UEFA Club Licensing. – To Comply or not to Comply ?
On 16 April 2018 The UEFA Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) adjudicatory chamber took decisions in the cases of four clubs that had been referred to it by the CFCB chief investigator, concerning the non-fulfilment of the club licensing criteria defined in the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations.
Such criteria must be complied with by the clubs in order to be granted the licence required to enter the UEFA club competitions.
The cases of two clubs::
Olympique des Alpes SA (Sion Switzerland )
and
FC Irtysh (Kazakhstan)
are of particular interest to those following the events under which the SFA awarded a UEFA License to Rangers FC in 2011 currently under investigation by the SFA Compliance Officer because
- The case documentation tell us how UEFA wish national associations to apply UEFA FFP rules
- The cases tell us what might have happened to Rangers FC in 2012 had they not gone into liquidation and as a consequence avoided the same type of sanctions that UEFA applied to Sion and Irtysh.
FC Sion (Olympique des Alpes SA)
Here we are told how the Swiss FL and then the UEFA CFCB acted in respect of FC Sion in 2017 where a misleading statement was made in the Sion UEFA licensing application.
Full details can be read at
but this is a summary.
In April 2017 the Swiss FL (SFL) granted a licence to Sion FC but indicated that a Disciplinary case was pending.
In July 2017 the CFCB, as part of their licence auditing programme, carried out a compliance audit on 3 clubs to determine if licences had been properly awarded. Sion was one of those clubs.
The subsequent audit by Deloitte LLP discovered Sion had an overdue payable on a player, amounting to €950,000, owed to another football club (FC Sochaux ) at 31st March 2017 as a result of a transfer undertaken by Sion before 31st December 2016, although the €950,000 was paid in early June 2017.
Deloitte produced a draft report of their findings that was passed to SFL and Sion for comment on factual accuracy and comment on the findings. Sion responded quickly enabling Deloitte to present a final report to the CFCB Investigation Unit. In response to the Deloitte final report Sion stated:
“il apparaît aujourd’hui qu’il existait bel et bien un engagement impayé découlant d’une activité de transfert. Ce point est admis” translated as
“it now appears that there was indeed an outstanding commitment arising from transfer activity. This is admitted”
What emerged as the investigation proceeded was that the Swiss FL Licensing Committee, after granting the license in April and as a result of a Sochaux complaint of non-payment to FIFA, had reason to refer Sion’s application to their Disciplinary Commission in May 2017 with regard to the submission of potentially misleading information by FC Sion to the SFL on 7th April 2017 as part of its licensing documentation.
Sion had declared
“Written confirmation: no overdue payables arising from transfer activities”, signed by the Club’s president, stating that as at 31 March 2017 there were no overdue payables towards other football clubs. In particular, the Club indicated that the case between FC Sion and FC Sochaux regarding the transfer of the player Ishmael Yartey was still under dispute.
The SFL Disciplinary Commission came to the conclusion that FC Sion had no intention to mislead the SFL, but indeed submitted some incorrect licensing documentation; the SFL Disciplinary Commission further confirmed that the total amount of €950,000 had been paid by the Club to FC Sochaux on 7 June 2017. Because of the inaccurate information submitted, the SFL Disciplinary Commission decided to impose a fine of CHF 8,000 on the Club.
Whilst this satisfied the SFL Disciplinary process the CFCB deemed it not enough to justify the granting of the licence as UEFA intended their FFP rules to be applied.
Sion provided the CFCB with a number of reasons on the basis of which no sanction should be imposed. In particular, the Club admitted that there was an overdue payable as at 31 March 2017, but stated that the mistake in the document dated 7 April 2017 was the result of a misinterpretation by the club’s responsible person for dealing with the licence (the “Club’s licence manager”), who is not a lawyer. The Club affirmed that it never had the intention to conceal the information and had provisioned the amount due for payment and that, in any case, it has already been sanctioned by the SFL for providing the wrong information.
The CFCB Investigation Unit accepted that the Sion application, although inaccurate, was a one off misrepresentation and not a forgery, (as in intended to deceive ) but that nevertheless an overdue payable did exist at 31st March and a licence should not have been granted.
Based on their findings, the CFCB Chief Investigator decided to refer the case to the CFCB Adjudicatory Chamber and suggested a disciplinary measure to be imposed on FC Sion by the CFCB Adjudicatory Chamber, such measure consisting of a fine of €235,000, corresponding to the UEFA Revenues the Club gained by participating in the 2017/2018 UEFA Europa League.
The CFCB Investigatory Chamber submitted that it was appropriate to impose a fine corresponding to all the UEFA revenues the Club gained by participating in the competition considering the fact that FC Sion should not have been admitted to the competition for failing to meet one of its admission criteria.
The Adjudicatory Chambers took all the circumstances (see paras 91 to 120 at http://tiny.cc/i8sxsy ) into consideration and reached the following key decisions.
- FC Sion failed to satisfy the requirements of Article 49(1) of the CL&FFP Regulations and it obtained the licence issued by the SFL not in accordance with the CL&FFP Regulations.
- FC Sion breached Articles 13(1) and 43(1)(i) of the CL&FFP Regulations. (Documents complete and correct)
- To exclude FC Sion from participating in the next UEFA club competition for which it would otherwise qualify in the next two (2) seasons (i.e. the 2018/19 and 2019/20).
- To impose a fine of two hundred and thirty five thousand Euros (€235,000) on FC Sion.
- FC Sion is to pay three thousand Euros (€3,000) towards the costs of these proceedings.
Comment in respect of the award of a UEFA Licence in 2011 to Rangers FC.
It is now public knowledge that an actual liability of tax due before 31stDecember 2010 towards HMRC, was admitted by Rangers FC before 31st March 2011.
This liability was described as “potential” in Rangers Interim accounts audited by Grant Thornton.
“Note 1: The exceptional item reflects a provision for a potential tax liability in relation to a Discounted Option Scheme associated with player contributions between 1999 and 2003. A provision for interest of £0.9m has also been included within the interest charge.”
The English Oxford Dictionary definition of potential is:
Having or showing the capacity to develop into something in the future.
Which was not true as the liability had already been “developed” so could not be potential.
This was repeated by Chairman Alistair Johnson in his covering Interim Accounts statement
“The exceptional item reflects a provision for a potential tax liability in relation to a Discounted Option Scheme associated with player contributions between 1999 and 2003. “ where he also added
“Discussions are continuing with HMRC to establish a resolution to the assessments raised.”
This could be taken as disputing the liability but In fact the resolution to the assessments raised would have been payment of the actual liability, something that never happened.
In the Sion case it was accepted the misleading statement was a one off misrepresentation, but at the monitoring stages at June 2011 in Ranger’s case the status of the liability continued to be misrepresented and in September the continuing discussions reason was repeated, along with a claim of an instalment paid whose veracity is highly questionable.
The Swiss FL Licensing Committee did at least refer the case to their Disciplinary Committee when they realised a misleading statement might have been made. The SFA however in August 2011, when Sherriff Officers called at Ibrox for payment of the overdue tax , did no such thing and pulled up the drawbridge for six years, one that the Compliance Officer is now finally charged with lowering.
The case of FC Irtysh of Kazakhstan is set out in full at http://tiny.cc/y9sxsy and is a bit more straightforward but is nevertheless useful to compare with events in 2011 in Scotland.
Unlike Rangers FC , FC Irtysh properly disclosed that they had an overdue payable to the Kazakhstan tax authorities at the monitoring point at 30th June 2017. This caused the CFCB Investigatory Unit to seek further information with regard to the position at 31st March
It transpired that Irtysh had declared an overdue payable at 31st March but cited their financial position (awaiting sponsor money) as a reason for non payment to the Kazakhstan FA who accepted it and granted the licence. The outstanding tax was paid in September 2107.
The outcome of the CFCB Investigation was a case put to the CFCB Adjudicatory Chamber who agreed with the CFCB Investigation Unit that a licence should not have been granted and recommended that Irtysh be fined the equivalent of the UEFA prize money, (that had been withheld in any case whilst CFCB investigated.)
The CFCB Adjudicatory Chamber however decided that a fine was not sufficient in sporting deterrent terms and ruled that:
- FC Irtysh failed to satisfy the requirements of Article 50bis(1) of the CL&FFP Regulations and it obtained the licence issued by the FFK not in accordance with the CL&FFP Regulations.
- To withhold four hundred and forty thousand Euros (€440,000) corresponding to the UEFA revenues FC Irtysh gained by participating in the 2017/2018 UEFA Europa League.
- To exclude FC Irtysh from participating in the next UEFA club competition for which it would otherwise qualify in the next three (3) seasons (i.e. the 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons). This sanction is deferred for a probationary period of (3) three years. This exclusion must be enforced in case the Club participates again in a UEFA club competition having not fulfilled the licence criteria required to obtain the UEFA licence in accordance with the CL&FFP Regulations.
- FC Irtysh is to pay three thousand Euros (€3,000) towards the costs of these proceedings. “
The deferral was because unlike Rangers FC, FC Irtysh had properly disclosed to the licensor the correct & accurate financial information required, so the exclusion was deferred for a probationary period of (3) years.
Comment in respect of the award of a UEFA Licence in 2011 to Rangers FC.
From the foregoing it could be deduced that had Rangers FC qualified for the Champions League (or European League) and not gone bust as a result and so not entered liquidation BUT it became public knowledge by 2012 that a licence had been wrongly and possibly fraudulently granted then
- Rangers would have been fined the equivalent of their earnings from their participation in the UEFA competitions in 2011
- At least a two year ban from UEFA Competitions would have been imposed, but more likely three in view of repeated incorrect statements.
- The consequences of both would have been as damaging for Rangers survival as the real life consequences of losing to Malmo and Maribor in the qualifying rounds of the Champions and European Leagues.
Karma eh!
Interestingly in the UEFA COMPLIANCE AND INVESTIGATION ACTIVITY REPORT 2015 – 2017 , the CFCB investigatory chamber recommended that both the Kazakhstan FA and Swiss FA as licensors
“pay particular attention to the adequate disclosure of the outstanding amounts payable towards other football clubs, in respect of employees and towards social/tax authorities, which must be disclosed separately;
Would the same recommendation apply to the Scottish FA with regard to their performance in 2011 and will the SFA responses thereafter to shareholders in a member club be examined for compliance with best governance practice by the SFA Compliance Officer investigating the processing of the UEFA Licence in 2011?
This would be a welcome step in fully restoring trust in the SFA.
https://twitter.com/BBCSport/status/186370884225871872?s=20
BBC Sport
@BBCSport
#Rangers’ administrators say it is still possible that the club will be put into liquidation9:34 AM · Apr 1, 2012
Guys, im not going into the new/old club date and wasnt aiming to, it was a perfectly reasonable question about the accounts as both of them look different and may provide the answer to the questions set by barcabhoy on the FFP.
If we can stick to the current and forward looking piece rather than going over old ground that we wont agree on. Nobody will change their mind on the old/new club.
A further note .
TRFC has had losses of £17M in the last 3 years . That’s €19.27 M at todays exchange rate . I estimate the loss for the current year will add a further £6M ( €6.8M ) to that making €27M in the last 4 years and still €17 m in the 3 years to end June 2018
TincksMay 11, 2018 at 13:57
TheLawMan2 May 11, 2018 at 11:48 My understanding is that it will be the existing concert party who will underwrite it and that its simply a way to get more money in as Working Capital without increasing the loans, whilst increasing their shareholding.My understanding (and I am happy to be corrected) is that members of the concert party are unable to take part in a share offer whilst the TOP matter remains unresolved. Happy to accept i am wrong about this if I am indeed incorrect on this matter.
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I was going to write something similar as soon as I read that post, but decided to read on first, in case someone had beaten me to it
It is possible, perhaps likely, though, that Lawman2 was assuming that the TOP issue will be dealt with by King before it is too late for the concert party to take part in it in any way.
Another problem for the concert party would be that, if they do underwrite the issue, they could be hit quite hard with a few million pounds to spend on unsubscribed shares. They haven’t seemed too keen to increase their equity for some time now, resulting in the Close Brothers secured loan, so it seems strange to me to suggest they would entertain the idea of being underwriters of a rights issue where the target shareholders are generally not high (financial) worth individuals, even if the TOP problem is solved. The most likely, in other circumstances, shareholders to subscribe would be the members of Club 1872, but they’ve all already put a large amount of their hard earned into the club, added to the fact that most will have committed themselves to a good few hundred pounds for Season Tickets – I doubt very much that now would be the chosen time for a rights issue if there wasn’t a very urgent need for those millions.
Joining the dots with Barcabhoy’s excellent post, could it be that to get UEFA to ratify the Euro License, TRFC need those loans turned into equity by 30th June, hence the urgency? Could they have given assurances that the SFA are so keen to accept that they have taken it as good as done, while UEFA will sit back and watch before including TRFC in the Europa Cup draw?
If Phil’s letter from Deloittes to Rangers is genuine, the football authorities have a duty of care to launch a full investigation.
On the flim flam of who owns the debt, TRFC or RIFC, well I suspect that if UEFA looked at TRFC’s accounts in isolation, they’d see a rather large loan from RIFC – a separate, if related, company – along with one from Close Brothers. Unless it can be shown that RIFC have irrevocably declared it to be a gift, then it seems a silly point to make that UEFA might discount the directors’ (of RIFC) loans when judging the merits of TRFC’s application.
Basically, it matters not a bit where the money RIFC have lent to TRFC comes from, any more than it does with Close Brothers. TRFC have borrowed lots of money to finance their qualification for European competition. Simples.
REALSHOCKS
It is real. And i agree it should be investigated. I think you may be shocked what type of accounts the intimidating messages came from though.
Paddy, if you’re referring to Levein commenting on the number of players injured and missing from Hearts’ final league game, then he really ought to be careful because there is a real danger of him moaning almost as much as Brendan Rodgers, who, after chastising the Tynecastle groundsman for trying to give Hearts a sporting advantage by growing his grass too long, last night complained about Killie parking the fire engine, all of this after his club had safely won the league title at a canter.
With all the negativity displayed, perhaps Brendan might employ a 4-6-0 formation against Motherwell in the Cup Final.
THELAWMAN2
. I actually can’t believe I read that on this site.
I see a pattern emerging here. “I confirmed it…” takes the prize and is fully worthy of a derisory smile
‘The ruling comes after Saints’ parent company went into administration, though the club and administrators say they expect to launch an appeal’.
Southampton | Penalised Saints face relegation
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/southampton/8014811.stm
REALSHOCKS
MAY 11, 2018 at 17:30
If Phil’s letter from Deloittes to Rangers is genuine, the football authorities have a duty of care to launch a full investigation.
=====================================
Deloitte would be obligated to share their reasons for cancelling their audit work for RIFC with the new, incoming auditors.
Again, if the Deloitte letter is genuine, then I wonder how Campbell Dallas’ workforce feel about the decision to take on this new client… along with the – presumably – acceptable, associated risks to the staff themselves ?
Do Deloitte value staff personal safety higher than Campbell Dallas ?
Hmmm…
Re loans or capital contributions to TRFC.
There is no doubt that TRFC acknowledges that the cash is received in the form of loans.
From the TRFC accounts to 30 June 2017:
The Company meets its day to day working capital requirements through existing cash facilities, investor loans and finance leases.
The Board have discussed the Club’s forecast cash shortfall and have reached an agreement with New Oasis Asset Limited whereby they will provide additional loan facilities as necessary to meet the above requirements.
Further to this, New Oasis Asset Limited and certain investors have agreed to extend their existing loan facilities to July 2019.
There are interest-free, unsecured loans with investors amounting to £15.9 million, whilst the Company also has finance lease agreements totalling £0.5 million.
Barcabhoy
I’ll just copy my views to your post over from Twitter.
When are these cowboys/spivs/criminals going to be refused a licence – period? Not UEFA but National.
They mock our game.
Barca: That analysis poses same question I had on reading UEFA rules. What exactly is an acceptable contribution? A loan that does not need repaid isn’t a loan. It’s a grant. A loan swapped for equity isn’t a loan after a swap. It’s the purchase of a share using a “u owe me.”
But TRFC’s policy hits at the underlying principle and purpose of FFP which was to stop clubs going under. On that basis UEFA must comment on TRFC’S debt policy & advise SFA how they deal with it or UEFA step in and refuse the application or grant a conditional licence to force them to operate sustainably.
Our SMSM seem blind to the danger TRFC’S foolish financial play (ffp) presents to Scottish football.
And they call us Bampots
https://twitter.com/Auldheid/status/994938605960343552
There is an alternative view on the calibre of SFA “accountants” and that is that by passing the buck to UEFA, who may refuse a licence or grant one on condition of a sustainable business plan being implemented, a stop is put to DK and his version of ffp.
If you’re interested in money laundering and fraud..
London’s Dirty Russian Money
https://youtu.be/xlhdfpWMawU
Oh God, At what point will all the Great posters on here, despite their profound arguments admit our football establishment is corrupt. In our generation the truth will never out!
JC has said from the outset that the truth will come out eventually. But while the big clubs including Celtic stay silent we are fecked.
To all my lovely friends on here, I cant post anymore music. This is the best I can do.
https://www.sfm.scot/forums/topic/music-tastes-on-sfm/page/30/#post-7105
HIGHLANDERMAY 11, 2018 at 18:05
I think Steve Clarke is winning the media contest hands down .(wrote madia there !). His comments are of the half kidding/hale earnest mould , and I don’t think he suffers fools gladly . Not as eloquent as oor Archie , though !
http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/metropolitanpolicefc/news/official-club-statement-regarding-jim-cooper-2299326.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki2FdTDhx7E
Just a wee bit from the frighten rabbit. Talent or what! RIP. The family and all have been dignified and fantastic. Jimbo you must know them?
bordersdonMay 11, 2018 at 21:20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki2FdTDhx7E Just a wee bit from the frighten rabbit. Talent or what! RIB The family and all have been dignified and fantastic. Jimbo you must kno
________________
A young man gone much too soon, as you say a fine talent. A Hearts supporter who sang at the opening of the new stand, feel it so much more as a result. Maybe it’s because I’m getting old, but all these young people losing their lives when, from the outside, they seem to have so much to live for.
RIP Scott, may your guitar keep you company, there’s some great guitarists gone before for you to jam with. What a session that would be.
Sorry for a few typos! Puts things in perspective? Fitba!!
RIP Scott.
God bless his family and friends.
About a month ago, a poster on CQN opened up about mental health issues. It began a floodgate of posts about male similar problems. Men tend to keep a secret. Don’t talk.
Please don’t.
Tel. 116 623 The Samaritans. UK & ROI
jimboMay 11, 2018 at 22:16 About a month ago, a poster on CQN opened up about mental health issues. It began a floodgate of posts about male similar problems. Men tend to keep a secret. Don’t talk.
————————————————————–
What twists young men up jimbo?
STEVIEBCMAY 11, 2018 at 18:25
That letter is genuine, It’s on Companies House register for the 6th and 15th July 2015. Two letters from Deloitte.
paddy malarkeyMay 11, 2018 at 20:38
HIGHLANDERMAY 11, 2018 at 18:05 I think Steve Clarke is winning the media contest hands down .(wrote madia there !). His comments are of the half kidding/hale earnest mould , and I don’t think he suffers fools gladly . Not as eloquent as oor Archie , though !
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Clarkes honesty and his teams achievements after he took the job is a breath of fresh air. The man knows the script but plays it for his club. Robinson does it for Motherwell.
Rodgers, Lenon, Levein snipe in their different ways.
TRFC are left behind with Herr Traynor spouting propoganda. I even heard DJ saying on Radio Clyde that if the Chinese club “came back in for Morelos” they should take it. Derek they can’t come back in. They never existed son.
ChristyboyMay 11, 2018 at 22:35
STEVIEBCMAY 11, 2018 at 18:25
That letter is genuine, It’s on Companies House register for the 6th and 15th July 2015. Two letters from Deloitte.
_____________________________________________________
So Campbell Dallas knew about that before takin on the RIFC & TRFC & “Club” Audit.
What measures have they and Police Scotland put in place to avoid a repitition of threats to safegaurd staff?
Bordersdon,
I wish I knew the answer to that mate.
I think its something to do with expectations of what it means to be a man.
Many men feel they fall short.
I have often felt that that way, but now I don’t. Thank goodness.
Think of what Scott said. Give people a hug. Why shoud that be a problem for men?
I have to admit I feel lonely on here at times.
I know a lot about Theology, Philosophy, Church History, and things.
it doesn’t exclude non catholics or atheists.
I love everyone
‘John McGinn a Rangers transfer target as Steven Gerrard looks to beat off English clubs to sign Hibs midfielder’.
Give me strength.
This from the guy that has to wait until the Glasgow 1888 meets the 2012 at the national stadium to see them in the flesh.
The BBC recently announced an initiative to go into schools and teach children how to identify fake news. Allefknluia. We’ve been expected to swallow guff like this for years.
‘Beat off English clubs’, one of which he quotes is in the EPL? Really? Apparently Neil is furious at the very threat of this. No wonder. The outcome of the Edinburgh club’s risk assessment pointed this lad straight in the direction of Club 2012. More so, his grandfather had the final say on this, egged on by his brothers. It’s a done deal.
I’m not for one minute trying to perpetuate the ideology that still exists here on the West Coast. I’m merely debating a logic that doesn’t exist amongst the MSM.
I’m all for keeping Scottish talent in Scotland, however in the name of our national game, surely the press should realise that any home bred player ‘on the up’ should stay well away from any club that has a reputation, albeit short and historically brief, for the ruination of careers and abandonment of contractual responsibilities.
It’s mythological that they have a squad of underachievers. In actual fact they have a squad of mediocracy that were once pumped up as the next best thing by the likes of the shameless typist that put that headline together.
John McGinn hasn’t so much as given club 2012 a glance. Don’t take my word for it. Just do the math.
BOGS DOLLOXMAY 11, 2018 at 22:55
Campbell Dallas also receive a deluge of complaints and abuse on a regular basis. It comes with the territory of being an auditor of Rangers and the complainants are not Rangers fans.
If we take a step back for a minute and consider what possible complaints would Rangers fans have with auditors who sign off their accounts each year? In all my years on Social Media, ive never saw a single Rangers fan blame or moan or complain about auditors signing off the accounts. Its probably the only thing my fellow fans dont moan about.
I know for an absolute fact in Deloittes case, the abuse directed to them was about WHY they were signing off the accounts and what part they were playing in cheating. That came directly from 1 of the partners who is involved in auditing 2 of my current firms.
Digressing…check out 6°n BREVET Saison. But only if you’re not planning getting up in the morning. ??
Brewed in Aberdeen, swallied tonight….. in Berlin. ?. (Its Hertha v RB Leipzig at the back of 2).
Home for Sunday ?
THELAWMAN2MAY 12, 2018 at 01:08
The threats happened 2013/14 what cheating was occurring then?
SLIMJIMMAY 12, 2018 at 07:26
Why would other fans be enraged in 2013/14?
I find it totally bizarre that auditors would issue a letter to one of their clients worded in such a way as to point to peepil intimidation and the said client did not demand clarification on who was doing the intimidating.
So we are to believe that deloittes severed their ties with sevco because people were threatening them regards cheating in favour of Sevco and Sevco didn’t think to make that public .
Why on earth would sevco wish to not speak out as IIRC the loss of their auditors was construed as a sign their business was not in the rudest of health .
I’m sorry , I just don’t buy it
slimjimMay 12, 2018 at 07:26
BOGSDOLLOX MAY 12 01.59Why should this be blocked?.What do you find so “Bizarre” regarding the post?. As TLM2 says the auditors signing off the accounts is hardly going to enrage the Rangers support is it?.Think for a second, who would be enraged and why?.
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I cannot, for a moment, understand what causes people to act in a belligerent and threatening manner towards people who are only doing their job, but TRFC supporters do have a record for threats and intimidation, even physical assault, on even their own club’s employees, so it follows that the natural assumption would be that it was TRFC supporters in this case, too. It doesn’t make sense that they would do this towards employees of their club’s accountants, but neither does the threatening behaviour, from any source, either.
One thing that points to it being your club’s supporters, though, is the lack of a ‘statement o’clock’ when the club received this letter. I cannot believe, not for one moment, that if it had been supporters of any other club, or clubs, doing the threatening, that Dave King would not have had Jim Traynor brief the media to continue the ‘victim’ and ‘haters’ narratives to the full. Charles Green set this style for the club from the word go, never letting the opportunity to push the ‘victim’ status pass by.
I’d say that this lack of any statement, or even a leak, from Ibrox weighs far heavier than any anonymous blogger saying ‘I know for an absolute fact…’ when trying to determine whether or not a support with a very high level of threats and intimidation in it’s short history made illogical threats and intimidation towards it’s club’s accountants. You’d have to believe that every TRFC supporter actually understands the role of accountants, and the laws and regulations they have to adhere to, before any of us could accept the kind of people who would send bullets and bombs through the post wouldn’t threaten them for simply doing their job, if they, those moronic idiots, view TRFC’s accountants as not producing accounts that make their club look healthier than Celtic. Remember, this is from a time long before King educated the faithful on the fact that making losses is a good thing!
Only a fool, or a fellow bigot, would believe that a support that includes, to a very high number, people who would hate and assault people because of their religion, is not capable of doing similar to accountants because those morons just don’t understand that accountants can’t just produce the results some people with a false sense of entitlement believe they should do.
Remember, we are talking about a support that includes the kind of people who would stab a young boy to death, just because of the football strip he wore. Anyone who thinks these kind of people wouldn’t threaten and intimidate, anyone, just because of a perceived failing in the club’s accounts, is living in cloud cuckoo land!
BILLYDUGMAY 12, 2018 at 07:42
Why would other fans be enraged in 2013/14?
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I should have used the word “etc” after cheating to be fair. As for other fans being enraged, a quick glance at Social Media tells you fans have been on a constant rage about Rangers since way before 2014.
But just for sake of clarity, the partner i spoke to said that they had had enough. They were getting constant phone calls, letters and emails asking about going concerns, signing off the documents and general stuff about cheating etc………in the words of the offenders.
I still fail to think why Rangers fans would be writing to them, especially when there is ZERO to be found on Social Media, or certainly the parts i read.
ALLYJAMBOMAY 12, 2018 at 08:14
Only a fool, or a fellow bigot, would believe that a support that includes, to a very high number, people who would hate and assault people because of their religion, is not capable of doing similar to accountants because those morons just don’t understand that accountants can’t just produce the results some people with a false sense of entitlement believe they should do.
Remember, we are talking about a support that includes the kind of people who would stab a young boy to death, just because of the football strip he wore. Anyone who thinks these kind of people wouldn’t threaten and intimidate, anyone, just because of a perceived failing in the club’s accounts, is living in cloud cuckoo land!
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I take extreme offence at that im afraid Ally given the implication that im either stupid or a bigot.
Every football club has a variety of nuggets who follow their team. Your own team for example had a guy who attacked Neil Lennon on the pitch because he hated him and admitted shouting a sectarian profanity at Lennon. You can therefore excuse me for finding it difficult to find your statement anything but hypocritical about supporters hating and assaulting people because of their religion.
What i wrote wasnt excusing or protecting any Rangers fans, some of which sit in the category i describe above, but merely passing on what i was told directly from 1 partner. Perhaps he was telling me what he thought i wanted to hear but i do have a long relationship with him and we have spoken about many things over the year which went in direct contradiction to various other beliefs in the Rangers fan world, such as the responsible parties at Lloyds for stepping in when they did. Ive also on previous occasions disclosed all of that much to the annoyance of my own fans who disagreed with me and didnt believe me. Back then, i would be found writing screeds of stuff telling them why they were wrong and very much being the minority in my views, just like on here.
I think however that shows that no matter what side my views lie on, i speak my own mind and dont follow any crowd.
To then introduce a tragic death to my statement is beyond the pale. There have been hundreds of football assaults and casualties over the years across the Rangers/Celtic divide for football related stuff including may i add incidents as serious as multiple stabbings which didnt even involve a rival team. This constant attempt to paint one team and one team only with this type of nonsense is perhaps the hardest thing for guys like me who just love the team, the banter and the football.
This must be other supporters as well I guess.
These as well I guess.
THELAWMAN2MAY 12, 2018 at 08:20
Maybe people who are making serious threats don’t post it on social media
Not your fans either then.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/16079402.Video__Hundreds_join_Rangers_v_Celtic_game_march_plugged_by_sectarian_flyer_in_defiance_of_police/
No Shug. That’s Rangers fans.
Im mindful of where this could go and will not post the opposing pictures and bow out on this topic having said my piece above as there is no value in going down the whole supporters thing route on here.
Its not the purpose of the site and should be left on other sites.
BILLYDUGMAY 12, 2018 at 08:49
Maybe people who are making serious threats don’t post it on social media
______________________________________________________________
I kind of agree with that, but you can get a flavour of peoples thoughts from Social Media and if we are all honest, Social Media nowadays is the main driver of everything. When supporters are up in arms about something, you see and read about it all over Twitter and the individual club sites and some of it makes it onto sites like this.
All im saying is that I cant remember anything like that back in the day which is why i was surprised to read about it at the time (this isnt a new thing of course as its been in the public for years) hence me asking my “Colleague” about it back in the day.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/18413384
A reminder,thank to minty,s lamb on Twitter.
So the Rangers support did not contact Deloittes about them confirming details of the clubs ongoing substantial losses and genuine concerns over whether the business would be able to trade or not. Highlighting the doubts over whether the new club could even survive. No way they would lash out at that.
However while Rangers were in the lower divisions supporters of other teams were going out of their way to threaten the companies staff. Leading to the company deciding not to audit the accounts any more.
Yes, that makes sense.
No absolute facts from me on this I’m afraid. I just know which one I choose to believe. Based on what we know, and the surrounding circumstances.
What if certain peepil expected some assistance on gilding a lily or polishing a t**d and the auditors
were reluctant to assist .
Could that result in certain peepil using intimidation to get what they wanted .
To assume it is random football supporters would be an error IMO .
As for the (were sick of constant phone calls ) I would assume the sevco account would be worth quite a bit of money ,would Deloittes give the account up just because their phone was ringing more than usual. Also how long would the phone calls ,e-mails and letters have continued ,a week ,a month
Sorry again but I’m not buying any of it .
Was it ‘other fans’ who burned out the Sevco team bus (as Ally McCoist alleged)? Not according to Police Scotland.
Was it other fans who threatened to burn down East Fife’s ground? Or who threatened the three man commission after the same McCoist demanded to know their names?
Was it other fans who threatened the American sugar daddy (Yanks go home) and inundated his office with threatening emails?
Ask Mike Ashley who are the threatening fans. Ask the Easdales who threatened them.
And as regards documented proof goes, did anyone ever catch sight of the proof that a Chinese club offered mullions for Morelos? This ‘proof’ caused a BBC journalist to apologise apparently but we’ve still to see it.
Was it other fans who threatened over twenty accredited journalists who penned perceived critical articles of Sevco?
Did we ever see Charles Green’s documented proof of interest from the Dallas Cowboys?
Deeds, anyone?
As regards Deloittes, the year before they quit, didn’t they give a warning that they weren’t happy with the accounts? Plenty of reason there for a strongly worded email or six, methinks.
And given the fact that Sevco’s Ghost chairman himself issued threats, it would take a rather fertile imagination to conclude that ‘other fans’ were responsible for threats on this one occasion. It’s b/s.
Does any other club in Scotland hire a rotund disseminator of lies to routinely fill the back pages of newspapers with everything from ‘inexactitudes’ to downright whoppers?
I rest my case, your honour.
It wisnae us….It was the old regime……Same old same old.
https://www.accountancyage.com/aa/news/2416568/deloitte-resigns-rangers-audit-brief-after-threats-to-staff
I don’t see anything there that points the finger at any other club, other than the Ibrox club, in this statement from James Blair.
I note that Deloittes chose to resign AFTER completion of the audit. Are we to believe fans of other clubs were aware of confidentialities that existed between Deloittes and Sevco, BEFORE the audits completion?
How would anyone other than Deloittes and Sevco staff, been aware of audit details?
Somebody is having their chain pulled, and it’s not me.
HELPUMOOTMAY 12, 2018 at 09:29
Yip.
Lawman
[]
When your picture is posted on social media along with indications of whereabouts by folk proclaiming themselves bheast hunters or where you work etc you know for a fact that intimidation is part of the mindset.
Not opinion. Fact.
A mindset knows no boundaries, it is where behaviour dysfunctional or otherwise is conceived.
Own the problem.
The article below is from 2012 and doesn’t directly relate to the Deloittes threats, but is relevant nonetheless.
https://www.channel4.com/news/by/alex-thomson/blogs/threats-silence-intimidation-rangers-fans
Alex Thomson12 Oct 2012
Threats and silence: the intimidation by Rangers fans
As I’ve said before my interest in Rangers stems purely from the standpoint of it being a spectacular example of a corporate omnishambles: British mismanagement so profound and bewildering it veers between performance art and social car-crash. With the loyal Rangers fans left mugged in the middle.
It’s still happening. Past mismanagement matched by the odious behaviour of a no-doubt small minority of Rangers fans apparently hellbent on proving the new Rangers will be like the old.
An element of the Rangers customer base remains out of order and neither Rangers, nor Scotland’s football authorities, nor the police appear willing or able to do much about it.
I’m talking intimidation.
Of the legal profession. Of football’s governing bodies. Of football club executives. Of publishing. Of bookshops. Of newspapers. Of TV stations.
Tellingly, in Glasgow this will come as news to nobody. Which should tell anybody half awake how sick things are in this singular aspect of that great city.
Outside Scotland people may legitimately wonder how or why this is tolerated? Or simply gawp in astonishment that such things go on almost daily this year.
And it is arguably getting worse.
Consider the following brief summary of just some of what’s happened in Glasgow since Rangers’ downfall began, not a year ago.
THE LAWYERS
In April a 3 man Scottish FA Tribunal dared punish Rangers for bringing the game into disrepute (so seriously it was deemed just short of match-fixing).
Gary Allan QC, Raith Rovers director Eric Drysdale, and former commentator, Alastair Murning had their identities disclosed as well as private details with threats so serious the police advised all three on security measures.
Their identities became public after the Rangers manager no less, Ally McCoist said: “Who are these people? I want to know who these people are.”
The Scottish FA was left, not for the first time, wringing its corporate hands, saying: “We are deeply concerned that the safety and security of judicial panel members has been compromised by a wholly irresponsible betrayal of confidential information.”
And: ” all three panel members have reported intrusion into their personal and work lives, including abusive and threatening communication”.
Yet the manager of Rangers itself, a man steeped in the ways of Glasgow football, was instrumental in this chain of events, knowingly, or not.
Hardly an episode of corporate social responsibility.
It has continued. In the past few weeks Scottish Law Lord and former Supreme Court Judge Lord Nimmo-Smith actually had to put out a statement pleading for his independence to be recognised as he embarks on yet another investigation of the fallen club.
Again – the sheer weirdness of this to outsiders, passes almost without comment in Glasgow.
THE FOOTBALL AUTHORITIES
Like anybody prepared to challenge or ask questions or charged with passing judgement on Rangers, both Scottish Football Association and Scottish Premier League directors have had a torrid time of it.
In the case of SFA boss Stewart Regan, there were death threats.
The SFA have said publicly this year that private details of SFA directors have been published online.
The SFA Chief Executive Stewart Regan has said:
” At times, that does make you wonder whether it is going to impact on your family and your personal life.But it’s never once made me think about walking from the job.”
Incredibly, to those outside the Clyde Cauldron, the SFA boss said he’d had to speak to Counter-Terrorism officers over the nature of the threats and the security response.
Yes – Counter-Terrorism police officers.
This revolting behaviour from a minority continues to spike in activity when those running the game are forced to take action to try and clear up the Ibrox mess.
Nobody, but nobody, should have to put up with this in the course of doing their job. But in Glasgow football it is dangerously close to being accepted as part of the job.
THE PUBLISHER
There has been just one book published on the Rangers. As you’d expect it’s gone through several print runs in the few weeks it has been out. But for daring to print a factual account of the Ibrox meltdown, the publisher, Bob Smith of Frontline Noir speaks of having to deal with a catalogue of abuse.
It had a potentially serious affect on customers and shops buying the book ‘Downfall’ he says:
“There was definitely pressure applied and there were certainly some wobbles along the way from shops and customers. But we got through and in the end people were supportive.”
Material was published online to identify where at least one person lived who worked on the production of ‘Downfall’.
The abuse I received for simply writing the forward to this factual account of the Ibrox debacle was routine for me – for publishers unused to it, the experience was frightening.
THE BOOKSELLERS
Those outside Scotland will find this hard to credit, but several shops including major chains like Waterstones and WHS were unable to display the book openly in some shops because of reported threats and actual abuse of staff.
For selling a work of non-fiction and journalistic enterprise!
In at least one store copies were ripped up. In another Glasgow shop an angry individual wearing a Union Jack repeatedly entered the bookshop to scream at staff to send the offending tome back to the publishers.
THE BROADCASTERS
As I write a colleague at STV in Glasgow has received threats for successfully doing his job. This person wishes to keep a low profile on police advice and is constrained to say nothing at all about it.
NUJ officials say currently around 25 journalists have been threatened recently for attempting to tell the truth about Rangers.
Understandably most feel they cannot discuss it openly. As one told me in a Glasgow hotel this summer: “I’m not paid enough and I don’t feel I have bosses who’d back me up if it came to it.”
Silence…hoping it will all go away…totally understandable when you live in Glasgow. But it isn’t going away, is it?
THE FOOTBALL CLUB
Enter Raith Rovers and their redoubtable chairman Turnbull Hutton. For Turnbull it was who was somewhat thrown into the limelight this summer as a champion of sporting integrity. As the SPL set about making itself a laughing stock in its tangled efforts to defy fairness, reason and morality to try and keep Rangers up in the Premier League, it was club chairmen like Mr Hutton who said no, Rangers must be treated like any other club.
But why, exactly? Yesterday Turnbull Hutton told me: “We had to circle our wagons at Raith given what had been done to us by Rangers fans.”
And he listed the endless abusive phone calls – some from Belfast – to Raith staff, theats, heavy-breathing, silent calls and so forth.
The day Fife police passed on credible information from the Strathclyde force that two men has been paid to burn down Raith’s stadium is a day Mr Turnbull and Raith Rovers will remember.
And all of it because that Raith man Eric Drysdale had dared sit on that SFA Tribunal and pass judgement and sanction upon Rangers’ gross mismanagement.
After all that Raith and Turnbull Hutton would lead the charge to stop Rangers remaining anywhere near the SPL, whatever it took.
The would-be intimidators didn’t tame Turnbull, their cowardice only making the club bide its time and help Rangers down into the fourth tier of Scottish football.
THE NEWSPAPER
It seems an entire newspaper can be got at, when it’s Glasgow and it’s Rangers.
Recent weeks saw one of the more bizarre editorial u-turns of recent newspaper history in the UK when a Scottish Sun double-page splash promoting the author of ‘Downfall’ prior to serialising the book – suddenly became a non-serialisation.
In a somewhat embarrassed editorial The Sun admitted to receiving a large number of complaints about promoting the book, from Rangers fans.
The paper denied it was bowing to threats. Yet the publisher of the book says the threat of a Hillsborough-style boycott was real and instrumental.
It’s widely known the threats were real, nasty and yet again Strathclyde police were involved.
Many – including the book’s publisher – express real sympathy with The Scottish Sun’s dilemma. It editor and staff are known to have been shocked at the level and fury of complaints.
The difficulty here is that, whatever the paper’s reasons, in the end the mob got their way. The serialisation of a fast-selling factual book on Rangers never happened.
They couldn’t get Turnbull Hutton, Lord Nimmo-Smith, Eric Drysdale, STV and many, many more – but many believe they did get the Scottish Sun.
That should give us all pause for thought. Is this the reason why not a single Scottish newspaper has reviewed a book selling way beyond its publisher’s estimates?
What kind of power does the Ibrox mob have still, in today’s Scotland?
So against all this catalogue of attempted (and mostly failed) intimidation, the new Rangers owner Charles Green must surely take a stand and trying to kick this poison out of Ibrox and some of its support for good?
Already in his short ownership Mr Green’s referred to the football authorities as ‘the enemy’ at fans’ meeting on many occasions and he faced formal disciplinary action for saying other clubs were motivated by ‘bigotry’ towards Rangers.
Mr Green must lead from the top because if he fails to do so what chance has anyone got to stop the moronic element at the bottom of the Rangers food chain from lashing out with threats against anyone who dares speak truth unto Ibrox?
What were the details of the threats to Ch4 News Alex Thomson? In his own words, he
“received overt physical threats from a former Glasgow-bsed sports journalist…”
I didn’t see any further detail published.
Did the broadcaster not follow this up too for the safety of staff?
Keep your eye on the ball chaps.
On another note, Sevco have launched some blistering ST sales drives over the years. OK they have been dressed up more than just a wee bit, but most clubs would be guilty of gilding the lily a bit within parameters. Advertising does work, or it wouldn’t be an industry.
To this end, there appears to be a whispering campaign surrounding Gerrard, that the inexperienced U18 coach wouldn’t be travelling north if he was not on a promise of a healthy war-chest.
Who actually believes this, when all Sevco have said, during this present sales drive, is a £6m share issue……I would suggest if there was any truth to it, it would not be a whisper, but a roof-top megaphone campaign of epic proportions.
Because lets face it……..They would have said by now. Although I have zero hard facts to support this claim, other than my observations of spotty leopards, but the whispers are based on nothing more than Tiddles the cat.
CORRUPT OFFICIALMAY 12, 2018 at 10:04
Has RIFC or TRFC made an official statement Re.
£6m share issue?
Corrupt Official
I agree. I dont think he has been promised a war chest at all and I have no faith he will be given anything serious to work with cause, well, eh, we dont have it to give him.
BILLYDUG
MAY 12, 2018 at 10:28
=====================================
I don’t think there has been any announcement, official or otherwise of a £6m share issue.
If I remember correctly Dave King held an audience in which a select group of hackolytes were treated to his latest set of proclamations.
In that he mentioned a shares issue and the possibility of that including cash of £6m, or maybe £8m, but there would be no new investors, it would come from existing shareholders / investors.
He then exited stage south east and left them to paint this as the beginnings of a war chest to those who he hoped would fund the club again over the next few months. Cash flow is King when you have no money left in your bank account and no normal credit facility available to you.
Corrupt Official
I’m not so sure that the rumours of cash for Stevie G originated as part of any orchestrated whispering campaign. Anyone with an ounce of understanding would be forgiven for thinking that Gerrard would never saddle himself with such a financial handicap as his predecessors suffered, and that there must be something in the pipeline.
Now it could well be that Rangers have encouraged those assumptions and started their own disinformation campaign centred on their plausibility – resulting in our sources confidently asserting inward investment of one kind or another, and King exiting the arena.
It may also be that expectation management at Ibrox has moved up a rack or two, and that a pleasant surprise is on the way for the Bears, who are now in the situation where they doubt even the reported (and inadequate) £6m will appear.
It is frustrating to have to speak in riddles, but the latter explanation is still one we are being offered. Usual caveats of course, but I don’t think this story is over.
It is often the problem with social media that it is instantaneous, and leaves little time for self reflection. If the £6m is the end of the matter, then that will be a major embarrassment for Rangers, and a major problem for the new manager.
But that is too big an ‘If’ on which to draw a final conclusion.
In order for the short term demands of Rangers fans to be met, there is only Plan A – a trophy investor, quintessentially Chinese or quintessentially British or otherwise. Someone who is happy to metaphorically trundle a barrow filled with cash to the £60m ‘max’ mark, and throw it on a bonfire.
Failing that, years of building are required to get the club up to the levels of the old club (that is the honestly arrived at levels BEFORE Murray started driving his combine harvester through the rules and integrity of our game).
In other words, Plan B is not a solution to those short term demands.
However I wouldn’t be mocking just yet, because Plan A, however unlikely, may yet be possible.
On the Delloitte resignation letter may I, with respect, give a diddy team fan’s perspective?
If my club received such a letter I would expect them to distance themselves from such behaviour and condemn the culprits REGARDLESS of who they supported. In fact I consider it would be verging on the criminally negligent not to do so. The fact that this crap sells season tickets, or at least that is taken as a given, has no part in football.
Weasel wording in an attempt to apportion blame on to “them” rather than “us” is laughable. Grow up.
TRISIDIUM
MAY 12, 2018 at 10:55
======================================
You will forgive me if I happily mock what you describe as “Plan A”.
“Plan A – a trophy investor, quintessentially Chinese or quintessentially British or otherwise. Someone who is happy to trundle a barrow filled wit cash to the £60m ‘max’ mark, and throw it on a bonfire.”
It is unadulterated tosh.
TRISIDIUMMAY 12, 2018 at 10:55
Corrupt Official
I’m not so sure that the rumours of cash for Stevie G originated as part of any orchestrated whispering campaign. Anyone with an ounce of understanding would be forgiven for thinking that Gerrard would never saddle himself with such a financial handicap as his predecessors suffered, and that there must be something in the pipeline.
—————————————————————————————————–
As far as I am aware Tris, Sevco had to provide Gerrard with certain “assurances”. Until those assurances are known, it is still hanging in the air as to whether they have been met.
I’m not saying he will not take up the post, but I’m not saying he will either. Those “assurances” could be many fold, and they may well be performance related on a sliding scale, following a settling in period. They may be conditional terms of his acceptance. Who knows?
I think it may well be a very complicated contract.
Again I used “Sevco” when I really meant, DCK. Apologies Billydug.. Other than the PLC chairman, the boards of both companies have been very quiet on this matter.
Isn’t your agreement a possible sign that the expectation management is working then?
If not, what do you think attracted Gerrard to the job given the high expectation levels and the (relative) lack of resources?
For clarification, I don’t think what you are saying is tosh, Tris.
I think you are correct that is what they hoped would happen (not really a plan, more a desire).
It just isn’t going to happen and anyone believing it is a suitable target for buying a river crossing in the nations capital.
Yes they may be able to bring in some more money from a shares issue, but £20m of that is already spent. Anything outside of a share issue is simply more loans, whether the PLC chooses to style them as “quasi equity” or not.
I say again, and I know it is boring. The PLC loses millions every year, it’s chairman is predicting further loses (and claims that is the plan) it is over £20m in debt and it cannot use it’s major assets to secure credit facilities. There is no “external funding” available. No adviser in their right mind would allow a client to do it.
For what it’s worth it’s looking a bit like SG is using TRFC as leverage to secure a better deal elsewhere in the same way Davide Ginola used Celtic to bounce into English football all those years ago. Time will tell.
TRISIDIUM
MAY 12, 2018 at 11:39
If not, what do you think attracted Gerrard to the job given the high expectation levels and the (relative) lack of resources?
============================================
I think that’s a simple one.
Who else would offer him such a high profile post as someone with no managerial experience.
He can have a season at it, if he gets any level of success maybe a cup or making a competition out of the SPFL then he has proven he can manage a bit. If he achieves nothing it was a lost cause anyway. Particularly if he can cite lack of funds / backing from the board.
In football terms it’s kind of a no lose situation in my opinion.
TRISIDIUMMAY 12, 2018 at 10:55 Corrupt Official I’m not so sure that the rumours of cash for Stevie G originated as part of any orchestrated whispering campaign. Anyone with an ounce of understanding would be forgiven for thinking that Gerrard would never saddle himself with such a financial handicap as his predecessors suffered, and that there must be something in the pipeline.
____________________-
Tris, I, too, found it extremely difficult to believe that TRFC had nothing ‘in the pipeline’ after they announced Gerrard as their new manager and then said they (King) had an announcement to make on the following Monday. We know that that announcement turned into a wandering ramble of close to nothingness, which now, after what you say, leads me to wonder if there maybe was this inward investment in the pipeline, but by Monday the pipeline had been blocked, but King still had to say something, and, caught off guard, made a hash of it by saying much too much!
I seem to remember that during the Whyte trial it came out that David Murray had to put up with one or two false dawns in his search for a buyer for Rangers, and I’d suspect the world in which King moves will attract similar false dawns. Hearts, too, had one or two interested parties that were nothing more than timewasters.
There is also the possibility that King, in his desperation to stave off the TOP and any CoS fallout, plus lend credence to his promises to Gerrard, jumped the gun and called a press conference before any negotiations had been concluded, or had even reached the serious stage. Any negotiations might still be ongoing, or they might be dead
There was something about the tone of King’s presser that didn’t suggest to me that any good news, such as imminent fresh investment, was in the pipeline, or still in the pipeline.
TRISIDIUMMAY 12, 2018 at 11:39
Isn’t your agreement a possible sign that the expectation management is working then?
If not, what do you think attracted Gerrard to the job given the high expectation levels and the (relative) lack of resources?
——————————————————————————————————
Possibly Tris. Again as far as I am aware, the expectation is of a stronger showing and a higher degree of consistency. Given the disparity in player spends between Sevco’s immediate rivals for a strong second, the resources should be more than adequate.
I imagine Gerrard’s remit will not be too far from the above, (possibly a cup thrown in)and it could be argued using the correlation between spends and performance, on paper, a cake-walk.
REDETINMAY 12, 2018 at 09:58
What were the details of the threats to Ch4 News Alex Thomson? In his own words, he“received overt physical threats from a former Glasgow-bsed sports journalist…”
I believe this is the incident to which you refer.. (Around 8:45 mins). I have heard nothing since.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUyvnqEuu8o
COrruptofficial
Part of the second best budget argument is defeated by the fact that a lot of that budget has been spent on the wrong things and it has been committed to pay for those in the future. There are Mexican wastrels and others who have contracts on very high wages for no return .
That can be part of normal recruiting and its failures if there is money to deal with that. With a planned and apparently welcome loss such is more difficult. Big budgets may meet austerity in normal places But if the requirement is immediate success and continuing world domination that is not so easy.
And if the fans expect limitless funds to be spent because they deserve it as part of their rightful place then when reality breaks in from the auditors there might be a reaction. Threats to auditors fit into a pattern of behaviour which is not only condoned but encouraged by inflammatory statements from the Club itself. THe seige mentality and banning of reporters for reporting is not useful.
If the BBC is banned from Ibrox perhaps they should limit their activities there anent to the barest of minimums rather than provide commentary from TV screens and a home for over superannuated former Rangers player peddling myths and inanities?
Re whether Gerrard would not have joined Rangers without knowing decent funding is available. Dave King may be many things but he has demonstrated a real talent to convince people of things which turn out to be untrue. Who is to say Gerrard and his advisors are not the latest to be conned. His agent is a big Rangers fan from Glasgow so who knows how starstruck he was. I would not be at all surprised if Gerrard never manages them in competitive game.
BFBPUZZLEDMAY 12, 2018 at 12:40
COrruptofficial
Part of the second best budget argument is defeated by the fact that a lot of that budget has been spent on the wrong things and it has been committed to pay for those in the future. There are Mexican wastrels and others who have contracts on very high wages for no return.
————————————————————————————————
Agreed BFB, but the correlation does exist, and is widely recognised throughout the levels right up to CL. It rather points the performance correlation not at spends, but towards those responsible for recruitment at Sevco.
I have been reading reports of Sevco being active wrt recruitment (Jason Cummings for e.g.), which, in the absence of any new manager as yet, suggests recruitment is outside of the managers remit, and any new guy will have to p*ss with the c*ck he is given.
Whether changing that was one of the assurances sought by Gerrard, I dinna ken, but if it was, they are going a funny way about it.
Talking of delusional, former vice-chairman of Rangers, Donald Findlay, thinks the current Rangers could afford to appoint EPL managers Sean Dyche, Eddie Howe and possibly even Rafa Benitez. He doesn’t explain where he thinks the necessary millions of pounds would come from though, a common trait amongst followers of the current club playing out of Ibrox, although to his credit, he is dismissive of Dave King.
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/rangers/donald-findlay-rangers-should-have-gone-for-sean-dyche-or-eddie-howe-1-4738617
Donald Findlay: Rangers should have gone for Sean Dyche or Eddie Howe
AIDAN SMITH Published: 06:00 Saturday 12 May 2018
Former Rangers vice-chairman Donald Findlay has described Steven Gerrard’s appointment as “a gamble” and claimed the Ibrox club will not regain their previous status until the present boardroom regime is replaced.
Current chairman Dave King unveiled former England captain Gerrard as Rangers’ new manager last week. But in an interview in The Scotsman today, Findlay says he would have preferred the club to have appointed someone with more experience.
Findlay said. “I would have gone for more experience and banged on Sean Dyche’s door or Eddie Howe’s and said: ‘This is Rangers, you can be kings here.’ Or, though I don’t know if he would have moved, said to Rafa Benitez, ‘Come and look at Ibrox’, and taken him straight to the trophy room. All that history and tradition.
“But my biggest concern is whether the new manager, Gerrard in this case, will be given the money he needs. Would you get a straight answer from the Rangers chairman? And if you did would you not question it anyway? I’m afraid I don’t think Rangers are going to return to where they were until the present lot are cleared out lock, stock and barrel.”
Eh no problem Donald http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2816759/Donald-Findlay-says-Rangers-new-entity-establish-s-history-tradition.html
If by tomorrow evening TRFC lie (Freudian?) second top of SPFL with a UEFA place assured (but I think the UEFA jury is still out on that one) then why would they need a warchest?
The argument to SG might be ” We don’t need to increase the wage budget by much, just use it better to save the points dropped amongst those we lost them to. Celtic have shown they are more than capable of dropping points to the rest too so it might just boil down to games v Celtic and the SFA are on our side. You could make a real name for yourself unless Celtic realise there is a challenge and further strengthen, but they have a “develop rather than buy” policy and fear debt, whereas we welcome it, so the odds on upsetting their House of Cards are favourable.
That is how I would sell the job and I’m honest!
Tris it’s really hard to tell what has and hasn’t been said. Appreciate many on here won’t agree but managing Rangers is evidently seen as a huge thing outwith these shores as has been witnessed by the messages from all corners of the world in recognition of him taking on the role.
I’m not convinced but as much as I criticise King and the board, the Gerard appointment has definitely lifted the interest and season ticket sales. I don’t believe for a minute there is any funny deal about him dropping out and getting a bonus.
I think that’s wishful thinking.