Good Afternoon.
As virtually anyone on the internet who follows Scottish Football has come to realise, there is a reasoned and determined attempt at ignoring the content of the Charlotte Fakeovers files on the part of the mainstream print media— and indeed by the broadcast journo’s to an extent.
There is widespread speculation that the accessing of the information provided by Charlotte the Harlot was not all above board and the reluctance of the journalists to mention or comment on the documents, so far published on the internet, is often explained away by the lawyers allegedly advising that the content is tainted and so on.
That indeed might or might not be the case, and only the editors, lawyers, journalists and so on will truly know what their stance is on the revelations. Some will want the whole thing suppressed and others will be desperate to get into print, but thus far are frustrated in any attempt to do so.
However, as the documents do appear on the net only to be quickly followed by file disappearances and so on, there is an ever burning question which must be asked and thrown open to debate and argument.
The issue is not just how independent are the Sports Press in Scotland, but whether or not the relationship between certain sections of the press and Rangers or The Rangers is in fact lawful and deserving of football sanctions.
There is no doubt that many big businesses, local authorities and Governments use the services of PR firms and the likes to get information out to the public and to put their slant on any given situation. That is fair enough.
However, in recent days we have seen the release of documentation which, if accurate and true, shows that a leading Scottish PR company were specifically employed to place stories with the press which were designed to damage the reputation of, to embarrass or cause problems for certain other teams and personnel involved in Scottish Football.
Again I stress that all of this is subject to the caveat that what Charlotte is publishing may or may not be real and accurate. However, if what has been produced is in fact the genuine correspondence between the club and its professional advisers then that correspondence needs to be looked at.
The SFA and indeed the SPFL are the bodies that lay down rules which govern the conduct of clubs and their officers and employees.
So looking at these regulations let me just repeat some of them here:
Fisrt the rules of what was the SPL and which I presume are the rules of the SPFL:
A3.1 In all matters and transactions relating to the League and Company each Club shall behave towards each other Club and the Company with the utmost good faith.
A3.2 No Club, either by itself or its Club Officials, shall by any means whatsoever unfairly criticise, disparage, belittle or discredit any other Club, the Company or the League or in either case any such other Cub or the Company’s directors, officers, employees or agents (which shall, for the avoidance of doubt, exclude supporters).
The SFA handbook at article 5 places obligations on members to observe the principles of loyalty, integrity and sportsmanship in accordance with the rules of fair play, and to refrain from engaging in any activity which would constitute a breach of sections 1, 2 and 6 the Bribery Act 2010.
The details of the Bribery act can be found here:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/23/section/2
Basically, I think these rules mean that you cannot criticise belittle or try to damage the reputation of a club outwith the rules of the games and must at all times behave with integrity, in a sporting manner and with THE UTMOST GOOD FAITH!
The details,as released by Charlotte, show that there is at best a conflict of interests at times with various parties being both employed by the club and paid by radio stations or newspapers to comment on matters relating to all aspects of Scottish Football. As a member of the PR staff at Ibrox presumably such employees are paid to tow a certain party line when commenting in the media and so throw a spin on any given set of facts and circumstances that suits whoever is in control of Ibrox.
Further, it has been suggested that certain individuals acting in this way can also represent the views of for example Walter Smith — and so act as their mouthpiece if necessary.
Such practices may be unpleasant and undesirable but not necessarily against the laws of the game. It would just mean that the newspapers and broadcasters concerned cannot be regarded as independent or objective in their comments or views — they are merely towing an employers line. In short they are HMV— His Masters Voice!
Equally, we have seen supposedly independent journalists and editors referred to in such a way that it is clear they are being asked to spin news a certain way for whatever reason — including the suggestion that if they do not comply then some kind of action will be taken which the parties concerned would rather avoid — such as private matters becoming public.
However, of far greater interest is the suggestion that where necessary the newspapers or whoever will be used to spread negative stories about another club, its employees, directors or whoever.
Such a position may well amount to a breach of articles 3.1 and 3,2 of the SPL ( now SPFL rules) and against the principals set out in the SFA handbook.
Both the SFA and the SPL ( SPFL) has a press office and legal officers.
Both grant rights to broadcasters and journalists, and allow members of the press access to their officers and officials.
Both bodies are free to set out what is acceptable conduct on the part of clubs in this area…… and what is not!
Without even alluding to the detail of the Charlotte revelations, or needing to enquire into the details of the Charlotte documents, I would have thought that the governing bodies would be capable of issuing a formal reminder, to all clubs currently playing at any level in Scottish football, of the content of these rules and that any breach of the rules will not be tolerated.
Of course the matter becomes more convoluted if any officers of the SFA or SPL were involved in the employment of any PR companies or agencies on behalf of a member club and engaged in briefing any such agency about what to say when it comes to the affairs of other clubs. Surely you cannot have an executive officer of a governing body who is in any way linked to the employment of an agency which breaks rules on behalf of a member club?
However, few of these people ever appear on the airwaves to answer questions on a personal basis, and very few expose themselves to questions from the public.
However, many of the commentators and journalists named in the Charlotte documents are regulars on the airwaves and could, in theory, be asked whether or not they are no more than “Their master’s voice” as would appear to be the case if the Charlotte documents are in fact genuine.
If the Scottish Footballing Public are to be entrusted with the truth — and why shouldn’t they in this era of open and transparent football governance– then I think they are entitled to enquire direct whether or not the journalists, players, ex players,managers directors, broadcasters and governing body officials believe in articles 3.1 and 3.2 of the SPFL rules and article 5 of the SFA handbook?
Oh– and maybe the same people could provide some practical examples of what they would consider to be breaches of these rules and what the appropriate sanctions might be?
Specifically– do the actions mentioned in the Charlotte documents ( if true ) fall within the football rules or not?
Or do the SFA and SPFL just ignore placed press releases and comments?
It would be interesting to know.
Caveat Emptor says:
July 25, 2013 at 12:42 pm
” ‘The sooner Rangers are back, the better it will be for everyone’.
Discuss!!”
Should read ‘…, the better it will be for everyone at Ibrox’
Allyjambo
What must be remembered is that Romanov had suffered much maligning by the Scottish press (I’m not saying he was a decent chap) previous to his calling them media monkeys, and had got frustrated at the way his attempts to open the can of worms had been laughed at, with no one from outside the ‘Glasgow Mafia’ prepared (too scared) to join him in trying to redress the situation.
——————————————————————
GJ
Could what you comment upon above possibly be construed as PR/spin coming from Glasgow that was negatively driven for their own interests ?
———————————
AJ
I know your busy, so no need to answer, just don’t understand your question
———————————
There was talk (general disgust/for some surprise) about negatively driven PR against other clubs (arose from alledged Jack Irvine proposal within leaked e-mail).
I´ll ask in a different way.
Who or what are the ‘Glasgow Mafia’ you refer to and how would you imagine it functions.
Thanks for reply Danish.All we want is a game which provides a level playing field.It is as simple as that.
And to John Clarke,your tenacity in pursuit of the truth knows no bounds.Praise to you .
greenockjack says:
July 25, 2013 at 11:38 am
As for Keevins, what happened when PL didn´t like his output, was he banned ?
=============================================================
PL wasn’t responsible for Keevins being banned – what caused his ban was the personal hurt caused to a family by Keevins’ writing and the anger it created within the Celtic support. I won’t repeat the background so as not to further spread the malicious slime falsely peddled by Keevins that quite rightly led to his ban from Celtic Park and I hope it is a permanent one.
I trust your essay into the PR ‘machinations’ of Celtic will be based on a bit more research into what actually happened than you seem to have spent on the Keevins’ ban. The story is there readily accessible on the internet.
briggsbhoy says:
July 25, 2013 at 11:14 am
16 0 Rate This
Re the SMSM non reporting on CF postings.
Is not possibly the case that so many of them have been complicit and entangled in this whole affair that it’s a case of it could become totally embarrasing for them. “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone” and I’m afraid they can’t pick that stone up.
——————-
Interesting thought briggs, everyone compromised, so everyone shuts up.
On the the other hand, if it’s the editors who wag the tail of the media dog (or is that sheep?), it’s probably easier to influence a relatively small number of editors compared to a whole press corps. Perhaps the editors have an internal agreement? Or does no one actually believe CF’s stuff to be genuine? The latest one, linked to above by torrejohnbhoy, is quite astounding. June 3, 2012 and Whyte, Green and Imran all in contact wrt bids. But the punchline about the Interpol fugitive being acceptable, and Whyte not, is a stoater.
jimlarkin says:
July 25, 2013 at 1:04 pm
=============================================
Pity you can’t even get get my name right. However, all I am is a poster on here with opinions that I post about and often try to explain when specifically questioned about them by other posters. I try to keep my cool and see points of view advanced by other posters in a bid to understand their reasoning which I may or may not agree with.
And horror of horrors I can actually change my mind on occasion because I know that I get things wrong. And even more horrifying for some on here is that I don’t hold a blanket hatred for Rangers supporters or their club. I also suffer badly from a belief that to attempt to destroy or ignore a Scottish Football club with 40K active supporters and possible 100K fan base in Scotland is something that is economic madness.
I certainly have issues with certain aspects of the ethos of sections of the Rangers support and the club management and ownership and I have had the same with Celtic which I am proud to support and have done for 55 years approx.
However, I seldom reply to posters who act as you have done as I find they have nothing to offer me and anything I say will be ignored by them because they have a closed mind – usually because they are always in the right and they may well be. But I have the right to be wrong although I would be a fool not to recognise that that might be the case on occasion.
greenockjack says:
July 25, 2013 at 1:02 pm
Romanov referred to the ‘Glasgow Mafia’ in the same statement that mentioned the ‘media monkeys’. I, and I think most other observers, took him to mean the OF, the SFA and the SPL. At the time Romanov, and Hearts, were untouchable over any of the former’s comments as Romanov was not on the board of directors at Hearts. The SFA then saw fit to amend the rules so that someone in his position ie owner but non-director, could be held to task for their public comments. In the completely opposite way from how they dealt with Rangers in all their recent cases, the SFA saw fit to fine Hearts £100,000 retrospectively, the then record fine ever issued by the SFA on a member club, now, of course, the record fine ever paid by a member club.
Now, if you will, compare the standard of PR involved here with that involved with Green’s ‘bigotry’ rant, also aimed directly at the SFA and SPL. Mafia is not a very emotive word in Scotland, being as we are, relatively free of that obnoxious style of criminal gang. Bigotry, on the other hand, is a very emotive, and inflammatory, word, with that obnoxious mentality very prominent in our (Scottish) society, often leading to rioting and death, even in a football context. Romanov’s PR was not good in that it should have toned down his statement and known how it would be twisted (though I doubt anyone could anticipate the way the fine was manipulated). Green’s was expertly handled by PR people who knew exactly how to manipulate the media, and to, either, pressure by the threat of civil unrest, the football authorities, or use those authorities’ deep involvement in the farce that followed, and led up to, Rangers insolvency. Compare also the fine of £100,000 for the use of the word ‘mafia’ to the censure for the use of the word ‘bigotry’. That is why the Rangers’ brand of PR is so obnoxious, it is combined with the complicity of the media, and the football authorities.
As to how a ‘Glasgow Mafia’ might function; well, just look at how the Rangers have combined with the SFA and SPL to ensure a Rangers continues and prospers regardless of the rules, that might give a clue as to how it might function. But, of course, you are fully aware that I am not suggesting any such formal entity existed, nor do I believe Romanov meant that either. It just meant that at least one member of what he described in that way was treated with fear and favour. He didn’t elaborate on what, or who, formed the ‘mafia’ and left it to the press, and the public, to draw their own conclusions. It could, I think quite easily, be seen that the Rangers’ PR machine did an excellent job in keeping the impression, within the rest of Scottish football, that Celtic were an equal partner in the ‘Old Firm’ with equal privileges to their neighbours, while, in fact, any benefits they accrued were merely coincidental and not part of the plan. It could be that Romanov’s idea of what the ‘Glasgow Mafia’ consisted of might not have included Celtic, as he was at loggerheads, maybe even war, with Rangers from the very first time he crossed swords with them (Davisgate) and continuously lost out in dealings with the football authorities and the media when angered by that club.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/155893933/Sevco-Offers
The latest CF posting is fascinating and amusing in some ways that Rizvi is regarded as more acceptable as a business partner than CW with a funding deal involving Jonathan Rowland of Rowland Capital.
“When you look back at the structure of things with the football club just part of the plc and all those shadowy figures in the south of France, I suppose we were ripe for a takeover of one kind or another.”
This really is some quote but guess who said it and when?
Answer: Tom O’Malley, a leading figure in the Hands off Hibs campaign which fought Wallace Mercer’s advances in 1988 and who later became Hibs chairman.
Some may have missed a very topical link involving Jonathan Rowland’s father and Hearts in the CF emails. Many will possibly be aware of David Rowland being a major Tory funder to the tune of millions of £s and being named as the Tory Party Treasurer which was quietly dropped after a campaign by the Daily Mail no doubt because he went to a comprehensive school and was the son of a scrap dealer. OK to take his brass but it would need too much of a brass neck to let him join The Establishment.
Rowland helped fund lawyer David Duff in the 1988 Hibs takeover and the story of Mercer’s subsequent hostile takeover bid can be found at: http://www.scotsman.com/sport/mercer-merger-20-years-on-hibs-chairman-s-revolution-ended-in-club-being-open-to-hostile-bid-1-1246616
Another quote from the story that seems eerily reminiscent of the current rangers position is: ‘. . . Rowland had no intention of long-term investment in Hibs and wanted to offload his shareholding, having already sold 15 per cent which were in his own name, pocketing 1.5m before building Inoco’s stake back up to almost 30 per cent when the price was languishing, at one time dropping to just 17p. By selling out now to Mercer at 40p, the initial offer price, he would have made another 1.8m if the bid had succeeded in addition to the profit made on the 5.6m received by Inoco from Hibs for Avon Inns.’
Interestingly the story points out that Hibs was the first Scottish club to be floated on the Stock Market
Notice Celtic have been charged by UEFA for fireworks being let off in the home tie against Cliftonville.
Chatting to a colleague who lives in the same wee village as the fabled coach garage and I am reliably informed there were a total of 3 coaches set ablaze – and one of them – interestingly the Sevco one, which had been decked out at a fair old cost was not being paid for by SevcoTRFC in any case! They didn’t want it apparently…
Any MsM lurkers…ask TRFC if they reneged on the coach deal last week…ask the coach company too…and while you’re at it, ask them about their insurance policy.
Caveat Emptor says:
July 25, 2013 at 12:18 pm
http://scotslawthoughts.wordpress.com/2013/07/25/football-is-worth-defending-part-ii-in-defence-of-rangers-by-johnbhoy/
————————
Very laudable sentiments. I liked the idea of a charity game. The rivalry might be made more healthy if Celtic took the opportunity of Rangers decline to give them a helping hand up. This will stick in the craw of many but if a good example can be set then the negativity might be diluted.
Danish Pastry says:
July 25, 2013 at 1:35 pm
On the the other hand, if it’s the editors who wag the tail of the media dog (or is that sheep?), it’s probably easier to influence a relatively small number of editors compared to a whole press corps. Perhaps the editors have an internal agreement? Or does no one actually believe CF’s stuff to be genuine?
=====================================================================
By and large according to what I am told the SMSM broadly accept the CF material as genuine. Some individual journos are conflicted but these tend more to be sports journos and what isn’t apparent from the CF emails and never could be is that some of the journos would be responding to MH under direct orders from their bosses because they had got something wrong in the original story no matter how slight.
When you are running PR and win a ‘chip’ through a factual error in a story far better to keep it for leverage than throw it away on a tiny correction buried in the paper that no one sees. The damage is always done by the original article anyway and is seldom altered in the minds of readers by any subsequent correction.
No I have no doubt that the informal workings of the Scottish Society of Editors has come to a decision to say nothing because some of its members are conflicted. So they all hang together or hang separately and they reckon the best way to beat the hangman is a United Front of Silence (of the lambs).
No orders are actually passed to journos not to do stories there are dozens of ways that doesn’t need to be done and even the keenest non-conflicted journo eventually gets the ‘message’ that nothing is going to appear. As I have said before there is interest in the media at a lot of the CF material especially those involving colleagues and broken-down PR spin-failures who have become the story.
So far the dam is holding although under enormous stress with possibly a few cracks but I am quietly confident that CF has a bouncing bomb in her arsenal. Where would we be without Barnes Wallis 😈
ecobhoy says:
July 25, 2013 at 1:40 pm
“And horror of horrors I can actually change my mind on occasion because I know that I get things wrong.”
————————-
You certainly provoke strong feelings ecobhoy and I think that is a function of how forthright you are with your opinions. Jim’s response was a bit unfair and possibly motivated by a feeling of how strongly you might counter alternative views. I can understand Jim’s point of view and also yours. Strong opinions are necessary to forward the debate; insipid arguments will not provoke discussion. I agree you will modify your opinions but like the rest of us are uncomfortable with collapsing in the face of a contrary outlook. Opinions are modified over time not instantaneously, otherwise they would not be opinions, just musings.
A robust debate is necessary when trying to get at the truth of a complex and confusing problem. Sometimes speculative comments are made and they act as a trigger to someone else’s train of thought and so the cascade continues. Whilst robustness is necessary we need try to remain temperate.
I noticed TSFM giving Greenockjack a forthright point of view earlier. Though not as sarcastic as the one I was censured for a few months ago concerning the same poster, it was in my opinion rather abrupt. We can all lose partience with each other. After a time for reflection perhaps we can return to the debate having benefitted from the expulsion of steam.
greenockjack says:
July 25, 2013 at 11:38 am
==========================
Hugh Keevins was not banned from Celtic Park for voicing an opinion. He wrote a factually incorrect story criticising Celtic for a supposed snub to the late Sean Fallon. When Sean’s family pointed out the truth of the matter Keevins refused to admit he was wrong and apolgise. I think any football club is entitled to ban media people who write factually incorrect stories and still refuse to apolgise once proven to be wrong.
Interestingly the BBC are banned from Ibrox for telling the truth. Spot the difference?
ecobhoy says:
July 25, 2013 at 2:39 pm
=======================
I have an e-mail in my inbox from a big hitter in the media. I can’t name the person as I agreed anonymity for the reply, but it is not a Celtic or Rangers fan. Two points stand out.
1. His frustration at not being able to report on Charlotte is equal to ours at not seeing it reported
2. He is very confident the dam will eventually burst.
Castofthousands says:
July 25, 2013 at 2:49 pm
ecobhoy says:
July 25, 2013 at 1:40 pm
“And horror of horrors I can actually change my mind on occasion because I know that I get things wrong.”
————————-
You certainly provoke strong feelings ecobhoy and I think that is a function of how forthright you are with your opinions.
========================================================
I would agree with you and I am exactly the same face to face. It’s the way I have always led my life because that’s the way I was brought up and there is little likelihood of any change now. Football is important to me because I love watching good football being played.
But it is not a major part of my life, albeit an important social one, and coming from a mixed religious background I can, to a fair extent, understand both the Rangers and Celtic viewpoints.
However I try to treat other posters with respect irrespective of their views because part of the reason I am here is to listen to what other people think particularly when it is counter to my own position.
If posters can’t retain a degree of civility then I have no interest in what they have to say as my experience of life identifies them as usually unworthy of serious consideration on any subject.
upthehoops says:
July 25, 2013 at 2:59 pm
ecobhoy says:
July 25, 2013 at 2:39 pm
=======================
I have an e-mail in my inbox from a big hitter in the media. I can’t name the person as I agreed anonymity for the reply, but it is not a Celtic or Rangers fan. Two points stand out.
1. His frustration at not being able to report on Charlotte is equal to ours at not seeing it reported
2. He is very confident the dam will eventually burst.
=====================================================================
I have media contacts through my professional background and everything I am hearing from non-sports journos accords with what you are saying. The opinions of sports journos are of no relevance to any thinking person IMO and CF has adequately revealed what a bunch of w*nkers they truly are who wouldn’t last five minutes on a real hard news or investigative story.
Sadly fans for decades have swallowed the tripe fed by these sports failures and in a sense the public has ended-up with what it has because it didn’t demand a higher quality of journalism and now it doesn’t matter because the print media circulation is in free fall and everyone is terrified about losing their job and, for the older ones, pension.
With all the redundos continually taking place or in the air then even normally militant journos are tending to try and keep their head under the parapet and it’s hard to fault them because I would rather they survived culling than the crawlers.
46. Palacio67 says:
July 25, 2013 at 12:02 am
=======================
Why do you suppose it is laziness? My natural assumption would be that it is deliberate, as are most of the other so-called similar ‘slips’ you’ll read in the SMSM.
Mind you, you’ll notice I missed out the word ‘journalism’. ’nuff said/ 🙄
Police investigate mysterious CharlotteFakes Twitter account exposing private emails of PR guru Jack Irvine amid Rangers crisis
Cracks in dams often start below the water level to begin with in the foundations and therefore aren’t easily spotted. Another aspect of a dam collapse is that it can have unforseen consequences 🙂
Read more at http://www.thedrum.com/news/2013/07/25/police-investigate-mysterious-charlottefakes-twitter-account-exposing-private-emails#pJZ2Q5ElzzjxBBjI.99
Police are investigating a Twitter account which has been releasing a wave of private correspondences between some of the major players in the long-running crisis surrounding Rangers Football Club, including PR guru and Media House founder Jack Irvine. For several months, the @CharlotteFakes account has been revealing private email and audio conversations between some of the key figures in the drama engulfing the club, including Irvine, former club owner Craig Whyte – who led the club’s descent into liquidation – and Charles Green, the chief executive of the entity created from the assets of the liquidated club. The account has acquired more than 13,000 followers. A police spokesman confirmed to The Drum that a probe had been launched: “We can confirm that we did receive a complaint in connection with a Twitter account and police enquiries are ongoing to establish if there is any criminality involved. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.” It’s unclear how the information has been obtained but Scottish and national media outlets have steered clear of reporting it, while Scottish football fans have bombarded journalists with requests for coverage, claiming the information is in the public interest. Media House executive chairman Irvine features heavily in the correspondence but declined to comment on the revelations when approached by The Drum. Irvine founded Media House more than 20 years ago after a career spanning periods at Murray Media, the Scottish Sun, the Daily Record and the Glasgow Herald and the company has since expanded into London and New York. The PR man once described himself as “combative and aggressive”. The PR firm was brought in to Rangers in 2011 by owner Craig Whyte, who bought the club from Sir David Murray for the sum of £1 and an agreement to pay off the club’s banking debt. It emerged some time later that Whyte had used future season ticket monies at the club to secure a loan from lender Ticketus and claims of Whyte’s billion pound wealth were without foundation. Months of crisis and a PR battle followed before the extent of the financial trouble at the club was revealed when it was placed in administration in February 2012, and liquidation four months later. Although legal firm Levy & McRae successfully requested the removal of some documents from the website being used to host them, Scribd, the anonymous ‘Charlotte’ has continued to reveal streams of information despite the police investigation. A spokesman for BBC Scotland said the broadcast of any information relating to Rangers must comply with guidelines: “Having aired two documentaries already you can probably imagine that we continue to receive a lot of information from various different sources on the Rangers story as we do with much of our newsgathering activity. “The editorial criteria which is laid out in our editorial guidelines on verification of sources etc. would apply to any future news stories or docs that we proceed with.” Channel 4 News chief correspondent Alex Thomson, who covered the Rangers tax story in some depth, indicated on Twitter that the reluctance to report was related to Leveson, leading to speculation the information may have been illegally obtained in the wake of the recent hacking scandal at the News of the World. The Rangers story has taken a new twist with the emergence of ‘Charlotte’ and the recent revelations, although the account isn’t the first anonymous one to cover developments at Ibrox. The Rangers Tax Case blog was a thorn in the side of the club during the first-tier tax tribunal over Rangers EBT tax avoidance scheme for paying staff. HMRC claims to be owed tens of millions from the club and the case is ongoing and under appeal after the tribunal ruled in favour of Rangers in a number of the disputed cases. The row led to an investigation by Scottish footballing authorities, which found the club guilty of breaching registration rules earlier this year. The Rangers Tax Case blog was awarded an Orwell Prize in 2011.
Read more at http://www.thedrum.com/news/2013/07/25/police-investigate-mysterious-charlottefakes-twitter-account-exposing-private-emails#ZZ6UhHaJUbiwfREd.99
Interesting that the Drum only links MH involvement with Rangers to CW in 2011 and misses at least a decade of involvement with DM before that.
Sloppy churnalism or just DM being kept out of the picture as usual? Be interesting to see what the SMSM does now. It’s funny I posted on here the other day that I thought the way forward to get round the SMSM ‘blackout’ on CF material would be the use of trade mag pubs and media outlets.
I very much doubt that Irvine would want this one appearing in any court as the material would then get immediate privilege and could be used by the media.
From The Drum
http://t.co/s0CXYX6sPF Police investigation into CF twitter account
Rowland Capital , as referenced in Charlotte’s latest revelation, is a dormant non trading company. It is owned by European Union Properties, which itself has no substance with negative net worth.
European Union is owned by Albany Settlements of the British Virgin Islands , and there it is impossible to determine the level of financial substance. None of this is riveting stuff, however it does highlight that Football Clubs attract a lot of interest from people who crave the secrecy of the most lightly regulated of the offshore tax havens.
Re other matters.
I don’t see whataboutery as the motivation for recent contributions. I have always viewed Greenockjack’s input as having a distract and deflect element. He’s perfectly entitled to use this tactic, although it adds little to the debate.
It also wont work, if that is indeed his motivation. Many of us are heavily invested in seeking the truth to be publicly and widely understood. We are equally invested in wanting those responsible for the damage they inflicted on Scottish Football in general and Rangers in particular to be dealt with appropriately.
Castofthousands on July 25, 2013 at 2:30 pm
3
5
Rate This
Caveat Emptor says:
July 25, 2013 at 12:18 pm
http://scotslawthoughts.wordpress.com/2013/07/25/football-is-worth-defending-part-ii-in-defence-of-rangers-by-johnbhoy/
————————
Very laudable sentiments. I liked the idea of a charity game. The rivalry might be made more healthy if Celtic took the opportunity of Rangers decline to give them a helping hand up. This will stick in the craw of many but if a good example can be set then the negativity might be diluted.
———————————————————-
and so it should stick in the craw of some.
This is a new club, who have whined how they were unfairly treated despite all rules being ingored for their benefit.
A new club who have been allowed to wear the logo and colours of a club who left a trail of debt and who cheated the whole of Scottish football for many many years.
A new club who say they will get everybody who wronged them.
A new club who want to be the old club but are totally unrepentant of what that club did.
hampdenhorrorshow says:
July 25, 2013 at 2:28 pm
17 1 Rate This
Chatting to a colleague who lives in the same wee village as the fabled coach garage and I am reliably informed there were a total of 3 coaches set ablaze – and one of them – interestingly the Sevco one, which had been decked out at a fair old cost was not being paid for by SevcoTRFC in any case! They didn’t want it apparently…
Any MsM lurkers…ask TRFC if they reneged on the coach deal last week…ask the coach company too…and while you’re at it, ask them about their insurance policy.
=============================================
Oi, I got there first 😀
tomtom says:
July 22, 2013 at 9:46 pm
56 1 Rate
What if a certain coach operator was so desperate to ingratiate themselves they went out on a limb and bought a hugely expensive, top of the range, luxury coach only to be told that their services were no longer required (not in an official letter or anything, more a quiet word in their ears). Now you can see what a predicament this would leave them in. Now imagine if the whisperer of words was to offer a solution.
===========================================
Seriously though, I was told about this on Monday from what I would call I pretty reliable source (I work in this industry).
If a replacement coach is ordered and the insurance money is not just used to pay off the outstanding lease on it then Bruce’s will be in the clear. If however no replacement is forthcoming then???. Apparently the coach was costing £8k a month to finance and it would have taken 5 years to pay back. The £500k headline cost for the coach probably included the finance charges, the actual cost of the coach would probably have been nearer £300k.
ecobhoy says:
July 25, 2013 at 2:20 pm
As soon as I saw the name Rowland on the Charlotte emails I thought back to that Rowland and wondered if there’s a connection. Thanks for confirming it.
jimlarkin says:
July 25, 2013 at 2:47 pm
===============================
Jim, what exactly is wrong in Ecobhoy’s analysis of the findings and decision of the SPL Commission led by Lord Nimmo Smith in relation to RFC 2012 Plc (now in liquidation) and Rangers Football Club? I may have missed it but has Ecobhoy said in any of his recent posts that Rangers Football Club (IL) were innocent of all charges?
If the rules are ever to applied without fear or favour (in the current absence of proper governance of Scottish football) I’d say that people like Ecobhoy’s pulling apart the detail of these findings can only help.
blu says:
July 25, 2013 at 4:16 pm
jimlarkin says:
July 25, 2013 at 2:47 pm
===============================
Jim, what exactly is wrong in Ecobhoy’s analysis of the findings and decision of the SPL Commission led by Lord Nimmo Smith in relation to RFC 2012 Plc (now in liquidation) and Rangers Football Club? I may have missed it but has Ecobhoy said in any of his recent posts that Rangers Football Club (IL) were innocent of all charges?
If the rules are ever to applied without fear or favour (in the current absence of proper governance of Scottish football) I’d say that people like Ecobhoy’s pulling apart the detail of these findings can only help.
=======================================================================
The big problem I find with some posters is a conflation with what they want to be the case and what actually happens and the LNS Decision has proven to be a classic of that genre. When I first looked at it I didn’t suspect for a moment the complexities and sub-plots that were taking place and I could be wrong but I truly believe that taking the whole decision apart has revealed much of importance before CF came along with material which actually confirmed conclusions that I and others had already come to through analysis of what was available to us at the time wrt LNS.
When I first posted my views on LNS I was inundated with TDs but I now see some of those posters now are very close to my original position which is good because it shows that not only have they got a brain but they have a questioning mind as well.
A couple of days ago HP put up a very detailed post on LNS and some his take on some issues interested me and since then I have been testing them to see whether I agree with him or not or possibly we might reach a mid-way conclusion. This is not about slagging other people’s opinions but about trying to understand what has happened and why and how it was covered-up.
To me that’s the difference between making emotional statements and having opinions based on facts and analysis and essential to the latter process is the testing of personal views against those of other posters that you recognise as having put a lot of thought and effort into understanding the issues before formulating their responses. Obviously it’s hard to keep a lifetime of rivalry with another club under control when doing this but if your opinion is to have any value you have got to try and be balanced and objective IMO.
On the question of LNS – Rangers was found guilty of all the charges that remained after all the evidence was heard and counsel for both sides made their closing statements and that was the correct decision. Obviously some are unhappy with a fine being imposed and wanted title stripping – however to be able to argue on that issue involves reading the Decision as many times as it takes to understand it.
Only the other day did I actually realise something about the dropping of the ineligible players charge which I had never spotted before – so there is always something to be learnt but a closed mind approach reveals nothing sadly especially as we have so much to learn to try and prevent the ‘suits’ carrying on regardless.
Popbitch’s football joke of the week:-
Wayne Rooney has asked for a transfer.
David Moyes insists he puts his request in writing.
So that’s the end of that then.
With the radio phone in season about to befall us perhaps it raises an opportunity to get CharlotteFakeovers name and material into wider public consciousness via the airwaves.
Now the chances are that a call directly related will not get through the filters. If it does, then good for the show , so go ahead and make it. But to avoid the risk of knockback have your main question then ask if is ok to place a supplementary on the CF material about Rangers and SFA on internet and if not why not?
Either you will in which case fill yer boots or you will get a statement on phone in policy re CF and why it is untouchable.
This then becomes subject of more questions all of which, even if stone-walled, raise wider public awareness that CF even exists.
It is only a small measure but enough calls each night could be equivalent of the flutter of a butterfly’s wings that start a hurricane weeks later.
Barcabhoy
I don’t see whataboutery as the motivation for recent contributions. I have always viewed Greenockjack’s input as having a distract and deflect element. He’s perfectly entitled to use this tactic, although it adds little to the debate.
It also wont work, if that is indeed his motivation. Many of us are heavily invested in seeking the truth to be publicly and widely understood. We are equally invested in wanting those responsible for the damage they inflicted on Scottish Football in general and Rangers in particular to be dealt with appropriately.
——————————————————————————————————
Scottish Football Monitor asks contributors to remember only a few things;
1. The site is not the domain of any one club and is open to fans of all clubs.
Now it doesn´t actually say that all clubs can be the subject of investigation, analysis or a quick look underneath the hood but I would hope and imagine that to be the case.
.
The implication you make is that you have a degree of exclusivity on the truth and that wherever I might want to poke my nose or have the gaul to question is, if not off limits, a distraction from your or the general POV and adds nothing to your or the general debate.
Now I don´t have a problem, nor am I surprised that the majority on TSFM have a different view from myself on some issues. That I voice my POV without fear or favour shouldn´t be questioned wrt it´s motives aslong as I don´t break the rules. It can be ignored, it can be debated but not dismissed because it doesn´t go down well..
Those who seek the whole truth shouldn´t attempt to censure the debate or restrict others from going in a different direction.
I sometimes think that I spend more time fire-fiighting, defending my ‘rights’ (my choice, granted) than I am able to spend on issues.
Good luck to St Johnstone and Hibs tonight 😀
Absolutely, good luck to both. We could do with some success in Europe and the co-efficient points it brings.
Article on the Stuart Cosgrove endorsed TRS site about the media´s contrasting approach to the recent OF games in England.
therangersstandard.co.uk/index.php/articles/current-affairs/274-a-tale-of-two-cities
No abuse please, no-one is forcing you to click the link.
Barcabhoy says:
July 25, 2013 at 4:07 pm
Barcabhoy: Some very tentative links….
Rowland’s grandpa: started as a metal dealer.
Couple of Rowland companies: Mining resources.
One of the Pershing Nominee Co’s (remember them?) have a small stake in mining company Latitude Resources.
Banque Havilland rose out of the ashes of a branch of Icelandic basket-case Kaupthing, which if I’m not mistaken had Bloo Knight Brian Kennedy as an investor. Just before it went bust it approved £1.7billion worth of loans to Alisher Usmanov, who almost reached an agreement with Murray to buy the Ibrox White Elephant.
James Alexander Gordon is retiring as the voice of the fitba results at tea time on Saturday. As a consequence – irony of ironies – of cancer of the larynx, we won’t hear his melluflous tones again. He seems to have been there since my childhood.
Ronnie Barker nailed it with the immortal half time score from Bayview – East Fife 5 Forfar so far 4.
I wish him well.
greenockjack says:
July 25, 2013 at 7:34 pm
———————————–
Thanks Jack but there is no such thing as the OF.
The OF died when Rangers were put into liquidation, a sorry state they still find themselves in. I know it’s hard to deny the facts, even when someone is as well practised at it as you. But there you go, Rangers are being liquidated, and no amount of excuses, obfuscation, lies, innuendo, threats, anti-catholic mutterings, tasteless comments by PR men called Jack who should know better or whataboutery can change that fact. Rangers are being liquidated.
It is truly a sorry end to a sorry excuse of a football club which lied and cheated its way to sporting success, aided and abetted by a compliant and sorry excuse of a sporting press.
Happily the Scottish sporting press, in the compliant, complicit form it used to be, is now dying too, to be replaced by a fresher form of media which we can all partake off.
Rangers were dead to begin with, there is no doubt whatever about that. The register of its burial was signed by BDO. Rangers are as dead as a door nail. This must be distinctly understood or nothing wonderful can come of the story.
Is CF not most likely to be a current or ex hack? She’s a whistleblower largely for that industry so it would make the most sense.
Slimshady
Tottaly agree. This is a new team.
Liquidation is what it is. SMSM will never say that they are a new club. We have all to remind them.
So never ever let them forget Glasgow Rangers RIP.
slimshady61 says:
July 25, 2013 at 7:54 pm
You make a good point with regard to the media and in particular the print media. It is dying or at the very least contracting to become very much smaller.
Personally I have not bought a newspaper for years, my wife however did get a daily paper. She doesn’t do it at all now and gets what she wants from either the internet or broadcast media. We have Virgin TV so there are dedicated new channels, which are updated as the news happens. Not on a daily basis. The same with internet sources, for the most part updated as the news happens.
Today Newspapers are a form of entertainment really. They are not an efficient way to keep up with what is going on. The tabloids are really just comics and have been for years. They pander to their audience and will not do things to alienate them. They print what that audience wants to read, truth and journalism have little to do with it.
Thanks to GJ for linking to the erudite, deep-thinking Chris Graham.
Very constructive.
On the subject of crowd trouble, it’s often good to consult the locals.
Read Joan Poqui’s review of RFC’s visit to Barcelona in 2007 in El Mundo, perhaps the reference to common drunk women was a bit gratuitous.
It must be the change in the weather, but I think it’s possible that Jack planted that article in ‘The Drum’.
It’s little more than a self-advertising puff with a wee hint that Jack has got the polis on the job, so other media men beware.
Or is that too out of the box?
Slim,
Without getting into that old debate, I´ll say one thing.
When the two clubs come to play a football match again, those in positions of power at your own club will disagree with your present stance.
SFA PR Strategy ?
==============
Don’t laugh…but have to ask the stoopid question anyway.
Does the SFA utilise a PR company, or is it ‘managed’ in-house, [Darryl Broadfoot ?]
Over the last couple of years the SFA must have received hundreds / thousands (?) of emails / letters from fans asking polite questions regarding the TRFC debacle. I can only remember 1 person here mentioning they had actually received a reply, and it was from Broadfoot ?
[I probably sent about 10 emails over the piece, and gave up.]
Shirley, keeping quiet and ignoring your customers’ queries must be the worst strategy to adopt – in the long run ?
And why bother pretending to be interested by conducting an ‘SFA Fans Survey’ when the SFA totally blanked the independent ‘SPL Fans Survey’, [and which had a far higher response rate, IIRC].
Who does/doesn’t manage the SFA PR then ?
i can’t condone any stupid/disrespectfull/insulting or bad behaviour by celtic “fans”.
the article in – the sevco standard, seems to be specific and has proof beyond doubt that celtic fans are guilty of every charge laid at their door [alleged incidents in brentford]
. . .meanwhile the sevco fans transgressions are “minor”.
they were not singing songs about being up to their knees in fenian blood at the queens park game at hampden.
the old “rangers” fans did not wreck manchester
and they did not try to kick a policeman [doing his duty] to death.
the sevco fans were not spotted rioting in belfast two weeks ago.
nope…wasn”t sevco fans or old rangers fans’
ask hong kong phooey to investigate
Anyone who is maintaining this idea that Celtic financially need a strong Rangers in the Scottish Premiership is self-delusional.
Based on prize and media money (recent figures released by UEFA), additional gate money etc Celtic probably made something in the region of £25m from the Champions League last season.
From a business perspective why on Earth would they want someone seriously competing with them for the chance to just try to get into that position again. If there is one spot in the Champions League qualifying stages Celtic want it. They want it year on year, they want it with as little competition as possible.
Celtic wanting Rangers in the Scottish Premiership is media led nonsense. It’s the last thing the Celtic board want. Two home games where a whole load of seats have to be left empty to keep the fans separate is no reason to risk the European money.
In spite of Mr Graham’s latest, the local police are still not convinced about some aspects of the Brentford story:
http://www.hounslowchronicle.co.uk/west-london-news/local-hounslow-news/2013/07/25/police-deny-celtic-fans-sang-lee-rigby-songs-109642-33654868/
It is incumbent on our fans to continue that brilliant work and make sure people remain in awe of the passion, noise and colour that our fans are able to bring whilst at the same time respecting their environment, the opposing fans and the nation we live in. Let’s keep proving that we really are the best support in Britain.
where do you start with this greenock jack
Charlotte Fakeovers @CharlotteFakes 10m
@TheDrum Hay McKerron @JackIrvine @LevyandMcRae have all ignored comms to date from me. No Hacking involved. #WastingPoliceTimeIsACrime
andy says:
July 25, 2013 at 8:50 pm
‘where do you start with this greenock jack’
———————————————————
You don’t, not worth the time. 🙄
nowoldandgrumpy says:
July 25, 2013 at 8:54 pm
Charlotte Fakeovers @CharlotteFakes 10m
@TheDrum Hay McKerron @JackIrvine @LevyandMcRae have all ignored comms to date from me. No Hacking involved. #WastingPoliceTimeIsACrime
=======================================
Oooft !
A robust return from CF. Game on… 😉
john clarke says:
July 25, 2013 at 8:18 pm
It must be the change in the weather, but I think it’s possible that Jack planted that article in ‘The Drum’.
It’s little more than a self-advertising puff with a wee hint that Jack has got the polis on the job, so other media men beware.
Or is that too out of the box?
……………………………………………………….
Not just in the box – its a sitter John.
The Drum is owned by Gordon Young son of Noel Young ex editor of Sunday Mail and Nina Young who originally set it up as Scotmedia.
Gordon Young’s wee sister Nicola Young was a Rangers supplier and is now part of a media business full of ex Rangers people and directors. – Its been mentioned here before.
There is a connection and it is a tap-in to realise The Drum is just returning a favour for a mate at Mafia House.
Horrible game and sneaky people.
Tweets
Charlotte Fakeovers @CharlotteFakes 2m
So you want to play Jack?
Q. Has anyone at the top levels of RIFC/Rangers ever called me direct on my mobile
A. Yes, many times.
======================
Charlotte Fakeovers @CharlotteFakes 2m
So you want to play Jack?
Q. Has anyone at the top levels of RIFC/Rangers ever called me direct on my mobile
A. Yes, many times.
john clarke says:
July 25, 2013 at 8:18 pm
It must be the change in the weather, but I think it’s possible that Jack planted that article in ‘The Drum’.
It’s little more than a self-advertising puff with a wee hint that Jack has got the polis on the job, so other media men beware. Or is that too out of the box?
========================================================================
It’s possible he planted it but what I think militates against that is he loses control once the police become involved as there is then no way of knowing what direction their investigations will take them.
PR is all about trying to establish control of the timing and shaping the ultimate presentation of the story to the target audience and getting the polis involved doesn’t achieve that IMO. There is also the fact that MH would be seen to be running scared of CF and unable to deal with her flood of revelations by themselves which again is another negative for their reputation.
The Drum may of course have done what any SMSM journo could have done and made the complaint themself or through a proxy which certainly is an slam dunk way of guaranteeing yourself an exclusive.
What will be really interesting is to see if the SMSM still ignore CF now that The Drum has run its story and so far doesn’t seem to have been blasted by a bolt from the blue so to speak although perhaps in the current weather conditions it might be tempting Fate.
And, of course, if the case ever came to court then the evidence can be reported as it gains qualified privilege which means that as long as the report is fair and accurate then there is no bar to publication. I think any attempt to hold proceedings in private would fail and if it was allowed I reckon anyone with a concern for civil liberties might cast a very jaundiced eye as to the type of Scotland that the Justice Minister has in mind for us post Referendum.
andy says:
July 25, 2013 at 8:57 pm
Is his avatar Graeme Souness pointing a double barrel shotgun in the general direction of the person looking.
That’s a pleasant image to associate with.
I would also point out that the Police have stated that there is no evidence of anyone having torched the bus he is clearly referring to. As such why would anyone suggest that the a Celtic supporter has done that. What is his justification.
So we have clear indications of a violent and confrontational mentality, allied to unsubstantiated accusations regarding others. What a charming individual. Is he really representative of the support he is trying to appeal to.
greenockjack says:
July 25, 2013 at 8:21 pm
3 18 Rate This
Slim,
Without getting into that old debate, I´ll say one thing.
When the two clubs come to play a football match again, those
in positions of power at your own club will disagree with your
present stance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(1) The two clubs will need to play a first time before they can meet again
(2) In the unlikely event that the people in power at Celtic need reminding, I have no doubt that such a reminder will not be long in coming
Charlotte Fakeovers @CharlotteFakes 28m
@TheDrum You do know that this may be a retaliatory strike by @JackIrvine Ask HMRC for further info. #HMRC #RegulatoryBodies #Disrepute
Greenockjack
TRS, so to summarise Rangers fans are loyalist and generally good guys , Celtic fans are scum and disloyal to the country ….. There you go, proof positive that Rangers are the master race.
Why bother even reading that trash , it is the sort of rubbish that even the red tops would reject as being OTT , at least they are more subtle in demonstrating their favours.
I hope you publish even more balanced articles from TRS so we can read more of the usual whataboutery drivel that pollutes the Internet from both sides I may add.
Tif Finn says:
July 25, 2013 at 9:16 pm
0 0 Rate This
andy says:
July 25, 2013 at 8:57 pm
Is his avatar Graeme Souness pointing a double barrel shotgun in the general direction of the person looking.
That’s a pleasant image to associate with.
I would also point out that the Police have stated that there is no evidence of anyone having torched the bus he is clearly referring to. As such why would anyone suggest that the a Celtic supporter has done that. What is his justification.
So we have clear indications of a violent and confrontational mentality, allied to unsubstantiated accusations regarding others. What a charming individual. Is he really representative of the support he is trying to appeal to.
______________
he has suspended his twitter account and informed the police after the abuse he got after posting that at the weekend
Well done St Johnstone.
Hung on but got there in the end.
The least said about Hibs the better,though.
Well done St Johnstone.
Sorry,for those not following,
Saints1-Rosenburg 1(2-1 agg)
Hibs 0-Malmo 7(0-9 agg)
Well done st Johnstone evenThough I have no fingernails left due to them. Great result 🙂
greenockjack says:
July 25, 2013 at 7:34 pm
6 24 Rate This
Article on the Stuart Cosgrove endorsed TRS site about the
media´s contrasting approach to the recent OF games in
England.
No abuse please, no-one is forcing you to click the link.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Evidently Chris Graham still does not understand that it is just that sort of mentality that types up and believes that sort of comparison that killed Rangers the first time around. The man is absolutely obsessed with trying to blame Celtic and the Club’s fans for anything and everything. He has even attempted to blame Celtic fans for bringing about the demise of Rangers. Perhaps if Chris (and people like him) spent as much energy in trying to get The Rangers to be run properly, he/they might yet get to hang on to their second Club.
greenockjack says:
July 25, 2013 at 8:21 pm
—————————————-
Thanks Jack
Unfortunately Sevco hasn’t a luxury bus in a Bruce’s Garage chance of surviving long enough to allow me to enjoy seeing them get whipped at Celtic Park but if they or any other start-up team, sporting (if that’s the right verb) the word “Rangers” on their crest along with the ever-more ludicrous 5 stars ever do succeed in playing Celtic away, I”ll make sure you get a copy of the match programme.
I can assure you that it will make it abundantly clear that in the eyes of everyone connected with Celtic, this is the first ever home game against a new team.
Rangers are dead, it will say, reminding those few sad souls who need reminding of that fact.
RI(T)P
I listened to the St Johnstone game with as much nervous intensity as I listen to my own club’s important games.
And I am delighted that the Perth men got the victory.
Finloch says:
July 25, 2013 at 9:04 pm
———————————-
…………….which is why The Drum is sometimes referred to as “The Lambeg”
It’s basically a downmarket scandal sheet – the Daily Record of the PR/Media world
john clarke says:
July 25, 2013 at 9:50 pm
I listened to the St Johnstone game with as much nervous intensity as I listen to my own club’s important games. And I am delighted that the Perth men got the victory.
=============================================================
I have to admit I’ve been watching Norway v Denmark which is about to go to penalties. Watched Germany and Sweden last night and enjoyed that as well 😉
Greenock Jack,
How can you give creedence to Chris Graham in the light of his faux pas on The Rangers Standard,i believe he was laughing about children with disabilities, his stints on STV as the go to guy are over.
It looks like he is as desperate as Mcmurdo to get his pathetic bile heard ,but as far as the media outlets are concerned his 15 minutes of fame have come and gone.
Congratulations to St Johnstone, an excellent result for Scottish football.
Guys, please do not feed the troll. Fell for it myself today, and I could kick myself for it. The gas has been turned up considerably today with some seriously heightened activity.
Try not to bite.
andy says:
July 25, 2013 at 9:30 pm
he has suspended his twitter account and informed the police after the abuse he got after posting that at the weekend
=======================================
His incitement to hatred may weaken his case a bit.
ecobhoy says:
July 25, 2013 at 9:55 pm
2 0 Rate This
john clarke says:
July 25, 2013 at 9:50 pm
I listened to the St Johnstone game with as much nervous intensity as I listen to my own club’s important games. And I am delighted that the Perth men got the victory.
=============================================================
I have to admit I’ve been watching Norway v Denmark which is about to go to penalties. Watched Germany and Sweden last night and enjoyed that as well
———
Never seen as good a women’s football march as Sweden v Germany yesterday. Only saw the penalties tonight though as Sportsound had me until the last nail-biting second of the Saints match. Fantastic …
greenockjack says:
July 25, 2013 at 9:46 pm
0 4 Rate This
What makes you think that your (CFC support) mentality is
beyond reproach ? Are you denying the behaviour of some of
your supporters in Brentford or Dundee ? You go into
automatic pilot without reviewing what happened and how it
was reported.
This blog is about the SMSM isn´t it ?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Where did I say or do any of that?
I have no problem with Celtic fans being taken to task. I, for one, wish that that Green Brigade concentrated their efforts on supporting their football club without all the political asides.
I wish Ibrox fans would also concentrate on their club instead of all the or@nge and Unionist b*ll*cks.
But the difference is, Chris has already lost one club. Why is he worried about what another club is doing when his newly born club is still struggling to get on its feet? There should be nothing more important to The Rangers fans than ensuring that their club is run in such a way as to ensure that they never have to try to come up with anymore fanciful and implausable notions to create the impression of continuity.