The increasing attacks on social media by the main stream press, fuelled in some respect by David Murray’s vague threats of litigation against bloggers, has brought into sharp focus the challenges facing the Blogosphere. It also brings into even sharper focus the prescience of Stuart Cosgrove’s assertion that this summer’s ‘epistemological break’ had begun to marginalize the Scottish sporting wing of the MSM.
The reality of that assertion is embedded in the misreporting of the FTT decision as a victory for RFC, falsely alleging that those who operated the EBT scheme had been exonerated, that RFC had ‘done nothing wrong’, and consequently accusing ‘vindictive anti-Rangers bloggers’ of playing a part in the downfall of that once great Scottish institution. It is also evident in Tom English’s rather bitter and one-dimensional anti-RTC polemic today in the Scotland on Sunday. Had it been entitled “Self Preservation”, it may have rung a few more truth bells.
I am not of the belief that the MSM is an instinctively pro-Rangers estate, but I do think that their reportage of the FTT is more geared towards discrediting the newly emergent forces in the social media area than it is towards rehabilitating the public image of RFC or David Murray.
However despite the contempt in which many people here hold the MSM and Murray, English does have a point that we would be foolish to ignore. No-one can deny that we do have a duty to ensure that we are responsible in how we present ourselves to the public. Now that our (and others’) success as a real and creative alternative has spurred the MSM into action, we are subject to greater scrutiny than at any time in the past. Our view is that we have to be pro-actively engaged in setting a standard for ourselves that is above those that the MSM have set for themselves.
We have on TSFM an audience exponentially greater than the number of posts. That presents us with a great opportunity to get our message across, but it also burdens us with an increased responsibility not to fall into the trap which has besought the Succulent Lamb Brigade.
We are a very different animal from RTC. RTC him or herself had information and insight to bring to the table that the administrators of this site do not. The founder and former admin of TSFM had the idea that the talent available from posters on the RTC – not just RTC himself – should continue to have a forum in a post-RTC world, and that those talents could be used to challenge the myths regularly represented as facts by lazy journalists in the MSM.
We have at our disposal on this blog forensic analysis of legal, media and corporate matters. We have an abundance of creative minds, all passionate about the game of football AS WELL AS a partisan love for their chosen club. With all that talent and expertise, we can make an impact on the agenda by challenging the misinformation and substandard journalism of the MSM, and our finest moments are when we do that. We lose authority and influence when the debate is impeded by bald accusation or innuendo backed up with little more than an historical view of our country.
Our biggest impact (and largest audience) is to be found when when our experts have collectively torn apart those myths presented as truths by the MSM, and when we have asked the questions that the MSM either can’t or won’t ask or answer. Those are the things that have driven the traffic to this site, and many of the emails we get congratulate us on that.
Our credibility plummets though when we go down the partisan path. We also get literally hundreds of emails from fans who ask that we cut down on the comments of those who are merely venting outrage at how they see the game being mismanaged (mainly so they can access the important stuff more quickly), and from fans who are just fed up with the constant name-calling – almost exclusively aimed at Ally McCoist and other Rangers figures.
If we claim to be an intellectual and journalistic rung or two above the likes of the Red Tops (not to mention to be decent and respectful of others), we need to refrain from the name calling and accusatory culture. We can ask questions, put items for debate on the public agenda, point out apparent irregularities and anomalies. In rushing to judgement of others from the comfort of the glow of our own laptop screens, we are guilty of the same lazy journalism we see in others. Name calling (all good fun of course on a fan site) is just a lazy thought process and as English says, comes across as “nasty”.
We never saw RTC as a fan-site. The original administrator of this blog never saw TSFM as one either, and nor do we. In order to succeed properly, we need sensible fans of ALL clubs to be comfortable and feel secure in our midst. Of course we are not breaking any laws, but can anyone honestly say that we have evolved into a welcoming place for Rangers fans?
TSFM is not about hounding any one club out of existence or into shame or infamy. In the Rangers saga we have sought to ensure that the football authorities play fair with everyone and stick to their own rules. One well kent RTC contributor, and no friend of Rangers, often said that if the FTT found in favour of Rangers we should move along and accept it. Well they did find in favour of Rangers in the majority of cases. That may not suit many of us, but we are the Scottish Football Monitor, not a Judicial Watchdog. We can say why we disagree with the decision, but criticism of the process through which the decision was arrived at is beyond our purview.
Since the accusation is often made in the MSM, we should state, unequivocally and unreservedly, that we are NOT anti-Rangers. Their fans face the same issues as the rest of us and they are welcome here. We are however, equally unequivocally against the gravy train journalism of the Scottish Football Wing of the MSM (with one or two honourable exceptions).
If the Anti-Blogateers in the press are correct, the popularity of the TSFM will recede as the Rangers Tax case reverts to the back pages before disappearing for good. However I do not believe that they are correct. I don’t believe that Scottish football fans are only motivated by either hatred – or even dislike – of one club. I believe we are more concerned with the game itself than the pot-stirrers in the MSM would have us believe, because we understand the interdependence of football clubs.
But we also understand that the people who run football clubs do not always run their clubs for the benefit of the fans. In the business world, that may not be out of the ordinary, since businesses are run for the benefit of shareholders.
However football reserves for itself a special place in the hearts of people in this country. If the people who run football clubs want to retain that favourable status, they have to be accountable to the fans.
The difficulty in holding them to account though, is that the cosy relationship cultivated between club directors, managers and players and the press renders the access to information a closed shop, and the information itself is heavily filtered and spun.
As long as we keep asking questions in response to the fruit of that cosy relationship, we will be providing people with an alternative angle and viewpoint, allowing them to come to their own conclusions, and not the one the MSM post-presser huddle delivers to us wrapped up in a bow.
For the SFM specifically, we believe that to have any influence, we need to enable the expertise at our disposal to flourish. It is also vital to our project that Rangers fans are included in our dialogue. We just can’t call ourselves the Scottish Football Monitor if they are largely excluded from participation because they feel they are being treated disrespectfully.
We can’t tolerate the accusations and name calling. We need to stick to what we have done best; factual analysis, conjecture based on known facts and on-line discourse leading to searching questions being asked.
One of the things we are looking at for the near future is to set up some kind of formal and transparent channel of communication between the SFM and the football authorities. Being truly representative of fans will make that easier to achieve.
The MSM will continue to attack the social media outlets. In one way you can understand it. Their jobs are at stake. The business model of the print media in particular has changed massively over the last five years, manifesting itself mainly in increasingly under-resourced newsrooms. Consequently it is besought by increasingly unreliable and under-researched journalism, even to the point where much of it is no longer journalism at all.
By comparison the Blogosphere has access to greater human and time resources, is able to react to unfolding events in real time, and crucially (because it has been eschewed instead of embraced by print media proprietors) has been occupied by ordinary folk with little or no vested interest.
We are still in position to provide a service in our small niche of the on-line world. We have rights to publish and speak freely about our passion, but we also have to live up to the attendant responsibilities, and thus the appeal for discretion on posting comments.
Where Tom English got it completely wrong (in the uniquely ironic way the MSM have about them), is that his industry has mistaken the rights others have earned for them as entitlement, and ignored almost completely the responsibility they had to act on behalf of those who pay their wages.
Published By TheAwayEnd
Rangers’ boycott shows Charles Green’s weaknesses
By Andrew Southwick:
Christmas time. The season of goodwill. A period where people are meant to transform, show a bit of generosity, look out for their fellow man, and forget all ills and disputes.
A certain Yorkshireman clearly isn’t expecting a visit from Santa this year. Or maybe someone nicked the chocolates from from his advent calender (Ally McCoist is looking a little chubby these days). Or perhaps he has always been the real life Ebenezer Scrooge.
For a club currently languishing in the third division, the draw for the fifth round of the Scottish Cup should have brought cheers from the Ibrox faithful. A chance to have a crack at an SPL club, a big noisy traveling away support backing them, and considering United’s patchy form this season it’s actually a winnable tie.
Win, and not only do they book a quarter-final spot and take one step closer to lifting the trophy against the odds, but they take a major SPL scalp and send a message that even in the bottom tier they are a force to be reckoned with in Scottish football.
What Charles Green and his club have instead done is shoot themselves in the foot. They may think they have made victims out of Dundee United, but the long term damage will be to their own club.
Led by calls from supporters groups, Charles Green released the following statement:
“Rangers Football Club will not be taking its allocation of tickets for the forthcoming Scottish Cup match against Dundee United at Tannadice.
“This is a unanimous decision by the board, senior management and staff at Ibrox. Everyone at this club is dismayed at the actions of certain SPL clubs, which were actively engaged in trying to harm Rangers when we were in a perilous situation and we are acutely aware of their attitude to us.
“Not all clubs who voted against Rangers returning to the SPL fall into that category and indeed we made Motherwell very welcome when we played them at Ibrox in the League Cup competition recently.
“However, feelings remain very raw and it should be no surprise that we as a club feel this way.
“It is unsurprising too that there has been a reaction from our supporters to this particular fixture.
“The last thing we as a club want to do is to compromise security arrangements for any match.
“I therefore appeal to all fans not to travel to this match and to Dundee United not to sell tickets to Rangers supporters.
“Our only regret is that this turn of events will not assist Ally McCoist and the team in what will be a very difficult fixture.
“We should make clear that the Club, the manager and the players all look forward to a situation where Rangers fans attend every match to support the team. The fans are our greatest asset.”
Firstly, they appear to have admonished Motherwell of any blame in trying to “harm” Rangers, despite the Fir Park board voting against a Newco being admitted to the SPL. It’s who they don’t mention though that gets your attention, and Inverness – who knocked Rangers out of the League Cup earlier in the season – presumably on the basis of the statement where not made so welcome during their visit.
What you also pick up on from that statement though was “the fans are our greatest asset.” In this situation Charles, they aren’t. In fact, they are an albatross around his neck.
He has learned very quickly that to get fans cheering his name, he needs to appease them. However, he is appeasing supporters groups who appear to have the aim of killing of the club’s “enemies”.
Careless thought like this needs to be reigned in by a leader with a good head on his shoulders who knows what it takes to get the club back to where they want to be. Someone able to take the tough decisions and do the sensible things.
Instead, Green has wilted at the first sign of discontent from the support. The John Brown episode, with the former Rangers stalwart standing on the steps of Ibrox and urging fans not to buy season tickets because he felt he couldn’t trust the new owner, has clearly rattled Green. Now, instead of rising above it and putting plans in place to return Rangers to the top of the leagues and back into Champions League contention, he has been reduced to being a puppet for an increasingly militant support.
Already, Green has made the statement that he won’t lead Rangers back into the SPL. That could be a statement that returns to haunt him one day.
Now, he is happy to support a boycott of SPL clubs, despite the obvious damage it will do his club. It is also something that will, without doubt, be another thing to come back to bite him on the backside in the future.
In the summer the club initially made a statement of intent at restoring their place at the top of the Scottish game. They were signing top talent from the SPL, bringing Ian Black and David Templeton amongst others to Ibrox. The lure of the third division was not what brought them to Govan, it was the lure of Rangers and what the club has the potential to achieve.
By achieve, I don’t mean they could win the third division and promise a life of riches in the second division. By achieve, I mean bringing them back to the world that first drove all them thousands of Rangers fans to the club in the first place.
The players presumably accepted they would have to work their way up the divisions, but they signed on a promise they would one day be there, back challenging for the league, and back facing the best on the continent again. Playing in front of 50,000 at Ibrox when Stirling Albion are the opposition is one thing, but doing it when Manchester United are visiting on Champions League duty is another.
Let’s be clear, there is not a Rangers fan or player who can not have looked across the city at Celtic beating Barcelona and not have vowed to get back to them days, to be the big boys in the city again.
However their dangerous statements are essentially putting paid to them plans.
Short term, the main attraction this season was never going to be a title fight with Queen’s Park. It was Rangers building a squad still capable of challenging for the domestic cups. What Rangers fan hasn’t allowed themselves to dream of being at Hampden in May, as a third division club, but lifting the Scottish Cup under the noses of the SPL sides?
The Ramsdens Cup wouldn’t have meant much, but it was an opportunity to begin a run of success. Instead, Queen of the South put a dampener on that dream.
The League Cup was another chance to upstage everyone, and the victory over Motherwell had the Rangers support buzzing. There was no shame in losing to Inverness Caledonian Thistle considering the results Terry Butcher has managed elsewhere, but the Scottish Cup should be a big deal to the club. If not to the fans, then at the very least to the players.
Instead, Charles Green has essentially forfeited the match at Tannadice. What message does that send to the players? They signed for a club used to winning. Now it is a club more interested in marching to Hampden in protest rather than for honours.
The boycott will hurt alright. It will hurt Rangers. It hurts them because it makes it more difficult to make that march to Hampden. They instead could lose rather meekly and be left with a season of patting themselves on the back for having large third division crowds.
It will hurt them because players will become disillusioned. The likes of Black, Wallace, Templeton and Mackay may feel staying at Ibrox isn’t going to be worthwhile after all if the club’s ambition is simply to try to drive others into administration. Don’t be surprised to see a few walk out in summer.
It will hurt the club because they have now set a precedent. If they are boycotting Tannadice, then what if they actually do win the tie? What if they get to Hampden, do they forget years of tradition – tradition they have been at pains to point out is still there – and boycott a Hampden semi-final in order to deny other SPL clubs in the draw ticket money? Would they even send their team into a cup final backed by no-one?
And what if they draw with Dundee United? Do they boycott the Ibrox replay, which would cost their club money if no-one turned up. Or do they fill it and give United more ticket money than they would receive from a traveling support at Tannadice anyway? Or do they go somewhere in the middle, have a crowd of 18,000 like they have had in previous cup ties with Dundee United – because look how that turned out for them.
It just doesn’t make any sense.
If the purpose is to hurt Dundee United, then they will fail. They will fail because United never budgeted for this game, it is simply one that has now appeared on the fixture list, but the luck of the draw could well have been them welcoming Forfar Atheletic to Tannadice, where they would be expecting a 4,000 crowd.
Instead, they have drawn Rangers. Boycott or not, United would have been looking at 6,000 – 7,000 ticket sales from their own fans, plus an £80,000 windfall from Sky. With feelings now running high, they may well increase that home support even further. Add in the fact they will be facing a side being backed by no-one, you would have to strongly fancy United’s chances of winning, and picking up more money from booking a quarter final spot.
If Rangers wanted to hurt United, they should have brought with them a big away support, roared their team on and knocked United out of the cup. THAT would have hurt them.
There are of course many decent Rangers fans out there who are cringing at the latest developments. Sadly, there are some that are even being threatened by their own fans should they wish to cross the picket line and be at Tannadice, with posts on forums warning others to stay away.
The militant Rangers fans, the ones who think supporting the Ibrox club these days is about hurting the opposition, about baying for blood, and itching to bring Scottish football down. They are not upholding the traditions of the club founded in 1872, the one that Bill Struth led with dignity and the one that grew a supporters base worldwide. They are embarrassing it, using it as a vehicle to drive their own bigoted agendas.
There are fans who have supported Rangers their whole lives, and thought they would lose the club they loved in summer. It is back, but it must be unrecognisable to the one they have backed through the years. In the age of the internet – forums and supporters groups are able to grow their numbers and now demand how people should support the club. These decent fans must be genuinely worried as their club goes from being about football to about protesting.
I’m an Aberdeen fan. Let me tell you, if there were Dons supporters groups telling me what I should be doing, what petitions I should be signing, what protests I should be attending, and more importantly what games I could and couldn’t attend, I would be telling them where to go. No-one will ever tell me how I should support my club. No-one, especially not someone half my age, could release a statement telling me to fall in line with their own warped aims.
The decent Rangers fans, the ones who do have something between their ears, they should go to Tannadice. It’ll probably be the best Rangers away support in years. No knuckledraggers, no hatred, no bile. Just fans wanting to support their team and see the club they fell in love with win trophies again.
And you know what? That Rangers support would be welcome into any ground in Scotland. They also deserve someone better in charge of their club than a puppet happy damage the club in order to give himself an easy ride from fans who should know better.
I suspect that the SFA will do little or nothing against TRFC and Green, as the SFA is structurally dysfunctional, run by compromised individuals, who on the face of the evidence have thus far given Green ‘a warning’ for his previous ‘b1got’ comment.
Seems to me , nothing will happen and the SFA hierarchy with their above average earnings (tax paid) will just sit on their on their hands and wait for another ‘story’ to distract and deflect…….
The only time that the right thing was done in Scottish football was recently when the fans threatened a boycott of season tickets ……. everyone stood up and took notice then , do tonight’s ramblings from Green merit more fan power?
Green is playing divide and rule with the SPL clubs, so first of all the SPL need to issue a statement which details that
” Due to a lack of protection and action from the governing body (SFA) , the SPL clubs are giving notice to the SFA that the remaining SPL clubs will be unilaterally withdrawing from the Scottish Cup, as we are unable to complete any potential fixtures against TRFC”
“This is on the grounds that statements for TRFC directors will cause crowd trouble and violence, and to ensure the safety of our spectators , we are therefore withdrawing from the competition”
In normal time this would be giving into the mob, however these are not normal times and it requires a different approach
If the clubs do not see the big picture then it is up to the fans to see the big picture ; TRFC cannot be allowed to ride roughshod over the rest of the football community and the fans will need to boycott all cup games until the SFA start behaving like a modern, functioning organisation.
Will the SPL clubs invite into the new setup, a club that holds fellow SPL members in such contempt that the clubs hierarchy issues a unanimous statement backing a boycott of a clubs stadium.
How safe do the small band of D Utd away fans feel if the game is a draw with the return at a packed ibrox ( ironically giving the arabs more money )
mrgreenwhytebrown says: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 00:31
Published By TheAwayEnd Rangers’ boycott shows Charles
=================================================
Thanks for that mrgreenwhytebrown.
If they choose to boycott Dens Park with their own Clubs agreement then they are perfectly within their rights to do so. However obvious CONSEQUENCES, such as Dundee Utd keeping the gate receipts and Sevco still paying their share of the cost of policing the game are obvious. Then it would be an SFA charge to see what PUNISHMENT would be fitting. Maybe a ban on home supporters for 6 home games and a large fine would be a start.
Dens Park has nothing to do with this latest development.
theglen2012 says:
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 00:11
“Played fairly” being the statement that matters most!
Bunion: Tannadice sorry! Thanks.
With regards to Mr Green’s vacuous statement today.
If I were a decent Rangers supporter I would be holding my head in despair.
Mr. Regan and all of you club chairmen, it is your duty as guardians of our game to stand up to, and swat down this menace that threatens not only our game, but the good name of our people and the safety of every decent person that simply wants to support their team and enjoy a game of football.
Make it clear. No one put Rangers out of business but Rangers.
It is also the duty of, and about bloody time that, all of the fabled “rational” Rangers supporters stood up and stopped letting this crap be spouted in their name.
This is out of hand.
ordinaryfan says:
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 00:51
No apologies necessary … we’re all human and capable of errors.
My wife would tell you I err in continuing to breathe 😉
What’s the problem ?
I’m reminded of one of the most used ploys of PR, viz., if you don’t want people to know what you’re doing then create a diversion elsewhere.
Answer this question – Which is the bigger problem for Scottish Football – is it,
1. This boycott by Sevco, or, is it
2. Campbell Ogilvie?
Think about it – Campbell Ogilvie is a one man life support machine for Sevco.
He, and no one else, is keeping Sevco alive.
He makes sure the rules are not applied to them.
Without Campbell Ogilvie, Sevco would be gone.
They all know this, including their PR.
They want us to get caught up in their distractions all the time..
So that Campbell Ogilvie is left in his job of protecting Sevco.
This boycott is attracting a lot of attention, but it’s not the problem.
The FTT is not the problem.
CG is not the problem.
Attila’s hordes are not the problem.
Getting Campbell Ogilvie out of the SFA is the problem.
Never forget it. Ogilvie is the key to this whole mess.
The question is – how to remove him?
Just can’t see how Charlie can ‘reasonably’ avoid having to apologise to DUFC for that statement.
…but the bears won’t be happy if he apologises – and appears weak!
So would it then fall on the SFA to make a decision they don’t really want to make?
Will Regan be obliged to do something in the absence of any apology ?
Will be interesting to see how this pans out – and as always, us Internet Bampots will analyse/dissect every utterance by each party involved.
manandboy says:
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 01:00
I would certainly agree that Campbell Ogilvie needs to go – the fact that we have clubs publicly advocating the boycotting of other member clubs tell you he has singulalry failed to provide the leadership required of his position.
However, I would suggest that Sky/ESPN and the sponsors do more to ensure the pretence that is “Rangers” than Campbell Ogilvie does.
Whether we like it or not, “Rangers” …… no strike that ….. “the Old Firm” was the major draw for the TV deal and sponsors.
Our Celtic supporting brethern may not like to hear it but, the continuance of “Rangers” is entirely dependant upon the support of not only Campbell Ogilvie but also, Sky, ESPN/BT, various sponsors and ……. Celtic.
I now fully expect TDs galore for this.
Now got a red wine stain on the carpet:- An RM production
First Act ( to be read in a ‘Dictator(ish)’ accent)…
Peter Campbell, William McBeath, Moses McNeil and Peter McNeil,n
True Blue
20,119 posts
Gender:Male
Location:Clydebank
Posted Yesterday, 08:33 PM
140 YEARS CELEBRATION
A message to the Rangers Fans…….. If you are not already aware, the Club is celebrating its 140 years History at the Stirling Albion game this Saturday.
There are still tickets available for this game and at this moment in time there are 3000 still available, it promises to be a fantastic historical event with 50 – 60 past players representing a part of the Clubs History over our 140 years.
We are all well aware what others tried but failed to do to our Club over the last 6 months, but one thing they will never achieve is to take away our proud history and our heritage we the Rangers fans along with Charles Green will make sure this never happens.
It’s important that we show others and ourselves and the older Players just what our Club means to us, and we can do this by making this Saturday a sell-out, so if you don’t have a ticket get along to the ticket Centre or call the Credit card hotline or book on-line whatever your preference.
There will be a card display prior to kick off so try and get along early, you will also see montage of the early years prior to kick off, and this is a must for the diehard bluenoses amongst us.
There will also be players from years gone by including the oldest living first team player goalkeeper Bobby Brown who looks like he could still play today, others like Eric Caldow Davy Wilson Johnny Hubbard Willie Henderson Richard Gough, Charlie Miller, Lorenzo Amorouso, Michael Mols to name but a few.
It’s looking like a day to remember that’s why you should try to bring the kids along to see all these heroes of yesteryear, the kids are the fans of the future and they will remember Saturday for the rest of their lives.
Please feel free to share and pass this onto your friends and family the more people who know about it the better.
W.A.T.P. R.T.I.D.
Second part… (ADLIB)
JCDBigBear
Richard Gough
True Blue
1,762 posts
Gender:Male
Location:Uddingston
Posted Yesterday, 08:51 PM
I know the post heading calls for volunteers but is it for buying the last 3000 tickets or for assisting with the pre-match display? Normally Jim Hannah handles this latter kind of appeal but he is recovering from an operation.
bOOmBooM!!
manandboy says:
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 01:00
“Deny, deflect, divert, defame.
The simplest way to play the game.
If it doesn’t work, try the same.
Over and over and over again.”
Humble Pie
I think only ‘nuclear’ grade material will force out Ogilvie…
Charles green has gotten this far and to portray him as deranged is a folly which plays into his hands. He poses a serious threat to football in our country as he incites the vocal minority and reinforces the ‘us and them’ attitude. When the tax case result was announced a rangers supporting colleague strutted round the office punching the air and affecting a mix of triumphalism and defiance.
Few cared. But this is the context of all actions undertaken, it would appear, from ibrox. While i applaud the sentiments in supporting DUFC, the bigger picture is desparate if the authorities cannot stamp, well, their authority. And how is this possible with the CEO clearly conflicted? As another poster has asked- what pressure can be brought to bear? Coordinated effort by fans of all clubs is the only thing which seems to work. Can we reach out to fans clubs to join this forum in a recognisable manner. It would benefit this forum enormously to have greater diversity.
“Everyone at this club is dismayed at the actions of certain SPL clubs, which were actively engaged in trying to harm Rangers when we were in a perilous situation and we are acutely aware of their attitude to us.”
As the Greatest Ever The Rangers manager would say, we should be told in the interests of transparency………..
Just which clubs do TRFA feel were “actively engaged in trying to harm Rangers (old club)?”
Motherwell and Kilmarnock we have been tod were not.
Dundee and Ross County must be deemed innocent in al of this.
Dunfermline were paid moneyby RFF so perhaps not them………..
Given Rod Petrie as per SR’s email stated he was keeping you up to date with the SFA shenanigans, perhaps not Rod – but Hibs? Maybes aye maybes naw?
So we are left with Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee Utd, Hearts, St Mirren, St Johnstone, Celtic then…..
Celtic never said very much despite being prodded into some statements from CG to try to rile them up.
St Mirren actually seemed to be in the same boat as Motherwell – from the board came some statements that made us think that perhaps their support made them voite the way they did.
Of the 4 left – Aberdeen, Hearts, St Johnstone and Dundee Utd – the most hostile statement came from Vladimir. Aberdeen and Dundee Utd statements were never as near the bone as Vladimirs.
But since then not only have you done business with Hearts (to give them money fro Templeton – alegedly!) but also offered to give them money (albeit a 1/3 of what they were due for Wallace) to “help” them.
So – where is the consistency here? Is it Dundee Utd and perhaps Aberdeen who have riled you the most? If so, why?
Not following the logic here of some folks wanted to harm us and some only did so since they were forced to. We need to know who these peoplel are and what they did!
The 2009 event being brought up is a non starter – RFC had 3 years after to boycott Tannadice if that was a reason – they did not.
So what exactly did Dundee Utd do last summer to you all to indicate your club and its supporters fear for their safety if going to Tannadice?
Wonder if he is angling to have a beam back game at Ibrox due to public safety – and DUFC can keep the gate money at Tannadice while he gets to keep the money from Ibrox………..
All in the public interests – win win for everyone – especially him!
He wouldn’t – would he?
IMO the SFA have no one but themselves to blame for CG and the sevcovians latest actions ,Instead of applying the rules as they would have been applied to any other club they compromised themselves to such an extent that they handed CG and Sevco a free ticket to do as he liked when he liked .
What’s that old saying ……you reap what you sow
http://www.thefootballlife.co.uk/post/37208095276/2012-review-double-dip
On fandom in 2012.
Re the Tannadice boycott – the only sanction the SFA should take is to say that Rangers aren’t allowed prize money should they progress or a share of the gate – if they don’t want to actively help the competition, they should be prevented from receiving the benefits from the competition. Any more than that and they’ll be in uproar…yet again.
Was the decision taken to refuse matchday tickets taken because TRFC fans were threatening their own kind with violence if they crossed a picket line set up by misguided ‘fans’. Surely the bears fans were never threatened by the fans of DUFC were they?
Okay I was trying to think of the most useless punishment the the SFA could come up with,
how about this one:
“The SFA ban TRFC supporters from all away grounds after refusing to take up DUTD’s ticket allocation”
Graham Spiers justifies the boycott by Sevco fans.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/opinion/spiers-on-sport-why-rangers-fans-seek-vengeance-on-dundee-united.1354639855
Reported by Richard Wilson – Glasgow Herald this morning: Liquidators BDO formally appointed at yesterday’s creditors meeting. Creditors Committee formed of the 5 maximum permitted including HMRC, TU, RFFF Chairman Andrew McCormack, Bryce Findlay and Elaine Cringle. They will begin recovering creditors money and investigating the actions of previous directors and the administrators, Duff & Phelps.
this is a response from (i assume) an arab, in response to britney’s article in the harald possibly trying to ‘justify’ why the sevconians are boycotting the scottish cup game at tannadice.
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Rick Ferry, Dundee
I wouldn’t agree that DUFC have been against all things Rangers.
On the transfers at the time of the Gough sale DUFC were battling at the top of the league, surely its understandable that Jim McLean wouldn’t sell one of his best players to a direct challenger. Ferguson was a fair price at the time, I’m sure he went to Everton for more or less the same price and then sold on for a good bid more. In the case of Goodwillie, surely Rangers were the ones showing disrepect to United, they took half a dozen bids to get near the value already offered by Blackburn. Given the circumstances Hearts found themselves over the Wallace fee, you can hardly say that the DUFC board did the wrong thing.
I agree that the abandoned game was not handled well but to be fair to United, they had 2 sets of match day costs to cover which are not insignificant.
The 2nd game was half price so effectively supporters paid for 3 halves of football, which was actually what was played. Non season ticket holders also had to pay to get into that 2nd game.
I think United attitude is to defend their own interests, nothing wrong with that.
Regarding the boycott, whilst I agree fans have the right to boycott any game however misguided, the decision by the Board, management etc to make the statement they did is where I would disagree with the situation. Leadership is a quality that seems to be lacking here not to mention integrity, honesty and plain common sense. It would appear that WS has agreed with the Board decision, since CGs statement said it was unanimous, the Board are now being led by a section of their support rather than showing some leadership which would benefit the majority of the supporters and the business as a whole. Mob rule comes to mind.
Lets hope the SFA now show some leadership and deal with the situation accordingly. We live in hope
Charles Green needs to be held to account to explain this statement:
“Everyone at this club is dismayed at the actions of certain SPL clubs, which were actively engaged in trying to harm Rangers when we were in a perilous situation and we are acutely aware of their attitude to us.”
For the benefit of anyone looking in here in any doubt, lets set the record straight.
In the summer Stephen Thompson reflected on BBC radio interview on being caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand there was vocal support, notably in the MSM, as to how the SPL needed Rangers. Without them there would be a financial disaster. On the other hand many United supporters said they would not be back if a newco Rangers were admitted straight to the SPL.
As I posted yesterday evening, suggesting United fans were motivated by a dislike of Rangers is a total travesty of strongly held sentiments about sporting integrity, held by arabs and supporters of just about every other SPL club. Below is a letter posted on a United website and sent to Thompson on 17th February this year. The issues it raises about the rules that usually apply to liquidated clubs and treating Rangers differently have never been properly addressed in the MSM as far as I am aware:
“Dear Mr Thompson
The entry of any Rangers “newco” into the SPL
In response to the developing financial crisis at Ibrox, one theme almost universally adopted by newspaper, radio and TV sports “journalists” has been that “the SPL need Rangers.” Mysteriously these journalists have either missed or chosen to ignore the angry reaction of fans on message boards across the country to this propaganda. I am sending this letter to you to ensure these strongly held views are not overlooked. Those considering how the football “business” in Scotland responds to this crisis need to be aware of how their decisions will impact on the appetite of their “customers,” the Scottish football fans, for their “product.”
On a United forum (East Football) users were asked how they anticipated the immediate re-admission of a newco Rangers would impact their attendance of SPL games. 105 responded as follows:
Votes %
Much less likely to attend SPL games 49 46.67%
Less likely to attend SPL games 15 14.29%
Won’t make any difference 39 37.14%
More likely to attend SPL games 0 00.00%
Much more likely to attend SPL games 2 01.90%
Total votes 105
Of course it does not necessarily follow that nearly two thirds of United supporters would be less likely or much less likely to attend SPL games, but the poll does indicate (with the sentiments expressed on the site) that an immediate re-admission of newco Rangers would have a significant adverse impact on attendances at Tannadice. Some emphatically stated that they would never again attend an SPL game. This response is in line with sentiments expressed on other sites, for example “Aberdeen Mad” where there is considerable support for an open letter asking those responsible not to let a newco Rangers straight into the SPL and Hibs net where a poll currently has 121 votes out of 127 against a newco Rangers being immediately re-admitted to the SPL. What follows is intended to convey a sense of why this issue has given rise to such strongly held views.
As the Chairman of our club you will naturally weigh in any decision the commercial interests of United, including the stance adopted by Sky television. From both the perspective of their image in Scotland and that of the SPL one would hope that they would not insist that Rangers and Celtic are essential to any SPL TV contract, with all that would imply for the sporting integrity of the competition.
You have rightly been given credit for your approach to our finances, ensuring that we cut our cloth with an aim to break even and responsibly look to pay down our debts.
In contrast Rangers have adopted an irresponsible, reckless approach to financial management. It is shocking that over a number of years Rangers attempted to avoid paying the PAYE and NIC obligations met by the other honest taxpaying clubs in the SPL to maximise their chances of winning the league, cheating in the eyes of many. To compound this by choosing not to pay £9m of taxes to HMRC since last May, treating tax obligations as if they are optional, is simply outrageous.
Potentially a new debt free Rangers 2012 could emerge following liquidation. HMRC, as a creditor, could have been stuffed, not to put too fine a point on it, to the tune of £75m. What message would the immediate re-admission of brazen tax cheats to the SPL send to Michel Platini, architect of UEFA’s financial fair play initiative, or to businesses everywhere through the UK struggling in economic adversity to honestly pay their taxes to fund our schools, hospitals etc, or to the other clubs in the SPL who have foolishly paid taxes and sought to honestly pay down debt. Should those clubs encumbered with debt take the easy option and follow suit? How would that affect the credit rating of SPL clubs?
Above all, what message would it send to the supporters of clubs in the SPL? Apparently there would be a favoured pair of teams within the “competition” who could never finish out with the top 6, let alone be relegated, however they played on the field and however they financially cheated off the field because of the interests of commercial expediency. To be candid, the SPL would rightly be perceived as a “rigged league”.
There is another flaw with the current media chorus of the SPL need Rangers. They are suffering from amnesia. They seem to have forgotten that only recently Rangers were seeking to leave the SPL. Was there a deafening chorus then that the SPL need Rangers? Even worse, they have forgotten that in the early to mid 1980s the Scottish Premier Division was a vibrant competition where Celtic competed for the title with a number of clubs including Aberdeen, Dundee United and Hearts. Rangers were not essential. Since those days, changes have steadily concentrated income on just two clubs, progressively contributing to the draining of the spirit of competition from the top division as clubs failed to compete with one club determined to spend the most, whatever the price. Those hoping to see the present situation used to promote a move to a more competitive, exciting SPL would see those hopes crushed by immediate re-admission.
In May 2008 our then manager exploded with rage after a game at Ibrox where referee Mike McCurry denied United a stonewall penalty, failed to send off the Rangers player concerned and later chalked off a good goal. Recalling Craig Levein’s words that day, would it be any surprise if a significant number of supporters, faced with the prospect of a competition which had blatantly lost any pretence of being fair or sporting, asked themselves what is the point in turning up?
For the avoidance of doubt, a Rangers newco should be treated the same way, without fear or
favour, as any other SPL club newco in the same situation and apply to join the SFL.”
richard wilson in the harald – claiming it was The Rangers Football Club Plc who went into admi/liqid. is that correct?
or was it Rangers Football Club Plc ?
i’m getting confused – maybe dickie is too?
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/liquidators-are-appointed.19593955
Just read the article from Sunday 25th.
The argument that bloggers must exercise restraint in what they post is, of course, sound.
The difficulty with it, is that in dealing with opinions printed in tabloid newspapers, the temptation is to deal with the lies and misinformation in a style that is the opposite of restraint and good manners.
The blood boils and off we go.
But I do promise to try and be a good bhoy.
Brenda says:
Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 19:53
Passed Ibrox last night.
Two huge banners with the numbers 140 are boldly and prominently displayed.
So there!
ecobhoy says:
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 00:00
areyouaccusingmeofmendacity says:
Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 23:29
paulmac2 says:
Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at 23:12
I would think Smith is probably burning with embarrassment and anger that he’s been landed in the middle of all this.
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Cardigan is there out of choice and made his move helluva close to when the EBT issue seemed safe – looks as though he might have got that a bit wrong right enough same as Ogilvie.
=========================================================================
Read the statement again.
The decision was unanimous and included the board and senior management.
Therefore given their status in all recent press releases Sir Cardigan and McCoist, who are supposed to be ‘Football People’, are more than happy to be associated with this.
For an ex Scotland manager and one of the country’s top goal scorers, it is a disgrace.
wopanda says:
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 08:27
Reported by Richard Wilson – Glasgow Herald this morning: Liquidators BDO formally appointed at yesterday’s creditors meeting. Creditors Committee formed of the 5 maximum permitted including HMRC, TU, RFFF Chairman Andrew McCormack, Bryce Findlay and Elaine Cringle. They will begin recovering creditors money and investigating the actions of previous directors and the administrators, Duff & Phelps.
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TU are Ticketus?
I see Andrew Dickson, Rangers employee (RTV and Rangers Media worker) ‘tweeting’ this morning that “If RFC are a new club, why are they 84th in the current UEFA rankings when the newco hasn’t had a UEFA match yet?”
UEFA Rankings > http://t.co/5te7n0Rt
A convincing argument, apart from the fact that list includes several defunct clubs such as Neath from Wales and Sporting Fingal of Ireland.
Plus FC Unirea Urziceni, who put the oldco out of European football in 2009-10. 🙂
Alan Price @ 9:20
Ye 140 days 🙂
I am no fan of some of the anticts of the Green Brigade. However they do seem to be pretty good at the old banner thing.
Can I suggest a section of the away end at Tannadice is section off so a banner can be raised in full view of the cameras.
My suggested wording
Old or New
Rangers –
“….permanent embarrassment and an occasional disgrace”
Ian Archer
the article by taysider at 9.08am is – as stuart cosgrove would say – fannntastic..
. . . all other “clubs” are struggling – to compete and pay off their debts in an honest fashion.
one “club” has been allowed to ditch their debt, to “rise” debt free, and want every other club and the supporters of other clubs, to forget about how the ‘rangers’ debt was “wiped clean”.
charles green says he wants to move on ?
charles green says he wants others to move on ?
now he is bring up past events – again.
if he wants to discuss past events – lets talk about the debts they should be obliged to pay
. . . as they are REALLY – THE SAME CLUB ?
MikeC says:
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 09:08
2 0 i
Rate This
Regarding the boycott, whilst I agree fans have the right to boycott any game however misguided, the decision by the Board, management etc to make the statement they did is where I would disagree with the situation. Leadership is a quality that seems to be lacking here not to mention integrity, honesty and plain common sense.
========
The ultimate irony is that these people never stop talking about “dignity”, as if that was the unique hallmark of Rangers. So far as I can see, the current hallmarks of the Rangers “brand” are intolerance of the views of others, arrogance, a sense of absolute entitlement, a vindictive and downright threatening approach to anyone who dares contradict their world view, and an apparently sincerely held belief that the role of the rest of the world is to lie down in front of them and roll about a bit if instructed to do so. I do not equate any of that with dignity. Ignominy, more like.
I have no confidence that our football “authorities” will take any effective action regarding Green’s latest provocation. And deliberate provocation is exactly what it is. I think it amuses him to keep goading the authorities, just to see how far he can push it. The answer, of course, is all the way. Those nominally in charge of the game have made a Faustian pact with Sevco (known as the 5-way agreement) which has left them fatally comprised. Until the people involved in that agreement are removed, Green can do exactly as he pleases. Because if he is thwarted at any point, he will simply release the final edition of the 5-way agreement, and at that point Regan and Doncaster really are finished.
In the absence of any real action by the SFA, it is left to us, the fans of every club in Scotland (including any decent Rangers fans who are still capable of independent thought) to stand up to this bully. If the Tannadice gate is to be shared, then buying a ticket just puts money into Green’s pocket, and I’m not for doing that. Unless, of course, it’s £1 for a ticket, £10 for a programme, and £15 for a pie. However I guess the SFA would come down on DUFC like a ton of bricks if they tried that one. Because it’s simply amazing how speedily and forcefully the SFA apply their rules to every club but one.
I would like to find a way of getting the price of a ticket to DUFC, in solidarity with other fans, and in such a way that Green and TRFC don’t get a penny of that money. Any ideas?
Whatever the answer, the rest of Scottish can’t just lie down in the face of such blatant bully-boy tactics (almost a typo there!). We have ruling bodies who are totally compromised and conflicted, we can rely on them for nothing, except a quick fix reconstruction to magically transport TRFC back to the top flight. That is now their sole reason for being, so far as I can see. So it is up to us. I wish I had an easy answer that would deal with this in a way that ensured that no club had to suffer this sort of attack in future. This is what the evil that the 5-way agreement has unleashed on Scottish football. And we, the fans, who actually pay for the whole of Scottish football, aren’t allowed to see the details! Well, it might permanently damage our innocent little minds. Or open our eyes, which is what they really fear.
Events of the last few days tell us what we need to know. And to all the people who were on here saying give Sevco fans a chance, The beast does not change. Any so called decent fans of the former club Rangers, by the vey nature of being decent, honest human beings would have ditched that horrendous infected beast at the grave in the summer…Fans of the new club with all the hatred, bile, death threats and intimidation inherited from the corpse of the old club have no right to expect to be called decent….and certainly deserve to be given short shrift on here for trying in any way to justify anything that the new club stands for. We must move on without this curse. Scottish football is doomed if we kowtow to their threats, intimidation and lies. Enough is enough. Lord Nimmo Smith must do the decent thing and expel this lot from the league and rebuke their membership. And we as supporters of every other team in Scotland must keep up the pressure until that happens. The tail has wagged the dog for too long.
wottpi says:
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 09:36
===============================================
From poster on CM…………………….
Zombie banner – GB lad charged for it.
sect 1 of offensive behaviour at football act…..blah de blah.
Another lads life messed about with. Another lad facing days of work for lawyers meetings, court appearences and all the other shite he shouldn’t have to deal with.
I say it again, its easy to talk on the outside.
So it appears Ticketus have registered as a creditor of RFC(IL).
I assume this removes the possibility of Chuckles having inherited the TU contract as part of the asset purchase.This gives greater value to his purchase as he’s removed over £20m of debt from Newco.Surely BDO should take note of this.
Bit I don’t get is,why are TU not pursuing Whyte?.
I thought he’d given them personal guarantees wrt the Season Ticket monies.Also,what’s happened to Craigys floating charge?.
Has he registered as a creditor?.
According to Prof Adam Chodorow, author of Death and Taxes and Zombies, it appears to have its roots in Haitian voodoo.
The Oxford Dictionary says the word “zombie” emerged in the 19th Century from an African word, “zumbi”, which means fetish.
Whatever its inspiration, fascination with the foot dragging, groaning undead is very much alive and kicking.
amazing what one finds on the BBC…
Due to this being an offical club boycott, then the SFA must rule that the boycotting club can no longer receive its share of the gate money. If this were to happen then I would gladly purchase a ticket from DUTD for the cup game, I would ask for the ticket be given away on the condition that an under 12 ticket (child)is purchased.
http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/dundee-united/204234-rangers-dundee-utd-and-scottish-cup-tickets-your-questions-answered/
I’ve been saying for some time now that all the supporters associations/trusts should be coming together with the common aim of protecting the integrity of our game.
A united front is required if we are to be proactive in fending off any “now you see it , now you don’t” move by the ruling body to reorganise professional football as we know it for the sake of one club.
No lessons have been learned, and one new club is still thrashing around believing they can dictate the future of our game.
If it turns out that they can then Scottish football will have died.
If rules had been applied without fear or favour from day one, our game would be so much cleaner.
TW (@tartanwulver) says:
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 09:31
Twopanda says:
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 08:27
Reported by Richard Wilson – Glasgow Herald this morning: Liquidators BDO formally appointed at yesterday’s creditors meeting. Creditors Committee formed of the 5 maximum permitted including HMRC, TU, RFFF Chairman Andrew McCormack, Bryce Findlay and Elaine Cringle. They will begin recovering creditors money and investigating the actions of previous directors and the administrators, Duff & Phelps.
———————————-
TU are Ticketus?
————————————————————————-
Given the season I was wondering if Elaine Cringle might not be otherwise busy at this time of year 🙂
Can we now discount the theory that Murray,King,etc were the phantom Ticketus Investors.If they were,they surely wouldn’t be registering as creditors,would they?.
From a Utd blog…..
A PROMINENT FOOTBALL SUPPORTERS’ GROUP has weighed into the ongoing feud between Rangers and Dundee United by demanding compensation from an abandoned league fixture at Tannadice over TWENTY years ago.
The Barbara Dickson Lochgelly Loyal Pars were charged £3 (£1.50 concessions)-half the price of the original fixture – for the privilege of seeing their team thumped 3-0 by United in October 1990 after the initial fixture was abandoned due to adverse weather conditions. Fans’ chief Willie Ray-Cyprus said ‘This has been simmering for some time. We are retrospectively dismayed and disgusted by the actions of this so-called club. They’re due us £28.50. With interest in today’s prices that could be a million pounds or something’
Fans have also called for the boycotting of Dundee United-related products such as Deacon Blue albums and United biscuits (but only the orange ones). Plans are also underfoot to kidnap and hold to ransom a celebrity United fan until the group’s demands are met. ‘It’s either going to be Lorraine Kelly or Oor Wullie’ a source said. ‘Access could prove difficult but we know Oor Wullie stays somewhere near Glebe St.’
The group have also issued a death warrant for taxi operator and former Pars legend Hamish French, who was playing for Utd at the time and scored their third goal. ‘Hamish is a popular figure around Dunfermline and an excellent taxi driver but what he did that night is unforgivable. The people of Fife have long memories’ our source continued before sprinting off down Halbeath Road to turn off his gas cooker.
Barbara Dickson was unavailable for comment last night but was reported to be seen ceremonially burning a copy of ‘Rain Town’ outside her home in Upper Largo.
Interesting is it not that the first time Sevco has a draw away to an SPL club, world war three erupts.I mean they did have a lot of home draws in the cups and I am sure we all wondered why this was.
As soon as an away game to an SPL club arises Sevco management has taken an intransigent stance.As has been previously stated, with vigorous football administration this situation would not have been allowed to get out of control.
I hope the SFA read John Clarke’s email and get a grip of this situation.Quickly.
“The Barbara Dickson Lochgelly Loyal Pars”
Brilliant.Only in Scotland.
Anyway,here’s the latest from Jim Spence:
Jim Spence @bbcjimspence
Dundee Utd to write to SFA seeking clarification of a number of matters over Rangers ticket refusal. Will ask if gate money is to be split.
jimlarkin says:
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 09:10
4 0 Rate This
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/liquidators-are-appointed.19593955
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Cheers Jim, finally, a wee mention of the BDO appointment.
Are the Rangers Fans Fighting Fund creditors? I wonder how much they are owed, and why.
Bryce Findlay and Elaine Cringle anyone?
Danish ,Bryce Findlay was a character in a long running BBC series set in fictional Tannochbrae and Elaine Cringle’s dad is heavily involved in miracles at Christmas.
As in all things to do with the Sevco saga there is a strong degree of suspension of disbelief.
ANNOUNCEMENT TO BE MADE BY THE AIM APPLICANT PRIOR TO ADMISSION
IN ACCORDANCE WITH RULE 2 OF THE AIM RULES FOR COMPANIES (“AIM
RULES”)
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COMPANY NAME:
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Rangers International Football Club plc
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COMPANY REGISTERED OFFICE ADDRESS AND IF DIFFERENT, COMPANY
TRADING ADDRESS (INCLUDING POSTCODES) :
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Ibrox Stadium, 150 Edmiston Drive, Glasgow, G51 2XD
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will own and operate Rangers Football Club Limited. Rangers
Football Club, based in Scotland, has become one of the world’s
most successful clubs, having won 54 League titles, 33 Scottish
Cups, 27 League Cups and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1972.
Playing at the 50,987 seater Ibrox Stadium, Scotland, and benefitting
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The club generates revenues from match-day sales, broadcasting
rights, retail and merchandising as well as other media rights.
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it seeks admission and the number and type to be held as treasury
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MARKET CAPITALISATION ON ADMISSION:
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TBA
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(underlining the first name by which each is known or including
any other name by which each is known):
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Malcolm Alexander Murray (Non-Executive Chairman)
Charles Alexander Green (Chief Executive Officer)
Brian Stockbridge (Finance Director)
Walter Smith (Non-Executive Director)
James Ian Henderson Hart (Non-Executive Director)
Philip Cartmell (Non-Executive Director)
Frederick Bryan Smart (Non-Executive Director)
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Upon admission, Rangers International Football Club plc will
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Before Admission
Rangers Football Club Limited – the current operating business
No of Ordinary
Shareholder Shares Percentage
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Charles Green 5,000,200 14.96%
Blue Pitch Holding 4,000,000 11.97%
Mike Ashley 3,000,000 8.98%
Margarita Funds Holding Trust 2,600,000 7.78%
Richard Hughes 2,200,000 6.58%
Imran Ahmad 2,200,000 6.58%
Craig Mather 1,800,000 5.39%
Norne Anstalt 1,200,000 3.59%
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FFW Secretaries Limited – 100%
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Rangers International Football Club plc which will own Rangers
Football Club Limited (assuming no take-up under the public
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No of Ordinary
Shareholder Shares Percentage
—————————— ————– ———-
Charles Green 5,000,200 8.67%
Hargreave Hale Limited 4,949,000 8.58%
Artemis Investment Management
LLP 4,286,000 7.43%
Blue Pitch Holding 4,000,000 6.94%
Mike Ashley 3,000,000 5.20%
Margarita Funds Holding Trust 2,600,000 4.51%
Cazenove Capital Management
Limited 2,450,000 4.25%
Richard Hughes 2,200,000 3.82%
Imran Ahmad 2,200,000 3.82%
Legal & General Investment
Management Limited 2,000,000 3.47%
Insight Investment Management
(Global) Limited 1,900,000 3.30%
Craig Mather 1,800,000 3.12%
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19 December 2012
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Glasgow G51 2XD
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International Football Club plc and the admission of its securities.
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DATE OF NOTIFICATION:
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5 December 2012
“””””””””””””””””””””””””””””
And spotted by Chalmers on KDS:-
thorntontic
5 Dec 2012, 10:31 AM
27 Million- come on the inter rangurs
Spoiler: click to toggle
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Rangers International Football Club plc
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COMPANY REGISTERED OFFICE ADDRESS AND IF DIFFERENT, COMPANY
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COUNTRY OF INCORPORATION:
———————————————————————–
Scotland
———————————————————————–
COMPANY WEBSITE ADDRESS CONTAINING ALL INFORMATION REQUIRED
BY AIM RULE 26:
———————————————————————–
http://www.Rangers.co.uk (available upon admission)
———————————————————————–
COMPANY BUSINESS (INCLUDING MAIN COUNTRY OF OPERATION) OR,
IN THE CASE OF AN INVESTING COMPANY, DETAILS OF ITS INVESTING
POLICY). IF THE ADMISSION IS SOUGHT AS A RESULT OF A REVERSE
TAKE-OVER UNDER RULE 14, THIS SHOULD BE STATED:
———————————————————————–
Rangers International Football Club plc following admission
will own and operate Rangers Football Club Limited. Rangers
Football Club, based in Scotland, has become one of the world’s
most successful clubs, having won 54 League titles, 33 Scottish
Cups, 27 League Cups and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1972.
Playing at the 50,987 seater Ibrox Stadium, Scotland, and benefitting
from the world class 37 acre Murray Park training facility,
the club has been a dominant force in Scottish football for
decades.
The club generates revenues from match-day sales, broadcasting
rights, retail and merchandising as well as other media rights.
———————————————————————–
DETAILS OF SECURITIES TO BE ADMITTED INCLUDING ANY RESTRICTIONS
AS TO TRANSFER OF THE SECURITIES (i.e. where known, number
and type of shares, nominal value and issue price to which
it seeks admission and the number and type to be held as treasury
shares):
———————————————————————–
Ordinary shares of 1 penny each at an issue price of 70 pence.
The shares are freely transferable and have no restrictions
placed on them.
———————————————————————–
CAPITAL TO BE RAISED ON ADMISSION (IF APPLICABLE) AND ANTICIPATED
MARKET CAPITALISATION ON ADMISSION:
———————————————————————–
Up to GBP27 million to be raised on admission through the placing
and public offer. Anticipated market capitalisation GBP50 million
(assuming subscription in full of the public offer).
———————————————————————–
PERCENTAGE OF AIM SECURITIES NOT IN PUBLIC HANDS AT ADMISSION:
———————————————————————–
TBA
———————————————————————–
DETAILS OF ANY OTHER EXCHANGE OR TRADING PLATFORM TO WHICH
THE AIM COMPANY HAS APPLIED OR AGREED TO HAVE ANY OF ITS SECURITIES
(INCLUDING ITS AIM SECURITIES) ADMITTED OR TRADED:
———————————————————————–
None
———————————————————————–
FULL NAMES AND FUNCTIONS OF DIRECTORS AND PROPOSED DIRECTORS
(underlining the first name by which each is known or including
any other name by which each is known):
———————————————————————–
Malcolm Alexander Murray (Non-Executive Chairman)
Charles Alexander Green (Chief Executive Officer)
Brian Stockbridge (Finance Director)
Walter Smith (Non-Executive Director)
James Ian Henderson Hart (Non-Executive Director)
Philip Cartmell (Non-Executive Director)
Frederick Bryan Smart (Non-Executive Director)
———————————————————————–
FULL NAMES AND HOLDINGS OF SIGNIFICANT SHAREHOLDERS EXPRESSED
AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE ISSUED SHARE CAPITAL, BEFORE AND AFTER
ADMISSION (underlining the first name by which each is known
or including any other name by which each is known):
———————————————————————–
Upon admission, Rangers International Football Club plc will
acquire Rangers Football Club Limited on the basis of a one
for one share exchange and after admission Rangers International
Football Club plc will be the holding company for the group.
Before Admission
Rangers Football Club Limited – the current operating business
No of Ordinary
Shareholder Shares Percentage
——————————- ————— ———–
Charles Green 5,000,200 14.96%
Blue Pitch Holding 4,000,000 11.97%
Mike Ashley 3,000,000 8.98%
Margarita Funds Holding Trust 2,600,000 7.78%
Richard Hughes 2,200,000 6.58%
Imran Ahmad 2,200,000 6.58%
Craig Mather 1,800,000 5.39%
Norne Anstalt 1,200,000 3.59%
Rangers International Football Club plc – the holding company
of the group following admission
FFW Secretaries Limited – 100%
After Admission
Rangers International Football Club plc which will own Rangers
Football Club Limited (assuming no take-up under the public
offer)
No of Ordinary
Shareholder Shares Percentage
—————————— ————– ———-
Charles Green 5,000,200 8.67%
Hargreave Hale Limited 4,949,000 8.58%
Artemis Investment Management
LLP 4,286,000 7.43%
Blue Pitch Holding 4,000,000 6.94%
Mike Ashley 3,000,000 5.20%
Margarita Funds Holding Trust 2,600,000 4.51%
Cazenove Capital Management
Limited 2,450,000 4.25%
Richard Hughes 2,200,000 3.82%
Imran Ahmad 2,200,000 3.82%
Legal & General Investment
Management Limited 2,000,000 3.47%
Insight Investment Management
(Global) Limited 1,900,000 3.30%
Craig Mather 1,800,000 3.12%
———————————————————————–
NAMES OF ALL PERSONS TO BE DISCLOSED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SCHEDULE
2, PARAGRAPH (H) OF THE AIM RULES:
———————————————————————–
None
———————————————————————–
(i) ANTICIPATED ACCOUNTING REFERENCE DATE
(ii) DATE TO WHICH THE MAIN FINANCIAL INFORMATION IN THE ADMISSION
DOCUMENT HAS BEEN PREPARED (this may be represented by unaudited
interim financial information)
(iii) DATES BY WHICH IT MUST PUBLISH ITS FIRST THREE REPORTS
PURSUANT TO AIM RULES 18 AND 19:
———————————————————————–
(i) 30 June
(ii) 31 August 2012
(iii) 31 March 2013, 31 December 2013, 31 March 2014
———————————————————————–
EXPECTED ADMISSION DATE:
———————————————————————–
19 December 2012
———————————————————————–
NAME AND ADDRESS OF NOMINATED ADVISER:
———————————————————————–
Cenkos Securities plc, 6.7.8 Tokenhouse Yard, London EC2R 7AS
———————————————————————–
NAME AND ADDRESS OF BROKER:
———————————————————————–
Cenkos Securities plc, 6.7.8 Tokenhouse Yard, London EC2R 7AS
———————————————————————–
OTHER THAN IN THE CASE OF A QUOTED APPLICANT, DETAILS OF WHERE
(POSTAL OR INTERNET ADDRESS) THE ADMISSION DOCUMENT WILL BE
AVAILABLE FROM, WITH A STATEMENT THAT THIS WILL CONTAIN FULL
DETAILS ABOUT THE APPLICANT AND THE ADMISSION OF ITS SECURITIES:
———————————————————————–
Ibrox Stadium
Glasgow G51 2XD
The Admission Document will contain full details about Rangers
International Football Club plc and the admission of its securities.
———————————————————————–
DATE OF NOTIFICATION:
———————————————————————–
5 December 2012
“Rangers International Football Club plc following admission
will own and operate Rangers Football Club Limited. Rangers
Football Club, based in Scotland, has become one of the world’s
most successful clubs, having won 54 League titles, 33 Scottish
Cups, 27 League Cups and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1972.
Playing at the 50,987 seater Ibrox Stadium, Scotland, and benefitting
from the world class 37 acre Murray Park training facility,
the club has been a dominant force in Scottish football for
decades.”
Not ‘owning’. 😉
torrejohnbhoy says:
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 10:41
Can we now discount the theory that Murray,King,etc were the phantom Ticketus Investors.If they were,they surely wouldn’t be registering as creditors,would they?.
—————————————————————————————————–
I don’t mind the TD for this but if you don’t think this is right,why not let me know.Who knows,after you’ve explained,I might agree with you.
Every day on here,is,after all,a school day,especially to the less educated in legal,accountancy matters,like myself.
The difference in the remark about Murray Parks not being owned but the club “benefitting” from it’s use was spotted by Chalners on KDS.
“Rangers International Football Club plc following admission
will own and operate Rangers Football Club Limited.
=================================================================
So fans will be buying shares in a holding company,not the club,whose name sounds very like the liquidated club!
So let me get this right……….
The arguement goes that Rangers went bust but are still continuing because the holding company wnt bust and so did not affect the timeline or hsitory of the football club itself…….the new holding company Sevco changed its name to The Rangers and now the share issue will be for a new holding company Ther Rangers International to hold the new holding company to look after the club……..
And to top it off neither Ibrox nor Murray Park (still to be renamed Moses or Cooper) is used by the holding company of the holding company of the club…………
So who owns it……….and which holding company have I pledged 15K to? Where is Imran on the directors? And where is Aly’s 4% shares he was supposed to have……..
Even Adam must be laughing at this!!!!
Hang on. So the share offer is not to buy the club, but to buy the holding company (rfc international) that owns the holding company (trfc) that owns the actual ‘club’?
Is that correct Mr. GREEN? Or did the club, not the company, get liquidated after all? I assume you’ll explain that in your prospectus right?
torrejohnbhoy says:
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 11:14
“Rangers International Football Club plc following admission
will own and operate Rangers Football Club Limited.
=================================================================
So fans will be buying shares in a holding company,not the club,whose name sounds very like the liquidated club!
———————————–
The fan’s won’t be buying anything. Apart from a few diehards this will bomb. If, as claimed, they have already raised their £20m from institutions why should fan’s put up any more money.
Sorry – meant to be
And to top it off neither Ibrox nor Murray Park (still to be renamed Moses or Cooper) is owned by the new holding club but merely used by the club on behalf of the holding company of the holding company of the club…………
So who owns it?
Playing at the 50,987 seater Ibrox Stadium, Scotland, and benefitting from the world class 37 acre Murray Park training facility, the club has been a dominant force in Scottish football for decades
When I was younger I played in a 5 a side team that enjoyed playing at Meadowbank Stadium….
Perhaps I could have floated shares in them on the same basis then!
I checked this because the name looked a bit Danish, but alas it was in Lichtenstein, or is it London? What sort of investor would this be, a private individual?
———
Director Summary
NORNE ANSTALT has 1 current or previous company director or secretary appointments.
Short name – NORNE ANSTALT
Director ID : 916232851
Address
Zollstrasse 9 9490
Vaduz
Lichtenstein
Company Summary
Company Name Company Status
TURQUOISE CAPITAL LLP
———–
The reasonable RFC* fans we seem to see on here (DP, The Glen etc) all seem to be sort of ex-RFC* fans who now no longer follow(follow) due to geography or growing up. Are any fans who currently actively support RFC* reasonable?
If so, are any of them willing to stand up to CG and ask “What right do you have to take away my choice to attend or not attend an important football match to support my team?” or are they all (understandably, I guess) too scared of the picketing mob?
If someone raised the challenge, are there enough good men/women to rally in support and stand up to the ‘extremists’ CG is playing to? Someone somewhere needs to be a beacon – is there time yet to save your club?
The MSM’s misreporting which has fosterded this “it wiz everbody else’s fault!” mentality has so much to answer for.
can someone explain this to me?
craig whyte purchased an 85% shareholding of “something” for £1
what was it he purchased for £1 exactly ?
charles green, wants to sell “shares” apparently for approx £1.50 each.
[or is it 70p each, going by the posted prospectus]
what is it that charles green is offering for sale exactly?
if someone answers – he is offering shares for £1.50 each or 70p each
what is it that the shares or of – a “share” of what ?
are the shares on offer, the very same shares as craig whyte previously owned?
Recall the mystery backers of rangers:
http://www.footballeconomy.com/content/mystery-backers-rangers
“Finance company Zeus Capital has the largest stake if the shares of three individual shareholders are aggregated. Imran Ahmad, the commercial director, owns 2.2 million shares. Manager Ally McCoist holds one million. ”
Indded, where are the McCoist shares sitting?
torrejohnbhoy says:
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 10:41
Can we now discount the theory that Murray,King,etc were the phantom Ticketus Investors.If they were,they surely wouldn’t be registering as creditors,would they
,,,,,,,,,,,,
tjb
Opinion
Ticketus had £47m at stake with the ST contract and a liquidation debt of £27m
Whyte had a £27m fc over RFC assets ………Is RFCG a Creditor?
Close Leasing had a fc over RFC assets ……….Are they a Creditor?
Scottish Sports council charge over MP was re assigned to Sevco Scotland
What has happened since to the ownership of Ibrox and MP?
TU supported the sale to Green for £5.5m less the value of players who walked up to £2.75m
They were on record as saying they would do a deal with any prospective purchaser
They have inside information on both the takeover process and the names of RFC investors who came up with over £20m for the ST deal just before the takeover
If they are indeed registered as Creditors for the full £27m of outstanding ST money then they have done their investors a major disservice
So major it could only have been done with their consent so Murray et al are not out of the picture until proven to be
Options
Ticketus have registered as Creditors for the entire amount of their ST debt and did no deal with Green They have lost £27m if the sale to Green is not reversed
or
Ticketus have registered as Creditors for part of their ST debt and did a deal with Green for the balance
………………….
Spivs dont have secret terms in a high profile purchase agreement unless they have something to hide
Is there any obligation on BDO to publish the amounts that each Creditor is claiming?
(ii) DATE TO WHICH THE MAIN FINANCIAL INFORMATION IN THE ADMISSIONDOCUMENT HAS BEEN PREPARED (this may be represented by unauditedinterim financial information)(iii) DATES BY WHICH IT MUST PUBLISH ITS FIRST THREE REPORTSPURSUANT TO AIM RULES 18 AND 19:———————————————————————–(i) 30 June(ii) 31 August 2012
—————–
Did i miss something? When did they publish the ‘main financial information’? Did i miss this on the 31st of august?
This whole ticket boycott farrago is getting a beyond a joke. Or perhaps I should say, panning out exactly how you would expect, given the predilections of the media. Dundee Utd being labelled a “disgrace” by Murdo Macleod on R5L this morning just about takes the biscuit. Sevco are allowed to traduce us in the most appalling way, but there is not a single comment, written or spoken (apart, maybe, from Goughie) which counteracts the avalanche of opprobrium being shoveled all over us. I despair. Every new Sevco event drags the whole of Scottish football a little deeper into the gutter, without the authorities seeming to have any clue as to how to stop it.
finchleyflyer says:
Wednesday, December 5, 2012 at 11:55
2 0 Rate This
This whole ticket boycott farrago is getting a beyond a joke. Or perhaps I should say, panning out exactly how you would expect, given the predilections of the media. Dundee Utd being labelled a “disgrace” by Murdo Macleod on R5L this morning just about takes the biscuit.
————————————————————————————————————–
Really ff! What did he say?
Can someone explain to me why the RFFF are named as creditors, or on the comittee representing creditors?
Does the company of which we are being invited to buy shares own the key assets it uses – i.e. Ibrox and Murray Park?
If not, what are the terms of use the company I am buying into has agreed to use these facilities?
Good PR by Chuck, lets get the fans all talking about boycotts and the hatred of everything Arab, hoping they would not look too carefully at the AIM stuff……………..Shirley not
So can anyone say with certainty that Robert Mugabe of Zimbawe is not a part owner of the Holding Company that will own the Holding Company that will own the Football club?
From KDS:
I looked up one of the institutional investors that they’ve managed to convince to buy shares, and this is on the front page of their website:
Quote:
Warning: We are aware that criminals are currently using Hargreave Hale’s name in an attempt to con unsuspecting victims in a share scam. To date this has been done by both telephone and in writing. Should you receive any unexpected correspondence or telephone calls claiming to be from Hargreave Hale we suggest that you contact Hargreave Hale directly to confirm if such correspondence is genuine.
Surely just a coincidence, no?
There are moooooore questions than answers…………..catchy (and apt) choon 😉