Some of us are old enough to remember the days when we played football in the streets with lamp posts for goals. The “baw” in my day was a plastic “Hampden Frido” (with wee studs that left yer forehead looking like a golf ball when heading it – see picture) and a “Wembley Mettoy”.
Cue memories of MouldMasters and days of pain and glory
But I digress.
The plastic ball was prone to bursting and on a good day or evening a replacement was secured by the original version of crowd funding.; However, the Calton then was a poor neighbourhood and sometimes the “baw” depended on the generosity of a single provider.
This came with risks because generous folk can still be bad losers and if the provider’s team of rags, taigs and bluenoses (remember when that didn’t matter) was getting a drubbing or a high shot was deemed a goal but he protested because he was only 4 feet 6 tall and ,with no crossbar ,height is but a subjective perspective, hence argumentative, or perhaps the goal that created a 10 goal gap occasionally saw the baw ,metaphorical if not physically, land on the slates, at which point the provider and now owner, out of his sense of entitlement as owner, grab the baw and threatened to storm off in the huff.
As long as the game was everything and in the Calton then EVERYTHING was fitbaw, the bawless plebs were only too willing to reduce the imaginary cross bar height or take their foot off the gas, hence the derogatory saying of those who capitulate too easily “they hivnae any baws”.
Memories! Wit are they like and what is the connection to modern day Scottish professional football?
I’m indebted to this article by The Battered Bunnet first posted on CQN on 30 June 2012 at https://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/abject-failure-of-leadership/comment-page-2/#comment-1479329 since reproduced on other blogs including SFM but worth reproducing here:
“Senior Hampden source tells ch4news cannot see how RFC were allowed to play lastseason at all. Doesn’t believe they met finance criteria…”
Alex Thomson – Twitter
Alex Thomson’s tweets yesterday re ‘senior Hampden source’ casting doubt on Rangers’ eligibility to obtain a Club Licence last year were rather intriguing.
We have by now a clearer picture of the failure of governance at Rangers through the David Murray/ John McClelland/ Alastair Johnston/ Craig Whyte years, albeit we await further definitive details from the judgement of the Tax Tribunal. Essentially, over a period spanning 2 decades, the means that Rangers used to sustain its football operation utterly disregarded the requirements of both corporate governance and football regulation. While the scandal related solely to payments and procedures within Rangers, we could hope that it was contained internally.
However, the revelation that Rangers paid former manager Souness via EBT while he was manager at Blackburn Rovers confirmed for the first time that the scandal had become external. I understand that RangersTaxCase and Alex Thomson have further information on the extent of payments to Souness and also to Walter Smith, and look forward to the details being revealed, but it is now clear that the Rangers ‘toxin’ had leached out of the club by 2001.
The compelling question now is: How far did the toxin spread?
Was it contained within the ‘outer circle’ of former Rangers employees, however inexplicable such payments may appear? Or did it extend beyond that outer circle, and contaminate senior figures in the Game in Scotland. The contamination does not relate solely to payments from Rangers’offshore trust, but more subtly perhaps, the behaviour of individuals in positions of influence.
We know that Rangers’ Executive Chairman JohnMcClelland was an SPL Board member during the startling ramp up of EBT use from 2003 to 2005, and was himself a beneficiary of the scheme.
We know that Rangers’ Chief Executive Martin Bain was an SPL Board member 2008 to 2011, coinciding with the receipt by Rangers of the HMRC assessments on the EBT scheme, of which he was himself a beneficiary.
We know that current SFA President Campbell Ogilvie was simultaneously an SFA Director and Executive Director and Company Secretary of Rangers, and was a beneficiary of the scheme.
These parallel functions of course present a profound conflict of interest for each man, at once implementing a scam on the Game to disguise a fraud on the Revenue, while owing specific legal duties of care to the Game being scammed.
So far, so shabby.
Thomson’s tweets yesterday indicate a doubt on the part of a ‘senior Hampden source’ that Rangers were eligible to hold a Club Licence last season, thus disqualifying them from participating in European competition, and perhaps Scottish Football too. Is this doubt grounded in a retrospective review of the licence qualifying criteria given what has emerged recently? Or was there a ‘blind eye’ turned by the SFA’s Licensing Committee to information in the public domain at the time of the Licence application? In this respect the ‘Wee Tax Case’ represented a fundamental failure against at least one Licence criterion.
The proposals to the SFL clubs this week make it plain that should the SFA conclude the outstanding Disciplinary issues against Rangers with either suspension or expulsion of Rangers from the SFA(perhaps the only sanctions remaining available to the SFA following Lord Glennie’s Judicial Review) that the Game will face ‘financial meltdown’.
Concurrently, the SPL has adjudged Rangers to have a prima facie case to answer in respect of SPL rule breaches on player registration, the outcome of which will confirm that the club fielded ineligible players in upwards of 400 SPL matches. The only possible disciplinary outcome given such a sustained breach of SPL rules, corrupting the completion as it did from its inception in 1999 to 2011, is expulsion from theSPL.
As a consequence, the SFA, as the authority responsible for implementing FIFA’s Rules on the Registration of Players, will be required to act on these breaches of FIFA rules. Again, expulsion for what amounts to Championship fixing is inevitable.
Curiously, the SFL, this week asking its members to vote to admit the Sevco Rangers club into their top tier, has the same issue given that its League Cup competition featured dozens of ineligible Rangers players through the years, and further claims by Hugh Adam that its‘Premier Division’ competition during the 1990s was similarly bent through the use of ‘off the books’ payments to players by Rangers.
The scale of it all is breath-taking and were the rules of the Game to be applied, Rangers FC would be expelled from each Governing body in turn, before we even consider the extraordinary breaches of faith and duties by co-serving Directors.
But according to the SFL/SFA/SPL circular to clubs, “Rangers Terminated or Suspended’ will cause “Financial Meltdown”.
To avoid this meltdown, it is proposed by the Executives of the combined SFL/SFA/SPL that the rules of the Game are not applied to Rangers, and that the clubs effectively rewrite the rule book to permit what remains of the club to compete at the top of the SFL.
In effect, according to the Governing Bodies,the Rules of the Game CANNOT be applied to Rangers or the Game’s finances will‘meltdown’.
The corollary question this raises is: For how long have the Governing bodies been so unable to apply the Rules of the Game to Rangers? Is this a new epiphany, or a longer standing recognition?
When Rangers submitted their allegedly ineligible application for a Club Licence in 2011, did the SFA recognise that Rangers failing to participate in Europe would cause the club to fail, as it subsequently did? Were the Rules ignored to avoid ‘financial meltdown’ then?
How far did the toxin spread?
Did this recognition extend back to the period following the disintegration of Murray International, hitherto Rangers’ source of continuing funding? Was the season of ‘Honest Mistakes’ some absurd, dutiful reaction to the recognition that should Rangers fail, Scottish Football would melt down?
Was the ineligible status of so many of Rangers’ first team players noticed prior to the SPL’s Inquiry commencing on 5th March? Was it noticed in an Audit as part of the SFA’s Club Licensing process some years ago? Was it noticed by the recent SFA Chief Executive Gordon Smith, who as an Agent had represented players on Rangers’ books through his Directorship of Prostar Management and other Agencies?
Beyond the duplicity of Ogilvie, McClelland and Bain, were Rangers’ irregular practices known to others at the SFA and SPL,others who chose not to address the matter, thus further contaminated the Governing Bodies with the Rangers toxin?
It is heartening that the Liquidators of Rangers plc will be instructed to examine all of the circumstances surrounding the failure of Rangers as a corporate entity. Equally, perhaps the detail contained in the Tax Tribunal judgement will reveal further connections,hitherto unknown.
What is likely to remain hidden from view though, is the full extent to which key influencers at the Governing Bodies were aware of Rangers’ conduct and circumstances, and how this affected their behaviour and their decision making in applying the rules of the Game to that club.
What we can say with certainty now though is that the people holding office at the Governing Bodies are unable or unwilling to apply the Rules of the Game to Rangers, despite the breaches being fundamentally and profoundly corrupt. The SFA and SPL, despite having outstanding disciplinary cases against Rangers that will, in all other circumstances see the club expelled from the Game, are intent to delete the cases provided the SFL clubs accept the Sevco Rangers into the SFL’s top division.
The Rules of the Game cannot be applied to Rangers.
When the rules cannot be applied, the Game itself is broken, and we can say now with some certainty that the Rangers toxin has spread beyond the club, its former employees and Directors of the Governing Bodies, and contaminated the very Game itself. The Office Bearers of the SFA,whose FIFA mandate requires them to “protect and foster the Game” in Scotland,and “protect it from abuses”, have contrived to do the contrary, to the point where the Game is stricken.
It is for this reason that a thorough clear out of the Office Bearers in the Governing Bodies is now a prerequisite to the Game recovering from the poison inflicted upon it by Rangers. The dissolution of the Governing Bodies is perhaps appropriate.
Clear your desk Gentlemen, the bus to ignominy departs shortly.
The position that the SFA and then SPL found themselves in is perfectly clear from the foregoing. Desperately keen for commercial reasons to hold onto the “baw” they changed the rules, but never took ownership of the baw from the owner and so are still beholden to him.
Hence the blog title “We Are Going To Need Another Baw “ because the one currently in play is burst, stuffed with £14M worth of share vouchers.
What was done in 2012 was understandably commercially necessary, but the price to be paid was twofold:
- Not just to the integrity of our game then but the ongoing price now, where all energies are directed at continuing to pretend that the rules are followed without fear of favour.
- The idea that the Scottish game cannot survive without a “ Rangers” is one that most folk would accept but the danger arising, which is unacceptable, is that because of it “Rangers” think they can do as they please as a result which requires rules to be reinforced. And seen to be reinforced.
They clearly aren’t under the SFA’s own rule enforcing process called the Judicial Panel Protocol https://www.sfm.scot/jpp-perverting-justice/ not to mention Club Licensing processes that have so far manged to avoid the scrutiny that, had Resolution 12 been acted upon in 2013, would have resulted in changes that would protect the game from all those who think it is still their baw.
The general perception of supporters is that lessons have not been learned from past behaviour.
Until there is evidence that they have, for example: the Judicial Panel Disciplinary Tribunal investigating at snail’s pace the process followed in 2011 that allowed a UEFA licence to be granted to Rangers FC without question, coming to conclusion or providing reasons why it cannot by the spring, the perception will continue to be “Its all about Rangers” followed by what is the point?.
Is it not about time now that the fear that drove thinking in 2012 was faced and recognised by all clubs as unfounded and a new integrity filled baw was used?
What is there to fear now from restoring integrity to its rightful place, unless of course you were party to the thinking that kicked the integrity of our game to death in 2012 and are still in a position of influence?
RANGERS INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL CLUB PLC
Company number SC437060
27 Dec 2018 Group of companies' accounts made up to 30 June 2018 This document is being processed and will be available in 5 days.
Is that not just the accounts released a few months ago becoming available via Companies House.
https://media.rangers.co.uk/uploads/2018/10/RIFC-30th-June-2018_09_FINAL.pdf
WOTTPI, ex Ludo, Trisidium, et al 21-24 Dec
I heard stories about that dressing room bust up involving Jon Gould, Viduka and others and how Barnes just stood there and said nothing as the dressing room tore itself apart at half time of the SuperCali game.
It was my impression he didn’t blame his sacking on race but the lack of subsequent opportunities.
His win record at Celtic is very similar to Murty at Rangers (and better than Gerrard!) but 8 losses in 29 games is not going to keep you as manager of Celtic, who of course at least gave him a shot at management…
Btw in respect to gettin opportunities, it took him a decade to get another management role (at Tranmere) – where his record was 10 losses in 14 games.
redlichtie 27th December 2018 at 16:06
Homunculus 27th December 2018 at 16:53
===============================
The RIFC accounts are those that were published a few weeks before their AGM.
What may or may not be more interesting are the football club's accounts (TRFCL), which are also pending, waiting for CH to make them viewable. You sometimes find the odd thing about loans or funding either as part of the main accounts or in post balance sheet events, that were not included in the parent company accounts.
file:///L:/ger%202/164607084-5-Way-Agreement-As-issued-to-all-parties-for-signature.pdf
………………….
Found this while having a little clear out.
External Draft 6
AGREEMENT AMONG
SUBJECT TO CONTRACT: DRAFT
(1) THE SCOTTISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION LIMITED
(2) THE SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE LIMITED
(3) THE SCOTTISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE
(4) THE RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB PLC (IN ADMINISTRATION)
(5) SEVCO SCOTLAND LIMITED
……………….
And just a test post from me to see if i could post such a link.
Sorry if i’m intruding on anything.
easyJambo
27th December 2018 at 18:09
=========================———–
Companies House have announced that TRFC accounts will be available in 5 days as well.
THE RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB LIMITED
Company number SC425159
27 Dec 2018 Full accounts made up to 30 June 2018
This document is being processed and will be available in 5 days.
Apart from an interesting derby in Edinburgh there is another one in Glasgow. Oh yes there is!
As one team is riding it's luck after some recent poor displays, the other team seems to have overcome it's own dip in form and looks to be much better prepared.
So…
The SMSM might be obediently copying/pasting stories tomorrow and on Saturday, including;
Good News – one team is ‘making enquiries' about signing several rather decent new players…
Bad News – one team has behind the scenes troubles and has dissatisfied players, [or manager?], ‘desperate’ to leave their current club…
Of course, as it's just speculation on my part, I couldn't possibly name the clubs involved!
Morning all,& a belated Merrty Christmas.
My browser won't let me copy & paste here so for anyone interested,the TRFC Ltd accounts are now available on the companies house site.
The copy and paste function seems to be faulty on the site this morning. Maybe it’s just my tech prowess though.
There is also a problem with tickets for the game at Ibrox tomorrow. Per VideoCelts, seems the company running Ibrox are looking to get tickets back from their own support.
https://document-api-images-prod.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/docs/K8nbZ4yJbUM8xKA8uw-xFyHhetmLkGNAjJ9NS9Pe0R8/application-pdf?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=ASIAWRGBDBV3KHIEG4JP%2F20181228%2Feu-west-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20181228T102018Z&X-Amz-Expires=60&X-Amz-Security-Token=FQoGZXIvYXdzEA4aDB3RBv4yCbEp63%2FWjCK3A0VTwXRvMOewPEICkA9ByJbWKU%2FFBdFB%2BECFOx3I9GO2EJTKjashtSphPUJ43i8m4tJNo5q%2B7vpQ8GMQFz%2FmfL%2B5r5sKozbLiFNEdEpYi%2FqNrYjvhJvLM8v6O1lG2JvZPx7iPgk%2F%2BwKEsynO3rr%2BXCojwtcLRjjM1kZf%2FipOnYAV4Ujk%2FAij36ao2Jd0AEv%2FCjdCr6Te9M6MNyVK9CXrjzwfR%2FmzdmjYKJRQ2dDIkaBTC%2BP%2Fks3ivfdv3nrExEevZa2%2Fq%2Bt5HgIGk9H8W4HwmS94JmIF9LNrMjtyayfLfBE7fQT3JHQmhzMeP0CxjiRclbDMGIhCdIidms4gz%2FB%2Fc6XAmtJv%2BMEZpLX1xQSQRUfKPZc%2BAIYoulAcwrORk2rm8ElvBMzRc5ZZx5urhTVwwUOcSk2ALii5n2Ewp16uWRJYJjAgEHzHjZxyRBEoeUZi6LvdMyjRZKnxcl2zV%2Bhl7zxAHPratfCfd6bEA%2B%2FxC9DbXtQVWDp8qZ8H%2B1elBJAfG9Pa%2ByvCw8Dnl7tE5sQRRxuuJwJq7dLCS4jy1ETycZby2ciFZPF8iqN9D1SEoZy5fn2uIC%2FP16Eo786W4QU%3D&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=2c1cb3bcc6f8ef9ec4ae5fbec6926735b5b3f68b448ff804d8ce93f42a81cebc
Jeezo, That is a link and a half. lol…. Just for a pesky, “Overdraft facility”
No mention of actual numbers, but on top of TOP’s £12m and Uncle Mick’s costs, it will be painful……………..Hope the link works….Maybe need to C&P
John Clark 27th December 2018 at 14:10
This may, or may not help. Ray Gatt's twitter profile:
Ray GattVerified account
@Gatty54
Chief soccer writer The Australian. Fisherman. Love my family, Liverpool FC, Celtic FC, Balmain Tigers, CC Mariners. Views my own. Retweet not an endorsement
Sydney
theaustralian.com.au
Joined March 2011
For simplicity, go here and click on the link to the PDF
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/SC425159/filing-history
The TRFC accounts are now viewable on the Companies House website and as expected show much of the same information as the parent company accounts, with a few little extra snippets. A few points to take forward are as follows:
Confirmation of funding requirements of £4.6m for this season (first tranche in January) and a further £3m for next season. (strategic report – going concern)
The football club's loss for the year was £12.268m (income statement – p14) – that means that the RIFC loss of £14.341m included a loss of £2.073m by the parent company. (consolidated income statement)
Budgeted for at least 3rd place in the league. (note 1 – critical sensitivities)
Requires to make the EL group stages at least twice in the next five years. (note 1 – critical sensitivities)
Directors Stewart Robertson received salary and benefits of £311k and Andrew Dickson £183k (note 6)
Transfer payables of £7.336m due this season and £5.340m in future years. (note 14)
The club has now received a cumulative £41.525m in capital contributions in its lifetime. (note 22)
The cumulative retained earnings (actually losses) over the club's six year existence is -£34.315m (note 23)
The club received £567.5k in dividends from Rangers Retail Ltd. (note 25)
Litigation continues with SDI and a new retail deal is being negotiated. (note 26)
Litigation continues with Orlit Enterprises – case due to be heard in early 2019 (note 26)
Post balance sheet costs associated with player registrations and incoming loan players is £6.24m (note 27)
Post balance sheet income associated with player registrations and outgoing loan players is £3.92m (note 27)
The club received a further £1.525m in cash from the recent RIFC share placing (note 27)
Thanks EJ
Was "The club received a further £1.525m in cash from the recent RIFC share placing (note 27)" in addition to the £6m or so we were assured would be available after conversion of debt to equity etc.
Subsidiary question, I take it that would be a loan from the parent PLC to the subsidiary company.
Homunculus 28th December 2018 at 11:30
Thanks EJ
Was "The club received a further £1.525m in cash from the recent RIFC share placing (note 27)" in addition to the £6m or so we were assured would be available after conversion of debt to equity etc.
Subsidiary question, I take it that would be a loan from the parent PLC to the subsidiary company.
======================================
The previously proposed £6m extra cash from the share placing didn't materialise. The bulk of the funds raised (£11.1m of £12.6m) didn't involve money changing hands as it was a debt for equity swap.
The funding requirements are in addition to the money received from the share placing (going concern statement "Such amounts are in addition to the funds raised by the share issue in September 2018").
They have stopped recording such funding as "loans" and use "capital contributions" instead as, in accounting terms at least, the club doesn't expect to pay them back.
Accounts also published today for Garrion Security Services, which provides TRFC's match day stewarding, shows that it continues to make losses year on year. It was £197k this time, on revenue of £797k, not helped by staff costs of £804k and administrative expenses of £218k. It now owes the parent company £610k.
I assume that the club still sees this in house operation as a better option than using a truly third party company, like Group 4 or Rock Steady, to provide stewarding. The total cost to the club for the services provided will be around £1m for the full year.
Just seen the barriers put in place to protect the Celtic fans at Ibrox tomorrow. Along with a demand from Police Scotland that their is only 1 approach for Celtic Fans and that they have to be in car park or 11.00 or forget it. 90 Minutes before kick off.This sort of thing should have alarm bells ringing all over the place. This is disgusting that we have to go to these lengths to see a football match all because the home fans are so consumed with hatred for the opposition. Disgraceful and disgusting. This is worse than going to play the old rangers team during the violent era of the seventies/early eighties. This should not be allowed. If your fans are so violent and intolerant then go play somewhere else.
easyJambo 28th December 2018 at 11:43
The previously proposed £6m extra cash from the share placing didn't materialise. The bulk of the funds raised (£11.1m of £12.6m) didn't involve money changing hands as it was a debt for equity swap.
———————————————————————
Thanks, which if I remember correctly most of us thought was going to happen anyway.
In spite of people coming here and telling us about half of the money would be "new" cash.
Interesting article in the BBC.
I had not heard about this shocking football story from 70 years ago.
Elements of history repeating itself as well.
Lack of protection.
Mob rule.
Weak FA.
Lack of punishment.
etc…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/amp/football/46693533?__twitter_impression=true
EJ
I'm not familiar with footy specific accounts, but this reads as rather imprudent;
"Requires to make the EL group stages at least twice in the next five years. (note 1 – critical sensitivities.)"
Shirley, they should be budgeting for non-participation in Europe. Anything else would be a bonus.
Applying the same logic, why not budget for optimistically getting to the Europa Cup knockout stages….or even winning 'the Big Cup'?
Any club, with a perennial Going Concern attached to its accounts, should be simply focused on survival. Period.
Planning for – and assuming – Euro participation is both delusional and reckless.
IMO.
[I'm guessing ? that other clubs typically adopt a more conservative approach.]
chill ultra 28th December 2018 at 11:15
"@Gatty54
Chief soccer writer The Australian. Fisherman. Love my family, Liverpool FC, Celtic FC, Balmain Tigers, CC Mariners. …"
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Thank you for that info, chill ultra.
What can I say other than that I am gobsmacked that a journalist ,operating in a foreign country, should be either so crassly uninformed or so servile as to be happy to propagandise on behalf of the untruth that TRFC Ltd is the Rangers of 1872 by speaking of them as if they were continuity 'Rangers of 1872!'
As an angler, Mr Gatt may be of the ' one that got away' type, who exaggerate the size and weight of the fish they nearly caught. That is, those who believe that truth is elastic!
If Gatt believes that TRFC Ltd is the Rangers of 1872, then he is dull of intellect or perverse of will.
"…then he is dull of intellect or perverse of will."
==================
Such an eloquent put down there, down under, JC.
easyJambo 28th December 2018 at 11:20
Thanks ej.
……………….
Unfortunately, Sports Direct has again done its best to interrupt our retail operations by engaging in the type of litigation that they are by now famous for. In my opinion, they use urgent and interim proceedings so that they can drown the court in papers that cannot be adequately reviewed in time. This allows them to get interim relief pending a full ventilation of the facts. In the final analysis Sports Direct has consistently failed with its bullying tactics and I anticipate a similar outcome to the present litigation.
“Overall, our commercial activities continue to provide greater revenue and profit for the club.
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/dave-kings-rangers-agm-speech-13650496
Dave kings speach at this years AGM.
…………………………
The club received £567.5k in dividends from Rangers Retail Ltd. (note 25)
Litigation continues with SDI and a new retail deal is being negotiated. (note 26)
………………..
negotiated.or bullying tactics. Wonder how these negotiations are going after kings AGM statement?
StevieBC 28th December 2018 at 13:06
Shirley, they should be budgeting for non-participation in Europe. Anything else would be a bonus.
Applying the same logic, why not budget for optimistically getting to the Europa Cup knockout stages….or even winning ‘the Big Cup’?
……………..
From kings AGM Speech.
“Overall, our commercial activities continue to provide greater revenue and profit for the club but we need to be challenging at the top of the Scottish Premiership and be consistently back in Europe beyond the qualifying stages before we can generate the levels of sponsorship that a club of our size and history ought to achieve.
…………..
Why budget when all that revenue and profit can be generated at levels of sponsorship, for a club with all that history.
The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is within their grasp all they have to do is overspend to reach it.
Again from king’s speech.
“The impact of not getting the best out of our investment in players is doubly problematic. Not only did we lose out on performance on the pitchweek in and week out, we also lost value when trying to move players on as they were not perceived to be successful at Ibrox which damaged their value to other clubs. This meant that the board was continually having to provide new funds for player arrivals while getting zero or very low values for those going out. That poor quality transfer activity could not continue without threatening everything we have sought to build over the last three years.
…………………..
Pressure on for a win tomorrow to get the value of the players up.
If no win. Would King have prefered the transfer window was open before tomorrows game?
easyJambo 28th December 2018 at 12:03
Accounts also published today for Garrion Security Services, which provides TRFC’s match day stewarding, shows that it continues to make losses year on year.
………………….
With all the match day volunteers you wonder how Garrion Security Services,make losses year on year.The volunteers must take some workload off them.
OUR friendly team of stadium footprint volunteers are present before all home games to help make everyone’s visit to Ibrox Stadium as easy and enjoyable as possible.
Situated at various points outside the stadium, our team of enthusiastic volunteers can help answer any questions you have and provide directions and stadium guidance
Maybe it's the heat, or maybe I'm just a Scotsman abroad who does not take kindly to foreign journalists aping our own SMSM.
Ray Gatt has not acknowledged my earlier email putting him right about the death of that 'Rangers' which once constituted one half of the 'Old Firm'.
Worse than that, in this weekend's edition of 'The Australian' , in today's piece about the Socceroos' coach Graham Arnold's refusal to let Rogic stay to play in the RFC Ltd game , he uses the term 'Old Firm' twice!
So, I've sent thee following email ( ten minutes ago at about 17.07 Saturday 29th.)
letters@theaustralian.com.au
29 Dec at 17:07
For the attention of Mr Ray Gatt
Dear Mr Gatt,
I assume that my previous email addressed to 'letters@theaustralian.com.au' and marked for your attention, was indeed drawn to your attention?
Having just read your piece in today's paper, I see that you seem to be of the same kind of cut and paste 'journalist ' stamp as the miserable hacks who deny that the Rangers Football Club of 1872 foundation ceased to exist as a football club in 2012.
They and you with them are a disgrace to your profession, in persisting in referring to 'the Old Firm'.
As I explained in my previous email, that term applied to the historic 'Rangers' which no longer exists except as a club that went bust and is out of football awaiting the final act of dissolution when the Liquidators have finished their job.The present 'The Rangers Football Club' founded in 2012 has no special connection going back earlier than that year either with the Celtic of 1887 or with any other professional football team in Scottish Football.
And it is shameful that you, a 'foreign' journalist should feel it necessary to propagate a sporting untruth, instead of informing your readers of the truth…"
Bad cess to him and his like.
Bad news for John Clark
Been out and about all day here in England and the 'old firm' term has been getting used everywhere.
Possibly due to the fact that there's no EPL game on but today's game has had more publicity than is the norm.
I was in a pub full of West Brom and Sheffield Wednesday fans when Judas Jack scored. The place erupted and I left!!
Well this is a new dynamic for the Celtic minded in our number ??
Big Pink 29th December 2018
==============================
Top of the league with a game in hand.
Not that new a dynamic.
As a wee diddie team supporter can I say the best team won on the the big Glasgow derby,to be honest Rogers got it so badly wrong King must be laughing his head off.
Bill1903 29th December 2018 at 13:29
'….Been out and about all day here in England and the 'old firm' term has been getting used everywhere.'
_________________________________
Well, when the SMSM journalists persist in telling untruths, the football fans and 'journalists' of other countries will blindly follow. They know no better.
History tells us that the bad guys can get away with their lies for an indeterminate period of time. Hitler got away with his lies for about 12 years, before his Nemesis!
TRFC Ltd have got away with their false claims for six years. Their Nemesis is still to come, be it this year, next year or in ten years.
Regan met his Nemesis some time ago.
And, in the relatively few years left to me, others in office in the SFA will meet their Nemesis. Of that I have no doubt.
The bad guys NEVER ultimately win, whatever stance of bravado they adopt.
And, of course, for the perfidious hacks of the SMSM , their Nemesis in the form of guilt for the betrayal of Truth has already stained and blackened them for the rest of their miserable existences as human beings.
Think of the absolute crap that was fed to us by those hacks! About mega billionaires, about knighted cheats who looked after their own interests first last and all the time, about ethereal entities that don't die by liquidation, about parallel entities that are somehow one and the same when it comes to 'honours and titles' but magically not the same when it comes to public and private debts owed!
What utter sh.tes must they be as human beings :without honour, without personal dignity and self-respect and utterly shameless purveyors of self-seeking untruth.
Poor performance today from Celtic but I thought Brendan Rodgers got it very wrong. A worthy victory for TRFC celebrated with a great deal of relief from all their supporters. Not a fan of the honours system but churlish not to offer congratulations to Gareth McAuley.I imagine he is a very proud recipient of his MBE for services to football .
gunnerb 29th December 2018 at 19:09
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Poor performance today from Celtic but I thought Brendan Rodgers got it very wrong.
………………..
Did he get it wrong? maybe on a one match bases he did, playing players out of position these last few weeks could be Rogers way of letting the board know where he needs to strengthen his squad. BR was the winner today, after three poor transfer windows BR has all the ammunition he needs for the board to back him this window.
Cluster One 29th December 2018 at 21:17
poor performance today from Celtic but I thought Brendan Rodgers got it very wrong.
………………..
Did he get it wrong? maybe on a one match bases he did, playing players out of position these last few weeks could be Rogers way of letting the board know where he needs to strengthen his squad. BR was the winner today, after three poor transfer windows BR has all the ammunition he needs for the board to back him this window.
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LoL how Machiavellian of you .My friends also discussed this as a possiblilty but the majority vote was Naah ,we just got beat.
gunnerb 29th December 2018 at 21:41
There is always two sides to every coin.
Gunner b
The idea that Brendan Rodgers has deliberately sent out a team / formation which is less than optimal in order to force the Board’s hand has been floated on a number of occasions this year.
Only he can answer that charge but if it is true he should be sacked on the spot for gross misconduct.
As for today’s game Celtic were awful and the defeat which had to happen at some point has now arrived. It’s not what any Celtic fan would want but, like the first car park ding on a new car, at least it’s happened and everyone can move on.
I know that criticism of referees doesn’t go down too well on this site, but accepting that the better team on the day won, can anyone explain how Morelos could kick, elbow, stamp on and punch the goolies of four different Celtic players and not collect at least one yellow card – never mind the four reds that could easily have been justified?
justbecauseyoureparanoid 30th December 2018 at 00:37
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To be clear I don't believe the deliberate fail hypothesis, I have to admit that my attention was distracted at times by the horseracing today and so I can't comment fully on the Morelos issue other than the kick out at Brown being a clear card.. I do wonder if this is a good win for Dave King though..January transfer window and one or two good signings etc.
Steven Gerrard has dedicated a very one sided victory yesterday to Dave King. Seems a strange thing to do but whether this turns out to be a watershed moment remains to be seen. What is certain, is that the published accounts and the concomitant going concern warnings paint a very bleak picture for the club going forward but that’s not a picture anyone is looking at today. From my own point of view I believe the victory will be no more than pyrrhic.
Morning all.
No sour grapes from me.Yesterday,the team who wanted it more,won.Deservedly so.
Maybe I'm in a minority but I think I'm entitled to ask about Rodgers contribution to what has been a very lacklustre type of season for Celtic.There seems to be no inspiration,no dig,pride whatever.players seem happy to just go through the motions.
I put it to a friend yesterday that Celtics performance was not really a blip but indicative of how we've played most of the season.Celtic have regressed badly & whilst I accept that the board & players must take some responsibiliy for their actions(or inactions) then the manager must also be held accountable.We play to a plan A.with no back up.Too many defensive errors every game but nothing is done to correct this.Too many players hiding when the going gets tough,like yesterday.
With 7 trophies out of 7 won & still in pole position to add 2 more this season then it's fair that the manager should get this transfer window to right things(and the board should back him).He's earned that chance but if it all goes wrong,and in my opinion,his record in the transfer market isn’t great,then come the end of the season,serious questions will be asked wrt his position.
This doesn’ distract from TRFCs performance yesterday.They turned up,fought for everything & got what they deserved.
Rangers deservedly won a home league game yesterday. They got 3 points and moved closer to Celtic at the top of the table and 1 point ahead of Kilmarnock.
Its a league competition, final places are decided over the course of the whole season, not one-off matches though. If they use this as inspiration and improve their performances and win the league it will be because they deserve to.
The best team wins the league.
Yes, and Gerrard dedicating this win to the Chairman of the holding company just might…mibbees….put a smile or possibly a smirk on King's coupon.
And as the bears celebrate – absolutely deservedly so – their expectations could already have been raised to full blown 'WATP!!!'.
So, if / when CFC splashes the cash in January what will the bears do if Morelos is sold with only loanees arriving at Ibrox?
We've all seen this movie before;
Fans demanding better.
Club applying 'Waltereconomics' to buy players they can't afford etc…
But jeopardizing a club's existence – and the reputation of Scottish football – AGAIN, could be seen as worthwhile at Ibrox, if it affects another club's continued success and if only briefly.
The slomo car crash at Ibrox has sped up a wee bit since yesterday.
IMO.
Sorry, he "dedicated" a home league game to someone.
WTF is that about.
You might dedicate a cup win, or a league win to someone for a specific reason, fair enough. However a home league win, to the chairman of the PLC.
That's just pathetic, he really should have a good look at himself.
Homunculus 30th December 2018 at 13:05
Though I haven't heard the tone in which Gerrard voiced this 'dedication' it does sound more like a message to King than a genuinely heartfelt acknowledgement of the chairman's contribution to the victory.
A sort of 'well there you are, I've given you the biggest win in the history of your club. Now back me with the millions I need to win this league!'
The team that wanted the win most yesterday got it, fair enough. One or two posters have commented on the behaviour of Morelos and I wonder if any non-Celtic fans watched the game and have an opinion on whether the claims are justified.
Morelos should have been booked before the game had even started.
…for his haircut…
Billyargus
I watched the other Glasgow derby before I went to see our latest humiliation and wouldn't have been surprised if he'd been booked for any or all of four incidents I saw . Niggly, off ball stuff that maybe the officials didn't see as other stuff was happening . It will probably reduce his transfer fee to the low £30 millions .
Haven't seen any comment yet about the smokebomb attack on the CFC team bus outside Ibrox . Are the pictures fake ?
Ballyargus 30th December 2018 at 16:30
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The team that wanted the win most yesterday got it, fair enough. One or two posters have commented on the behaviour of Morelos and I wonder if any non-Celtic fans watched the game and have an opinion on whether the claims are justified.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
https://www.facebook.com/GlasgowCelticStream67/videos/364012200847741/
Judge for yourself link will work if you have facebook.
There's a 4th red card offence as well – forearm to the face of a Celtic player – reminiscent of the Simunovic red card (correct decision). Who is the linesman that fails to see or alert the referee? RED CARD RED CARD…the very same Lino but a completely different reaction and decision this time.
Rangers v Celtic ………….. tame stuff!
I went along to the Newtongrange Star v Arniston Rangers local derby on Saturday afternoon. It should have been an easy home win (Nitten took eight off Arniston a few weeks ago), but as derby games go we know not to take anything for granted.
Arniston took the lead against the run of play with well taken goal early doors then Nitten's pressure told with an equaliser a few minutes later. Arniston re-took the lead with a defected free kick a short time thereafter, but that was just a precursor to the real action starting.
First Nitten went down to 10 men after their player had a fresh air kick in the direction of an opponent (I'm told that in some leagues such kicks only merit a yellow card). Things went from bad to worse for Nitten as they went down to nine men following a straight red for a tackle from behind (again it looked no worse than a yellow).
That got us to half time.
Despite the numerical disadvantage Nitten continued to push forward and create chances. They were helped by the ref who contrived to show a red card to an Arniston player for I don't know what, then Nitten went down to eight after another straight red.
A few minutes later it was 8 v 9 as another Arniston player saw red after a second yellow card.
Pressure told in the end as Nitten equalised from the penalty spot after clear foul in the box. However, with reduced numbers on both sides, the game was very open, like basketball with attack and counter attack.
Four minutes into stoppage time and Arniston went down to eight men themselves after a defender made a goal line stop with his arm. The ref was so keen to whistle immediately for a penalty and a red card, he ignored the fact that the ball rebounded to a Nitten player who duly netted from close range.
Penalty to Nitten, but the ball was smashed against the crossbar and away to safety. Further chances at both ends followed but there were no more goals when the ref whistled for full time after maybe eight minutes stoppage time.
So, two goals each, two penalties, six red cards, some fine saves, woodwork hit, and all for £3. That's the way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Easyjambo:
So, two goals each, two penalties, six red cards, some fine saves, woodwork hit, and all for £3. That's the way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
………………………………….
cheers, ej.
Gritty stuff and a pleasant change on here from over-analysis of just another over-hyped, low-scoring Weegie derby….
easyJambo 31st December 2018 at 02:27
'..That's the way to spend a Saturday afternoon.'
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A wave of nostalgia washes over me, eJ, reminding me of my boyhood days living across the road from Parkhead juniors and a street or to away from Bri'g'ton Waverley, and a good few more streets (but easily walkable) from Shettleston Juniors.
19.20 on Hogmanay here, strong drink not yet taken but getting set up for a party, with an English couple, a South African couple(not, sadly Mr King and his spouse!), a Finnish couple, and a couple of expatriate Scots couples: friends of my son and daughter-in-law, and already known to us.
Happy New Year to you, and all other posters on, and readers of , the SFM, and, of course, to the Mods. May our toast be the restoration of truth and honour to our sport and its finest ideals.
Happy New year when it comes JC.
Might it be that the match officials were too scared to take action in the atmosphere at Ibrox , leaving it to see if the Compliance Officer has the nerve to take on the mighty TRFC/RIFC ? Letting a lassie do the job that they ,as men , failed to do . The fact that there were no cards issued leaves it open to her to raise the matter .
Happy New Year to all of you on here. Thanks for all the wonderful input, it continues to be an education. Thanks to mods for hard work and dedication.
SFA
Legal Structures For Your Club
https://www.scottishfa.co.uk/football-development/clubs/developing-my-club/legal-structures-for-your-club/
There's a brilliant click-bait headline in the on-line Scotsman:
'Rangers target has medical with club ahead of proposed loan move'
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/rangers/rangers-target-has-medical-with-club-ahead-of-proposed-loan-move-1-4850219
Unfortunately for fans of TRFC, the article reveals that Dominic Solanke has had a medical with Crystal Palace, not the Ibrox club.
Well done to the sub-editor who's ensured a flurry of clicks (mine included!) for a non-story.
I’m intrigued Billydug. I wonder what the “key risks” that you require “good governance to avoid” would be?
Jingso.Jimsie 31st December 2018 at 15:22
'…Well done to the sub-editor who's ensured a flurry of clicks '
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
ok, he/she wins a prize.
For what? Demonstrating that he/she has the same kind of cheating mentality as we have seen demonstrated in Scottish Football administration and in the coverage by the SMSM of the death of RFC of 1872 and the propagandising of the 'same club' nonsense?
He/she is welcome to the dirty few bob that his/her subtle cleverness might bring him/her at the expense of his/her integrity.
People like that, What are they like? Don't they need kicked in the posterior as much as certain officials of the SFA , and directors of RIFC plc, and lying knighted cheats and recently divorced small-time asset strippers?
Short answer: yes.
Just wonder if the Glasgow derby – with the away bus allegedly pelted with smoke bombs, the number of incidents missed allegedly by all 4 match officials – had been a European tie… what action would UEFA have taken?
And rather than strain their necks to look the other way, should the SFA / SPL not aspire to UEFA standards?
I know…
Regardless, Happy New Year to Internet Bampots everywhere!
…and here's hoping for a more competent and honest SFA/SPFL in 2019.
God loves a trier.
Happy New Year when it comes guy and gals roll on 2019.
Happy New year
Happy New Year to one and all! Let's hope 2019 is a year of reckoning and justice.
Scottish Football needs strong clubs competing on a level playing field.
A happy and prosperous 2019 to all.
Like redlichtie I hope 2019 is a year of reckoning and justice.
Did anyone watch Only an Excuse last night? I have long thought this programme should have been ditched many years ago. Last night did nothing to change my mind. Like everything else in the Scottish media its happiest days appeared to be when Rangers were funded by the Bank of Scotland way beyond what they should have been, followed by them stealing money from the taxpayer to fund success.
Wishing SFM and Scottish football a Happy and Just New Year.
I noticed that Hibs lost to Hearts on Saturday and had 3 players on duty with Australia. I thought a game could be postponed if a team had 3 or more players away to play an International. Has this rule been changed or did Hibs not bother to apply? Does anyone know?
Ballyargus 1st January 2019 at 23:08
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I noticed that Hibs lost to Hearts on Saturday and had 3 players on duty with Australia. I thought a game could be postponed if a team had 3 or more players away to play an International. Has this rule been changed or did Hibs not bother to apply? Does anyone know?
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Postponement and International Selection
G7 A Club shall be entitled to apply to the Board for the postponement of any Official Match where three or more of its Players who would otherwise have participated in such match are unavailable through international selection and, following receipt of such an application, the Board may postpone and rearrange the relevant Official Match in accordance with Rule G3.
G3 Subject to Rule C42, the Board shall have discretion to schedule and to reschedule the date, time and/or venue of any Official Match as it shall consider appropriate.
Maybe they just got told no.
Ballyargus 1st January 2019 at 23:08
I noticed that Hibs lost to Hearts on Saturday and had 3 players on duty with Australia. I thought a game could be postponed if a team had 3 or more players away to play an International. Has this rule been changed or did Hibs not bother to apply? Does anyone know?
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Hibs could have asked for a postponement under FIFA rules, but chose not to do so. None of the three had played in Hibs last win (v Celtic). Neil Lennon probably made a decision to go ahead with the game in the knowledge that Hearts had been struggling of late and that it might be better to play them now rather than in a few weeks when Hearts squad will be boosted by players returning from injury or new signings.
Martin Boyle was injured in a warm up game for the Aussies and will now be out for what has been described as an "indefinite period".
Happy New Year Guys, Jean and all the ladies. I mean that sincerely.
On a green field, 11 v 11 with a decent display of refereeing (under the circumstances), in my opinion, it was a fairly contested game. The result embarrassed the visitors.
Can’t really say much more than that; the game was lost when the team sheet was outed.
Here’s to 2019. Let’s keep the baw pumped up.
1st Jan 23.08 re Hibs and International players.
Thanks "Shug" and easyjambo your explanations make sense.
A Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2019 to everyone in the SFM community. Here’s to friendships, past, present and future, and to a shared love of a fair and honest game.
upthehoops 1st January 2019 at 19:39
Did anyone watch Only an Excuse last night?…
=================
A bit harsh there uth. I thought that the show had actually improved this year.
No really.
Because I did actually laugh at 1 joke… about leaving the Scottish team in a cave.
Other than that though it was just woeful, as per.
From the ET today;
"Top Rangers executives enjoy salary boost as losses DOUBLE"
By Martin Williams @Martin1Williams …"
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An article NOT written by the resident TRFC cheerleader, Jack.
This article MUST have been sanctioned from RIFC/TRFC.
King looking to;
and/or
Interesting…