generated through the share issue, or finding further investors for the existing company. However the additional investors would also be looking to make profits when the inevitable floatation takes place.

    This is a risky strategy, if the share issue fails it is difficult to see where the revenue spent could be made up. they would have overspent in the first few months in order to make that issue as attractive as possible. However if it was then to be under subscribed there would be little money left for the rest of the season and no prospect of getting it.

    This strikes me as a similar strategy to the administration. We must keep spending money we can’t really afford in order to make the product retain it’s value. That resulted in liquidation.


  5. I thought there was a ruling from the court that the SFA could not impose a transfer ban

    I thought there were rules with regards to paying creditors of a liquidated company

    I thought Rangers newco paid all Scottish football debts


  6. Update,I have been in contact once again with Trading Standards about false advertising by Sevco.The matter is in hand,but they may not inform me personally about any progress.So lets hope that they can stop Sevco advertising league titles , cup wins,and anything else they decide to claim belongs to a club that is 2 MONTHS old. I’ll keep you all informed.


  7. I decided to email G MacPherson about his article in the Herald on Sally’s defence – and I will post any reply received.

    Jimmy Bones
    12:04 PM (0 minutes ago)

    to graeme.macpher.
    Dear Graeme

    I read and enjoyed your article in Saturday’s Herald Sport but I was perturbed by the lack of criticism of McCoist’s behaviour in this matter.

    Can I draw your attention to firstly, the actual SFA complaint – http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=2566&newsCategoryID=1&newsID=10362 and secondly, perhaps you could find some time to read 3 short posts from the Scottish Football Monitor website which I am sure you are already familiar with

    http://scottishfootballmonitor.wordpress.com/2012/08/16/the-continuing-voyage-of-scottish-football-and-the-wrath-of-khan/comment-page-6/#comment-4919

    http://scottishfootballmonitor.wordpress.com/2012/08/16/the-continuing-voyage-of-scottish-football-and-the-wrath-of-khan/comment-page-6/#comment-4924

    http://scottishfootballmonitor.wordpress.com/2012/08/16/the-continuing-voyage-of-scottish-football-and-the-wrath-of-khan/comment-page-6/#comment-4882

    The mainstream media’s reputation throughout the Rangers’ saga has been poor – your article is a good example of telling some of the truth but not all of the truth. I hope you will be given the opportunity in the near future to write about this saga again and will be able to present a more balanced view.

    Thanks & regards


  8. Stanblack says:
    August 18, 2012 at 11:59

    I thought there was a ruling from the court that the SFA could not impose a transfer ban

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

    That’s a fair point, Rangers’ administrators won their Judicial Review and the Court of Session sent the matter back to the appeal panel as the registration embargo was not a punishment open to them.

    Have they decided on a new punishment that was actually within their power to impose. It would be really awkward if that was disqualification from the SFA, as that membership has already been “transferred” to another club.


  9. http://www.scotsman.com/news/glenn-gibbons-comparing-olympics-to-football-is-comedy-gold-1-2475614

    Stumbled over this article.

    It somewhat highlights the problems and wrongheaded conclusions of people who call themselves football men or proclaim it of others.

    I find the lack of any kind of long term plan from the SFA to galvanize a generation and promote some kind of sporting excellence from our national game depressing.

    The lack of cutting edge thinking, innovative solutions and preconceptions rooted firmly in the past, weighs heavy on Scotland and Scottish football.

    Outside of any future distractions or squabbles over the merits of team GB, the cutting edge displays of sporting excellence grate against the continued barren furrow ploughed in our national game.

    How can, by footballing standards, poorly paid athletes rise to the very pinnacle of world sport? How can they put in place world class facilities, coaching, backroom staff and training programmes, in a country whos most beloved game wallows in a mire of mediocrity with one eye looking mistily to the past?

    Welcome to Scotland, a land of highs and lows and many, many contradictions.


  10. Jimmybones @ 11:30, & kilgore Trout @ 9:15.

    Thank you very much gentlemen. ( or lady? )

    I hope to have the top 4 leagues in England by Sunday night, temperamental wife pending. 😀


  11. Did East Fife get their money? Really strange no-one in the msm followed that up? Come on someone must know!!!!


  12. Brenda says:
    August 18, 2012 at 12:50
    5 1 Rate This
    Did East Fife get their money? Really strange no-one in the msm followed that up? Come on someone must know!!!!

    ========
    If East Fife don’t tell we won’t know – in addition was their share of 50,000 or 38,000 I see it’s cash only again at mordor


  13. the taxman…..
    you may have seen my post yesterday. I emailed east fife asking the question, received an acknowledgement but to date no answer.


  14. One of the problems of taking a bus down here in Middle Engerland is that you are a captive audience and I have frequently had to put up with the most bizzarre conversations. I find the only escape is to nod or shake my head, pretend I have the remotest idea about what they are saying, look serious if appropriate and pray that the tongue disembarks at the next village.
    Today’s was different. The mouth was talking angrily about spoilt footballers and their inflated wages and sense of their own importance (in comparison with the Olympians). As she stood up to leave, her parting shot was, ‘And then there is that team up in Scotland who have been cheating everybody, not paying their debts, not caring about anybody. And they are getting away with it!
    The voice of RTC has reached Middle Engerland!


  15. well if thats football armagedon can we have more please.
    great drama at Ross County, an honest result played out by two honest teams a full house and a great atmosphere with none of the bile that has been transported to the SFL and a fair refereeing display to boot!.
    but surely not….. without “them” there can be no future……. rot.


  16. Agrajag says:
    August 18, 2012 at 12:08
    0 0 Rate This
    Stanblack says:
    August 18, 2012 at 11:59

    I thought there was a ruling from the court that the SFA could not impose a transfer ban

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

    That’s a fair point, Rangers’ administrators won their Judicial Review and the Court of Session sent the matter back to the appeal panel as the registration embargo was not a punishment open to them.

    Have they decided on a new punishment that was actually within their power to impose. It would be really awkward if that was disqualification from the SFA, as that membership has already been “transferred” to another club.
    ==============================================
    The transfer ban on Sevco is a condition of transfer of SFA membership. The SFA have the power to apply ANY condition to the transfer of membership.

    It may seem perverse that they chose to sanction a new club; but then again, it is perverse logic that allowed the SFA to transfer membership from one club to create another with the same (or very similar) name.

    The transfer ban issued to Rangers FC(IA) was deemed to have been outside the powers of the disciplinary panel (and Appellate Tribunal); but since Rangers FC(IA) are no longer operating as a football club; that decision is no longer relevant.

    The transfer ban on Sevco’s Rangers is not a “punishment” for any past crime(s) – how could it have been? They did not exist as a football club until the SFA membership was granted.

    However illogical it may seem, the transfer ban is simply the price the new club had to pay for joining the SFA.


  17. HirsutePursuit says:
    August 18, 2012 at 14:36

    The transfer ban on Sevco is a condition of transfer of SFA membership. The SFA have the power to apply ANY condition to the transfer of membership.

    However illogical it may seem, the transfer ban is simply the price the new club had to pay for joining the SFA.

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

    I agree. The registration embargo has nothing to do with the original offences, and is a condition of membership for the new club.

    So when are the old club going to be punished for the offences for which they were found guilty. Or is that just going to be ignored.


  18. verselijkfc says:
    August 18, 2012 at 10:22

    nowoldandgrumpy says:
    August 17, 2012 at 19:50

    Is there not also nice bit of triangulation between Allenby and our hero at Merchant House?

    http://www.merchanthousegroup.com/rns/company-update-annual-report-total-voting-rights-and-change-of-adviser-and-broker
    ————————————————————————————————————————–

    I’m sure it’s been pointed out but the only two directors of Beia Investment Partners Llp – Stephen Drew and James Keane – are also on the Merchant House Group board.


  19. Sky saying over 50 thou at Ibrox, pity East Fife are one up


  20. Ha! Sportsound!

    Did Charlie Green just put himself forward as the man to sort out the SPL after he’s finished at The Rangers?


  21. Agrajag says:
    August 18, 2012 at 14:40
    0 0 Rate This
    HirsutePursuit says:
    August 18, 2012 at 14:36

    The transfer ban on Sevco is a condition of transfer of SFA membership. The SFA have the power to apply ANY condition to the transfer of membership.

    However illogical it may seem, the transfer ban is simply the price the new club had to pay for joining the SFA.

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

    I agree. The registration embargo has nothing to do with the original offences, and is a condition of membership for the new club.

    So when are the old club going to be punished for the offences for which they were found guilty. Or is that just going to be ignored.
    ============================
    One of the problems for the SFA is that the Appellate Tribunal, if/when reconvened, cannot take Sevco Rangers’ transfer ban into consideration.

    I doubt that the AT would have accepted (if they had survived) Rangers FC(IA)’s acceptance of the transfer ban anyway. However, Sevco Rangers are a different legal entity and have no bearing on whatever alternative sanction (if any) should be applied to Rangers FC(IA).

    If it is reconvened, In my view, the AT have two choices:

    1. Apply an alternative tariff – which would almost certainly be termination of the SFA membership held at the time of the offences. Effectively, Sevco would have 14 days (from that AT decision) to apply for a new SFA associate membership. If they did not apply for associate level membership of the SFA within 14 days they would be removed from the SFL.
    or
    2. Apply no alternative tariff. On the basis that the guilty club are no longer members of the SFA.

    In either case, the Appellate Tribunal are a huge risk for those at the SFA who pretend that Rangers FC(IA) and Sevco Rangers are the same club.

    In my view, the Appellate Tribunal will not reconvene.


  22. On the topic of the article…. just flicked over to a re-run of The Wrath of Khan, to see Khan utter his last phrase (lifted straight from Moby Dick),

    “To the last, I will grapple with thee… from Hell’s heart, I stab at thee! For hate’s sake, I spit my last breath at thee!”

    Could be used on a number of occasions during this saga; perhaps the next opportunity will be for CG when the SPL Independent Commission come back with their ruling ?


  23. On the fence says:
    August 18, 2012 at 11:52
    Rate This
    Sepia
    There will be more at Ibrox today than the SPL combined.
    This is the reason that Rangers can increase their wagebill, the exact amount not being known although that doesn´t stop the best guess estimates appearing in the press.
    All indications point to league reconstruction which may mean that Rangers need to have some players that can compete at a much higher level than currently needed, bearing in mind the transfer embargo.
    Re. Celtic
    You can cite “integrity” but it´s more to do with having accumulated a plethora of players that needed to be pruned before others were brought in.
    That connected with the known unknown whether the club have CL revenue.
    It stands to reason eg. Lennon has a centre forward in mind but he may have to lower expectations if there is no CL money.
    ___________________________________________________________+++

    With respect On the Fence, the position you take is exactly what brought about your club’s downfall: the must be the best regardless, money no object syndrome. Since you keep mentioning Rangers, I presume you mean Rangers, with debts estimated at ca. £134m. In your opinion would it not be preferable to make efforts to settle outstanding debts to small traders, social services, the disabled, and all the others who were shortchanged by Rangers?

    Would this not seem to be more important than trying to build a squad to compete at the top level, while still in Level 4? Surely it would at least demonstrate the desire to get rid of the old ways, and try again with the new club?

    In the post you replied to, I mentioned integrity with regard to the vast majority of Scotland’s professional clubs, none in particular. If you are correct that NL has to prune his squad, then so be it. CL revenues may not accrue as you say. That is preferable to spending money he does not have, money belonging to others.

    You might take a look at cash flow spread sheets done by experts on here, I think SlimShady, and Stephensanph – apologies if I’m wrong. These might, or might not, give you pause for thought. There are two linked questions that intrigue me. Where is all the money coming from just now, and where has all the money generated by the previous RFC gone?

    I hope you’ll accept my few thoughts in the spirit in which they’re intended.


  24. HirsutePursuit says:
    August 18, 2012 at 15:06

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

    I tend to agree that they will not re-convene.

    They will want people to assume that Sevco accepting a delayed registration embargo as part of the conditions of their acceptance into the SFA is an alternative to Rangers being penalised for the original offence they were found guilty of.

    However as you say they are separate legal entities, and the Sevco embargo is a condition of membership, not a punishment for a previous club’s offences. The two are entirely separate.


  25. I was about to pen a letter of complaint to the BBC over their editorial decision to provide text updates of one 4th tier match alongside SPL updates. However I have reconsidered.


  26. We’ll have to see how long they can keep the crowds up at Ibrokes. East Stirling 1-0 up already.


  27. A few unrelated points

    Glenn Gibbons tried his best today and we should give him some credit, and he has in the past given oldco a hard time. He was right over the fact that the big wages are not there anymore, and Black, Sandaza etc were unemployed and getting desperate so will have settled for lower wages than the MSM are reporting. Frankly all football wages should be getting reduced during this recession.

    The ticketus/zeus etc posts today and yesterday were superb and I only wish a good journalist would take this up. Come on Mark Daly!

    My main concern over who is funding The Rangers is that they are using oldco money – I can’t stress enough how much I want Duff & Phelps out that building and BDO brought in – a potential illegal scandal of creditors money being used for newco is happening right now – and it needs to be stopped


  28. …meant to add…

    there was an excellent attack by Tam Cowan in the DR today on the media printing the season ticket sales details for Ibrox – and pointing out they don’t they do it for every club

    every now and again the stuff that is said on here seeps into the MSM – lets not give up a long way to go – stay focused


  29. hoopy7 and miki67
    agreed not the place to discuss the specifics of our teams games and my more extreme views I,ve plenty to say on other sites, my point is the longer we can have competition in the SPL the more it gets right up the MSM noses and chips away at their lies.


  30. There’s a long way to go boys and girls,let’s see how it pans out then we can all have a wee moan about the injustice of it all. The sun was shining today,I wonder what the crowd will be on a cold wet Febuary afternoon when the realisation of just where Sevco are hits home. If the crowd is the same as today i will eat my own leg.
    Then again they will probably be out of business by then,which should save my athletic career.


  31. The crowing and mutual backslapping coming from Sevco over the size of the crowd today, and the fact that it was possibly bigger than the total that watched all of the other games combined is nauseating, and is just another example of their arrogant supremacist views

    It means absolutely nothing, and there will be days when there will be crowds at individual SPL games that will be bigger than the total watching all of the 3rd Division games combined
    Now how will they spin that


  32. Campsiejoe,

    I couldn’t agree more.

    I am, however, troubled by the attitude and vitriol from this new football club in division 3. Their arrogant supremist utterings remind me very much of that of the late Rangers Football Club Ltd.

    Whatever happened to them…..


  33. Eastern @ 18:37

    The the snakes inside Hampden, and the MSM are trying to convince us that they have undergone a Dr Who style re-generation
    As time will show, that is not true


  34. campsiejoe says:

    August 18, 2012 at 18:27

    The crowing and mutual backslapping coming from Sevco over the size of the crowd today, and the fact that it was possibly bigger than the total that watched all of the other games combined is nauseating, and is just another example of their arrogant supremacist views

    It means absolutely nothing, and there will be days when there will be crowds at individual SPL games that will be bigger than the total watching all of the 3rd Division games combined
    Now how will they spin that
    =======================================================================

    the size of the crowd at ibrokes…

    XXXXL … are we talking about the average size replica strip ?

    maybe they should concentrate on the SIZE of the debts that newco are piling up…in comparison with oldco’s debts…and who should get paid…and who should not !?


  35. There are a number of things that have happened over the last 15 months or so that have been roundly applauded and equally things that have been roundly condemned on RTC and latterly on this blog. However, I think there is a need for a reality check among several posters. We are where we are. I was certainly one who continued to call the newco/newclub Sevco, but I think it is time to move on and adapt to the current circumstances.

    We all know that TRFC is a new company and nothing will change that, but the footballing authorities have effectively allowed them to transfer and take on the mantle of the dead company. Their supporters and the MSM have readily recognised them as their former persona. Whether you like it or not “Rangers” with all their baggage still exists, so we need to get used to it.

    Sure, there are many unresolved issues related to the demise of the oldco and its rebirth that we need to remain vigilant and campaign accordingly, but the reality is that Rangers are alive and kicking (out at everyone).

    If they have indeed sold in excess of 30K season tickets and can attract something approaching 50K, even for a one off game, then they do have an income stream that is commensurate with their current spending. That is a huge surprise to me as I did not believe that they had that level of “loyalty” or such a sense of common purpose, We better get used to that too because their influence on the MSM appears undiminished and the lapdogs remain.

    Whether or not the club is actually on a sound financial footing remains a live issue and we should continue to investigate and monitor in whatever way we can.

    However, the biggest challenges for the bloggers remain as challenging and highlighting the lies in the MSM, exposing the corruption and complicity of the sporting authorities and confronting those club officials, owners and backers where their actions are not in keeping with the interests of the fans, not just at Ibrox but at clubs across the country.


  36. Announcer at half time at the Falkirk v Raith game today>>

    The Sevco Franchise 2 – 1 East Stirling.

    I demand to know…….etc


  37. easyJambo @19.33pm. I have always without exception respected your opinion,but not this time.If I or anyone else decides to call Sevco,Sevco,then that is our business. I dont give a toss what the MSM call them or how many ST’s they sell,their supporters are proving every day what kind of people they are. I will not dignify that rabble by agreeing that we should all join hands and call them Rangers.They BOUGHT the name they did not earn it.
    My feelings on the matter will not stop me looking for more information on how to remove the corruption at the top of our Game.
    Calling them by their old name is tantamount to appeasement in my eyes.


  38. East Fife FC @eastfifefc 2h
    Our Manager Gordon Durie suffered an allergic reaction after
    the match and is in hospital under observation. We wish him
    well


  39. Paul McConville says:
    August 18, 2012 at 18:09
    7 0 Rate This
    In an effort to de-bunk the tide of complaint already flowing from the south side of Glasgow in relation to the independent SPL Commission under Lord Nimmo Smith, you can find a snappy 3,000 word analysis of the members and process here.

    http://scotslawthoughts.wordpress.com/2012/08/18/the-spl-commission-re-the-rangers-fc-is-it-truly-independent/
    ========================

    “The rules seems to suggest that, whilst Rangers could appeal against a conviction, the SPL could not appeal an acquittal.

    There will be discussions ongoing just now between the SPL ad Rangers FC’s lawyers about the procedures to be followed.

    If MG cars built prior to 2005 were found to have been built with a dangerous defect, could owners sue the Chinese owners of the MG trademark? No. SAIF own the “brand”; but they have no liability or legal interest in the business of the Rover Group.

    Sevco bought the right to use the Rangers trademark. They did not buy the club.

    Sevco’s Rangers have no competent legal interest in the work of the Independent Commission.


  40. easyJambo @ 19:33

    You are a well respected poster both on here and RTC
    However, on this occasion, I must disagree with you
    There is absolutely no way we should sit back and allow ourselves to be browbeaten into accepting Sevco = RFC (IA)

    If we do as you suggest, and accept this myth, then we are guilty of giving credence and support to the corruption that RFC(IA) has brought to our game
    If they insist that they are the same club with their “glorious” history, then they are also the heirs to all of the punishments due from that history

    You are quite correct when you say that we must continue to challenge and highlight the lies in the MSM, and the biggest of those lies is the Sevco myth


  41. easyJambo says:
    August 18, 2012 at 19:33
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Sorry EJ. It may be identical in every way to Rangers, but it is most definitely not Rangers. Is is irrefutably a new club. If we start denying the facts just to make conversation easier, where will it end?


  42. TSFM. Sorry to be a pain but the continual logging on process is proving to be a real pain. Does it really need to be so restrictive?


  43. Rangers went into administration. The club were docked 10 points. No arguments – no “its only the parent organisation that’s in administration, they are not the same as the club, the club should not be punished because the parent company went into administration” etc. It was simply accepted as normal – Rangers went into administration, Rangers were docked 10 points. Single entity.
    That same single entity is about to be liquidated. After that it won’t exist. So tell me, how can the entity that was docked 10 points last season possibly exist after that?

    It’s certainly a puzzler – unless you are perfectly sane.


  44. Sepia
    There will be more at Ibrox today than the SPL combined.
    This is the reason that Rangers can increase their wagebill, the exact amount not being known although that doesn´t stop the best guess estimates appearing in the press.
    All indications point to league reconstruction which may mean that Rangers need to have some players that can compete at a much higher level than currently needed, bearing in mind the transfer embargo.
    Re. Celtic
    You can cite “integrity” but it´s more to do with having accumulated a plethora of players that needed to be pruned before others were brought in.
    That connected with the known unknown whether the club have CL revenue.
    It stands to reason eg. Lennon has a centre forward in mind but he may have to lower expectations if there is no CL money.

    ——————————————————————————————————————————

    With respect On the Fence, the position you take is exactly what brought about your club’s downfall: the must be the best regardless, money no object syndrome. Since you keep mentioning Rangers, I presume you mean Rangers, with debts estimated at ca. £134m. In your opinion would it not be preferable to make efforts to settle outstanding debts to small traders, social services, the disabled, and all the others who were shortchanged by Rangers?

    Would this not seem to be more important than trying to build a squad to compete at the top level, while still in Level 4? Surely it would at least demonstrate the desire to get rid of the old ways, and try again with the new club?

    In the post you replied to, I mentioned integrity with regard to the vast majority of Scotland’s professional clubs, none in particular. If you are correct that NL has to prune his squad, then so be it. CL revenues may not accrue as you say. That is preferable to spending money he does not have, money belonging to others.

    You might take a look at cash flow spread sheets done by experts on here, I think SlimShady, and Stephensanph – apologies if I’m wrong. These might, or might not, give you pause for thought. There are two linked questions that intrigue me. Where is all the money coming from just now, and where has all the money generated by the previous RFC gone?

    I hope you’ll accept my few thoughts in the spirit in which they’re intended.

    ————————————————————————————————————————————–
    Sepia

    No, I refer to the Rangers who took the field today at Ibrox.

    Now you can live in your little world where you can play the pedantic games of the rival football supporter or you can engage in meaningful conversation.
    The Rangers that took the field today don´t owe 134M, they are a club (newco) that has had the SFA membership and history transfered accross from the oldco so as to carry on the brand so to speak.
    If you don´t like the way business can be done in this respect I suggest you take it up with your MP.
    I can understand the general public, as I of being more than peeved how men of few morals can make a good living by exploiting the system.
    As I said go and see politicans, it´s not really a football issue.

    As for the small traders, you´ll find many have been paid by a supporters fund.
    Supporters have felt strongly that this was the right thing to do.

    So a newco that has successfully transferred over it´s identity is obliged to form a squad that has been desimated and from next month will suffer a registration ban during 12 months.
    It does this because as a business it must try and balance the costs of putting a team on the park and the projected income.

    Personally I´d like to see a balance of established professionals and youth, with the emphasis being on youth in the 3rd division.
    However many of our better youth players have left, there is the uncertainty of league reconstruction (re. 3 or 4 year contracts) and you have a manager who will want the security of having some seasoned pro´s with a degree of quality on call.

    On the monetary questions.
    I don´t see much money being spent on fees, moreso on a much reduced wagebill which will have to be tailored to projected revenue streams.
    The income being a reduced amount of ST money /match-day income (although not as low as first expected) and other sponsers
    I think Green is looking toward the share floatation to provide more working catpital aswell.

    There is speculation as to revenues being siphoned off and this is a concern.

    As for where has all the money gone from previous years.
    Ask the players, the agents, SDM and CW.


  45. Itsagoal! says:

    August 18, 2012 at 15:40
    Rate This

    A few unrelated points

    Glenn Gibbons tried his best today and we should give him some credit, and he has in the past given oldco a hard time. He was right over the fact that the big wages are not there anymore, and Black, Sandaza etc were unemployed and getting desperate so will have settled for lower wages than the MSM are reporting. Frankly all football wages should be getting reduced during this recession.

    The ticketus/zeus etc posts today and yesterday were superb and I only wish a good journalist would take this up. Come on Mark Daly!

    My main concern over who is funding The Rangers is that they are using oldco money – I can’t stress enough how much I want Duff & Phelps out that building and BDO brought in – a potential illegal scandal of creditors money being used for newco is happening right now – and it needs to be stopped

    Itsagoal! says:
    August 18, 2012 at 15:54

    Rate This

    …meant to add…

    there was an excellent attack by Tam Cowan in the DR today on the media printing the season ticket sales details for Ibrox – and pointing out they don’t they do it for every club

    every now and again the stuff that is said on here seeps into the MSM – lets not give up a long way to go – stay focused

    ————————————————————————————————————————-

    I’ve said before, Full Parliament Public Enquiry with all the suspects dragged up under oath. Only way to sort this out.


  46. The kind of trust that will be good for Scottish football

    http://celticunderground.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=952:a-trust-that-would-benefit-scottish-football&catid=49:season-2012-2013&Itemid=85

    Whatever your views on supporters trusts they carry a representative authority that individuals do not.

    Use them to express your concerns on integrity, transparency and most important accountability.

    The contact details are linked to as are names of SFA sponsors. Get your own trust to write to them expressing concerns for their support of an unaccountable organisation. Better still ask them to ask SD as a collective to make their views known. If Raith and Clyde can make their point why not the trusts associated with all clubs?


  47. Tumbleweed moment on Radio Snyde phone in when a internet bampot got through the defences and had the cheek to ask Delahunt to do his job..ie ask some questions about the shenanigans thats been going on at Ibrox.

    I think they know we are onto them when not one of the assembled panel could or would take up the challenge and admit that Rangers have been at it for years. Either they were not prepared for it or maybe we are starting to make inroads to their cosy clique and they are starting to panic.

    Could this be the way to rattle them by bombarding the phone lines until they give us a fair chance to put our points, and let listeners know that there is an alternative to the drivel that is spouted from the airwaves day after day.

    PS Ian McCALL who was reporting from Ibrox for the station said he had a great day at the sevco match until the internet bampot spoiled his day by calling in, says it all really.


  48. I knew that my last post would trigger some adverse comments, but my view is that if it looks like Rangers and smells like Rangers etc., then that is exactly what it is.

    Similarly, I know that Airdrie Utd is Clydebank rebadged, but I seldom think about them as the Bankies. To me, Airdrie Utd is a reincarnation of Airdrieonians, which I guess is the way that most football supporters view them. When you see the Airdrie Utd result on a Saturday afternoon, do you automatically think of Clydebank? I don’t, unless I’m answering some quiz question.

    It is the fans more than anything else that define a football club, not the number assigned to it at Companies House. If 70,000 people started going to FC United of Manchester games and only 5,000 remained watching Manchester United, I think the footballing world would quickly adapt to the newer entity being the “real” club.

    At the moment, TRFC appear to have been successful in carrying the bulk of their support from the old club. That, to me, makes them a re-incarnation of the old club and I will treat them with the same contempt as I did the old club. If anyone wants to bait the new club’s fans by using the Sevco label that that is your choice.


  49. Thought this might be of interest to those who think Sevco’s Rangers are a simple continuation of the original.
    http://www.steeleslaw.co.uk/news-item.aspx?id=6b5c1bf4-5041-4831-891b-a71ea2c367ee

    <b.5. Company Name

    A purchaser may want to retain use of the name of the insolvent company and may also want to employ the insolvent company’s directors in managerial positions in any company established to purchase the business and assets out of insolvency. In this situation, the purchaser must pay close attention to s.216 of the Insolvency Act 1986, which restricts the re-use of an insolvent company’s name unless one or more of the limited exceptions applies.

    This section is aimed at restricting the re-use of insolvent companies’ names where a director or shadow director of the relevant insolvent company is associated with a successor company that has the same or similar name post-insolvency, whether or not that name is the successor company’s name or a trading name. If the limited exceptions under the Insolvency Rules 1986 do not apply or if leave of the court is not obtained, the (former) director or shadow director is prohibited from being a director of or in any way concerned in the promotion, formation or management of any other company known by the same name or a substantially similar name as the company in liquidation.

    Breach of section 216 is a criminal offence and results in personal liability of the director and any person who acts on his instructions knowing the director to be in breach of section 216 for the debts of the company during the period of prohibition.

    I find it difficult to believe that BDO will not be looking closely at Mr Green’s position within Rangers FC(IA) immediately prior to and after their assets were transferred to his company.

    Was he acting as a shadow or de-facto director of Rangers FC(IA)? I do genuinely wonder what BDO will think.

    Will Sevco be allowed to continue to use the Rangers FC name once the liquidation of The Rangers Football Club PLC (now, I think called RFC2012 PLC) gets under way?

    If Mr Green is judged to have acted as a shadow or de-facto director of Rangers FC(IA), he has jeopardised the continued use of Rangers FC as a brand for use in the new club.

    But of course, the season tickets will already have been sold by the time they are forced to change their name.


  50. CampsieJoe

    Rangers depend on myths

    The myth of a strong Rangers that relied in financial steroids. The unpaid debt pill, the tax dodged pill.

    The Walter Myth of a skint team winning titles, aye skint because of £19m spent in players with £24m tax bill on the table.

    Myth of a global support that from the millions available threw up Craig Whyte as their saviour.

    The myth of being a great club. In all the defintions of greatness even an erudite such as Stephen Fry would struggle to fit them into the most loose of definitions.

    When East Stirling took the lead today even Clyde pundits of a blue hue could not help but laugh at the gap between myth and reality.

    CG preached the myth, 2 minutes later reality laughed its head off. They have no football development plan, no alternative to their tradtional plan A – buy in the best they can afford from our rivals and weaken them in doing so.

    They are not a football club but an ego trip on a mystery tour in mythland.


  51. Rangers are cheats , they cheated society out of £150m , they cheated the truth through their MSM puppets ,they cheated Sport to gain their tainted trophies ,they cheated justice through their Blazered friends who sit in judgement of their crimes and they cheat dignity and humility through blatant lies . If you or anyone else wants to call the team playing in Div 3 at Ibrox
    Rangers then feel free . If you want to support this organisation then thats a shame ,but its your shame not ours .


  52. @ On the fence.

    Your new club – you claim is the old club and has its history and appears to accept some of its footballing – if not its financial – liabilities beyond that to other Scottish football clubs. The transfer embargo has thus been accepted albeit in a bizarrely softened manner

    Ok – if we accept that your club has removed its debt and is embarking upon a new voyage with the old Rangers SFA share then you face the huge problem of the illegal registration of players systematically over 12 years which is currently being investigated. The Footballing consequences must therefore apply to the continuing Rangers – they have the history and must accept the footballing consequences.

    If the findings are that this happened as seems to be the case then the most likely outcome surely in addition to the stripping of titles for using a tax avoidance scheme secretly and illegally and systematically over a decade to achieve an unfair advantage of between 49 million and up to 85 million pounds over this period ( the higher figure being the sum of European moneys illegally earned by Rangers in that time that should rightfully have been earned by Celtic) is to ban Rangers sine die then logically this must apply to your club.

    Thus if you are Rangers and such a ban is introduced then you must face that punishment. The only defence possible is that these were the actions of a previous club – and thus to continue then Sevco Rangers would have to deny that history – the other problem then being that the very existence of Sevco Rangers is founded upon the transfer of that licence and the likelihood is that that licence itself will be suspended for a lengthy period of time.

    If you are Rangers then your death awaits – as punishment for the crimes of the club and your sustained cheating but if you are not Rangers then you have no right to be playing in Scottish football at all as the entire basis of your membership of the League is built upon that highly dubious unprecedented and almost certainly ultra vires transfer. .

    Nemesis awaits – unless of course the SFA re-invents and defies its own rules once again to save the Rangers. In which case nemesis awaits the entire Scottish game.

    Ultimately there is now no justice, no fairness and no sense of having a game with any rules in Scottish football. What was a crisis and collapse of a single club through its own cheating and financial mismanagement and dishonesty has , because of the actions of the SFA and SPL and the members of the association become probably a terminal collapse in the Scottish game.

    That will be the lasting legacy of Murray’s Rangers, and the pathetic response of the authorities ( who are of course Rangers conflicted and Rangers sponsored.) to it.

    I am out anyway – there is no sport of football in Scotland now. Anyone still going to any games supporting any football in this country is engaging in an act of delusion.


  53. Easy Jambo

    I find it hard not to treat the with more contempt than I had in the past. You are too generous.

    I was listening to Stewart Cosgrove trying to reason with a caller who was recognised from previous calls as being fair and balanced.

    If that guy is representative of a fair balanced Rangers supporter then the game is a bogey. He was incapable of seeing the flaws in his argument which was based on the right of might. The idea that smaller clubs were entitled to expect fair play was beyond his ability to grasp and indicative of a mindset that cannot be reasoned with.


  54. RTC on Twitter just now

    Rangers Tax-Case ‏@rangerstaxcase
    “Where there is no publicity, there is no justice” philosopher Jeremy Bentham.
    ???


  55. In keeping a promise I took my two Sevco supporting nephews to Ibrox today. Firstly I have to acknowledge size of crowd, even if I think they are all being led up garden path by Green.
    This is my point Mr Green keeps talking about “new investors” and “billionaires” wanting to put money into club, so can he explain to all the Sevco fans why collecting cans were outside ground today for RFFF, why the need to be still collecting for this defunct cause?


  56. easyJambo says:
    August 18, 2012 at 21:46

    I know what you mean but that is the nub of the problem and why this site, in my mind, was set up.
    The reason you believe Sevco/The Rangers to be Rangers is because the media, both in print and on the air waves, continually call them Rangers and refer to them in ways that link them to the old beast. The media have screamed this statement loud and long and have certainly convinced the baying mob that Rangers are still alive. This explains why they have bought so many tickets from a man, that a few weeks ago, they were threatening to starve of cash.
    If you believe them then that is your decision but sports fans in general and football fans in particular recall decisions and persecutions against their individual clubs with memories that would embarrass the memory man.
    This is a battle that will last for years and by that I mean that there are few clubs who will call them Rangers. Clubs will always refer to them as the newco even in many years time. The stories of what has occurred in Scottish football in the last twelve months will be passed down from generation to generation and the sense of corruption and injustice will not diminish over the years but will instead grow.
    When they are promoted the cry in every away ground each year will get louder: “Are you Sevco in disguise”. Banners will appear welcoming the newco to their park for the first time. Home announcers will have a field day mis-speaking Sevco instead of The Rangers or emphasizing “The” Rangers.
    Ultimately I hope that someone somewhere eventually takes them to court for masquerading as a liquidated company. That would indeed be a glad day. I wonder if Mr Romanov would consider such a thing?
    Now I would pay to be in the public gallery of the court that day!


  57. CW says: August 18, 2012 at 21:30
    ________________________

    CW – I too would love a Parliamentary inquiry. The current Scottish Parliament has a majority government & every committee has a majority of members from the majority government party – and sadly they have been silent on this scandal since their Leader called on HMRC to ‘go easy’ on Rangers and that ‘Scottish society, not just Scottish football need Rangers’

    If it is a Westminster public inquiry you are after then that is possible – but with the Coalition in such a state I’m not sure they have the guts for this fight.

    The Iceman – I was with you all the way until your last sentence. Can we keep going to games until the SPL inquiry turns out to be a whitewash?

    EasyJambo – I know what you mean, but when half-time announcers right across the country call them The Rangers or Sevco then it shows a level of ridicule that The Tax nonPayers Alliance FC deserve…. it’s not much when you think the number of teachers/nurses they have cost our society…. but it’s something – why give that little bit up?!


  58. easyjambo your sir are 100% wrong.

    The rangers support along with our delinquent media are desperate to keep up the charade the old co are newco, but it will ultimately fail.

    x=£146 million in debt, Y = £0 million in debt

    If X=Y then Y = £146 million debt.

    at some point the charade will fail and the bears in ra peeps clothing will go out of fashion.


  59. Craig Levein must be asked the question why, after declaring that no 3rd Div player would be considered for Scotland for the obvious reasons, he turns around and picks a player, the first! from the 3rd Div to represent Scotland. Apart from his performance as an International manager he would now appear to be holed below the waterline having, again, obviously aqueiced with the Grand masters at Hampden in accomodating this player. His job as Manager is totally compromised. The right thing for him to do at the time, when he was got at, was to resign, difficult and all as this course of action would be – it is still not to late Craig for you to resign and thereby restore your repution ‘that you are your own man’


  60. I have followed RTC and this blog for many months, it has been such a learning curve for me and I look forward to posts from most of the regular posters. I don’t understand why everyone is still discussing if SEVCO are still the club formally known as Rangers. Please correct me if I’m wrong but doesn’t FIFA and UEFA think of them as a new club, they are our governing bodies. This ends that discussion for me. SEVCO are a new club.


  61. The ‘Rangers’ vs ‘The Rangers’ may seem petty on an MSM level, but it is absolutely fundamental to understanding what Rangers did and what the consequences of those actions were.

    They risked all in a desperate attempt to (a) match Celtic’s achievements and (b) attempt to surpass Celtic’s achievements, and (c) dominate Scottish football. They failed with (b) but almost succeeded with (a) and (c).

    That their club died as a result of their cheating is something they should be reminded of every single day.

    What better deterrent can there be?


  62. Tic 6709 says:
    August 18, 2012 at 22:42

    Just goes to show my memory is eh ………… eh………………………….. eh ……………………………. eh …………… what’s the word …………………. pants!


  63. @ it’s a goal.

    Everyone can do what they want within the law. If you believe there’s merit in supporting your team and looking for justice to prevail then I hope you are right.

    Not for me though!


  64. On the fence says:

    August 18, 2012 at 21:24

    Rate This

    Sepia

    No, I refer to the Rangers who took the field today at Ibrox.

    “The Rangers that took the field today don´t owe 134M, they are a club (newco) that has had the SFA membership and history transfered accross from the oldco so as to carry on the brand so to speak.”
    —————————————

    Mmmm ! Not too sure “The History” has been transferred across, there appears to be a little bit of Goebbels propaganda going on there ! If “The History” comes across, then that history shouls also include the Debt as well ! Only fair, eh ? Ach, it’s only 134M. A drop in the ocean which should be settled soon whilst Charles is on such a high, with Great Expectations. (BTW, was it pay at the gate again today ?).

    Charles now loves sevco so much, according to our Media’s Finest. In view of this, I’m eagerly awaiting his forthcoming committment to take Sevco forward for the next 10 years to Ramsdens Cup Glory, promising that for every 5p East Stirling spend, he will spend £1000 more.

    Seriously, take a look at his record with Sheffield Utd. Football in Britain seems to be an easy target for shysters looking for a quick buck when a club is in trouble. Just look at Portsmouth as a parallel comparison !

    Just a thought, but why do we never see Chancers like Whyte, Green, etc ever trying to buy Man Utd, Chelsea, Spurs, etc.

    Answer : They couldn’t afford to ! But when the Vultures that they are see a club beginning to cripple, that’s when they move in. They’ll strip it bare and then move on to the next victim, and unbelievably, it will all be legal ! Walk away with a nice little earner ! Lubbly Jubbly !

    If I was a Supporter of The Club Formerly Known As Rangers, then I would be very wary of who I was now supporting until I had ultimate proof that they were being led in the right direction, by the right people.

    There is a big smell of B$llSh!t eminating from Ibrox way at the moment. I can only see it ending in tears, but CG won’t mind if he walks away with a profit for himself and his other, as yet unknown, investors !

    I actually feel sorry for, not only the gullable Ex-RFC supporters, but also for the likes of Ally McCoist, etc who still believe in the old club.

    To give a quick analogy, it’s like the last days of the 2nd WW in Berlin, where The Nasty people were busy preparing for a quick exit, whilst preparing the last remnants of Berlin, incl 12 year old’s, to fight to the last.

    The vultures don’t care. As long as they get away to carry on with their scavenging elsewhere, legally of course.

    Whilst they will be sitting in a 5 Star Hostel somewhere in the world, Glass of Champagne in hand, congratulating themselves on another successful Easy Pay Day, one of them might have a momentarily pang of conscience and say “It’s a shame about all those supporters though that we fleeced. I thought some of them were really Nice and True to the Cause !”

    3 seconds later though, same guy says “Any More Champagne ?”


  65. ghirl1888 says:
    August 18, 2012 at 22:39
    ———————
    I wish I could give you more than just one TU for that
    Its the perfect question for anyone who still believes oldclub is newclub


  66. This will all become very clear when a Judge and a couple of QCs face each other in a Scottish courtroom is a case involving these parties. There will surely be a few laughs when this lot is explained….

    Rangers Football Club PLC (In administration) proposed to sell its busness and assets to Sevco 5088 Ltd, but the Club became Sevco Scotland Limited, which then changed its name to Rangers Football Club Limited and has the history and assets but not the debts.

    And Rangers Football Club PLC (In administration) has changed its name to Rangers 2012 (In administration) and has all the debts of the club but none of the assets now.

    And Mr Green was appointed by the administrators to Rangers Football Club PLC (In admin) and is now Chief Executive of Rangers Football Club Limited?

    How does a Judge say “Are you takkin the p1ss, son?”

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