The Immortality Project – or – Death and Denial – Guest Post by Humble Pie
Death has a tendency to put everything else into perspective.
My family recently suffered a bereavement. It wasn’t a sudden death but it was still far too quick and far too soon for any of us to get our heads around. As our loved one’s illness progressed, each of us, in our own way, began to prepare for the inevitable. In the end, whilst it was not unexpected, it was nevertheless very traumatic, for everyone concerned.
Grief is a strange and often debilitating set of emotions. Even now, a few months on, when the intense sadness and tears have given way (mostly) to disbelief, we still find it hard to fully comprehend what has happened. We might never completely ‘come to terms’ with that fact, however, we do accept that it DID happen, much as we all wish that it hadn’t.
Many of you will be familiar with the Kubler-Ross model of the five stages of grief; Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. Well, I am aware of having experienced each of these stages over the last year, as well as a couple of others which I wasn’t prepared for (a lot of personal reflection, a little guilt and a not insignificant amount of pain).
It seems to me that the Rangers supporters have been purposefully ensnared in an interminable cycle of the first two stages of KR; alternating between the denial of the death of Rangers and anger at what they feel has been done to their beloved club then back again to denial. This, as any first year psychology student will tell you, is a very unhealthy state of mind which, if not addressed, can quickly lead to physiological and behavioural problems.
At its lowest level, for example, people throughout the ages have continued to set places at the dinner table for their long-dead loved ones. They know in their hearts that the person has died but are comforted by the familiarity of doing the same things that they have always done. However, in extreme cases people have even kept and maintained the actual cadavers of the deceased, dressed them, talked to them and watched TV with them, in a state of absolute denial.
In archaeology, accepting and recognising the inevitability of death through conducting ceremonial burial services is considered to be one of the very first signs of a civilised people. You see, grief is a uniquely human and cathartic process i.e. it can produce ‘a feeling of being cleansed emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically as a result of an intense emotional experience’.
In short, grief is ultimately a good thing which leads you through a series of natural psychological steps towards acknowledgement of an unalterable situation, allowing you to take stock, re-evaluate and start to move on with your own life in a positive way.
That is what should have happened with the fans of the old Rangers.
Instead, this ‘never-ending cycle of the undead’ was positively encouraged by those many unscrupulous individuals who saw a way of making a fast buck from maintaining the ‘Then, Now and Forever’ illusion. Worse still, this resurrection fantasy is being facilitated by the very people whom we have entrusted to stop this kind of thing from happening in the first place. If only the SFA or the MSM had told them the truth, they might have had a chance to actually face up to the situation.
Unfortunately, these two bodies were so complicit in Rangers demise, so right up to their necks in the brown smelly stuff, that they were too afraid to face the inevitable anger which would have rightly come their way. So, they made up grim fairy tales to feed to the bereaved souls about non-existent ‘holding companies’, the ethereal ‘club’ which transcends death and by suggesting that it is ‘all a matter of opinion’.
Ernest Becker, in his 1973 Pulitzer Prize winning book ‘The Denial of Death’, posits that “human civilization is no more than an elaborate, symbolic defence mechanism against the knowledge of our own mortality”. This fear of death acts as an emotional and intellectual response to our basic survival instincts.
‘By embarking on what Becker refers to as an ‘immortality project’, in which a person creates or becomes part of something which they feel will last forever, the person feels they too have become part of something eternal; something that will never die, compared to their physical body that will die one day’. When this ‘immortality project’ is threatened it leads inevitably to fear, depression, loss of identity and sense of purpose.
In that case, the initial reaction of the fans to the imminent demise of Rangers was entirely predictable and understandable. “No way, this can’t happen to us, we are the people”. However, as soon as the full realisation of their club’s inexorable slide into liquidation began to sink in, came the expected anger. But towards whom should their righteous wrath be directed?
“Who did this to us, who are these people?” they cried. “Not I”, said Sir Murray of the Mint, “for I was duped”, “Nor I”, said President Ogilvie, “for it was never my role”. “Nor I”, said Mr Smith, “for I never knew nothing or nothing”. “Not us”, squealed the media monkeys in unison, “for that’s what we were told”, “Nor us”, said the SPL “it was nothing to do with us”.
“Who then?, we demand to know who these people are”, howled the horrified hordes. “T’was the Whyte knight”, they all concurred, “he alone caused this calamity”. “And the bampots”, sneered the slimy slug. “And the taxman”, puffed the pundits. “And the unseen hand of Mr Lawwell”, whispered the bilious bears from the safety of their den.
There were even those who tried to warn them, not least Hugh Adam, Phil Mac and RTC but they didn’t want to know. Even when their very own Messrs Green and Traynor spelt out, in no uncertain terms, that liquidation meant the death of their club, still they chose wilful ignorance. The MSM, with access to the same information, encouraged them to keep their heads firmly ensconced, ostrich stylee, on the banks of that ironically blue and white river in Egypt. Which just goes to show ‘you can lead a lamb to knowledge but you can’t make it think’
The point though is that the Rangers fans have heard the truth and once you have heard something you cannot unhear it. Even if you reject it, even if you deny it, it gnaws away at the back of your mind, infecting your subconscious.
Almost a year ago, I posted the following on TSFM. http://theinternetbampot.wordpress.com/2012/09/ in which I postulated that the SFA were too frightened to say anything which might imply that The Rangers were a new club.
Looking back at that post, I am amazed at how little the landscape has changed.
A year on and it has become apparent that the corporate cancer that destroyed Rangers has continued to metastasize in its new host. Charlotte’s revelations may have shown us that the rabbit hole goes much deeper than we first suspected. However, in my humble opinion, the information provided has only succeeded in ‘poisoning the well’ and deflecting attention from the main culprits in this disaster. Layer upon layer of complexity has been added to an already opaque story and the majority of her utterances appear designed to engage the more enquiring minds on this forum and consume their excess mental energy.
I know that some people are bored with this ‘debate’ but, to my mind, the single most important step for the redemption of Scottish football is the fan’s acceptance that The Rangers, who currently ply their trade in the SPFL First Division, are a new club. Once they have accepted that then everything else that they perceive has happened to them will begin to make sense. They will see that rather than everyone having a fly kick at them when they were down, most were actually trying to help them. It will also dawn on them that the very people who have been telling them that there is an anti-Rangers conspiracy against them are actually the same ones who are screwing them over.
Rangers were not relegated to div 3, The Rangers applied as a new club and were granted entry into the bottom tier of Scottish football. They are not banned from European competition, merely ineligible as a new club without the requisite financial ‘history’. Any reference to ‘rulings’ from ECA, ASA, the BBC Trust and any internal or so-called ‘independent’ enquiries are completely irrelevant, as none of these bodies are the final arbiter in this case. Scots Law is clear that there is no distinction between club and company after incorporation, when the company dies the club dies with it. That is not a matter of opinion, it is a matter of fact.
Sooner or later The Rangers fans are going to realise this fact and when they do, there will be hell to pay. Until they do, their new club can never become truly cleansed. Only then can they move on and only then can they join together with fans of other clubs to root out the real cancer at the heart of Scottish football. That’s why the MSM and the SFA are still petrified to say anything. In the meantime the real creators of this disaster are sneakily positioning themselves further and further away from the scene of the crime.
I am sure the majority of us would happily accept a new Rangers, cleansed of its financial, emotional and supremacist baggage. A club that all decent Rangers fans could support without feeling any guilt about Rangers downfall or that they were being taken for mugs. The prospect of a new dawn in Scottish football, where sporting integrity took primacy and clubs lived within their means was very real. However, as usual the SFA couldn’t miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
The truth is that Scottish football is in the state it is in, not because Rangers died but because those with the power and mandate to effect the prognosis sat back and did nothing. I am sure that they believe that ‘time heals all wounds’ and that the longer this injustice is allowed to stand the more likely it will be accepted by the man in the street. No doubt the authorities feel it is in the national interest to ‘let sleeping dogs lie’. However I cannot accept this. I believe that it is vital that we are able to face up to reality so we can move on for the benefit of all football supporters.
Scottish football is at a crossroads right now, I think we all feel it. Rampant corruption has become so mainstream that many of our fellow supporters have began to accept this as the norm. However, it just doesn’t sit right with me and I suspect that many regular contributors and readers of this blog feel likewise.
We have quite lost our way and we live in a society which spends vast amounts of money paying people like Jack Irvine to ensure that we stay lost. The mainstream media treat us like little imbeciles and demand that we conform to their assumed ‘professional superiority’. The PR machine plays up to our stereotypes and feeds our fantasies while the poorest people pay to swallow their poisonous propaganda and relentless trivia.
So what can we do ? Clearly, battering out a few blog posts and strongly worded letters to the various authorities involved has been rewarded by the square root of FA.
How can we make this an opportunity for growth rather than contributing to the destruction of Scottish football ? It is not good enough to tear down a system unless we have a better system to replace it. However, I believe that it is not the system itself which is broken. It is that those charged with administering the system are hopelessly corrupted, hugely conflicted and unable to apply their rules without fear or favour.
By their incapacity and inaction (wilful or otherwise) the SFA have facilitated a motley crew of various spivs, chancers and con-artists to glean the last few meagre pickings from the bones of the emaciated loyal supporters of this new club purporting to be the once mighty Rangers. They have permitted these ne’er-do-wells to collectively appropriate many tens of millions of pounds from the Rangers fans, the creditors and the public purse. They have already allowed this corporate malignancy to spread to a new host, ‘The Rangers’, and the absence of ‘moral hazard’ makes it more likely that the disease will continue to spread.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “‘Nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
Someone else once said, “The wages of sin are death, but by the time taxes are taken out, it’s just sort of a tired feeling.”
I sense that we are all beginning to get tired of this. It is time to stand together, all football fans, face the facts and direct our anger against the officers of the SFA who have allowed this sham to develop into a catastrophe.
I have no doubt that my humble opinions expressed here will raise the ire of many deluded souls. However, I am comfortable in the knowledge that the only people who get mad at you for speaking the truth are those that are living a lie.
RIP Big Man.
My latest hassling of UEFA….
I contacted you recently regarding the Scottish Football Association’s ineffective handling of illegal gambling in the game when a player, Ian Black, was given a derisory punishment of a 3-week ban and a comparatively small fine after admitting to 147 incidents of illegal gambling, 13 involving his own club and in 3 of which he bet against his own team. Regarding my submission, by the way, I have seen neither an acknowledgement; a response or any action.
My reason for contacting you again is to draw your attention to a similar event in another sport, snooker. You can see the BBC article here http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/24114861. In this case, a high profile player – Stephen Lee – has been found guilty of match fixing. I cannot help but compare and contrast the action of the WPSBA in pushing for a life ban with the inaction of the SFA in applying a punishment which would be earned by a player who swore.
I accept that in a team sport like football, there is less likelihood of a gamble leading to match fixing, but there is no doubt that illegal gambling can lead in that direction and to other forms of corruption. Consider the conflict where a player is entrusted with taking a last minute penalty to win a match for his team when, unknown to his manager, that same player stands to earn a significant amount of money if the match ends in a draw.
Football purports to be the world’s game, while snooker is much less than that. I am sure UEFA does not want to be shown up by the WPSBA for not taking stringent action to clear up the sport, so please take some action in this case and force the ineffective, self-serving and possibly corrupt SFA to reconsider the punishment meted out in this case.
I also ask you to note another difference between the SFA’s approach and that of the WPSBA. Ian Black’s manager, Alastair McCoist, used a press conference to play down Black’s crime by stating that illegal gambling was commonplace in Scottish football and claimed to have a list of over 100 players and officials who gambled illegally – a list apparently compiled by his players within 10 minutes. This is a shocking defence from a club manager i.e. “everyone does it, why are you picking on my player?” but the fact is the claim has now been made, the aspersion cast and no one now knows if the game in Scotland is ‘fixed’.
What has the SFA done to reassure fans that the game is clean? Absolutely nothing! They have not asked McCoist to pass them those names, they have not announced the commencement of an investigation, they have once again done nothing. The perception among Scottish fans is that they have been so publicly shamed over their handling of the Rangers liquidation, that they are now ‘hiding in their bunker’ hoping that any sort of adverse event will blow over if they ignore it for long enough.
I would ask you to compare how the WPSBA has dealt with a similar situation, where after the guilty verdict another high profile player – Ronnie O’Sullivan – claimed that match fixing in snooker was common. See the BBC article here http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/24122626 . In a well-run sport, the ‘World Snooker boss’ himself – Barry Hearn – challenges the statement, insisting that O’Sullivan has an obligation and a duty to hand over those names for investigation as “we take these type of allegations very seriously”. In football, in Scotland, the SFA doesn’t for some reason, preferring instead to ignore the possible evidence of rule breaking and corruption. Could M Platini step in like Barry Hearn has done? His words on fairness are fine, but some real-world action from UEFA would be a welcome sign.
Again, I ask you to cleanse our game in Scotland of this inept and impotent governing body. While the SFA is content to ignore potential (and actual, in my view) corruption, I am sure UEFA is not.
I would remind you of the current situation in cycling, where the authority of the current members of the governing body is now crumbling after it was proven that they were complicit for years in cheating by one high profile competitor. It appears that the SFA has been doing – and continues to do – the same and the vast majority of football fans in Scotland now want to see them removed from their positions. To avoid going the same way as the Union Cycliste Internationale, please make a stand against corruption and intervene in Scottish football to protect the integrity of the sport.
helpmaboab says:
September 19, 2013 at 7:48 am
Put it this way: if SDS was a big-game hunter an elephant in the room would be safely invisible.
There’s no percentage in flogging fan-ownership and participation in a badly, sleazily, and deceitfully run sport.
Danish Pastry says:
September 19, 2013 at 7:12 am
Funnily enough, while I was watching a CL match yesterday it appeared that the one team wasn’t trying that hard, at least the away team, who were underdogs, were dominant for the majority of the match. The ref was excellent so I reckoned he couldn’t be in on it. But I forgot to factor in the Italian attitude of doing no more than is absolutely necessary — and saving some energy for a last 10 minutes of frenetic activity when the opposing team has usually exhausted itself.
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I had exactly the same thoughts myself, particularly with all this in-game betting you get nowadays … CFC looking the more likely etc … but probably came to the same conclusion as you in the end.
Perhaps it’s because the betting thing is near the top of our current thinking (coughMrBlackcough)?
The match fixing allegations on footballisfixed could make nuclear look like a f@rt in the wind, but only if true.
It does look like a strange piece though, conflating allegations with known events, which is a well known tactic to lend legitimacy to unfounded statements. Claiming to have evidence of match-fixing is no stronger a claim just because the author mentions arrests in Australia in the next sentence. Claims that agents are dishing out bribes are not more believable because he puts it next to the Black betting scandal.
It’s also a bit strange (and probably illegal in a failing to report illegal activity/tipping off criminals kind of way) to blog about this before going to the authorities. If the info is that dangerous, why would you announce you have it on a public forum? Publicity? A book deal?
Both are highly unlikely if the material will need to be used as evidence in a court of law. If serious criminals are making serious money in this way, the author would be painting a target on his back for some of the most dangerous people in the world.
I reckon this is a squirrel. (If I’m wrong, I hope the writer stays safe and that his evidence finds it’s way to people with the cojones to act on it.)
EssexBC and Scapa – I think what you are forgetting when considering the changes in “banking” is that there are bankers and bankers. George Mainwaring, the bank manager in Walmington on Sea is light years away from the red-braced denizens of “The City”.
Under Thatch/Lawson The Big Bang of ’86 stripped away loads of regualtions in order to make The City more competitive. “New” Labour further deregulated them so it wasn’t just a Tory thing – it was banks lobbying (& funding) political parties for laxer rules in order to be more competitive (to wit, making money for themselves). The US followed suit with the repeal of the 1933 Glass-Steagall act which kept investment banking and commercial banking separate.
Part of that was finding ways to shift debt off-balance sheet by selling it off to investors, freeing up their balance sheets to take on more debtors (and make more money). At its cleanest institutional investors (pension funds, insurance companies etc) got high-grade (tripleA) long-term debt instruments that matched against their long-term funding needs. The problem was not all debt was high grade – especialy with the delightfullly named NINJA mortgages in the US (debtors had No Income, No Job or Assets) and there was a lack of transparency as to what was “under the hood”.
The credit rating agencies (S&P, Moodys, Fitch) – the real causes of the debt crisis IMO – were meant to check this but when they started taking “consultancy fees” in order to improve the debt ratings of bundled debts, they became financially embroiled in what they should have been above. The real credit crunch came when what was thought to be tripleA paper turned out to be junk, huge investments were suddently worthless, balance sheets went into meltdown and bank/company valuations crumbled.
It wasn’t “marketing”, it wasn’t “products”, arguably it wasn’t even the bankers (they did what they were allowed to do) – it was a failure of regulation, it was a failure of oversight, it was politicians cosying up to bankers, allowing a fox in the hen coop to regulate itself and it was ratings agencies getting into bed with the very guys they were meant to be policing.
What’s this go to do with Scottish football? For Banks read Rangers, for politicians read the SFA/SPL and for ratings agencies read the Scottish press.
Off topic slightly.
Since I live in Switzerland I have an obligation to keep a wee eye on swiss football 🙂
Just spotted that last night FC Basel got a fantastic away win at Chelsea. I did not see the game so do not comment on their performance.
I took a look at the Basel line-up. 6 swiss in the starting line-up and 2 of the 3 used subs were swiss.
At the risk of being called a racist, are we getting something wrong in Scottish Football? Compare the Celtic line-up last night; only 3 Scots on the field. And this isn’t a poke at Celtic you can only p=sh with the c=ck you’ve got 🙂 Hell, I remember a CL match Rangers v Bayern when Rangers had more Germans on the pitch than scotsmen.
So is the problem that we just do not have enough good scottish players any more?
Or is the problem that scottish clubs – including the “diddy clubs – would rather buy an experienced foreigner than take the longer-term gamble of “building” a local player?
jockybhoy says:
September 19, 2013 at 10:56 am
Agree with you, for the most part. I’ve blogged before that the Ranger’s story is a microcosm of what’s gone wrong with UK PLC since the Big Bang. Nonetheless, I stand by my criticism of CRM in particular. These “Relationship Managers” have no real relationship with their customers their role is sell products, often regardless of whether the product is in the best interests of the customer or not.
High street banks should be boring, they need to return to their core business, of Personal and SME business banking. The telephony, account management and internet banking centers need to be brought back in house. Most of all they need to be banned from engaging in ,insurance, pensions and other extraneous activities. They won’t be as profitable, but they and the system will be a hell of a lot safer.
Danish Pastry says:
September 19, 2013 at 7:12 am
Funnily enough, while I was watching a CL match yesterday it appeared that the one team wasn’t trying that hard, at least the away team, who were underdogs, were dominant for the majority of the match. The ref was excellent so I reckoned he couldn’t be in on it. But I forgot to factor in the Italian attitude of doing no more than is absolutely necessary — and saving some energy for a last 10 minutes of frenetic activity when the opposing team has usually exhausted itself. Add a bit of lady luck and football looks so unjust 😉
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Hmmm, interesting summation DP. I was worried about the Ref as I always am when playing Italian teams but he was fine, and indeed awarded Celtic a very fortunate indirect free kick in the Milan box. Save for being conned by Ballotelli throughout the Ref can’t be faulted. I am of the view if Celtic had not been so unfortunate for the 1st goal a 0-0 would have been achieved. However, it is clear at that level more than a good performance is needed, and more than anything last night Celtic lacked a real cynical edge up front. Overall I’m happy the club can compete at this level and the days of giving gleeful hacks the chance to gratuitously repeat ’embarrassed, embarrassing’ etc appear to be over. For the record I am hopeful the club can get 3rd spot and continue in the Europa League. Having said that I also think they are capable of winning all three home ties. Interesting times ahead and 15 points left to play for!
I know we try and avoid talking about actual games too much on here, but the opportunity to discuss with such eloquent and intelligent contributors is sometimes too good to ignore.
Six degrees separating the deposed Haitian President and a Rangers Director
I have posted this but appears to have gone into moderation possibly because I have a few links in it.
If you want to read it just now it’s also on:
http://scotslawthoughts.wordpress.com/2013/09/19/six-degrees-separating-a-deposed-haitian-president-and-a-rangers-director-by-ecojon/
Hopefully it will clear moderation here before long.
RANGERS could play the Ramsdens Cup Final at Ibrox- if they get that far.
The draw for the semi-finals of the competition takes place at Hampden this afternoon, featuring Ally McCoist’s side along with Annan, Stenhousemuir and Raith Rovers.
But the National Stadium can’t be used on final day because a running track is in the process of being installed in time for next summer’s Commonwealth Games.
Celtic Park has also been ruled out on the grounds that the hire of the stadium, plus policing costs, would make it too expensive.
But an SPFL insider last night confirmed Ibrox rather than a neutral venue , would be considered for the final as long as Rangers’ opponents agreed to the switch.
Our source said: “If a proposal was put to the SPFL Board then it would be discussed.”
Rangers will be brought into talks after today’s draw is made because the size of their support is creating unprecedented problems for the organisers of the tournament.
But last night Raith Rovers director Turnbull Hutton said the Fife club would refuse to play a final at Ibrox if they were the ones to face Rangers.
He said: “It is a sporting contest and not an excuse to see how much money you can make from the Final.
“We would hold out for a neutral venue because we would want to give ourselves the best opportunity possible to win the game.”
But Annan director Henry McClelland took the opposite view.
He said: “If we get Rangers at home in the semi-final we will accept we won’t make much money on the tie and get on with it.
“But if we were asked to agree to play the Final against Rangers at Ibrox I would see nothing wrong with
maximising the earnings from that day.”
McClelland also claimed the SPFL would have few options apart from Ibrox if Rangers reached the Final.
And he wouldn’t be scared about facing McCoist’s side on their own patch after Annan beat them 2-1 there last season.
He said: “We would struggle to take the Final anywhere else because Hampden’s unavailable and there’s a risk associated with going to Celtic Park.
“Besides which we’ve already beaten Rangers on their own ground.”
Semi-finals must be played at the ground of the first club out of the hat for each tie.
But the finale to the competition could create a unique situation.
The SPFL insider said; “In the past, before the SFL amalgamated with the SPL, it was agreed the Final would go to a First Division venue so the money earned that day would stay in the lower leagues.
“But now we’re all under one roof the Final could theoretically go to any one of 42 clubs in Scotland.”
Scapa – agreed. Give me boring safe baking. My pension shouldn’t be making multi-millionaires more money. Only downside is the lack of returns – no risk, no return. That said, the CDOs and mortgage backed securities were giving AAA returns (ie low) at junk risk – now someone should have got busted for that… 👿 👿 👿
Cowanpete: Or is the problem that scottish clubs – including the “diddy clubs – would rather buy an experienced foreigner than take the longer-term gamble of “building” a local player?
It’s interesting to me that the products of the Celtic academy populate so many other clubs in Scotland. Celtic clearly get good youngsters in and some get a cameo in the first team (is that the age thing?) before their contracts are not renwed and they tootle off to another cliub (usually to score against Celtic at the least opportune moment).
I think there are a couple of reasons – I was talking to a Man Citeh fan about their youth team (or “elite development squad” I think he called it) managed by Patrick Viera and how they were chucking money at it, trying to do a “Barca” by building a production line of good young players. I said it’ll never work as in the competitive end of the EPL managers will not be willing to risk their jobs on playing kids. One missed tackle, one howler in front of goal, and the team loses the point that may cost them the title, that may cost the manager their job. It’s not worth the risk.
In Scotland we certainly don’t seem to have the quality of young player coming through that we did previously – myriad reasons for that – and whilst the current situation for Celtic is such that they should be blooding young players their stated aim is to get in young undervalued players, possibly from lesser footballing natins (less than Scotland!?!) and sell them for a profit. Scottish players do not seem to have the cache (and thus value) they used to – with a few exceptions (McGeady, young McCarthy, possibly Forrest) – but again, it’s Champs League that will add millions to players’ valuatons but can Celtic risk not playing seasoned veterans with Champs League millions on the line?
cowanpete says:
September 19, 2013 at 11:27 am
8 0 Rate This
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On a similar theme, only 3 Danes started for FC Copenhagen. Although Swedes, Norwegians and an Icelander also started. Looking at their squad, it is very cosmopolitan, not unlike Celtic; but it will be worrying for Denmark long-term if the bigger teams follow FCK’s example and buy ready-made experience. On the up-side though, there are great state-funded facilities in this country and a massive community club culture, so home talent will be developed. It’s not really a pub culture so a lot of socialising takes place at sports clubs. Not the worst setting to have a shandy.
Hi
I’m a long time reader of RTC and TSFM. Constantly amazed at the level of analysis here. Keep up the good work etc.
I’m compelled to comment here for the first time because I noticed a couple of TRFC related posts on the footballisfixed blog when I logged in using my Blogspot account. Curiously they are not available for viewing (even on TheWayBackWhenMachine).
Examples..
http://footballisfixed.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/swankie-2-wankie-1-rip-rangers-20.html
http://footballisfixed.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/annual-scottish-football-awards-for_8.html
It would be interesting to see what they contained, especially in light of the sites recent interest in the Ian Black story.
On a related note, I also had the misfortune of hearing Clyde SSB last night . Mark Guidi’s spirited defence of Black’s right to bet on anything other than negative results for his own team really was astonishing and, in equal measure, disgusting.
ptd1978 says:
September 19, 2013 at 10:36 am
…
It’s also a bit strange (and probably illegal in a failing to report illegal activity/tipping off criminals kind of way) to blog about this before going to the authorities. If the info is that dangerous, why would you announce you have it on a public forum?
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It did state in the piece:
the full details of these events are provided at the conclusion of this article for insiders and our consultancy partners
So perhaps the insiders and consultancy partners – whoever they might be have some clout?
Danish Pastry says:
September 19, 2013 at 12:19 pm
On the other hand DP, look at the current Danish Squad – many if not most of them ply their trade outside of Denmark (ncluding Germany, Spain and England), whereas, there’s only really Kenny Millar who plays outside Scotland/England. I think you’re right – the set-up in community football in Denmark is excellent but the top players tend to move overseas rather than play for the big clubs in DK (although perhaps it’s a bit unfair to call the teams at the bottom of the Superliga the BIG teams 🙂 )….
jockybhoy says:
September 19, 2013 at 12:18 pm
That Johnny Cameron was allowed to get away with a mere ban from the city in return for not being pursued with the full force of the law, is a topic for another place 👿 👿 👿
Not The Huddle Malcontent says:
September 19, 2013 at 12:17 pm
Celtic Park has also been ruled out on the grounds that the hire of the stadium, plus policing costs, would make it too expensive
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Forgive me for thinking this is utter hogwash. Celtic Park has been used for several semi-finals and finals when Hampden was being redeveloped, and Rangers played there in many of them. There is another reason I’m sure, but it would be unfair to generalise about every single Rangers fan by stating it.
Long time (RTC) lurker… just another (although unrelated) example of the Daily Record’s journalistic integrity:
Today’s article:
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/boxing-legend-evander-holyfield-proves-2283791
Being a fellow Canadian – I thought I’d do a quick search on the fellow…
http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/04/15/yank-barry/
Yes I know it’s difficult to ask questions when the homeless are being fed – but it took two seconds
to fact check (not that a google search is a fact check – but it would at least raise an eyebrow) and avoid the puff piece…. and, of course, “multi-billionaire” is mentioned.. I wonder if
his “billions” are of the “on the radar” or “off the radar” variety?
jockybhoy says:
September 19, 2013 at 12:18 pm
0 0 Rate This
Scapa – agreed. Give me boring safe baking
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ok cupcake
http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/514084
😀
Ecobhoy 11.36
Some digging done there leaving a thought that Rangers investors have drugs money related history from purchase of assets to date.
You would think the SFA might have concerns but as I posted on the ScotsLaw blog in response to you are they geared up for the challenge?
The SFA simply accept whatever The Rangers tell them on the basis that the SFA’s responsibility ends at asking and not checking.If a club tells them lies the SFA put the blame on the club and not themselves forgetting their own responsibility to the game as a whole.
To be fair there was a time when clubs could be trusted to play the game but all that ended in 1999 when Rangers set up the first tax arrangement payment for Craig Moore, subsequently found illegal, and began a process of keeping the SFA in the dark over side letters.
The SFA have not twigged yet that they need to take on a much stronger policing role and are not resourced for it.
UEFA if they are serious about tackling corruption in all its forms need to channel some of the income they create via CL etc from paying to clubs to an anti corruption police force with powers like the Club Financial Control Body have to regulate UEFA FFP with regard to playing in Europe.
The game needs the same approach to national competitions played within a national association’s borders if it is not to become open season for criminals.
Lord Wobbly says:
September 19, 2013 at 1:03 pm
There’s enough cooking of the books going without you starting, your lordship
upthehoops says:
September 19, 2013 at 12:58 pm
Celtic Park has also been ruled out on the grounds that the hire of the stadium, plus policing costs, would make it too expensive
==============================
Forgive me for thinking this is utter hogwash. Celtic Park has been used for several semi-finals and finals when Hampden was being redeveloped, and Rangers played there in many of them. There is another reason I’m sure, but it would be unfair to generalise about every single Rangers fan by stating it.
—————————————-
Mr McClelland alluded to the other reason
there’s a risk associated with going to Celtic Park.
Danish Pastry says: It’s not really a pub culture
========================
Don’t I know that… we used to live in Kiel, so often spent time “over the border” on the Danish mainland taking the kids to Legoland etc. I was always struck by the differences between German and Danish villages. Most German villages would have a pub or restaurant or suchlike. But often Danish villages had no drinking places at all. Unless they did it in the Kirks? 🙂
Had a fantastic wee trip to Denmark to watch Hibs one pre-season way back in 98 I think, against Koge it was. And I remember one Danish landlady (on a previous trip) asking me if I was serious when I told her we were only stopping overnight on our way to Sweden. She knew scotspeople and our shared love with the Danes of the swally and knew full well that that culture just did not happen in Sweden. And she was right… it was during the 86 World Cup when the Danes had qualified for the first time and Denmark went World Cup mental.
Ooh once again too much reminiscing.
Skol.
P=sh lager wasn’t it?
In the immortal words of Lucy from Charlie Brown:
Oh Good Grief
BBC Scotland – A Corporation on Trial
http://immortalrangers.wordpress.com/
Due to Hampden development, Rangers could play the Ramsdens Cup Final at Ibrox.
——————————————————————————————————————
Raith Rovers director Turnbull Hutton said: “It is a sporting contest and not an excuse to see how much money you can make from the Final so Ibrox is not an option for us. We want to win it.”
Annan director Henry McClelland said: “If we get Rangers at home in the semi-final we will accept and get on with it but if we take the game to Ibrox we could earn much more.”
He also added: “there’s a risk associated with going to Celtic Park”.
——————————————————————————————————
I am busy but I really need to comment on this, if that comment from The Annan guy is correct, what football guy would ever say something like that?
I know for the smaller clubs that money is very tight and they sometimes hope for that big payday in the cups but to say “we would just accept and get on with it” sounds so defeatist. Are they competing in the cups just to make money or to entertain and please the fans by winning games and trophies?
What chance does the team have if that attitude is filtering down from the top?
And what exactly does he mean by risks associated at Celtic Park, risk to whom and from what? Please clarify!
In contrast, the Raith attitude is what the game should be all about.
scapaflow says:
September 19, 2013 at 1:29 pm
0 0 Rate This
In the immortal words of Lucy from Charlie Brown:
Oh Good Grief
BBC Scotland – A Corporation on Trial
http://immortalrangers.wordpress.com/
+++++++++++++++++++++
Can I respectfully beg you not to give the oxygen of publicity to lunatics like this?
I usually avoid any “meaningful” conversations with Rangers supporters on financial matters because when I have done so (twice recently) one response from a respected Ranger’s blogger was “but to live sustainably would affect the crowds” “Aye but at least you would have a team to crowd around” was my reply.
The other guy who managed to insult my 35 year working experience without a) being aware he was doing so and b) that I could use his ignorance to buy and sell him had I chosen not to ignore it, placed me in the role of the bear explaining debt to a three letter word that describes folk of that type whatever colour they parade in.
Whoever designed the human race has a funny sense of humour.
Madbhoy24941 says:
September 19, 2013 at 1:32 pm
———————————
I would imagine that if it was moved to CP the bears wouldn’t be too happy and this new club seem to like boycotts.
Auldheid says:
September 19, 2013 at 1:11 pm
Ecobhoy 11.36
Some digging done there leaving a thought that Rangers investors have drugs money related history from purchase of assets to date.
===============================================================
Auldheid – I have to issue a health warning as I know of no Rangers investors that have a ‘drugs money related history from purchase of assets to date’.
If I did then I wouldn’t be posting it anywhere but reporting the matter to the relevant authorities.
I have tried a few times to post my piece but it’s still hung-up so in the meantime it can be read at:: http://scotslawthoughts.wordpress.com/2013/09/19/six-degrees-separating-a-deposed-haitian-president-and-a-rangers-director-by-ecojon/comment-page-1/#comment-113640
Just watched a very interesting report on BBC World on the arrest of several people in Singapore involved in ”worldwide” football match fixing…
The beginning of the perfect storm perhaps?
Boab, Supporters Direct Scotland were cheerleaders after the event of the RIFC IPO, publicising that fans now owned 12% of the club (sic). To my mind they conflated the £250,000 of shares bought through RST and the 12% take up of shares on the public offering as one and the same. A problem of inexactitude and carelessness rather than a lie, but the organisation (SDS) wants to promote what it sees as good news stories. They were also involved in supporting Dundee fans buy over the club but it would appear that the ideology of fans’ ownership wasn’t applied in practice there when an offer of external monies was made to the club – an overwhelming number voted to surrender the fans majority ownership of DFC.
In the immortal words of Lucy from Charlie Brown:
Oh Good Grief
BBC Scotland – A Corporation on Trial
http://immortalrangers.wordpress.com/
—————————————————
A corporation on trial ? How pompous can you get. LOL.
I did start to read the “blog” but gave up after a short while.
What strikes me about this kind of response from the Sevconians (do they REALLY take offence at this terminology ? Poor souls) is that while expressing outrage at the JS statement they do not actually make any pronouncements in support of their attack on JS/BBC which support their position. We all know about Gym Trainers faux pas re “deid Gers” and CG too , to name but a couple in the cast of many who have said “Rangers died”. Where are their counter arguements from 3rd parties which support the current waste of licence payers money ? Who is there in the land of Sevco worship (of any standing or repute , that is) who is standing up to say “no , the Beeb have got it wrong. Just because Rangers FC are currrently being liquidated doesn’t mean the club died . Especially as CG BOUGHT the history to keep it going”.
BBC Scotland should be ashamed of themselves and refuse to enter into any further dicussion on this point. They are (still) allowing themselves to be bullied , they are wasting licence payers money on a fools errand and all because a few morons point blank refuse to see what is patently obvious.
Good god almighty…..
BBC Scotland – A Corporation on Trial
http://immortalrangers.wordpress.com/
That blog is just too nuts for words…..absolutely certifiably mental as yer preverbal box of frogs….
Also makes me feel like I need a shower any time I read anything from there…..
peterjung says:
September 19, 2013 at 2:36 pm
0 1 Rate This
Good god almighty…..
BBC Scotland – A Corporation on Trial
(Pathetic blog link removed)
That blog is just too nuts for words…..absolutely certifiably mental as yer preverbal box of frogs….
Also makes me feel like I need a shower any time I read anything from there…..
_______________________________________________________________________
….and you shared it with us, why?
Madbhoy24941 says:
September 19, 2013 at 1:32 pm
And what exactly does he mean by risks associated at Celtic Park, risk to whom and from what? Please clarify!
——
My initial thought was that, between the lines, he meant you wouldn’t really want a load of Rangers supporters visiting Celtic Park, on account of they’d probably gleefully destroy it.
There’s also the risk that a load of Celtic fans would turn up, partly to support the opposition and partly with the thought of responding to the behaviour of aforementioned bears.
spartacusthethird says:
September 19, 2013 at 2:48 pm
Purely in the interests of openness. I don’t believe in censorship no matter how barking it is…in fact..I think the more people that read it the more people will realise just how ridiculous these people are..
Talk of an Ibrox club getting to play in the Ramsdens Final at Ibrox is purely academic, hopefully, following the draw for the semi final which pits them against Stenhousemuir at Ochilview.
I have to wonder why no spokesperson from the Warriors was asked their views on playing a final at a non neutral venue: did someone guess the draw before it was made? 😳
In further news, the Ochilview match, due to take place in 24 days time, has already been cancelled.
JP Morgan just fined 529 billion USD if I heard correctly…….. 😯 😯
There’s something strangely fascinating about that blog – reasonably well contructed, apparently coherent, yet completely one-eyed, riven with contradiction, supremacist and deluded. Not a place to visit more than once unless you really do enjoy car crash blogs.
Gee69 says:
September 19, 2013 at 1:18 pm
=================================
The risks associated with playing the Ramsdens Cup final at Celtic Park are fairly obvious. The majority of Rangers fans would go and watch the game and do nothing else. A sizeable minority though would most likely cause significant damage to the stadium. This is nothing new of course, and Ibrox has been damaged by Celtic fans too, but given the current undercurrents and absurd blame being apportioned to Celtic for Rangers demise, it is too risky to let 40 odd thousands Rangers fans into Celtic Park. The stadium suffered significant damage at the last game between Celtic and the previous club from Ibrox (then in Administration), much of which was inexplicably filmed and posted on Youtube. It is a matter of public record that an off duty Police Officer was caught on film as part of the wrecking crew.
Edit: I was delighted to see Turnbull Hutton already state he is unwilling to let Raith Rovers play Rangers at Ibrox, should it arise. It’s appalling the authorities are even considering such a move. A two legged final is surely the only solution.
peterjung says:
September 19, 2013 at 2:54 pm
9 0 Rate This
spartacusthethird says:
September 19, 2013 at 2:48 pm
Purely in the interests of openness. I don’t believe in censorship no matter how barking it is…in fact..I think the more people that read it the more people will realise just how ridiculous these people are..
_____________________________________________________________________________
Fair enough. Totally agree with your comment re censorship. I deplore it myself. I just cannot bring myself to open a link containing anything that condones the behaviour, past and present, of the spivfactory.
In addition can I apologise for attempting to speak for anyone who does want to open the link and read others blogs.
No offence meant.
peterjung says:
September 19, 2013 at 2:56 pm
$920 million fine will hurt, but, jailing a few people would be more effective. I’m afraid I’m with Voltaire in circumstances like this, even if Admiral Byng got a raw deal.
“From time to time, it is necessary to shoot one, to encourage the others.”
I am glad too see Turnbull Hutton has a pair. Come on SPFL grow some to.
Sorry–too.
joeraith says:
September 19, 2013 at 4:14 pm
================================
Should a Rangers / Raith final arise, I look forward to listening to Turnbull laying it on the line as regards Ibrox being the venue.
scapaflow says:
September 19, 2013 at 4:00 pm
____________________________________________
Thanks for the million v billion correction…….much as my ears and eyes popped out I guess I did not hear correctly…..still eye popping anyway….
Been a long day…and a big holiday out here today…….too much celebrations I guess….go figure…!
For the sake of arguement, Raith vs Gers final. 9,000 ish tickets each. Venue Tynecastle. Atmosphere cracking. Costs of ground hire, helping a club in a distress (and more importantly doing their utmost to do something about it). Whats not to like?
A big TD from me, Smugas! 👿
Surely you know what’s not to like. 😯 😛
borussiabeefburg says:
September 19, 2013 at 4:48 pm
OK, Ibrox it is.
And I just hope the Raith and Annan fans appreciate it! 😆 😆 😆
Whats wrong with Murrayfield ,oh I suppose a Raith v Stenny final would be void of atmosphere here.
Smugas says:
September 19, 2013 at 4:36 pm
==================================
It’s got to be a neutral venue or a two leg final. However, I’m sure the club from Ibrox would rather play there with 45,000 of their own fans present. The almost inevitable 4 or 5 goal victory would also be celebrated as if it was a real achievement.
Six degrees separating the deposed Haitian President and a Rangers Director
I never thought the tangled Rangers web could link a sacked Rangers director to the deposed President of Haiti, recently questioned in court, concerning inquiries into a journalist’s murder.
But it looks as though the theory that any person on the planet is connected to any other person through a chain comprising no more that five acquaintances lives to survive another day as the Bears hold their breath waiting for audited accounts.
One thing for sure is that the more I slid down the rabbit-hole the more I realised what a clever move Wee Craigie made by claiming the film rights to the movie – what a blockbuster it will be.
However let’s trace the steps which begin when I failed to trace Putney Holdings Ltd which is shown in the TRFCL board minutes of 31 October 2012 as holding 1,000,000 Rangers shares. Putney Holdings sounds as English as cricket, the boat race and warm beer but it isn’t listed at Companies House.
A Google search revealed RM poster ‘In the know’ posted a Rangers share list in October 2012 noting ‘Putney Holdings Adrian Corr – 600k’. This wasn’t common knowledge so I was surprised at how aptly-named ‘in the know’ actually was although at the time his identity wasn’t known. On 24 April 2013 Rangers Board Member Imran Ahmad was outed for allegedly posting sensitive and confidential club information on Rangers Media by Rangers Standard and one of his log-ins was said to be ‘In the know’.
I did have a laugh at a Rangers poster commenting on the share list: ‘Tims will be all over this list 1000 times more so than any Rangers fan’. Never a truer word said and perhaps one day you might come out of hibernation and recognise why.
Companies House revealed no trace of Putney Holdings Ltd and the only Adrian Corr listed as a director was a solicitor in the now liquidated Albany Systems International Ltd from February to December 2001.
An internet search threw-up Northern Ireland born Adrian Corr, a staunch Spurs fan, who qualified as a solicitor in England & Wales in 1990 before moving to the Turks & Caicos Islands three years later and joining Miller Simons O’Sullivan where he ended-up a partner and became well-versed in corporate and regulatory matters. Interestingly Timothy Patrick O’Sullivan was an old friend having also been a director in the liquidated Albany Systems International from April 2000 to April 2002.
A few more names into the Google cement mixer left me gobsmacked when details of a 2005 Florida civil court claim emerged involving the Republic of Haiti and state-owned national telecoms provider (Haiti Teleco) attempting to recover money allegedly stolen from the people and government of Haiti by former President John-Bertrand Aristide and others allegedly acting in concert with him.
The former President was further accused of abusing his power as well as deceiving and betraying the Haitian People by directing and participating in fraudulent schemes to loot the public treasury and launder illicit proceeds to encourage, protect, participate and profit from illegal drug trafficking in and through Haiti. It was further claimed that Aristide and his alleged accomplices converted to their own use millions of dollars of public funds through a pattern of criminal racketeering activities.
Listed in the court filed documents as Defendants as well as Aristides was Adrian Corr and Mont Salem Management Ltd and others: http://haitipolicy.org/Filed%20Complaint.pdf
Very serious and wide-ranging allegations are made against all of the named defendants in the above document but it must be remembered the allegations weren’t proven in court as the complaint was dropped before it was served possibly through lack of funds and perhaps a wish by US Authorities to take control and pursue matters. In any case none of the named defendants required to file answers and therefore the allegations should be treated accordingly. Corr is reported as subsequently stating he has never acted for Aristide nor set up any shell companies to siphon money for him.
The Mont Salem Management Ltd involvement is spelt out in the service agreement between a major US Telecoms provider and Haiti Teleco which identifies Adrian Corr as the Mont Salem contact at: Po Box 260, Butterfield Square, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands.
The document was provided on a confidential basis following a request by the chief of the International Bureau of the US Federal Communications Commission but was later made public. It revealed payments from the US provider went to Mont Salem and not Haiti Teleco and that the rate payable was below that required. The original 2005 Haiti civil case paperwork stated Jean René Duperval had falsified the books to show Mont Salem was the telecom carrier dealing with Haiti Teleco and not the American one.
The Turks and Caicos Mont Salem incorporation papers show registration in June 2000 with $5,000 capital and the registered agent as Timothy O’Sullivan of Miller, Simons and O’Sullivan. The share owner was given as “M&S Nominees Ltd” (presumably Miller and Simmons) listed at the same Turks and Caicos address. Asked to identify the actual Mont Salem owners, Adrian Corr reportedly stated: ‘I don’t want to answer any questions about this. I have lawyers retained; It’s better you speak with them.’
The government of the desperately impoverished and earthquake-hit island of Haiti dropped the 2005 case but the involvement of giant US telecoms companies in what became known as the ‘Haitian Kickback Scandal’ as well as leading Democrat and Republican Politicians has led to a continuing series of court and regulatory action which, as recently as May 2012, saw Jean Rene Duperval – the former Haiti Teleco boss – jailed for 9 years by a US Court for laundering bribes between 2003 and 2006, paid to him by two US telecoms companies, using a cloak of shell corporations and fake invoices. Duperval had been named a defendant in the original dismissed 2005 case.
Others involved in the Haiti bribe and commission kickback scandal dealt with by American Courts are: Joel Esquenaz (15 years jail October 2011); Carlos Rodriguez (84 months jail October 2011); Juan Diaz (57 months jail July 2010); Robert Antoine (48 months jail June 2010); Antonio Perez (24 months jail April 2009); Jean Fourcand (6 months jail May 2010).
US Assistant Attorney General Breuer stated ‘We will hold accountable corrupt foreign officials when they seek to launder the proceeds of that bribery through the US financial system’ and warned they would face ‘serious consequences.’ He added: ‘Duperval’s money laundering scheme was an attempt to conceal the payment of bribes to foreign officials to obtain an unfair business advantage in the marketplace.’
Under US law apparently, American telecom companies had to pay a minimum price per minute to Haiti Teleco for its services in completing telephone calls from the US to the island but allegedly Haiti Teleco offered cut-price deals with kick-backs to certain telecom companies.
It’s a precedent-setting case with The Justice Department using the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (which normally deals only with bribe-givers) not only to charge companies and individuals doing business in the United States but, for the first time, to pursue foreign officials who received bribe money and laundered it. A number of others involved in Haitian drug smuggling have also been dealt with and heavy sentences, including life imprisonment, imposed by US Federal Courts.
The strong US Fed reaction is explained IMO by the claims in the original 2005 court papers that in exchange for bribes and kickbacks Aristide and his accomplices provided safe passage for trans-shipments of illegal drugs to the US and appointed drug traffickers to important posts in Haiti’s security services and law enforcement to ensure the safety of their trafficking operations. Things had become so bad in Haiti that by 2004 around 20% of US cocaine came through the island which was a fourfold increase during Aristide’s time in office.
I’m sure my readers are familiar with Nova and Orlit and Messrs Chan Fook Meng and Nazim Khan who were both rumoured to be members of the original Rangers consortium fronted by Green in May 2012. Both men are also directors of Tricor Plc and in March 2013 Adrian Corr joined the Tricor Board as a NED and this was noted in an AIM announcement. But I have been unable to see any mention of that appointment against Tricor at Companies House – but we all know how it can be with Companies House paperwork.
The AIM announcement notes: ‘Adrian is currently a director of M&S Trust Company Limited, a licensed trust company/company manager, and its affiliates Aincorp Ltd, M&S Directors Ltd, M&S Secretaries Ltd, M&S Nominees Ltd and IMM Management Ltd. He is also a director of Global Insurance Managers and Actuaries and within the last five years was a director of West Indies Protectors Ltd.’ I would assume that if he was a director of Mont Salem Management Ltd it was more than 5 years ago. It would also appear that he isn’t a director of Putney Holdings Ltd and, of course, I should make it clear that that company has not afaik ever been mentioned in connection with Haiti or any alleged illegal activities.
Whilst on the subject of the Turks & Caicos Islands I will mention in passing that another major Rangers shareholder may well be an offshore company registered on the Island viz Margarita Funds Holding Trust with a reported 7.7% shareholding in Rangers. I remember my jaw dropping when Rangers was publicly quoted as stating they thought the shareholding company might be based on the Turks & Caicos Islands.
Och it’s OK I’m sure. The SFA know who they are as Green has publicly stated that the SFA has been made aware of the identity of all the shareholders so they must be kosher. I wonder if the SFA know who Putney Holdings Ltd are?
The whole fascinating Haiti story is way beyond the scope of this post but a lot of it is told in a series of articles at: http://www.thekomisarscoop.com/?s=Haiti+IDT+Aristide
The role of a sacked telecoms whistleblower and his subsequent ‘problems’ will interest many posters I reckon and Specific info on that can be found at: http://www.thekomisarscoop.com/2007/03/exclusive-sealed-evidence-in-the-idt-haiti-bribery-case-is-revealed/
Angus1983 says:
September 19, 2013 at 2:50 pm
Madbhoy24941 says:
September 19, 2013 at 1:32 pm
And what exactly does he mean by risks associated at Celtic Park, risk to whom and from what? Please clarify!
——
My initial thought was that, between the lines, he meant you wouldn’t really want a load of Rangers supporters visiting Celtic Park, on account of they’d probably gleefully destroy it.
There’s also the risk that a load of Celtic fans would turn up, partly to support the opposition and partly with the thought of responding to the behaviour of aforementioned bears.
*****
2nd point is nonsense – as likely as a bunch of Dundee fans turning up at Dens Park to ensure no Arabs or Dons spoil their park in ties played there before. Given the old team played at Parkhead before without Celtic being there or supporters turning up, why would the new team make any difference? Can we move on from the same cheeks position here?
Danish Pastry says:
September 19, 2013 at 7:45 am
15 0 Rate This
taxman cometh says:
September 19, 2013 at 7:21 am
2 0 Rate This
Given what we think we know about the finances of Scotland’s newest club, why would anyone spend money on it’s shares as Easdale is doing?
————
Mather has apparently been given a huge amount of 1p shares to offset his initial outlay. Have the Easdales been handed some cut-price shares too? Be interesting to know.
==========
Pretty sure he didn’t pay 1p a share
http://footballisfixed.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1
A repost of this interesting site, considering the alleged intereshting shenanigans in shingapore shoccer !
http://www.sfmonitor.org/2013/09/the-immortality-project/comment-page-33/#comment-65344
Lamp Post Sannies says:
September 18, 2013 at 11:12 pm
50 0 Rate This
Interesting blog site here (hopefully the link works). Has anyone heard anything about the book he’s talking about? I also wonder who the West of Scotland club mentioned near the end of this article could possibly be?
http://footballisfixed.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/half-million-pound-insider-gamble.html?m=1
===========================================
The book hasn’t been written yet but it is being planned.
Unpalatable truths about the reality of football business reflect unpalatable truths about a corrupt society.
The book’s ambition is to explain how this works in practice and why its perpetrators have been able to get away with it. The saga of the collapse of Rangers is a particularly illuminating case to study because it reveals many facets which are replicated elsewhere in sport but also in corporate business, politics, law enforcement, banking and the media.
It will be written as a collaboration between three people from three different countries. Each contributor has a different but complementary skill set to bring to the project.
taxman cometh says:
September 19, 2013 at 6:18 pm
Danish Pastry says:
September 19, 2013 at 7:45 am
taxman cometh says:
September 19, 2013 at 7:21 am
Given what we think we know about the finances of Scotland’s newest club, why would anyone spend money on it’s shares as Easdale is doing?
————
Mather has apparently been given a huge amount of 1p shares to offset his initial outlay. Have the Easdales been handed some cut-price shares too? Be interesting to know.
==========
Pretty sure he didn’t pay 1p a share
===========================================
According to my recollection Mather has 1.8 million shares with the initial 900k at something like 90p or possibly 99p and the other 900k at 1p.
While I don’t agree with the Annan chairman, I do understand his motivation to a degree. I remember the Clyde board telling us years back that to break even in the Challenge (now Ramsdens) cup you had to reach the semi-finals at the very least. That said, they would recoup any losses and make a small profit in any venue of 10K seats or more.
With regards to the Ramsden Cup final; why should the game not be a Celtic Park?
It is a truly neutral venue. If ‘The Rangers’ fans can’t bring themselves to go then they don’t need to. The lower tiers could just be opened.
If the stadium gets damaged then Celtic should take and put the pictures on the clubs website and also state that they have distributed the pictures to the media and it is up to them to publish.
It should also be stated before hand that the money for any damages will come out of the gate split of whoever occupied the damaged stand.
There is always the possibility that this is all being used as an excuse to solve the structural issues at Ibrox. The rent from the cup final and, what’s the betting, the Commonwealth Games picks up the tab for removing the asbestos. That would really be an irony; the Games, paid for by the tax payer, writes the cheques to cleanse the home of a club that failed to pay taxes to the tune of a minimum £20M and possibly up to £70M.
I don’t really see why the Ramsdens Final should not be played at Celtic Park or anywhere else, whether the Ibrox Club are involved or not.
It’s up to the fans in attendance to behave or place their club at risk of footing the bill for any damage as it would surely be unreasonable to expect any hosting stadium to have to foot the bill.
If anything other than proximity and required ground capacity is taken into account it sets a standard of treating certain clubs as special cases and that require the football authorities to protect them from themselves and the actions of their own fans. If a club can’t be held accountable for the behaviour of its own fans and those fans feel they can behave badly safe in the knowledge that it will never hurt their club, incentives and motivations have become horribly disengaged from reality.
justshatered says:
September 19, 2013 at 7:31 pm
the Commonwealth Games picks up the tab for removing the asbestos
Would anyone be even remotely surprised if that happened?
They’re the fabric of society, we have to help them if we can.
Some hacking/spam problems again tonight folks – now hopefully sorted
You would think that with their lack of funds the SFA would be only too happy to get lots of income from fining players who have seemingly been systematically breaking betting rules. The McCoist list of over 100 would bring in at least a million you would think if you fine them all with a slap on the wrist like 2 weeks wages, or imagine if you fined them 3 months wages, and use the extra income to invest in youth development!
The lack of any response from our so called authorities to the claims of widespread football betting is unbelievably scandalous. If Brenda had a clock on this one, it would probably need to be one on geological time.
Night Terror says:
September 19, 2013 at 7:42 pm
But would any offending club be able to pay for the damage?
jean7brodie says:
September 19, 2013 at 9:38 pm
Night Terror says:
September 19, 2013 at 7:42 pm
But would any offending club be able to pay for the damage?
_______________________________________________
You’d expect a requirement that visiting company would have to provide insurance cover against damage to property.
Oops, would visiting club be able to afford insurance premium?
http://sport.bt.com/sportfootball/football/scottishfootball/scottishpremierleague/rangers-draw-stenhousemuir-S11363834664798?
…Rangers have not faced Stenny since Stephane Guivarc’h and Rod Wallace gave them a 2-0 Scottish Cup win back in 1999…
WHAT?
How can that be possible?
(I’m sure I read it somewhere, that – Rangers are being LIQUIDATED, so how can this meeting of two teams be ‘another’ meeting if one of the ‘teams’ went bust/out of business/Liquidated (owing £millions) ?
redetin says:
September 19, 2013 at 9:51 pm
1 0 Rate This
jean7brodie says:
September 19, 2013 at 9:38 pm
Night Terror says:
September 19, 2013 at 7:42 pm
But would any offending club be able to pay for the damage?
_______________________________________________
You’d expect a requirement that visiting company would have to provide insurance cover against damage to property.
Oops, would visiting club be able to afford insurance premium?
———————————————————-
Can you be specific . . . Is it the club or the company which will be ‘visiting’
jimlarkin says:
September 19, 2013 at 9:57 pm
Yes. 😉
jimlarkin @ 9.57pm
How very dare you 😉 will there still be club/company 😉 the AGM is fast approaching and ………. Still no audited accounts
AGM announced yet?
Audited accounts seen the light of day?
Reading upthehoops comments about Celtic and Rangers fans reciprocating damage to each others grounds reminds me that when they last had a wee get-together, it was at Firhill for the Glasgow Cup final a few months back. Hands across the divide and all that, they managed to collectively trash numerous seats at both ends (damage worst in the Jackie Husband stand which housed the Sellick fans) and toss numerous flares and fireworks (mainly from the The Rangers end).
Of course, the latter habit is also associated with our east end neighbours (Cliftonville etc..) and has resulted in the unwelcome intervention of Scotland’s finest (formerly Strathclyde’s) regarding seat allocation for Thistle’s game at home to Celtic in October. Hearts, Aberdeen and Dundee United have been allocated the main stand at games at Firhill this season but due to their pyromania, Celtic fans can’t be housed in this as it contains a significant element of wood in it’s construction. As a result, they are to get the North stand which has been used by the home fans since last season in a (successful) attempt to create a bit more atmosphere at the ground (half ruined by the premature demolition of the city end terracing). The fans who are regulars there are less than pleased, though I much prefer the JH stand myself so am unaffected.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/journalism/article/art20130716151834065
Rangers
is the official name of the Scottish football team – and not ‘Glasgow Rangers’ or ‘The Rangers’. If referring to financial matters at the club, seek guidance from BBC Scotland on terminology.
Surely their name is THE Rangers football club. WTF?
Surely any possible final played at a top flight ground must be boycotted anyway by the world record breaking best fans in the world. Most games boycotted in any clubs short history? You can Ian Black it would be.
Is there no end to the vileness?
This from RM
Just seen the draw and hopefully without any trouble we get through the semis and into the final against that fucking snake bastard turnball hutton team. Never forgot that wanks comments last year and i hope we give them a right hammering. In our case its not an elephant who never forgets it a bear and i hope any fucking tim loving scum reads this post dont you forget it. Rant over. WATP
Scottish Football needs an enema
It shouldn’t come as any surprise that when they return to the top league this will be their attitude. WATP has never been banded about so much as now. All the shenanigans of the last couple of years has been in the name of preventing public disorder.