Why We Need to Change

Over the past couple of years, we have built a healthy, vibrant and influential community which recognises the need to counter the corporate propaganda spouted by the mainstream media on behalf of the football authorities.

The media have, not entirely but in the main, been hostage to the patronage of those in charge of the club/media links, and to the narrow demographic of their readership. Despite a continuing rejection of the media’s position by that readership (in terms of year on year slump in sales) there is an obstinate refusal to see what is by now inevitable – the death of the print media. The lamb metaphor in fact ironically moving to the slaughter.

The football authorities in Scotland, once the country that gave the world the beautiful game, are rigid with fear that their own world will fall apart – because they are wedded to the idea that only one football match actually matters. To that end they will do whatever it takes to ensure that it continues. They have long since dispensed with the notion that football is an interdependent industry, and incredibly, even those who are not participants in that match follow like sheep towards the abattoir.

The argument is no longer that one club cheated and got away with it. The debate that we need to have is one about what is paramount in the eyes of the clubs and the media . Is it the inegrity of sporting endeavour, or box-office?

For out part, independent sites like this have accelerated the print media’s demise, and there have been temporary successes in persuading the clubs to uphold the spirit of sport. However our role has up to now been to cast a spotlight on the inaccuracies, inconsistencies and downright lies that routinely pass for news. News that is imagined up by PR agencies and dutifully copied by the lazy pretend-journalists who betray no thought whatsoever during the process.

Despite our successes, it really is not enough. We have the means at our disposal to do more, but do more we need to change ourselves, because the authorities sure as hell aren’t gonna.

We need to provide meaningful insight into the game that removes the Old Firm prism from the light path. We need to provide news that has covered all of the angles. We need to entertain, inform and energise fans of sport and all clubs.

We need to do that from a wholly independent perspective. None of this refusing to tell the truth about club allegiances. There is no reason why intelligent men and women can’t be objective in spite of their own allegiances (although the corollary absolutely holds true).  Our experience of the MSM in this country is that the lack of arms-length principles in the media has corrupted it to such an extent that they barely recognise truth and objectivity. We need to be firm on those arms-length principles.

In order to do that we have put together a plan (with enough room to manoeuvre if required) as follows;

We will rebrand and re-launch as the Independent Sports Monitor. We have acquired the domains isMonitor.co.uk and IndependentSportsMonitor.co.uk, and those will be the main urls after the re-launch, hopefully later in the summer.

The change in name reflects the reality of our current debate which is not always confined to Scotland or football. It will also give us the option in future of applying the success of our model to other sports and jurisdictions through partner sites and blogs. This should also help in our efforts to raise funds in the future. However any expansion outwith the domain of Scottish football is some time away, and will depend on the success we have with the core model.

Our mission statement will be;

  1. ISM will seek to build a community of sports fans whose overarching aim is the integrity of competition in the sport.
  2. ISM will, without favour, seek to find objective truths on the conduct and administration of sport. We will avoid building relationships with individuals or organisations which would bring us into conflict with that.
  3. ISM will provide a platform for the views of ALL fans, and guarantee that those views will be heard in a mutually respectful environment.
  4. ISM will also endeavour to inform and entertain members on a wide range of topics related to our shared love of sport.
  5. ISM will seek to represent the views of sports fans to sporting authorities and hold the authorities to account.

We have estimated our (modest) costs to expand our role as per recent discussions. The expanded role will take the form of a new Internet Radio Channel where we hope to provide 24/7 content by the end of the year. It will also see a greater news role  where we will engage directly with clubs and authorities to seek answers to our questions directly.  And we will seek to contact the best fan sites across Scotland with a view to showcasing their content.

We have identified individuals who we want to work (initially on a part time basis) towards our objectives, we have identified premises where we want to conduct our business, and we hope to move into those premises during this summer.

To finance these plans there are a couple of stages;

  1. Initially (as soon as possible) we need to pay accommodation and hosting costs for the first year. To do so,  we hope to appeal to the community itself. Our aim is to raise around £5000 by the end of August.
  2. There are salary costs (around £15,000) attached to our first year plan, but these have been underwritten by Big Pink, and equipment costs (est. £3000). These will be reimbursed if the advertising campaign we recently started bears any fruit (we will not know about that for a few months).
  3. It will not be too discouraging if we make losses in the first couple of years, so if necessary we will seek crowd-funding to finance our plans if the resources of the community itself prove inadequate to smooth a path to break-even point.

Our first year may be a perilous hand-to-mouth existence, but I am certain the journey will be an exciting and enjoyable one. We will also need to search our community resources for contacts at clubs; players, officials, ex-players, local journalists etc. Please get in touch if you have any in at your club.

We also hope to tap into the expertise of our community for advice, comment and analysis of developments, and we will be looking for any aspiring presenters, journalists, sound and video editors, graphic designers (and lots of others) to help us find our feet. Any offers of assistance would be gratefully accepted.

We mustn’t lose sight of why we are doing this. It is because we love our sport, because we want to be able to continue to call it that, and because the disconnect we find in Scottish football, that of the conflicting interests of the fans and the money men, will never be addressed as long as the fans are hopelessly split.

The ultimate goal is to allow sport – not our individual clubs – to triumph over the greed and corporate troglodyte-ism of those people who run it. I am confident that we as a community desperately want to be able to make a difference. That is why I am confident we can achieve our aim of becoming a significant player in the game.

 

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Tom Byrne

About Trisidium

Trisidium is a Dunblane businessman with a keen interest in Scottish Football. He is a Celtic fan, although the demands of modern-day parenting have seen him less at games and more as a taxi service for his kids.

3,978 thoughts on “Why We Need to Change


  1. James Forrest says:
    Member: (97 comments)
    June 20, 2015 at 9:08 pm

    The King revolution nears the 120 day mark. With no review forethecoming and a media silence that would embarras people who actually took their jobs seriously, the club continues to bluff its way through the close season.

    http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/paying-the-piper/
    =================================================
    120 days, JF?
    One could undertake a review in that time, but I doubt that anyone other than someone on expenses and with no interest in the outcome could string it out that long.


  2. TSFM/ISM all for it and applaud the direction being taken. I am sure Scottish football will remain a focus but adding integrity in all sport might be very beneficial and enable more cross fertilisation of ideas and practices and highlight the errors in the system(s).

    I am sure we will all be willing to help in our own separate ways.


  3. Just find Phil McG’s blog tonight amazing.

    Shortly after giving DCK an FPP nod and then telling MA to back off, the blazers might find he is the only person to save Sevco.

    Hampden tied it’s flag (with SMSM and level5) to the RRM mast and now MA effectively has more control without asking for it. I am sure he can fix it if he really wants but why should he. Time for Hampden to grow a pair so they can make sure finances are secure before allowing Sevco to start the season.

    Stewart, Neil, Darryl are you out there? Possible Armageddon coming towards you. Please deal urgently. Answers on page 94…..


  4. You have my full support as this is the only way forward for an independent view of our sport. I have been always grateful for views/blogs such as RTC and at present the tsfm. The press have had no place in my life for over 10 years (apart from the odd chuckle when I see the back pages). They have pandered to one club and have no time for any other clubs. There time has come. Press Armageddon has a nice ring to it.


  5. I’m interested in why you’ve felt the need to migrate from football to all sport. I realize that the issues facing Scottish football aren’t necessarily unique to it; however, there’s a danger of dilution of the message should the site/organization lose focus. This is not intended as a criticism – more of a request for clarification over how you would see the long-term panning out should the current situation be resolved and the attitudes and blatant PR spin be replaced by genuine honesty and transparency.

    As I mentioned in my post the other day, I don’t live in the UK (in Canada, actually), so time zones come into play; that said, if i can be of assistance (I am an IT consultant who provides support to small businesses), I’d be happy to be involved.


  6. I’m curious about the decision to rebrand, particularly the decision to change the word “football” to “sports” in the title. Big Pink / Trisidium, could you expand on this please?


  7. BC_Celt says:
    Member: (6 comments)
    June 20, 2015 at 11:26 pm (Edit)
    I’m interested in why you’ve felt the need to migrate from football to all sport. I realize that the issues facing Scottish football aren’t necessarily unique to it; however, there’s a danger of dilution of the message should the site/organization lose focus.
    ____________________________________________________

    I understand the concern, but for the moment, Scottish Football will be the focus of the blog. I think it important to realise that in the wider sense, we are looking at an industry/consumer conflict, and if our model for Scottish Football Works, why would we not provide another platform for fans of English Football, or Welsh Athletics?

    In addition, we hope to be devoting more man hours to producing content and provoking discussion.Ultimately the focus of what we do will be led by the concerns of fans. Don’t know how articulate that is, but I hope it addresses your concern.

    I’d also be interested in your expert view of our pragmatic, cautious way forward.


  8. Ambitious. Not sure how the transition from specific to more general sports coverage will work.

    There’s no doubt the strength of this site is its ongoing post-RTC coverage of Rangers/Sevco drama. Will more general sports issues create as much attention and debate?

    I like the idea, though. New media is the future


  9. well – I never expected that! To be honest the rebranding and name change underwhelmed me and didn’t sit well at first (make no mistake I still want this to succeed)

    On refelection I do see the point and it does allow for expansion and growth. The growth regionally and sports wide does bring certain benefits – firstly larger audience and hopefully more subscriptions/ad revenue, but perhaps more importantly a larger body has more clout with the authorities and orgs we are monitoring.

    The name itself I’m not a huge fan of (as I wasn’t before) the ‘monitor’ tag does nothing for me unfortunately. But it’s just a name no big deal if the rest of the branding and positioning work.

    This is where I am a little more concerned – the pretty drastic change of implied focus away from Scottish Football is risky, I think from the TDs above you can see that. It also possibly dilutes the message in the short term. Given that the SFM/ISM presence is in the main online, I would suggest keeping the existing domains and even to a certain extent the existing ‘brands’. As the new charter is expected to extend beyond a blog then the blog section could remain as a subsection of the ISM, still keeping an overall brand identity of the ‘holding company 😉 ‘ but will provide a neat continuation of the existing site and may allieve some of the fears of current users. The existing Domains can then simply be redirected to the SFM subdomain part of the ISM. This is extensible as you add other sports/regions, all the while keeping the ISM umbrella org and consistent brand messaging.

    Possible to do that BG, but I have to stress that I wasn’t implying any drastic change of focus at all. We will be looking at raising serious funding if we get this stage off the ground. An expansion model will help with that I think.

    On the start up costs, to be honest given the description of the plans and the target spend, the headline numbers seems very conservative for the first year.

    I salute BP for underwriting any gaps for first year salary costs and hope that he is not left out of pocket.

    My only real suggestion on direction is that providing even a widely succesful media alternative and community forum is not enough, the ISM should also look at how it can become a true pressure group for change where needed. There are numerous MSPs/MPs who like football – get them on here.

    On the first point, that is exactly what the mission statement is saying. On the second point – why not?

    My last suggestion is to kickstart the growth the ISM should reach out to other existing fan groups, including club based supporters orgs. Invite the different fan clubs to come on the radio/phone ins (you may want to pick a non-celtic one for the first! ) Esp extending the hand to RFC fan communities. Building common ground can only benefit the sport and even society for the better.

    Agreed. On the to-do list. Apart from anything else, cross germination of fan-site material gives a greater audience to the fansites and a better perspective for everyone else – and provides ISM with valuable, quality content.

    Scottish Football still needs a strong East Fife (and yes Arbroath as well)


  10. I understand and, to some extent, accept the motivation to extend the remit of the blog to a wider sport and non-specific nation focus, but is it not a huge jump to make from a partially supported Scottish football integrity monitoring blog, to a fully employed, furnished premises sporting integrity pressure group?

    Not having ago Jarno, but for a first post, this is pretty negative. I don’t quite know what you mean by ‘partially supported’, but the straight answer to your question is “NO!”
    There are enough of us here who are optimistic enough to give it a good go – and if it fails, at least we had that go. One thing we had agreed on when this initiative started was that we couldn’t stand still. Out of interest, what would your approach be?
    Tris


  11. I think people are extrapolating a bit with respect to the name change. It merely builds in the potential for expansion. The thrust of what we do will not change at all.

    I expect that if the scope is widened we would become a multi-threaded blog. Not a problem to look at retaining the SFM name, but there is no question of dispensing with the domain names.

    Alternatively you could have sfm.ismonitor.co.uk for Scottish football matters. Lots of wiggle room as I said.


  12. I’ll happily admit to being thick as mince and just as articulate , but you do realise that you will be taking on the big boys now ? You may be conflicted already in that you don’t know the source of all monetary contributions or their agendas . I have never put a penny towards the upkeep of the site because I don’t have a credit / debit card and can’t find a cash depositary. Remember , the raised nail invites the hammer Hunner per cent on your vilification of the non governance of Scottish football , but taking them to task and changing the established order are different things . Taking the whole thing forward may be achievable but not sustainable without accepting monies from (other )people with agendas . I do wish you well in your endeavours , but suspect that others who visit the site may not .Thus Sprake Paddy Malarkey .OTIG . I blame the drink myself . 😎


  13. Well, I’m just a lurker who has been following this site because it covers the subject I’m interested in – Scottish Football. I couldn’t care less about English football or Welsh athletics. I live in England, have not the slightest interest in the footy here, but am bombarded with it day and night. I’ll probably be giving the site a body swerve from now on, but I wish you well in your new direction, it’s just not for me.


  14. Reading the latest Phil MacGiolla Bhain blog makes VERY interesting reading. Phil may not be flavour of the month among Rangers fans but I really do think it’s time they stopped shooting the messenger. Why no-one from the mainstream wants to go there is beyond me. The promised land they dreamed of under King and Murray looks every bit as far away as it did under Whyte and Green.


  15. I would urge a more cautious approach to this whole “rebranding” thing. A brand has already been built over the last two years, and my impression is that the SFM brand has a good reputation within its chosen sphere, and that awareness of that brand is high among the type of supporter who actually thinks about the issues surrounding the sport of football.

    I have no idea what the numbers are, and whether those numbers equate to a viable business model to support the ambitious and forward thinking plans for this forum that I think most of us on here support.

    However- the current name incorporates two words which accurately describe the interest in this site of almost all of your viewers and participators: Scottish Football. Dropping both those words from the new brand name is a high risk strategy, I would suggest.

    Now, this may seem narrow, or parochial, but a lot of what has added a lot to the attraction of this site (for me, at least) is that it has provided a platform for reminiscences about Scottish football, some good old Scottish banter, in among all the more (and clearly more important) forensic stuff. If that goes, and we end up with a more “cosmopolitan” product, then the attraction to me will be much reduced. But then I’m just one grumpy old stick in the mud, and I can accept that the future doesn’t lie with the likes of me. But surely it is possible to attract a wider new audience while keeping the best of what we have?

    “International Sports Monitor” is an ambitious title, but so large in scope that I wonder whether a lot will be lost in the transition. Is it planned to cover Golf in Peru, Netball in Australia, Wrestling in Bulgaria- where does it stop? And how will your Clyde or Partick Thistle or Dundee supporter feel that he or she fits in to that? Scotland is such a tiny part of World Sport, and there is so much needing to be put right here at home, that the move to an “International” focus greatly concerns me.

    There is a great deal of specialised knowledge on this forum of Scottish Football, and even Scottish Law and Scottish Media, but what do we know about other sports in far-off lands? I’m sure the answer is that the expertise will come with the wider audience, and maybe it will. I certainly hope it does.

    I can understand that you hope to build a much larger base by appealing to a wider audience. That is an ambitious but risky strategy. I have never been in business, and could not succeed in business, because I am extremely risk averse. People who run successful businesses enjoy taking risks. So maybe I am totally the wrong person to be dishing out advice. And I apologise if a lot of this comes across as negative- I am trying in my own way to be constructive. So I will just sum up my thoughts as follows- please don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. A lot of us are very fond of the baby!


  16. The first thing to say is congratulations on your get up and go, and on your ambition to take on the SMSM whose battery is flat and who seemingly lack the will to look beyond an outdated model of news reporting.

    I don’t see there being a problem with the money you raise, as long as you’re not offered big bucks with the quid pro quo that you’re expected to follow a particular agenda. Your agenda so far seems pretty clearly expressed, to see past the ‘old firm’ prism, and broadly engage all supporters in a venue for reasoned discussion.

    I agree with other comments that there is a huge leap from creating a successful outlet for the discussion of Scottish football to engaging with other areas of sport where there may already be well-established internet presences. As a longer term aim it is fine, but I suspect it will take a lot of time and energy to expand into other areas, and that it would have to be built up incrementally, and require a very selective focus on particular issues and interests in order to achieve the impetus to get started in each new area.

    Building further on the Scottish football foundations you have already established seems like a very worthwhile aim, however, and may in time also offer other opportunities for expansion that are not visible at the present time and in your present circumstances.

    I hope you see the criticisms expressed so far as showing how much the contributors to the site value what you are providing, and want to protect it, rather than being a damper on your enthusiasm. Onward and upward!


  17. I agree with Neepheid. This would appear to be too far a leap at this stage.

    In fact, I Would reluctantly call the move arrogant at worse, complete over reach at best.

    SFM has done a great deal of good work to build awareness of the problems within Scottish football. But that is all it has achieved. I dont mean this as a negative but more as indication that there is much more yet to do.

    So before we think about adressing International problems how about we finish the job in fixing Scottish Football first.


  18. Fully agree with your ideals and objectives. Have you had a look at this organisation, http://www.citizensuk.org and see if they can give you some constructive ideas of help.


  19. Can I applaud you, and wish you every success in your endeavours. As to the concerns being expressed, why can’t we have (say) a thread on Blatter and the FIFA goings on.
    Why can’t we have a section on doping in sport, whether it be Mo’s trainer, or the often suggested doping in Tennis etc
    More power to your elbow.


  20. like others the ‘ monitor’ moniker doesnt work for me….. it occurs there is a ‘ gift’ from the hampden comedy club of a ‘ brand’ to xploit going forward, a testament and reminder to the base sinking and thinking of our football authorities in our great country…….

    ” NO UNFAIR SPORTING ADVANTAGE “………


  21. We are all fans of Scottish football, and generally agree that upholding the rules without fear or favour is crucial to football being a ‘sport’. In particular, the scandalous way the Scottish football authorities reacted to the liquidation of Rangers is what has driven this community to come together.
    On-going vigilance (indeed, monitoring) is required as we know the authorities and SMSM continue to have a need for the ‘Old Firm’ in the top league, regardless of the desire of Scottish football fans to have sporting integrity as paramount. Indeed it seems that most if not all of the Scottish football clubs are quite willing to acquiesce in this.
    This is what interests me. I’m not an independent sports fan. I’m a Scottish football fan.
    If the moderators of this site want to set up an Independent Sports site then good luck to them. But saying that the name change only “merely builds in the potential for expansion. The thrust of what we do will not change at all” (Tris) is disingenuous.


  22. The name proposed is the Independent Sports Monitor, not International Sports Monitor.
    Just thought I’d point that out as at least 3 people have already misinterpreted the “I” in ISM as “International”
    Personally ISM conjures up International Socialist Movement in my head 😛


  23. Partizani Tirana.

    Oops. So it is.

    I’ve deleted my succinct well-argued case against the use of ‘International’ and am off to make another coffee before reading anything else!


  24. neepheid says:
    Member: (635 comments)
    June 21, 2015 at 8:16 am

    “International Sports Monitor” is an ambitious title, but so large in scope that I wonder whether a lot will be lost in the transition. Is it planned to cover Golf in Peru, Netball in Australia, Wrestling in Bulgaria- where does it stop?

    ——————————————-

    It’s independent, not international.

    Don’t get me started on Bulgarian wrestling though…


  25. Personally
    I think reducing focus on exposing the corruption in the Scottish football governing bodies and traditional media will make it more difficult for this cancer to be excised
    The job is only half done.


  26. I welcome the idea of the sharper minded on this blog turning their focus onto other sports in Scotland.
    Sports like golf, tennis and, in some areas, rugby have had ‘access’ issues for years. Junior football receives little or no attention from the SMSM.


  27. PartisaiI Tirani says;

    If the moderators of this site want to set up an Independent Sports site then good luck to them. But saying that the name change only “merely builds in the potential for expansion. The thrust of what we do will not change at all” (Tris) is disingenuous.

    ————————————-

    Can you expand on what you mean by disingenuous?

    The intent is exactly as I said. If we want to attract the serious funding that we will need in the longer term, and create content for our Internet Radio channel, we need to show that our successful football model can be transposed. We already widen our scope in terms of FIFA and other areas of sport like doping, both chemical and financial. We even had a thread about Ken Buchanan recently.

    The failure of governance in Scottish football (or it’s well-being for that matter) is not something that exists in a Scotland or football only vacuum. Our debates already reflect this. Our future plans are intended to formalise that reality. Nothing more. Nothing less.

    I know that some people who contribute regularly are worried that we might lose our identity but there is no way that will happen.

    I do take the worries people have about rebranding seriously, but we have invited contributions to that debate for weeks now with very little input. If this development sparks that debate that is not a bad thing.

    We are listening, particularly to those people who have contributed most to the success we have had.


  28. Trisidium. If I may answer on ‘PartisaiI Tirani’s behalf.

    The reason I used the word ‘disingenuous’ is the massive divide between the body of the article and the conclusion that is drawn.
    I doubt many would argue with,

    “It is because we love our sport, because we want to be able to continue to call it that, and because the disconnect we find in Scottish football, that of the conflicting interests of the fans and the money men, will never be addressed as long as the fans are hopelessly split.”

    But no argument is given as to why the focus in the name should change from Scottish football to Independent sport. Only later in reply to comments do you expand to say “an expansion model” might make it easier to raise funds.

    So what came first? A realisation that the blog should expand from Scottish football to independent sports. Or consideration of how to finance the moves you have in mind?


  29. Partisani Tirani,
    I don’t think that is a definition of disingenuous. Nor do I think it matters what came first. How do you think it does?


  30. Hi All, I love the site and I have lurked since RTC days. The job that the site dis is invaluable and we all know that we need to expose the corruption in our sport. However, I think that we should continue to focus on Scottish football until the job is done and in this way concentrate on our core competency. The aspiration to broaden the horizons into other sports is admirable and I think, ultimately, that the site can achieve this but at this point in time we should focus our efforts on the skulduggery in Scottish football until the job is finished.

    Just my 2 cents.

    Regards


  31. Trisidium says:
    Moderator: (215 comments)
    June 21, 2015 at 11:19 am

    Partisani Tirani,
    I don’t think that is a definition of disingenuous.
    _____________________________________________

    Disingenuity suggests a deliberate attempt to deceive I don’t think that is the case here. Naiveté perhaps, the very fact that the title of the site changes from Scottish football to Independent sports monitor is an indicator of lack of focus on the original purpose of the blog. I subscribe to the Scottish football monitor and will continue my support with some reservations. I am willing to see how this develops before making any precipitate decision.


  32. Maybe it is just a Methil thing but I like Bayview Gold’s idea of ISM with say SFM a strand underneath to cover Scottish Football and keep all bampots on board and then other strands for world football leagues and other sports as on other websites.

    If the expansion is what is required to take this forward then so be it but let’s keep the community together as happened when RTC closed down and SFM took over.

    We still need a strong East Fife though!


  33. I apologise to everyone for confusing “independent” and “international” in my earlier comment. However I do stand by my point that removing “Scottish” from the title (or brand, if you prefer) is a risk.

    From the article itself-

    The change in name will reflect the reality of our current debate which is not always confined to Scotland or football. It will also give us the option in future of applying the success of our model to other sports and jurisdictions through partner sites an blogs.

    I interpreted that passage as indicating an intention to move the forum’s focus both to other sports, and other countries. I am personally reluctant to weigh in on discussions about sports governance in other sports or other countries, unless and until Scottish football governance is fit for purpose. That will need a lot more time and effort, in my opinion.


  34. At this stage changing to all sports is maybe a tad ambitious. One of the things I have enjoyed about this blog and even from RTC days is its simplicity. It is easy to follow a thread, so how do you keep the sense of community this site has and has been its strength if posters are all over the shop following various topics. Scottish football is my interest and sport in general but I reckon its all a bit ambitious and as someone already commented maybe a bit arrogant.


  35. Folks,

    I think Partisani Tirani is partly correct in that perhaps I didn’t make it altogether clear in the OP why the name of the blog was changing. I have attempted to fix that on the OP.

    I did think we had reached a consensus that a rebrand was desirable, but there is absolutely to intention to move away from the issues we are currently concerned with.

    We are not launching a Welsh Rugby Site next week for example. But even if we did, it would be another site, not this one, and funding for it would come from Welsh Rugby fans.

    We simply want to have a name that allows us freedom to talk about other things. We already do that. It will also allow us to branch out into other areas on our proposed radio channel where we will be looking for content to fill slots.

    Also, if we go to a startup company looking for funds next year, having a framework in place which allows for expansion of a network of sites with the same ethos is something which we are told will be a major plus. Those plans are not intended to be put in place in the near future.

    There is no over-reach (or arrogance as one poster suggested). There is currently one vibrant website/blog. That will be the situation moving forward.

    For some background on the actual name – which came from the discussions we have had over the last weeks – the word Independent was thought to be important for two reasons;

    1. It showed that we are not aligned to any club or fan group.

    2. Making the blog and radio channel the official outlet of an independent fan community would make it very difficult for the clubs, the media, and individuals in the media to ignore us.

    For clarity, THERE IS NO CHANGE OF FOCUS.

    I am relaxed, and so are the other mods, about the precise nomenclature, as long as it fits in with our plans, the utmost of which is to hold the Scottish Football authorities to account for their poor governance of the sport. I am frustrated though that there has been very little input to the consultation process we put in place wrt the rebranding. Perhaps had concerns been raised at that point, the fears that are being articulated today would not have arisen.

    We would still be happy to hear from people with ideas on the branding and on the content of the mission statement. I know it is rather easier to say what you don’t like than what you do, but that is the task we need to accomplish.


  36. “Were not going to bring in Ronaldo or Messi any time soon.
    Ajax,Barcelona Inter Milan Valencia, Anderlecht,Dortmund,Sporting Lisbon.Manchester utd. Mourinho,Rodgers and Arsene Wenger,Diego Matos.Figo and Ronaldo..on a Mark Warburton story.
    Is it a competition with the SMSM sports writers to see how many famous names and clubs they can squeeze into a TRFC story


  37. As football is the most popular sport in this country, and without doubt the most corrupt, I think there is a lot of worry about nothing going on.
    However, if a golf fan, or tiddlywinks fan for that matter, has a grievance or awareness of dirty dealings in their preferred sport, why shouldn’t we try to help them, offer advice, and provide a forum to air their grievances.
    The only difficulty I can see, is a naïve one which currently exists, whereby it is occasionally mooted that this is a Celtic site. Several contributors have eloquently explained the weight of numbers, so I need not elaborate further.
    However I don’t think it will be a deterrent to golfers, tennis fans or whatever, and there would be fewer complaints along the lines of “They are always fitba’ minded in there”
    Most would accept the correlation between number of posts v popularity of the sport.
    Hey, we might even learn a bit about how they do things differently in other sports and if they can be adapted/implemented into fitba’


  38. Ignoring the debate about how the site should develop moving forwards, surely the main topic today should be Phil’s latest blog?

    If this is accurate information, it can only be described as nuclear!!!


  39. Methilhill Stroller says:
    Member: (78 comments)
    June 21, 2015 at 12:07 pm

    ___________________________________________

    ISM works quite well because you can create nice subheadings off it for dealing with specific subthreads: (apologies if this was always intended).

    So we could have for example separate threads or hashtags for:

    cronyISM (Mr Ogilvie)
    nepotISM
    nimbyISM
    sectarianISM
    jingoISM
    plagiarISM (Mr Jackson)

    add you own here…


  40. Corrupt official says:
    Member: (82 comments)

    June 21, 2015 at 12:35 pm
    ___________________________________

    I think if that happened CO, it would be OT unless it was directly relevant to the main blog. But we could have an “Other Sports” thread to give people a platform. If it grew enough, then it might merit it’s own site in time.

    Cross germination is not a bad thing, and in fact is usually very useful. Few of us are only interested in one sport, and expanding our knowledge base is to my mind desirable.


  41. Trisidium,

    I dont see how a change of name will have the impact you seek.

    Of the few accusations I have read about this being a Celtic fan site relate to the content (rightly or wrongly) rather than the name of the site.

    Also our impact on change within Scottish football will be measured on our actions, not our name.

    As someone who worked in the media, the name change is meaningless in terms of building credibility.

    Gabby,

    That may be your opinion, and I am sure it is honestly held. However, there are people who work in the media acting as mods on this site, including myself, and although that is not necessarily the best of credentials, we have taken a different view. I didn’t say anything about the pro-Celtic issue. To me it’s a non-issue anyway. I think you are getting my comments confused with someone else’s?

    Again, though I am hearing how NOT to proceed. What are your thoughts in how we SHOULD proceed?

    Tris


  42. I note quite a few reservations being shared about the name change/broadening of scope.

    Personally I think this is quite sensible and I’m not sure why people assume this means less focus on Scottish Football – there’s no reason to assume broadening the potential scope will detract from focus being given to Scottish Football IMO. Lets give it a chance?

    I can see some potential advantages (no idea if these are what Tris and BP had in mind) :-

    – greater breadth of topics for reportage, analysis and discussion = more content for the site
    – an opportunity to compare what works and what doesn’t across different sports, compare how the governing bodies operate, levels of transparency, integrity, fan involvement and so on = lots we can learn and potentially some very interesting discussion and focus points
    – a wider audience brought to our cause
    – plenty of potential for future expansion and growth into new areas without further name changes and so on

    I’m sure there is a lot more as well!

    My only grumble is I don’t particularly like the new name, sorry guys 🙁

    Matty
    You have articulated that better than I did. I think you have got the intention spot on. As for the name, got any ideas? 🙂
    Tris


  43. rougvielovesthejungle says:
    Member: (57 comments)
    June 21, 2015 at 12:35 pm
    Ignoring the debate about how the site should develop moving forwards, surely the main topic today should be Phil’s latest blog?

    If this is accurate information, it can only be described as nuclear!!
    _______________

    While only Phil and his informant(s) know the accuracy of his blog, it is always quite telling that, despite the huge outcry and insult throwing in his direction, no bear thinks to question the club’s board himself. The board, it has been argued, might not wish to ‘legitimise’ Phil by responding, but that doesn’t stop the more influential bears from questioning the board and, if a satisfactory explanation is given, making it public. The club can no longer hide behind the ‘price sensitive information’ excuse, and, at a time when the last thing they want/need is disquiet amongst the fans (ST sales), the ‘leaking’ of a verifiable rubbishing of this latest nuclear event would surely have the effect of lifting spirits and ST sales with it.

    King was supposedly on some club related business, so important that he had to miss a potentially nuclear EGM. He wasn’t meeting Warburton, so, if Phil is wrong, and it wasn’t Ashley, then who, or what, was it? We’re not even getting spin, which suggests that it was with somebody who might, if he wants, blow it away. Who might be in a position to do that?

    This has been the bears downfall all along! They are content to rubbish the likes of Phil instead of doing the digging themselves – in case they don’t like the answer.

    Suggestion for the TRFC supporters. Do a King, and hold onto your cash until you know the true reason he was not at the EGM. It was, after all, a very effective ploy for him!


  44. Good Afternoon.

    I see the Sunday Mail is reporting that Warburton is yet to meet or speak to his Chairman. Although he was apparently impressed by some of the things he has heard him say…

    What with Phil Mac Giolla Bhain’s further revelations about a King/Ashley meeting last night…

    http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/dave-king-offered-his-shares-to-ashley-at-meeting-on-june-12th/

    …it’s a moment opportunity to (once again) ponder the question of “where’s Dave?”

    https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2015/06/21/whatever-happened-to-the-unlikely-lad/

    Enjoy the rest of the weekend!


  45. Just a thought.

    TRFC could effectively discredit PMGB, without responding to him or even making it look like they’ve noticed him, by getting Level5 to ‘leak’ to a friendly hack what club business King was attending to that day. Do it properly, with indisputable evidence, and shut him up for good.

    Again, to do this would give the bears a feel good factor that would lead to increased ST sales. Two birds with one stone. It really is that simple. Unless Phil is correct, of course!


  46. Some interesting comments on going forward,coming on a weekend of what should be DK last involvement with his beloved club from Govan if what Phil is stating as fact,and what the Clumpany is repeating regards PM statements regarding listing etc by the end of May,we are now 3 weeks late on that little bit of transparent info,just what is going on ,I don’t think Dave will be jetting in and out much more in the future ,more like jettising out of TRIFC altogether,if what he was asking MA to release the 5m does that not bring the debt this year to circa 14.5m,that we know of,I can see the concern growing within our SFA.


  47. Matty
    You have articulated that better than I did. I think you have got the intention spot on. As for the name, got any ideas? 🙂
    Tris

    =====================

    I’m no expert but suppose there are 2 approaches to identifying a new name/brand.

    A name that has a literal meaning (as you have gone for so far)
    OR
    A name that is abstract/less descriptive and as the “brand” builds it comes to stand for the values of the organisation/forum.

    The disadvantage of the first approach is sometimes its very difficult to create a descriptive name for something quite specific – and to keep it succinct enough to be memorable. And I suppose also to avoid actually creating confusion if the name isn’t as clear as you hope. Harder to do than it seems actually.

    The second approach avoids those disadvantages but with the downside that some sort of abstract name is pretty much meaningless to people on day 1 and only really starts to represent something and “instantly” mean something to people over a period of time and exposure. (and lets face it we are not going to be launching a huge Ad campaign any time soon)

    Assuming option 1 is the way to go ISM is a fair attempt please don’t get me wrong, it just doesn’t quite trip off the tongue and neither does it immediately tell me what ISM is.

    If option 2 was followed then simply “The Monitor”, “The Examiner” or similar but these probably sound too like newspapers tbh.

    So for the moment I have to admit I can’t yet do any better 🙂

    PS – the correct strapline can make all the difference i guess, particularly if a shorter less descriptive name is used.


  48. The saying goes “there’s always two sides to a story”, so if there is no denial from either side regarding philmacgiollabhain`s latest piece, what conclusion should we reach ?


  49. Hi All,

    I have not contributed much for a while, but thanks to all of you who keep the ball rolling.
    In my opinion the changes, which are being planned are exciting, and something we should all encourage. Standing still can sometimes be boring, and changes do not happen overnight so I see no need to panic!

    As per usual I am at a loss to understanding the goings on at Ibrox? This could be improved if we actually had someone to go along, and ask the hard questions, which our fine journalists in the SM seem unable to do.
    Of course, if the Owners of the local media here in Scotland do not allow their employees to ask the questions we want answered, it is now time for the new media to be given access to the closed doors, and make the SFA etc. uncomfortable!
    I would suggest that some writers are being silenced by threats from above, that employment would be lost. Maybe some of them would come on board here if we are successful, who knows?
    I have decided to ask a question of those in the know!!! Is Dave King restricted on his visits to Scotland by the courts? If this is not the case it would seem to me that this is a dereliction of his duties to his Club/Holding Company or whatever it is? It just mystifies me that a Chairman who can supply outrageous statements constantly, can sit back? He is not the type of man who dislikes the limelight, so something is very wrong here?


  50. I pay to read the Sunday Times, so you’ll forgive me if I nearly said goodbye to breakfast reading Douglas Alexander’s Sevco puff piece this morning. It starts with the usual “return to the top flight” “re-establish itself” and “preferably in the dominant fashion Hearts did” drivel, now the norm at News International when discussing the Ibrox Giants. It raises the prospect of them re-signing Lewis MacLeod, and signing Stuart Dallas, mentioning price tags of £850,000 and £1.5m respectively, without touching on how this sort of cash can be sourced by a club heavily in debt and losing a lot more every day.
    The killer, however, and he’s obviously been told to insert this by whoever’s issuing his instructions, is the repeat of the phrase “in front of 45,000 supporters”. I take it this is the new mantra, to go along with “big club, massive club”? New signings will be looking forward to playing ifoffts, plucky part timers will be warned that it’s different ifoffts, half time entertainers will be relishing playing ifoffts, indeed reserve games will presumably be unique in being NOT ifoffts.
    I support fellow Championship strugglers the Indodrill Giants, Alloa, (138 years of history without actually lying), and I look forward to Mr Alexander’s forthcoming puff piece on our rosy prospects, ifofhs. That’s four hundred, btw.


  51. With all due respect I think the whole re branding thing could dilute our power towards the intended target here ( SFA , SPL ) dropping the word “football” I think is a big mistake . I know we aint anywhere near the size of “Coca Cola ” ……but remember that outcome when they tried to re brand….dont fix what aint broke comes to mind. I personally couldnt give a toss about English football fans concern ( theres enough of them and their press is not like ours in regard to its FA ) even less for athletics. Football fans are very passionate , I somehow cant imagine the same passion when discussing all things athletic on a blog !!….I totally understand that you have to allow for growth because IF we ever did sort out our football , then it would be a crying shame for all the clever guys on here( not talking about me !!!)if they then went their separate ways. Win this huge battle first before branching out ……again with all due respect


  52. JBJ at3.18pm. DCK is restricted to 90 days per year visitation rights as non-domiciled British citizen. To exceed 90 days would bring him into the tax system of this country. Which is why he “jets” in and out within a week so as not to use up his days unnecessarily.


  53. ekt1m says:
    Member: (59 comments)

    June 21, 2015 at 3:41 pm

    JBJ at3.18pm. DCK is restricted to 90 days per year visitation rights as non-domiciled British citizen. To exceed 90 days would bring him into the tax system of this country. Which is why he “jets” in and out within a week so as not to use up his days unnecessarily.
    ________________________

    Which is probably a good reason not to appoint a ‘Tax Exile’ as Chairman of any high profile company, rather than as mitigation for his absence 🙄 , particularly at a time that could justifiably be described as a time of crisis!


  54. Hi all, whilst not previously posting, I have followed this site since inception and also RTC during the spring / summer of 2012. I have at times been astonished, angered, enthralled and entertained by the Rangers / Secvo / TRFC story.

    Whilst that particular situation has a long way to go with, no doubt, more tales of skullduggery to come, I take a keen interest in a variety of sports so the long term aim of enhancing coverage to include other potential stories the MSM won’t report on (or whose reporting would challenge Enid Blyton’s story-telling skills) is very welcome. ISM sounds good to me.


  55. I don’t know why but I have this vision of the mods et al in a closed room wearing tin helmets and flak jackets, I think the concerns raised have merit, but possibly there is too much being made of the changes, I appreciate Tris in his willingness to engage postively and take on board the suggestions, but there is a tendency to feel ‘the baws burst’ whenever a change like this happens. The real test is time, so regardless of the name/branding – does this site/community/org deliver what we (the participants and subscribers) want? no more or less. Realistically nothing in the naming changes that fact.

    Since the RTC days many worthwhile commentators have faded away, for numerous reasons (some sad) my call to the remainder is – give this a chance, if you truly feel there are issues with Scottish Football’s governship and the reporting in the MSM – then stick around. Do not let petty squabbles or fears over naming divide and conquer us. This is exactly what is expected, it is the only play they have, “move on, nothing to see here, for the better of Scot football etc”

    I gave some suggestions before on how the existing ‘brand identity’ and community spirit of the SFM could be retained by some minor online tweaks, whilst not hampering any future growth into other areas.

    For the branding discussions, there is much here that needs to be done and some good creative thought needs to take place. (maybe a separate blog/section to allow comments suggestions – if needed?) Spme comments I would make about branding – consistency is key, the site suffers from numerous branding issues around consistency, logos, graphics, fonts and colours are somewhat arbitrary, also the use of the cracked shield will probably need to go if this becomes an enterprise, firstly for copyright reasons but also in my mind it sets the wrong tone, it is by it’s very nature a negative statement, we need to drive for a positive message for scottish football, because we sure as h… don’t get that from the SFA/SPFL.

    I need to re-read the mission statement again as I obviously missed aspects of it first time around (thanks Tris for correcting me)

    If any of you want change – then contribute, personally I think we could be on the brink of something exciting and worth fighting for.


  56. Re-reading the mission statement it ticks all the right boxes but still seems a bit wordy to me, I took a stab at re-wording to get a more condensed focused statement (humour me 🙂 ) again just my humble opinion with a gold & black tinged view of the world.

    “ISM is a non-partisan sports fan community, seeking to uphold integrity of competition in sports. We will deliver the objective facts on the conduct and performance of sports administrative bodies and so hold the authorities and the press to account. We provide an engaging, entertaining and respectful environment and point of focus for all sports lovers committed to fair competition.”

    Well you did ask for input! 😯

    .. and it is welcome BVG
    Tris


  57. Call for BBC cash fair play for football clubs
    Sun, 21/06/2015 – 16:51
    The SNP has today demanded that the BBC puts more money into television rights for Scottish football following conformation that the corporation has short-changed the game north of the border.

    The BBC is paying only £1million a year for Scottish highlights — compared to £68million for English Premier League rights. Given that about 10 per cent of the licence-fee revenue comes from Scotland it stands to reason that clubs in Scotland deserve a better deal in return.

    Commenting, James Dornan, the SNP MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, which covers Hampden Park, said:

    “The future of Scottish football is very important, and our domestic game needs a proportionate share of money in order to help build for the future.

    “It is only right that if audiences in Scotland are helping to fund these major financial broadcasting rights packages, our game here is given proportional investment back.

    “A football accountancy expert has argued that Scottish football is worth ten times more than the rights secured – unless the issue of Scottish football clubs being short-changed is addressed, then our clubs will have their prospects undermined.

    “I am calling on the football governing bodies to do all they can to address this, and to continue to ensure that young people are inspired to play the beautiful game.”


  58. “Methilhill Stroller says:
    June 21, 2015 at 12:07 pm

    Maybe it is just a Methil thing”

    Sorry to disapoint Methilhill but it isn’t just a Methil thing, the proud Burgh of Leven is where I hail, my football enlightenment took the Bawbee brig, Wellesley rd path. Now of course changed to juking down south st at the roundabout.

    Scottish football needs a strong Bawbee Brig!


  59. STICKY !!!!!

    Jim Craig has agreed to do the phone-in show next Wednesday at 7.30pm.

    We are hoping for a sponsor(s) for the show. Either businesses or personal. Anyone who wants to get a mention as a sponsor can annotate their donation “Blether ‘#2”, with the message they want us to read out.

    Any amount is gratefully accepted and will be acknowledged on the programme. Jim Craig will not express any love for anyone other than his missus for these purposes 🙂


  60. Bayview Gold

    The Methil was only as in Methil East Fife. The Crown in Leven was always a regular drinking spot as was Railway in Lower Largo but have not visited for about 5 years. Used to live in between so turning left or right out of the house was never an issue!


  61. andy says:
    Member: (57 comments)

    June 21, 2015 at 6:10 pm

    Call for BBC cash fair play for football clubs
    Sun, 21/06/2015 – 16:51
    The SNP has today demanded that the BBC puts more money into television rights for Scottish football following conformation that the corporation has short-changed the game north of the border.

    The BBC is paying only £1million a year for Scottish highlights — compared to £68million for English Premier League rights. Given that about 10 per cent of the licence-fee revenue comes from Scotland it stands to reason that clubs in Scotland deserve a better deal in return.

    Commenting, James Dornan, the SNP MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, which covers Hampden Park, said:

    “The future of Scottish football is very important, and our domestic game needs a proportionate share of money in order to help build for the future.

    “It is only right that if audiences in Scotland are helping to fund these major financial broadcasting rights packages, our game here is given proportional investment back.

    “A football accountancy expert has argued that Scottish football is worth ten times more than the rights secured – unless the issue of Scottish football clubs being short-changed is addressed, then our clubs will have their prospects undermined.

    “I am calling on the football governing bodies to do all they can to address this, and to continue to ensure that young people are inspired to play the beautiful game.”
    _____________________________________________________

    Here’s a good starting point for an “ISM” Rammy. Sorry campaign.
    Decidedly open to dissection folks I think. Where’s Saint in Asia when you need him?


  62. Good Evening.

    The Clumpany started writing a deconstruction of the latest bit of ‘everything will be fine at Sevco’ guff from the MSM.

    Step forward Andrew Smith of the Scotsman.

    http://m.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl-lower-divisions/mark-warburton-signals-end-of-stone-age-1-3808245

    But then the piece acquired a life of its own. All reference to Mr Smith’s piece was deleted, and it ended up being a bit of a ‘Mission Statement’ for The Clumpany.

    https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2015/06/21/why-clump/

    Hopefully some of it will resonate with TSFM members.

    Have a good evening.


  63. TheClumpany says:
    Member: (77 comments)

    June 21, 2015 at 8:50 pm The suggestion that anyone is ‘obsessed‘ or ‘unable to move on‘ simply because they ask questions and mock what appears to be ‘cruising churnalism‘ is as ludicrous as it is unhelpful to the good governance of the game.
    There is nothing to beat an “obsession” when it is driven by a simple desire to find the truth.
    keeponclumping and more power to you.


  64. If I may say so a courageous move. I applaud the drive and inventiveness of the various people involved. I certainly will support this further – through finance and reading/listening than any other contribution.

    I like the idea of broadening out to other sports. As stated it will be step by step. Kevin Ferrie in the herald has regularly illustrated how Scottish sports governing bodies (tennis and badminton) have used their internal power to cow clubs and players.

    Also selfishly I also love rugby and Scottish rugby is sorely lacking a place for fans to report and comment on the sport.


  65. I have previously stated that my preference was for a gradualist approach to the evolution of this site. I continue to hold that view and I believe that the mods are similarly minded.

    There is no reason for them not to have great aspirations and in fact that is key for what is in effect a start-up organisation. That helps motivate and guide people.

    However I actually have some experience in this area and that perhaps underpins my caution.

    We have to be careful that being small and agile does not lead to us losing focus.

    It is terribly easy to stray off into interesting areas, possibly cul de sacs, rather than keep grinding away at the core mission.

    It is also important to value what has already been created and the “SFM” brand I believe already stands for something in the market.

    Have the mods drawn up SWOT/PESTLE analyses? Has consideration been given to linking/merging with other Scottish online publications?

    SFM needs to carefully evaluate the strategic options….


  66. redlichtie

    I was over your way yesterday walking from Arbroath down the coast to Carnoustie.
    A lovely walk but I think Arbroath needs a strong rotting seaweed deponger.


  67. Real Madrid have an Internet cloud ad on just now connected to how to keep in contact with their 450 million world wide fan base.

    That makes TRFC 1/9 bigger than the Spanish club if one accepts the 500 million figure. There might be other establishment clubs in other countries though I doubt any will be bigger than the Glaswegian Upas tree.

    I will not refer to fascism and dictators as that would be inappropriate.

    Perhaps I should declare my being a registered Barca supporter
    – the Catalonian bully wee who employed the most incomprehensible player of all time Strve Archibald – what was he for I could never understand his success.

    On expansion of the blog I do not know how many members there are or the amount of work needed to keep it going. I believe that all such ventures require improvements and marketing effort over time even to sustain themselves at a given level. The market sizes, level of participation frequency of use And market penetration needed to achieve success might make development into other sports non viable from the beginning.

    For instance the market in other sports would I guess be small even for the largest of them and anticipated contributor numbers might be vanishingly small. If there are 100 contributors here for the most widely followed sport in the country the number for rugby say might be in the low teens which would too small and shallow a pool to achieve a critical mass of sustainable activity
    But one finds vibrant fora for the most arcane pursuits so I may well be purveying pish and not for the first time


  68. If true, DK’s offer of shares to MA could be spun by RIFC as being an opening gambit to tease out MA’s interest in continuing involvement with the clumpany.

    DK laying down his money/shares for the greater good of TRFC.

    However, such an offer is surely totally contrary to the wishes of his Board and fans and flies in the face of logic – I doubt that even the SFA could pass that one.

    To also make the share sale offer – and even visit – on the day of the EGM evidences desperation and an inability to deliver on promises made to both shareholders and fans.

    This matter can be nipped in the bud tomorrow by either a statement from RIFC that PM is in error or by the SMSM doing their job and asking questions about a monumental development in the short history of RIFC/THRC.

    A failure to follow up on this would be a final nail in the coffin of their credibility and further evidence that they are culpable in failing to properly inform their readers and TRFC fans. Culpable too in failing to sound the alarm to the wider football community about yet another crisis at Ibrox.

    Scottish Football needs a strong Arbroath.


  69. One of the old Charlotte Fakes Twitter accounts has a few tweets tonight:

    @CharIotteFakes
    RIFC make moves to make bring MA representatives on to board.

    ‏@CharIotteFakes 4m4 minutes ago
    Llambias back on the menu at Ibrox.

    Real or…ummm…fake? No idea.


  70. bfbpuzzled says:
    June 21, 2015 at 10:13 pm

    [Barcelona] employed the most incomprehensible player of all time Strve Archibald – what was he for I could never understand his success.
    ————————————————-
    I trust you jest!

    If only we had a few more Scots like Steve Archibald these days, going off to play in (and win trophies in) major leagues, having had a successful trophy-winning time in Scotland. Fantastic player!


  71. Oh Dear
    It’s not like Phil to allow himself to be used in this saga
    BUT
    If Phil’s latest pronouncement is on the button I fear it has been leaked to prepare the ground for an Ashley (Sarver) white charger to swoop to the rescue of hard up RRM in Govan
    If so, I fully expect the Sarver attempt to buy a Spanish football club to fall through with minimal expense being incurred.
    It will have served the purpose. It will have reminded gullible bears (but not Bam pots) s that a few short months ago there was a real alternative to either RRM or MA
    ,,,,,,
    If the above is correct there could be a lot happening in the next few weeks
    Ashley may appear to be doing walking away from TRFC .It may even be rumoured that no more NUFC loan players will arrive unless DK leaves Ibrox
    The purpose being to create anxiety among the gullible and an impasse in which the compliant MSM will clutch at any straw in the wind
    Re-enter Ashley (Sarver) fresh from a failed attempt to buy a Spanish Club
    And off we go again
    Another round of corruption at the SFA
    The losers as always will be the decent Bears. They face years of misery as their newco is milked remorselessly by Ashley and an assorted crew of Spivs further down the food chain


  72. RE: Steve Archibald……………as a celtic fan all I can say is…..fantastic player and very under rated imho Aberdeen were some team back in the day and remember well, long journeys home on supporters bus after been right royally pumped at pittodrie !


  73. Evening all.
    FWIW along with the reappearance of CF on Twitter tonight hinting at a return to the RIFC board for Ashleys men,there are also rumours of 2 forms lodged announcing directors resignations.
    One thought to be Park,which would tie in with Phils earlier post.
    Nothing confirmed though.


  74. Have you ever wondered if you’re living in a parallel universe?
    In the real world we see a significant team ( The Rangers) scratching around to sign up those who, to any other clubs, would be described by the MSM as journeymen or end of career signings – remember the ridicule Celtic received as the signed an “unknown” 33 year old Lubomir Moravcic?. However the Rangers people need to complete the journey. The current spin is much at variance with an erstwhile troublesome rebels’ – sorry requisitioners’ view of where the club should be heading in terms of quality/ investment.
    PMcG publishes a fairly explosive blog or two re the man who would be King’s wherabouts on 12 June (EGM day), which was, as reported across the SMSM, in London, on “Rangers business”, but not seeking the manager or talking to Ashley. What WAS that business then????Meantime over on the bold Rangers Media site the talking points are…….
    Warburton….. Let’s stop calling him Warbs…an argument on his noted surname….
    Who’s our next captain going to be?
    Revisit of past Rangers heroes, Gazza, Laudo et al

    Where is the questioning of their exiled chairman who does not even feel the need to interview arguably the most important appointee they’ll make?
    Again, imagine any other Premiership team doing this without media scorn.
    It just would not happen.

    Then I know I am truly living in an unquestioning parallel universe as, I feel, are those who write on Rangers Media and our press.
    Deluded does not begin to describe them.

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