Two wrongs and a right

The John James blog has of late thrown up many hooks to hang our theories on and provided much food for thought on the Rangers issue.

His casual invective against individuals, particularly Dave King, and often members of the Bench is not particularly SFM-like in its approach, but despite the industrial nature of much of the discourse, the value of his work cannot be denied.

On the subject of revisiting LNS, I find myself in agreement with his conclusions. His argument about Celtic’s attitude to Resolution 12 is to my mind compelling insofar as it serves as a barometer for Celtic’s disposition towards rocking the SPL/SFA boat. Like him, I cannot see any real evidence, (despite the recent statement by the club) that they are disposed to move in the direction of a revisited LNS (although it should be noted that besides Celtic there are another 40 clubs who may have an opinion on this).

His conclusions though should not be confused with his opinion on the rights and wrongs of LNS. Like most of us, he appears to be of the opinion that LNS was seriously flawed on multiple counts.

I saw Bill McMurdo’s remarks too in reference to the same topic. He alleges that the whole SFA house of cards would come down if information he has at his fingertips, information that off-book payments in Scottish football was much more widespread that the RFC EBTs, was made public.

UnderTableIf what he says is true, and he has evidence, he should be expanding on the innuendo.

If he chooses not to, then he is as complicit as those he accuses.

In any event, to say that no action should be taken because others have done it is not the same as saying that no action WILL be taken.

If he means the former, then he is wrong. By the logic of that argument it follows that burglars for example should not be prosecuted because other people burgle houses but didn’t get caught.

I suspect he knows himself that by any objective standard, this view is in error, because when he is called out on it, he reverts to ad hominem attacks on those who called him on it. No defence, just withering, dismissive sarcasm – in the manner of former pundit Jim Traynor when he refers to those who speak of sporting integrity.

If he means the latter, then he should do what he can do prevent it and make his information public. I believe he knows that the £3 note fraternity runs through Scottish football like lettering on a stick of seaside rock, but I suspect he doesn’t actually have evidence.

If there is evidence, then McMurdo is in a unique position to get it out in the open and make life difficult for those he alleges are corrupt.

Then we should go back in time as far as possible to investigate those who participated in “black money” schemes, whether they are EBTs, other forms of tax dodge, or just money in a brown paper bag.

I do not believe that any of us participating in the Scottish Football Monitor would fear exposure of any of our clubs. I think we all know that this is far more important than club loyalties.

If McMurdo’s information is correct, then we also have the opportunity to show that the clamour for revisiting LNS is not an anti-Rangers with-hunt. Instead of reconvening LNS, let’s have Bill’s info, and constitute a wider enquiry. If the info was made public, and it will now be difficult for him to put his genie back into the bottle, could the SFA and the clubs resist the pressure for such an enquiry?

handsMaybe McMurdo’s intervention/revelation may yet be seen as a seminal moment in the campaign to rid ourselves of corruption and incompetence in football.

Our position has always been clear. Corruption is counter to sporting integrity. Therefore it must be rooted out.

John James and Merlin are probably correct in that the clubs will seek to thwart any move for a new enquiry; and there could easily have been a deal done with King last week.

However there was also a deal done with Charles Green about the new club being parachuted into the SPL. How did that one turn out?

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John Cole

About Big Pink

Big Pink is John Cole; a former schoolteacher based in the West of Scotland, He is also a print and broadcast journalist who is engaged in the running of SFM . Former gigs include Newstalk 106, the Celtic View, and Channel67. A Celtic fan, he is also the voice of our podcast initiative.

1,703 thoughts on “Two wrongs and a right


  1. As ever with JJ you need to double and triple check the figures he quotes, then question the assumptions he makes as a result.

    Lord Hodge’s judgement on D&P’s request for a ruling on Ticketus’ contractual rights detailed the amounts paid by Ticketus.

    On or about 9 May 2011 Ticketus paid £20,300,912 for the first tranche of the season tickets which covered the seasons 2011-2012, 2012-2013 and 2013-2014. On or about 21 September 2011 Ticketus paid a further £5,075,213 for the second tranche of season tickets, which covered the seasons 2013-2014 and 2014-2015.

    So Ticketus accounted for £25,356,125, while JJ claims that Ticketus’ share was £17.2m of a total £28,262,094, and makes an incorrect assumption that £11m came from Merchant Turnaround.

    JJ appears to use something close to the figure from the Ticketus v Whyte judgement, which was £17,683.338. That figure was actually Ticketus net loss from the transactions. From the Ticketus v Whyte judgement:

    Mr Bryan has provided evidence of the net loss suffered by Ticketus as a result of entering into the transaction. The figure provided in his calculation is the net loss, without a profit element and without VAT, and amounts to £17,683.338. That is the net amount paid by Ticketus to Rangers for the tickets. 

    The difference between the £17.68m and £25.36m was accounted for by the first payment that Rangers actually made back to Ticketus from the 2011/12 ST sales in Sep/Oct 2011. It was that first payment due to Ticketus  that necessitated Rangers to take out the second tranche of £5m in advance ST sales. They didn’t have enough cash to make the initial repayment of around £8m/£9m.

    The above was debated on RTC when details of the Ticketus arrangement first became public knowledge. 


  2. Further to my last post, the first D&P Creditors report confirms that Rangers paid back £3m to Ticketus in June 2011 and a further £5m in September 2011, which neatly explains the difference between the total paid out by Ticketus and their net exposure.

    The D&P report also confirms that Ticketus expected to receive total revenue of £34.7m from the four seasons ST sales. The £34.7m less the £8m received, leaves £26.7m outstanding.  Ticketus’ initial creditor claim amounted to £26.7m which ties in nicely.  The claim has since risen to £27.2m, probably as a result of a claim for legal costs.


  3. Is it our Imran Ahmad who is also styled ‘sheik’? Or has another Ahmad been indicted?
    The Edinburgh Rolls of Court for w/c Monday 04 January 2016 show ‘Sheik Ahmad’  appearing on 5th January along with Green, Whyte, Withey Clark and Whitehouse.
    If it is our Imran, he must have been properly served notice of indictment and added back in to ‘The Indictment’.( Perhaps that’s the ‘amended’ indictment referred to last Friday when Her Ladyship agreed to accept the Motion and fixed the date for the Green legal expenses appeal  hearing).
    I suppose that if it is the same Imran, the ‘Preliminary Criminal hearing’ will include him, even though he won’t be there( unless he voluntarily came back from Pakistan?)
    Or can the Rolls of Court be relied upon to be any way more accurate than those of the Royal courts of Justice?!


  4. John Clark 22nd December 2015 at 9:30 pm #
    —————————————————-
    He of the funny “handsheik”, that’s our Imran. 

    It’s good to see the case back on the Roll as it wasn’t there yesterday.

    I’m sure you will recall the reason he was dropped from the indictment at the first hearing.  If he has been reinstated to the indictment and papers have been properly served, then a no show will surely result in Lord Turnbull signing a warrant for his arrest this time round.  


  5. easyJambo 22nd December 2015 at 9:44 pm
    ‘……I’m sure you will recall the reason he was dropped from the indictment at the first hearing.  .’
    _____
    Yes, eJ, and I’m still laughing, which I think I may be allowed to say without being in breach of reporting restrictions.02


  6. tony 22nd December 2015 at 4:35 pm #
    https://johnjamessite.wordpress.com/2015/12/22/the-real-narrative/ make of it what you will

    There are inaccuracies in the detail see 
    http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/in-defence-of-the-4-2-3-1/comment-page-6/#comment-2742168 
    for corrections.

    JJ seems to be pulling together articles or tweets to set a narrative which on UEFA licence is in the right direction but wrong in the detail as set out at CQN.
    My concern is that this detail whilst known, is not being published for fear it might prejudice the court cases, not that the charges are the same, but some of the same individuals feature.
    Call me paranoid but what after I’ve witnessed to avoid justice I’d put nothing past the SFA or their partners in crime.


  7. We have today been assured by NewsNow that our application is in the queue, although they can’t tell us when it will be considered.

    We have also been in contact with our clubs (on 17th Dec), by telephone, about our applications to be put on their mailing lists – and we have had some success.

    • Celtic:  
      PR Officer called me back and assured me he would process the request.
    • ICT:  
      PR Officer promised she would process.
    • Aberdeen:
      PR Officer called me back and asked me to email him our details. Didn’t seem too keen, but who knows? At least he had the courtesy to call back.

    Unfortunately though, I have been skilfully kept at arms length by the following;

    • St Johnstone:
      Second phone call and a second person was nominated as the man to speak to. Like the first person, he has failed to return the call
    • Hearts:   
      Phone rang out all morning 10
    • Rangers:
      No one was available to speak to me. Asked to email the office (again)
    • Hibs:
      A woman who obviously didn’t like either me or her job (though probably both), wouldn’t put me through to PR. She said she would pass the message on and get someone to call back if they wanted to.
      They haven’t 08
    • Dundee United, Falkirk:
      Failed to call back as promised
    • Ross County, Dundee, Motherwell, QoS:
      All provided alternative emails and asked us to send requests

    We will keep trying of course. It is important that we get ourselves known around the clubs. It will facilitate easier and direct access to clubs and their officials, so we get the ACTUAL story and not the made up or spun versions.

    I hope that anyone who has contacts at their club will speak to them on our behalf.

    It would be good if we were to become the go-to guys when someone wanted a misquote or other misrepresentation corrected.

    Meanwhile we await the first of the Celtic and ICT despatches 🙂

    UPDATE:

    • The very helpful PR guy at Partick Thistle called me and agreed to add us to his list. He also added that if we wanted access to anyone, he would do what he could to assist.
    • The equally helpful Hamilton Accies PR office replied and said they have added us to their list
    • We received our first PR mailing from ICT. It was just the roster for press conferences over the festive period, but it was good to receive it.

    UPDATE 21/12/2015:

    • Another very helpful PR woman – this time at Kilmarnock called and agreed to add us to her list.

  8. Merchant Turnaround with 11mil spare. Fetch me my laughing policeman ’78.


  9. Just about to jet off for Pennsylvania, so may I wish the mods and all posters a very happy Christmas now, in case I am incommunicado in the States. And a happy new year. I’ll be back shortly.02


  10. Merry Christmas when it comes John Clark, hope you have a nice holiday.


  11. Auldheid 22nd December 2015 at 10:39 pm #tony 22nd December 2015 at 4:35 pm #https://johnjamessite.wordpress.com/2015/12/22/the-real-narrative/ make of it what you will
    ====================
    I don’t know what to make of the JJ stuff in general. His recent posts are getting perilously close to a public trial in advance of those awaiting the attention of the courts next month. Is the idea to give the defence in the criminal cases an “out” by claiming that pre-trial publicity makes a fair trial impossible? I really don’t know, but if so, that’s a risky strategy for Mr JJ personally, I would suggest.
    JJ’s motivation has interested me from my first encounter with him on the LSE share site. Is he a Rangers supporter as he claims? Is he a simple truth seeker, as he also claims? I can’t answer either of those questions, but he clearly spends a great deal of time on his blog, and doesn’t appear to solicit any funding to support his efforts. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but a bit unusual, all the same.
    I see that even his most loyal follower, Gordo, (most definitely a true blue Ibrox fan) is starting to get a bit hacked off with JJ’s constant drip drip of bad news about “Rangers” past and present. But then maybe I am overthinking this- it wouldn’t be the first time!  


  12. Big thanks to Jimbo – the sender of the only Christmas card to arrive at SFM Central 🙂

    And Bon Voyage and happy holidays to JC. Pennsylvania won’t know what hit it 🙂


  13. Update on club contacts.

    I’ve had communications from all the promised clubs (mainly notices of press conferences) except Celtic and Partick Thistle, who have thus far not delivered on their promise to put us on their list.

    ICT, Hamilton, Kilmarnock have all sent us stuff.

    I also had a reply on behalf of Ann Budge from her PA. She regretfully declined our offer for the foreseeable future on the basis that time was at a premium.

    A pity, but having the courtesy to reply is a plus in my book. I have replied to ask that I can make the request again in the New Year.


  14. John Clark 23rd December 2015 at 4:49 am #Just about to jet off for Pennsylvania,11
    Merry Christmas John but why can’t you just fly to Pennsylvania like the rest of us bloggers would do instead of behaving like a Sevco director or potential signing?


  15. We have started a test ‘live’ broadcast with all of our podcasts on a loop. This is in advance of some new developments for the New Year.

    The Stream can be found at http://www.sfmonitor.org/sfmradio

    We want to hear from you about your experiences across different platforms.

    Our aim is to improve the quality over the next few weeks and months – and to increase our output.

    Flak-jacket donned 🙂


  16. For myself “Title Stripping ” is merely a euphemism. What is actually required and wanted by fans of a wide variety of clubs, is the admission of guilt and acknowledgement of reality. Yes, Rangers FC won a variety of trophies while fielding ineligible players. Yes, we (directors,management,accountants etc) all told lies about these players registrations and we did not deserve to win those trophies. Equally importantly, we , aided by sympathetic administrators of the Scottish game, cheated the football supporting Scottish public for years. Yes, our club was so badly mismanaged by a knight of the realm and his supportive banking chums, that we were liquidated…and ceased to exist. The club playing at Ibrox is there only because we threatened civil disorder if we had nowhere to focus our long held feelings of superiority and Alex Salmond and The SFA concocted a ludicrous scenario to enable a now equally corrupt facsimile to carry on . No need to strip titles,anyone with a degree of sense knows they were never “won “.REPLY


  17. jonsouthgen
    “What is actually required and wanted by fans of a wide variety of clubs…”
    Is that all?…anyone would think it’s Christmas!21


  18. jonsouthgen
    before any title stripping i want it acknowledged that this is a new club with only a few years history,end this charade first


  19. Jonsouthgen, well said sir.
    We know what was done; we know it was deliberate; we know countless parties from Rangers Ante and Today (RAT), SFA and SPFL prevaricated, aided, abetted and covered up blatant rule breaking. Admit the facts, face the music, apologize and throw yourself on the mercy of the court of public opinion (i.e. the fans who finance ALL Scots clubs and who pay the salaries of the supposed governors of the game).
    ‘Moving on’ is fine and will happen when all the chicanery perpetrated by all three organizations is finally and totally put on display, acknowledged and apologized for by all responsible parties. There has to be a reckoning with a serious and proportionate penalty for all wrong-doing. Toothless and compromised investigations; insignificant little fines that are never paid anyway are absolutely meaningless and insulting.
    As JJ says in The Real Narrative: 

    A cynic might conclude that Scottish football governance will do everything in its power to support and promote Rangers. The SFA’s articles of association are just guidelines for Rangers. There may be hard and fast rules for other clubs, but not for Rangers.

    Ya think??
    Cynics have long suspected on-field assistance for RAT but one doesn’t have to be a cynic to observe the long list of transgressions associated with RAT and logically conclude rather than honest mistakes that there was at the very least tacit approval from the powers that be. 
    If A was involved in dodgy behavior at a club and then joined the governing body, what conclusions can be made if said governing body glosses over any suspected transgression then does nothing to punish one of their own? If A, now at the governing body has anything to do with a club suspected of wrong-doing; and potentially be personally involved in said behavior, then who in their right mind would have A involved in any way in the investigation of A’s former club and indeed of A himself? 
    Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
    Such clear conflicts of interest and refusal to recuse even potentially compromised parties indicates a staggering lack of judgment or a clear indication that the fix was in. 

    Sunlight is the best disinfectant. Start with a real independent audit as opposed to a LNS pre-arranged whitewash; then move on to deliberating appropriate punishment – for all with dirty hands in this.


  20. The latest comments from Mark Warburton are interesting and slightly lacking in his famous “respect”. To say shopping for his wife’s Christmas present is his priority is insulting to Hibs and Alan Stubbs and sounds to me like a man under pressure.
    Cue critical SMSM headlines tonight / tomorrow? Not a chance.
    However his Presser and the reaction to the Falkirk defeat has been revealing.
    My view of the penalty awarded to Falkirk on Saturday.
    Was it outside the box? Almost certainly yes but at least Collum did not show a red card as arguable he should have.Was the penalty Rangers were awarded and missed a penalty? Well, only Willie Collum could have arrived at that decision. However that decision has been almost airbrushed away.
    So two equally wrong decisions evening each other out in the same game. Our media reaction has almost to a man being one of outrage. Have not seen or heard the famous ” these things even things out over the season” yet from anyone.
    What really interests me is that Warburton has been in touch with the SFA and has “received the right answers”. What the hell does that mean? I think we should be told!
    Meanwhile Deila is being slaughtered nightly – second night in a row on Sportsound – and in every paper for being merely a point ahead with a game in hand no comment at all on Warburton having won only 8 points from the last 18 available. The media hypocrisy is staggering but so, so SMSM. I would agree hIs European record is appalling but the comments are so OTT as to be embarrassing – Chick was even speculating tonight that Stranraer could beat them in the Cup on 10 Jan for heavens sake with Spiers and MacIntyre revelling in questioning Deila’s troubles/ future. Immediately after the Deila discussion came an interview with the Rangers manager. Pat Bonnar asked Chick directly was Warburton under threat should they lose to Hibs? Wee Chick, having hammered Deila immediately prior, was unequivocal. Not a chance of him being under threat he declared.
    You really could barely make this stuff up but I suppose it was ever thus.


  21. Tony  6.54

    I had a quick read of that latest JJ blog and unlike the previous where  small errors in detail occurred I thought it spot on re LNS especially that the SFA and SPFL know about the DOS ebts  and have done nothing.

    I welcome the wider dissemination of the story with the msm who made enquiries and were well  briefed in one case, so far failing to report on what JJ has written.

    The inescapable conclusion from LNS (and UEFA 2011 licence) is that RFC had become so much a part of  the organic structure of Scottish football governance it became impossible to kill them off without killing the body they both formed.

    As a result the main body acted to save itself with all concern for what makes football  the sport that it is abandoned..

    So a cover up was organised and ONLY the, silence of the succulent lambs is keeping the truth from both the wider and the footballing public.

    I see Phil Mac Giolla Bhain mention that the media in London are taking an interest and from reading JJ’S blogs I am pretty certain that the songsheet that JJ is singing from is the same as the  London guys have in great detail. Only the court cases where the same detail is available from witnesses are keeping the lid on for now.

    If I were the smsm I would seriously start repositioning  themselves so that when the full story is finally aknowledged they can justify their silence.

    Tic follows toc, follows tic,  follows toc.


  22. Big Pink 23rd December 2015 at 12:41 pm
    =============================

    Re the podcasts.

    You must have had one heck of a paper round. Your avatar looks way older than your voice sounds.

    I am of course assuming that is you in the avatar, or indeed you speaking.


  23. Auldheid
    i  honestly can’t see how the smsm can justify their silence,sure some of them support the old rfc but surely as newspaper men they would want to see people lke king as far away from the club as possible instead of hanging on his every word,what will they write about when rifc go under,which i honestly think will happen


  24. Shame on you mods for pulling my last post , shame on you ! 

    Struggling to work out whether you are pulling our collective legs timabhouy, but shame is not the overwhelming emotion I am experiencing right now.
    If you want to respond directly to JohnJames, then HIS blog is the place to do it. SFM is not a vehicle for anyone to settle scores with others – whether your case is worthy or not.


  25. timabhouy 23rd December 2015 at 10:24 pm #Shame on you mods for pulling my last post , shame on you ! 

    ——————

    I assume this was aired before the MODS ‘pulled it’, if so, I also assume that it broke some of the well known rules.
    Maybe for us that did not see the original, you can have a look and tell us what was wrong with it? A bit of self-reflection. If you don’t see anything that contravenes the rules then by all means, contacts the MODS and ask for an explanation.
    If it was not aired then it was not pulled, just deemed not suitable.
    Either way, this message just just be for the MODS and not for most of us that haven’t seen the content as your message means nothing.


  26. Happy Christmas Eve everyone on here. 02

    When I was a child I think Christmas eve was every bit as magical as Christmas Day.  The expectation, the sleeplessness and the telly was brilliant. 

    When I go and visit my family nowadays on Christmas day, I am staggered at the quantity and quality of the gifts kids get today.  Typical for me would be Meccanno or Lego or a train set (my favourite).  A few other things.  My father was a miner and in the early 1960s pits were shutting down he was a victim of unemployment for a while.  How my parents managed to give us a Christmas like they did is a wonder to me.  I believed in Father Christmas.

    Hope you all have a magical time over the next two days (and beyond).  It can be the best of times and unfortunately the worst of times for those who have suffered a loss.  Best wishes.04


  27. Off Topic.. Jimbo, like you i remember the magic that was Christmas Eve. In our house, part of it was a turkey posted ( yes posted !! ) from Donegal , a Dean Martin album and a bottle of whisky .We four kids went to midnight mass with mum and left dad alone in the house to work his once a year magic . When we returned, there was that glorious smell, a half empty bottle of Crawford’s Five Star and the strains of  “That’s Amore” being belted out by Dino and his dueting Machine Tool Setter from Singer’s sewing machine factory. !! Also like you I remember the magical grotto that we awoke to on Christmas morning ( in a freezing tenement with only one fireplace ) Just how did they manage that !!. Now ,in my sixties and having had many wonderful Christmas Eves and mornings in centrally heated comfort with my own four ( now adults ) who had everything they wished and wrote to Santa for, I wonder if they will look back with the same sense of wonderment when they are my age. To all at SFM, believers and non believers , may the peace and joy of those magical Christmas eves and mornings , be with you and yours ,tonight ,tomorrow and always. …….Merry Christmas SFM.


  28. jimbo 24th December 2015 at 12:15 am
    Happy Christmas Eve everyone on here.
    ———–
    Lovely post jimbo. Brought back memories of gazing into Doig’s Toy Shop on Duke Street in the weeks before Christmas — and the gradual appearence of Christmas trees in folks windaes. Certainly cheered up the black tenements and the dreich 1960s East End in winter. Poverty was a way of life for many of us East Enders, so dreams of Doig’s toys usually remained in the window of Doig’s. Still, selection boxes and annuals were braw, and oranges and thrupney bits in yer stocking wurnae too bad either. In those days you got on with it, Christmas wasn’t hyped up as it is now. I expect children facing poverty today, and who experience a ‘modest’ Christmas, probably feel it more deeply than some of us did because of the slick commercialism promoting a form of celebration not all can afford. 

    As an exile with Christmas Day on the 24th in the evening, it seems a long way from Duke Street. But your past never leaves you. I think there’s a wee bairn in aw of us still oan Christmas Eve 🙂

    Big thanks to all the excellent contributors to this blog in 2015. All the best you and yours this Christmas and onwards and upwards in the new year when it comes. 
    #santaemoji #saltireemoji


  29. Ah the memories,we lived in a Tennement in Maryhill with an outside toilet on the stair landing and the close lit with gas mantles,quality neighbours and poverty not far away,now ,well Xmas happens every day with the gift of life and thoughts go out to folk that are unfortunate to be in a hospital,care home or away from home ,I will be visiting one old guy that we came across living in unbelievable squalor and now placed in a care home which he claims is 5 star,he claims the best present he has ever had was discovering that people cared about him.
    Best Wishes to all


  30. Thanks to Mods and contributors for many hours of reading, informed comment and entertainment throughout the past year. Hope you all have a safe and joyful Christmas and happy New Year. 


  31. “A lot of people think that British journalism is corrupted. I agree with them. Our job as journalists is to tell the truth, but repeatedly we fail. From the great global falsehoods on weapons of mass destruction and millennium bugs to the daily dribble of routine disinformation and distortion, we serve up stories which are no better than the idea that the Earth is flat.”
    “Churnalism has taken the place of what we should be doing: Telling the truth.”

    Nick Davies 04 February 2008


  32. Seems to be some truth in what JJ says but figures not always getting top marks and content a wee bit too close to court cases for my liking. If PMG is correct and MA is getting the Febshire press to print the truth of the stories then it will be interesting to see how the lamb munchers deal with that – two contradictory stories on every day could be funny.

    All I can do is wait though – get the Xmas lamb ready, put the bbq on and have a few refreshments in 38C warmth again. It is a hard life in the tropics at this time of year. 

    Merry Christmas and a very prosperous New Year to all on SFM and this includes PMG amd the Clumpany before someone picks me up in this again.

    Red Lichtie and I still hope for an improved and stronger Arbroath and East Fife in the coming fixtures. Oh and some transparent and consistent administrators for our game from Santa. 


  33. Here’s wishing everyone on SFM a very merry Christmas to you and all your family.

    It would appear, according to PMGB, that Christmas has come a day or two early down Govan way, with the news that yet another ‘soft loan’ has been delivered by reindeer drawn sled to meet the £2.5m the company auditors said was required to see out the season.  I do wonder at the rush to have it in their coffers before New Year, though, when it’s to see them to the end of the season. Surely if they require it now, while also trying to raise the £5m for SD, further monies will be required before it is time to sell next season’s STs! If they have to use it, in part, to meet this month’s salaries, and maybe some bills, surely there won’t be enough to do similar on each of the three or four pay days before the money, earmarked for next season, begins to roll in.

    What’s more, if it is sufficient to see out the season, why not use it now to pay off SD, which would surely leave £2m to be going on with, with time to raise more once SD has been removed from the equation, unless, of course, the answer to the question, ‘how much do you have on deposit at a solicitors?’ would no longer be glibly answered with the figure £4.5m! I wonder if £2m would now be closer to the truth on that one.

    Anyway, at least Phil’s news ensures the Hibs won’t have to cancel the team bus for Monday 21


  34. Wishing all contributors and lurkers the very best for Christmas and the New Year.
    I would wish that the Ghosts of Journalists Past, Present and Future pay a nocturnal visit to those who bring shame on their profession.
    Peace on Earth.


  35. https://t.co/p04pZMRryN

    WE are pleased to announce that payment has today been sent to Sportsdirect.com Retail Limited of the full amount of the loan facilities provided by that company to The Rangers Football Club Limited.
    ___________


  36. Club statement:

    Thursday, 24 December 2015, 14:15by Rangers Football Club WE are pleased to announce that payment has today been sent to Sportsdirect.com Retail Limited of the full amount of the loan facilities provided by that company to The Rangers Football Club Limited.


  37. andy 24th December 2015 at 2:29 pm #
    Allyjambo 24th December 2015 at 2:29 pm #
    —————————————————
    I’m always wary of statements that don’t provide full details of the transactions involved.

    What is actually meant by the “full amount of the loan facilities”? Is that the full £5M, or £5M plus extras, or an amount hat the club believes they are due, or some other figure that includes a dividend due from RRL? If it was repayment of just the £5M, then why not say that explicitly in the statement.


  38. A very merry Christmas and a very happy and prosperous 2016 to all SFM contributors. Special thanks to the Moderators who keep this forum the relatively sane and respectful place it is.

    There will be lot for us to discuss in 2016, and here’s hoping the various upcoming court cases will provide us with the answers to so many questions the authorities ignore, and the media simply refuse to ask.  If there is to be any of the ‘moving on’ that keeps getting spoken about there simply has to be closure on the many issues currently preventing that. 


  39. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/35174477
    Someone at the English FL has a cold heart, sending out FFP penalties just before Christmas.
    Although I suppose it does stop the warchests being opened unnecessarily when the January sales start.
    When will Doncaster be adding that to the reconstruction gerrymander proposal? 15

    I see that QPR have still not paid their fine from 2013-14, so it’s not just one of their Scottish namesakes that thinks the rules only apply to everyone else. (Not the Spiders, to avoid any doubt).


  40. Re the Loan Repayment statement. It states: ‘WE are pleased to announce that payment has today been sent to Sportsdirect.com Retail Limited of the full amount of the loan facilities provided by that company to The Rangers Football Club Limited’
    No mention of £5million or any amount for that matter. Somewhere in the misty recesses of my drink addled brain I seem to remember that the loan was paid in 2 separate Tranches. Was one of these payments from MASH and NOT Sportsdirect.com. They seem to emphasise ‘that company’ in the statement. Could this be more smoke and mirrors? Just my opinion though.


  41. Happy Festivus to all 222222

    The ‘Club Statement’ is indeed worded rather awkwardly. It smacks of what used to be the second commonest lie in the world, “The cheque’s in the post” (not that I’m suggesting that payment isn’t in the works, no sirree!).

    The timing of the payment seems a little ‘off’ as well, as I doubt any legals will be fully cleared up by the end of December, suggesting that the securities won’t be returned until the 1st of February.


  42. Have  a great time over the festive period and new year. Hopefully next year we will get our sporting game back but I fear we will have to again play our part as our gutless smsm and SFA will have the same new year resolutions as always. I also thank the mods for the work they put in. Thank you. 


  43. Carfins Finest 24th December 2015 at 3:28 pm #Re the Loan Repayment statement. It states: ‘WE are pleased to announce that payment has today been sent to Sportsdirect.com Retail Limited of the full amount of the loan facilities provided by that company to The Rangers Football Club Limited’No mention of £5million or any amount for that matter. Somewhere in the misty recesses of my drink addled brain I seem to remember that the loan was paid in 2 separate Tranches. Was one of these payments from MASH and NOT Sportsdirect.com. They seem to emphasise ‘that company’ in the statement. Could this be more smoke and mirrors? Just my opinion though.

    The original £2/3m was from MASH. Then £5m was loaned by SD on the understanding that the MASH loan would be repaid from that money. My query re the wording is whether they have had to pay more than the original £5m as SD considered them to  have been in default since March. Were there penalty clauses in there, as reported by PMG and hinted at by SD several months ago.

    Merry Christmas everyone.


  44. Methil hill Stroller.
    A bit more on what the English and Scottish media have and when it’s likely to surface from my comment on the JJ Blog.
    Alfie Birches
    The English media have had both the LNS and Res12 detailed narratives since Aug and only other priorities and unwillingness to prejudice upcoming trials has stopped them using it so far, but they know the background.
    Two well known Scottish outlets asked for and have had the LNS narrative drawn from the Scottish Football Monitor series of blogs for the last 8 weeks or so. Confidentiality was promised so no names no pack drill but so far nothing published. 
    The narrative on both LNS and Res12 is evidence based, much more detailed than anything in the public eye so far and more accurate in parts than published here (but the inaccuracies do not impact on the general thrust of the JJ blogs touching on both, which is welcome in terms of raising awareness )  
    Significantly no journos who have seen the evidence based narrative on LNS have refuted it but more significantly none  have published the story.
    The SPFL have taken no action on LNS following letters from SFM to their lawyers in 2014  and passed the ball to the SFA who too have done nothing.
    The SFA’s attention was drawn to failings in the UEFA 2011 licence process in Aug 2014 and they appear to have  done nothing since then. They are still being pursued for answers under Res12.
    The English media will pick up on the narrative which they were not willing to do before because of questions of the provenance of the evidence.
    That provenance reason, which stopped Ch4 blowing the whistle in 2013, will fall with the upcoming trials and Ch4, along with other English media outlets already  have the research from a reputable source, who would not have used it if it did not stand up, to give the English media quite a head start.
    That detailed narrative itself awaits the court cases for fear of prejudicing them (a fear JJ should perhaps consider more) before it too gets published, so it’s only a matter of time before the public know what has taken place.
    If it all comes out by April with ST’S due for renewal, what should have been done from 2011 will have to be done, although it would be better for our game here if it were done because it is the right thing to do rather than under duress.


  45. I hope all of you have a very happy and peaceful Christmas and all the best in 2016.


  46. Homunculus 24th December 2015 at 12:58 pm #As it’s clearly time for seasonal messages I think I can do no better than posting the words of a wise man.
    ========================
    Hasn’t DK done one this year, and had it jetted in for transmission on RTV? (is there still such a thing?)
    Who better to talk about Santa Claus to the young bears than the man who has convinced an entire People to believe in the concept of the eternal ethereal football club and the existance of the El Dorado-like warchest?

    Merry Christmas to one and all from a cold and windy, but for now dry, East Anglia.


  47. It’ll be interesting to see if there is anything left in the warchest now other than war-buttons!  With all due respect, of course!21


  48. John Clark “jetting” off to the USA: I can reassure you that we have t’internet over here! 😉 Worst case, visit the nearest Starbucks: coffee is rotten/overpriced but WiFi is free/decent.

    Jimbo sending the only card to SFM: ya big sook! 🙂

    SFM/BP/Tris/mods : thanks for another year of engrossing website info and debate – and not forgetting the significant progress with the addition of a physical address and incorporation. Much appreciated.

    Club contacts and press releases: we should all be hassling our clubs and demand they  improve their customer service and engage with SFM.

    And now that contacts are identified, maybe SFM could issue its own Press Release in the new year to all 42 clubs…informing them just what it would take for the paying Scottish footie fans to consider ‘moving on’…?

    And a very Merry Christmas to Internet Bampots everywhere!


  49. Merry Christmas Stevie BC 0304

    Anyway I’m busy tonight shepherding  my wee guys 191919 to a special appointment. 02

    (Baby Jesus smiley)


  50. Since the loan was to TRFCLtd , why is it a topic for discussion at RIFC AGM ?
    Wishing all a merry and relaxed Christmas , and a happy and prosperous 2016 .


  51. Prohibibby 6.57
    Perhaps of interest to your club in particular.
    http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/dec/24/fulham-nottingham-forest-bolton-football-league#img-1
    It explains why Scottish football does not introduce a domestic version of FFP like the English Championship has.
    At least one club would be operating under sanctions crippling to their hopes or not being allowed to operate at all
    As long as accommodating that one club is a key policy matter our game will never enjoy good financial health.
    I’m not sure what Hibs position is financially  but if they were to meet requirements of similar nominal FFP rules and lost promotion to TRFC, if I were Hibs I’d be demanding fair play.
    Common governance sense like gravity bends around the black hole that TRFC has  been allowed to become.
    Domestic FFP has no chance of being introduced in Scotland since it would only introduce another set of rules that the game would have to ignore to keep one club in it whereas applying such rules would in the long term return that club to financial health.


  52. Merry Christmas to all and a Happy and Peaceful New Year 02


  53. Echoing other posters wishes, may you all have a joyful Christmas (don’t over do the vino). Onwards and upwards for SFM and our fabulous posters. I’m an avid reader but not much of a poster but we’re all one big happy family with the interests of Scottish football at heart, no matter which team you support. Bon Voyage for 2016.


  54. Aulheid, I couldn’t agree more with the points you make.  Hibs finances are a bit beyond my ken, I’m afraid, but debt they do have and I believe/trust it is being honestly and responsibly managed.  I certainly wouldn’t want to assume the moral high ground over my club’s fiscal prudence – or sit in judgement over the financial management of any other club as I really don’t have much of a clue.   Neither do I have anything other than a superficial understanding of English FFP rules. Having said that, I just can’t for the life of me understand how a club that has risen out of the remains of an earlier club that did so much damage – so recently – to football in Scotland are being allowed now to behave in the same financially irresponsible and dangerous way as the club that went before.  
    It seems to me they are a dead club walking and the authorities are just not prepared to do anything about it – rules, it seems, do not apply to those the governors of the game consider too important to be bound by them!  Rules of Fair Play haven’t been applied universally in Scotland up to now, what chance is there of FFP rules being applied any more rigorously?


  55. Peace love and understanding to all.
    Especially where that 5 or 6? Million came from.
    Good day to check bank account transfer. Not.


  56. Methilhill Stroller 24th December 2015 at 2:02 pm
    —————————————-
    Had the great pleasure of making your thumbs up count 36-0!

    Let’s hope that 2016 brings all we want for our teams and Scottish Football in general.

    Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.


  57. BP,

    Re your efforts to get on the mailing list for club press releases….

    What was the response from RIFC/TRFC?

    Thus far – silence – although they are not alone.

    Scottish Football needs a strong Arbroath.


  58. Wishing everyone a joy filled Christmas day when we can stop talking turkey for the day and start eating it.
    The New Year promises to be an interesting one that will give SFM lots to monitor and perhaps will be a time for giving the football authorities and media who keep ignoring us just a wee taste of hell? 02

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIHF4rVTK4E


  59. WRT the RIFC/TRFC press release, the weasel wording over whether the loan and any additional penalties (if applicable) have in fact been paid in full and accepted by SD as such, indicated that Traynor is still involved.

    The brevity however suggests that he is not. I think we should be told.

    Additionally, have the SMSM not asked Warbs to comment on the current managerial merry-go-round? With Guardiola having announced that he is leaving Bayern for a “challenge” is he not concerned over the silence from Ibrox? Is his jaiket on a shoogly peg with Pep now available?

    Scottish Football needs answers to these burning questions. And a Merry Christmas.


  60. A big thank you to Big Pink, Trisidium – though I don’t know what a sidium is that you would need three of them- the mods and all those bampots who have posted throughout the year. Looking forward to further bampotery in 2016 and of course  a fairer game, fairly administered. 


  61. Wishing all of us wee bampots, a 19 free Xmas. 02


  62. Big Pink.
    Emailing at 11.08pm on Christmas Eve?
    Methinks someone is touting for a gig at some organisation which is fond of putting out statements at the last minute of the working week; just before public holidays…
    Don’t do it. Lamb poisoning is a terrible thing.
    Nollaig Chridheil to all.


  63. Very wry and appropriate Xmas card for us received yesterday 🙂

    and also ..
    Lugosi
    Rumbled!


  64. A source on Jambos Kickback with legal connections has stated that 33 weeks have been allocated for the Fraudco trial next year.  I don’t know how reliable the source is but the duration seems to be a reasonable estimate. 

    JC better get an order in for a supply of notebooks in preparation for writing a book about the proceedings. 


  65. STICKY:

    The mods have decided, at gunnerb’s suggestion to donate £100 to the Yorkhill Children’s Hospital.

    In addition, we will donate £1 for every item of merchandise sold during December and January.

    In fact this was an idea that one of you came up with several weeks ago. We just dropped the ball on it.

    In fact we did a similar thing in honour of Paul McConville when we donated around £600 to the British Heart Foundation on a fund set up in Paul’s name – so we have previous – and successful previous at that.

    If anyone wants to add to our total, please either send a PayPal donation to SFM (stating YORKHILL in the message), or better still (to avoid PayPal fees) send it direct to us via bank transfer (again, put “YH” in the reference)

    Details as follows

    Name:         Scottish Football Monitor
    Bank:          Barclays
    Sort Code:   20-33-70
    Account No: 50296260

    We will aggregate the amount, including any donations, and send it to Yorkhill at the end of January. Had we not dropped the ball on this idea, we could have had this all sorted by Christmas – however it is better late than never.

    Running total on Yorkhill Fund is £211.77. I think we may be on track to donate around £300 🙂

    EDIT TO UPDATE (suggested Redlichtie): A poster from darn sarf – who wishes to remain anonymous – has agreed to donate £5 for every £10 donated by the rest of us 06


  66. A source on Jambos Kickback with legal connections has stated that 33 weeks have been allocated for the Fraudco trial next year.  I don’t know how reliable the source is but the duration seems to be a reasonable estimate. 
    JC better get an order in for a supply of notebooks in preparation for writing a book about the proceedings. 
    =======================================================================
    If we expect JC to sit for 33 weeks on a hard wooden bench, it won’t be notebooks I’ll be sending him, it will be a copy of War and Peace and a tube of haemorrhoid cream.


  67. That turned out a great Christmas Day after all.  I’ve had a rotten chest infection and I thought I wouldn’t get out today, but it turned out fine.  My absolute favourite grand nephew is a wee Rangers fan even although he doesn’t like football!!!   I tried to convince him of the great Celtic FC, to no avail. On Sunday I’m going to watch the game with my best mate who is a Jambo. 

    You can’t pick your family or even your friends it seems! 21

    PS I’ve got plenty of Celtic pals too in case you feel sorry for me. 

    Once again, Merry Christmas whoever you support.  02

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