Given the recent heightened focus on the refereeing standards in Scotland, I was asked to update a previous blog from 2010 that included suggestions for changing the way refereeing is managed in Scotland .
Having had a look at original my thoughts are “ here we are again”, for the very same reasons the blog was penned in 2010.
Why?
Because the refereeing issue is in my view connected to a lack of proper financial controls that create moral hazard, where one party can act with reckless abandon (see Rangers latest accounts), but other parties, as happened in 2012 are left to face the consequences.
So I’ll just repeat the suggestions made then but with an added comment on the proposed use of VAR, and how that and proper financial controls can save Scottish football from itself. First the Referee Service
Note the word “service” for this is the way that much of what the SFA do should be viewed. The SFA provide a number of services to the clubs who play in Scotland. They should not be seen as their masters but their servants. Or in modern terms the clubs in their professional leagues are the customers and the SFA the service providers. This change of attitude would allow competition to provide such services to enter the scene and so improve them.
This would be a huge cultural change but it has to start somewhere and here we are again under starters orders IF supporters act to bring the change about by calling their clubs to account for allowing the past to repeat itself today as a result of the notorious sporting integrity breaking Five Way Agreement, that UEFA never clapped eyes on where our game became a franchise and clubs where stores that changed from Mr Noodles to Nachos but were still the same because they sold food.
Anyway!
The Referee Service
This would be split with the SFA doing the recruitment, training and match appointments (having taken the nature of the game to be officiated into account). However the monitoring and evaluation would be the province of the customer, using referees or ex refs from anywhere to mark to a standard set by the customer. This spilt of responsibilities would prevent any one person being in a position to exert his own influence on referees as a result of being part of the appointment and evaluation process. It would safeguard the SFA from the kind of suspicion that led to the referees’ strike and lead to a higher standard of referee because the customer would be setting the standard not the supplier (as happens everywhere in business but football) If it did not, it would free the SPL/SL to hire their own referees from wherever they could get them. A bit of competition never did anybody any harm and that includes our referees who, if they reached higher standards, would be in more demand outside Scotland.
Here is the addition brought on by the introduction of VAR which is just another service. Use this “here we go again” opportunity to put the VAR service AND the refereeing it watches over out to tender. The VAR supplier is also the referee monitor service to the leagues and the SFA become trainers and developers at lower levels of professional referees and work with the VAR service under a contract that rewards both parties.
The Licensing Service
This needs to be calibrated to meet the financial position of Scottish clubs. The principles in UEFA FFP that stipulate what is to be treated as allowable income and allowable debt continue, but regulating controls to prevent clubs going bust or acting in a reckless financial manner need introduced. Points deduction is no deterrent if such recklessness creates huge points gap at end of season when the CL money is at stake. Nor is the threat of losing all won by that recklessness a deterrent, when the nature of how it was won is downplayed then ignored and airbrushed from football history.
If survival depends on access to CL geld then referees , as matters continue to stand will come under the kind of scrutiny that unless addressed, leads to an ever growing suspicion, because here we bloody well are again, that our game is bent .
Worse it leads to thinking that the clubs like it that way but ignore that their supporters do not and will continue to ignore until supporters vote with their feet.
In short the Licensing Service that is supposed to protect the financial well being of Scottish clubs has failed. It perpetuates a moral hazard almost by design that caused Rangers demise in 2012 and that failure and how it was dealt with under the 5 Way Agreement has undermined the integrity of our game, causing increased scrutiny of referee decisions and if not dealt with this time will eventually kill football in Scotland as a sport.
VAR however if introduced as a professional service on lines suggested should encourage more prudent financial behaviour in future by making reckless behaviour so risky it will stop and with it the moral hazard it creates.
‘vernallen 6th October 2021 At 01:26
While its interesting to see the various comments on Scottish referees and what can be done to improve it, a more interesting research project would be on the woeful record of Scottish clubs in European competitions…’
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The simple answer to this is that the ‘top’ Scottish clubs, when playing in Europe, give the ball away far too easily & far too often, giving their opponents good possession in dangerous areas of the field. It’s not all down to pressure either; it’s lack of technical skills. It would be interesting to see analysis of how many goals Scottish teams concede in UEFA competitions within a few phases of making an unforced error.
It happens domestically as well, but the difference is that the opposing team can’t keep possession either (or benefit from it!) & promptly gives the ball away themselves!
Here we are again, Auldheid. Not sure I can believe that 11 years later, we are pretty much back where we started. The question remains – how do we instigate a change ?
I’m sure most people will agree that, whilst the standard of refereeing in Scotland was never that high many years ago, it has regressed rapidly in the last 30 years. I’d go so far as to say that the current bunch are the worst yet; the fact that none of our grade 1 officials were considered good enough to be included in the recent Euros seems to back that opinion up.
For me, they are a symptom of the mediocrity that the governing bodies who run our game are quite happy to settle for. I’d include our clubs in that too.
None of them are prepared to stick their heads out and challenge how our game is run, content just to sit there, afraid to rock the boat. Those who are, usually find themselves short of backing and we’re back to square one. Our clubs are run by self-serving cowards and until that changes, we will be stuck in mediocrity for good.
Both the SFA and the SPFL need gutting out and it really annoys me that we have such poor officials running our game, without anyone taking them to task.
It’s high time Scottish fitba moved into the 21st century.
I was reminded that I posted about the appointment of the current Head of Refereeing Operations back in January 2020:
‘Re the appointment of Crawford Allan:
Another insular, in-the-bubble, ‘We’re doing the best we can, we can’t upset the Grade 1s, because we’re feart of them.’ appointment.
Is the board of the SFA so blind to the almost-daily criticism of refereeing performance, standards & consistency from fans, players, managers & media that it thinks that an ‘in-house’ appointment is what is needed at this time?
It makes me wonder how much input the regional associations had into the selection. It makes me wonder if Mr. Allan is a ‘compromise’ appointment to quieten dissent. It makes me wonder if he was actually the first choice of the panel. It makes me wonder if this appointment is just part of the same old SFA ‘Magic Roundabout’ routine. It makes me wonder if there is something not quite ‘right’ in Scottish refereeing that an outside candidate would have seen & addressed.
Still, according to the press release, the CEO got all his boxes ticked with this appointment. Good for you, Ian. Are you sure that your boxes were the correct ones for ongoing development of refereeing standards in Scotland? Was there a box designated ‘Honest mistakes & how to ignore them’? I hope that Mr. Allan oversees a sea-change, but history indicates a jaundiced view should be taken of the prospects of any change at all.
There is, of course, an ‘up-side’ for the SFA in this appointment; no relocation fees required as the successful candidate is local. Funny that!’
…and…
‘The biggest takeaway from Allan’s appointment is that it appears that the tail is wagging the dog; the tail being the referees & the dog being the SFA. It’s an insider, steady hand on the tiller, don’t rock the boat, wan o’ oor ain appointment par excellence, but not what the Scottish game needs.
The passing of John Fleming gave the SFA an opportunity; the chance to replace him with a new man or woman, a new strategy, even a new structure. Frankly, as has been evidenced by their handling of several other contentious events in recent history, I think they didn’t have the bottle (or professionalism) to do so.’
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So it has proved: Mr. Allan has been in post for 21 months & what has improved? What tangible, visible-to-the-fans changes has he implemented? On any measure, are Scottish referees performing better (domestically, in European club competitions or in international matches) than under the late John Fleming?
We’re still months (years?) away from implementation of VAR; in fact, we don’t know what kind of VAR we’ll get in Scotland. Will it be the ‘full-fat’ EPL type or some ‘semi-skimmed’ version that’s a testament to the SFA’s exceptionalism (& tight-fistedness)? There’s a ‘summit’ tomorrow. I look forward to seeing Maxie (if it doesn’t interfere with his regular Friday 5-a-side, of course – priorities!) & Crawfie doing the rounds of the media to explain what’s they’re planning to do going forward.
Are we truly getting the best possible Referees? How do we know, because the SFA recruitment process has somehow escaped the diversity and inclusion officer quoted in the media today regarding the work required to eradicate racism.
There can be no doubt that the grade 1 appointments system remains a glass ceiling that many people will never break through. Whether people think Referees are biased or not (and I certainly hope they’re not) it is clear that nepotism is rife in who makes it and who doesn’t. Also, if the SFA are now accepting we need VAR, then surely it is time to accept that Referees should not be officiating in games involving the club they support. There should be no leeway on this because other countries don’t allow it, yet in Scotland it is standard practice. It’s not right and never can be right. If the system is so overloaded with Referees who support one club that it would cause a problem, then get Referees from other countries until the situation is corrected.
Since VAR is entirely on screen the officials could be based anywhere. There are no travel or hotel expenses needed so referees from any part of the world could be used with no presumption of bias towards any team. It would cost no more to have say a Spanish adjudicator rather than a Scottish one.
In all the debates re the leanings towards and the cheating by one club the biggest problem is that the rest of the clubs accept what is going on. Until such times they join together and protest things will continue as they are no matter what claims and arguments sites like this put forward.
That’s not to say we should stop but it’s a terrible situation where all these presumably intelligent directors accept the status quo. Does the “Blue Pound” really mean so much to them?
Ballyargus 7th October 2021 At 17:21
I am more than willing to give VAR a chance. However, I note many dissenters on social media saying if the VAR refs are those who are part of the close knit cabal which is Scottish Refereeing, and which circles the wagons no matter how atrocious the Referee has been, then will it change much? I’d like to think it would, but I go back to my previous post. Referees should have zero input in games where the team they support is involved. We already have faceless disciplinary committees who sometimes issue a video review verdict which leaves most of us bewildered. We never get to know who they are. Would we know who the VAR refs are? Also, there may be an opportunity for retired Referees to retrain as VAR Referees. You know, the ones who sometimes do the after dinner circuit bragging about not giving certain decisions they know fine well they should have. Would some of these people actually be allowed to come back into the system? No way should that be allowed.
Sergio Biscuits 7th October 2021 At 14:21
‘..a symptom of the mediocrity that the governing bodies who run our game are quite happy to settle for. I’d include our clubs in that too.’
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I still can’t get over the fact that the Board and members of the SPFL are so mediocre as to countenance a ‘review’ of the operations of the SPFL by 5 self-appointed ‘reviewers ( 4 of them American) on their own initiative!
Are the Board so sunk in the sense of failure and inadequacy occasioned by their cowardly dishonesty in permitting a rank, rotten, sporting lie to remain at the very heart of our Sport that they have lost all regard for themselves as any kind of leaders?
@JC – to a answer the question you pose, yes they are.
@UTH – full transparency is required. In England we know before kickoff who the VAR reviewer is. It doesn’t avoid controversy- see comments from Southampton manager last weekend- but it gives transparency and accountability.
I genuinely believe that Scottish football is now stuck between a rock and a hard place, specifically: how do you market the best wee small league in the world if the refereeing standards are so poor that the league becomes a parody of itself? But if you improve the refereeing standards towards impartiality what does that mean for any clubs that base their business model on continued success/dominance?
wokingcelt 8th October 2021 At 00:01
For me the biggest problem in Scotland has always been a desperation by the SFA and the media to portray our Referees as being beyond reproach because of the elephant in the room that sees Referees officiating for the team they support, several times a season and in very important games. Any fair minded person can see this is unacceptable, and you only have to look at other nations who take steps to avoid such a scenario as evidence that it is unacceptable. It doesn’t mean Scottish Referees are corrupt per se, and it doesn’t even mean there is any deliberate bias. However, neither does it mean that bias is impossible, cognitive bias in particular.
Having listened to the SFA and the SMSM over the decades you would believe that generations of Scottish Referees are super humans, free of natural human traits, the best officials around. None of that is true. To quote an old phrase ‘methinks they doth protest too much’.
We all think our clubs are hard done by, and that’s where our bias as fans comes in. Sometimes in the cold light of day you can sit there and see it’s not always the case. However, to take one of the most infamous cases involving my club, a Referee who was by any standard having an utterly appalling game became a hero because some utter idiotic clown of a person chose to throw a coin at him which drew blood. This scandalous act somehow became a reason to say he had a great game, and a reason to say forevermore he was a brilliant Referee, despite several high profile incidents which suggested otherwise. He then went on to influence Scottish Refereeing on retirement, ensuring only his favourites progressed, including his own son who has proven himself less than capable as a Referee which is the kindest thing I could say. The defiant media attitude towards that man sums up why we desperately need change. Personally I am not prepared to accept that just because one club’s followers believe him to be biased against their club, that it automatically means it is impossible for that to have been the case. I’m not saying it was the case because I don’t know, but if we want to be seen as being beyond reproach then attitudes must change, and we must accept that a perception of bias is a very bad thing.
‘upthehoops 7th October 2021 At 18:37
…Would we know who the VAR refs are? Also, there may be an opportunity for retired Referees to retrain as VAR Referees. You know, the ones who sometimes do the after dinner circuit bragging about not giving certain decisions they know fine well they should have. Would some of these people actually be allowed to come back into the system? No way should that be allowed.’
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Yes, we would know who the VAR team for each specific match is comprised of. They’d be listed in the same fashion as the current officiating team are. For example, here’s the officials for tomorrow’s Scotland Israel match –
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (POL)
Assistant Referee 1: Pawel Sokolnicki (POL)
Assistant Referee 2: Tomasz Listkiewicz (POL)
Fourth Official: Tomasz Musial (POL)
Video Assistant Referee: Tomasz Kwiatkowski (POL)
Assistant Video Assistant Referee: Marcin Borkowski (POL)
Referee Assessor: Pascal Garibian (FRA)
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As to your second point re retired refs coming back: I understand that FIFA & UEFA insist that VAR officials must be active referees of a suitable grading for the match involved & who meet the current standards of their home football associations regarding age limits, fitness levels & medical requirements.
Unless the SFA is going to go against the grain, there won’t be VAR paydays for the Old Boys’ Club…
Jingso.Jimsie 8th October 2021 At 10:45
‘…They’d be listed in the same fashion as the current officiating team are. For example, here’s the officials for tomorrow’s Scotland Israel match –’
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On a loosely related point, Jingo.Jimsie, I have a recollection that at one time the 3 officials at any UEFA competition match were drawn from different countries. Did I imagine that?
If that was the case, it made sense to change that arrangement in so far as communication between the three officials would be better if they all spoke the same language!
Can anyone remember , or did I imagine ?
And if it was not a figment of my imagination, when did the change to ‘same country’ officials come about?
Does anyone not see the irony in Mike Ashley selling Newcastle for a significant sum. Just think what might have been if the Rangers had held on to the board members in place when Ashley was around, close to breaking even, and if still in place, the golden chalice for Ranger fans, the potential of unheard sums if Rangers could have been part of that sale. Possible European domination could have been on the cards with super star after super star arriving at Ibrox. Oh, and no one sided merchandise deals as completed by the new (King) board. The biggest kick in the teeth could be SG leaving to manage Newcastle, even though Ashley is gone. Instead the fans can look back on years of huge losses ( with another year’s report yet to be tabled), one title, no league cups and no Scottish cups. Yes they did well in the changing of the board.
vernallen 8th October 2021 At 22:53
‘..The biggest kick in the teeth could be SG leaving to manage Newcastle,
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Well, any guy who bought into the nonsense of the Big Lie has to be suspect!
And ,IF the Saudis at Newcastle were to come calling, yer man Gerrard will be off like a shot, without a doubt!
Especially if the call were to come just as the RIFC plc accounts were to be submitted to Companies House, and SG realised what a useless job he had as a manager who can’t buy the players he needs and wants .
And who could blame him? [Well, I would: for having bought into the biggest sporting lie there has ever been in Scottish Football!]
How can you improve on perfection? SFA statement on scottish referees by SFA spokesperson 2021.
What do you mean this statement has not been put out yet?
Ok give it another day or two.
Cluster One 9th October 2021 @ 10:13hrs –
Classic SFA, though.
It’s typical that the man fronting this is Howard Webb. His mishandling of the 2010 World Cup Final showed the need for video assistance for the on-field official…
Justice?…..Really? £3.4m awarded to a deid club that ripped off all and sundry, while the duo responsible trouser £24m of tax-payers money between them in damages.
Corrupt official 9th October 2021 At 13:21
‘.. £3.4m awarded to a deid club that ripped off all and sundry,’
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Well, it’s more money for HMRC which means us, the taxpayers, who were so ripped off by a knight of the realm: who, in my opinion, should have been metaphorically crucified by the 5 million worldwide supporters of RFC of 1872 for killing their club.
While ,of course ,those in Football Governance who created the Big Lie should have been (metaphorically) hanged, drawn and quartered for their BETRAYAL OF THEIR OFFICE as Guardians of Scottish Football.
Their sin is blacker even than the kind of sin that any individual, vainglorious, hubristic individual cheat on the personal make may be guilty of: we kind of expect that millionaire types will try to find any kind of way to become millionaires!
What we don’t expect is that a sport’s Governance body will try to create a myth in order to hide the unpleasant truth’
Even less do we expect the SMSM to become propagandists for untruth.
They can never be forgiven.
And they know how base they would be in the eyes of the two journalists who have just won the Nobel prize!
John Clark 9th October 2021 At 23:14
Well, it’s more money for HMRC which means us, the taxpayers, who were so ripped off by a knight of the realm: who, in my opinion, should have been metaphorically crucified by the 5 million worldwide supporters of RFC of 1872 for killing their club.
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A Knight of the Realm who is still revered by the Scottish Sporting Media. A Knight of the Realm who was in cahoots with the bank who tried to put Celtic out of business for a debt of £6M, while allowing Rangers a debt of £80M. A Knight of the Realm who put in place the biggest ever illegal tax scam in UK football history. All of the success achieved when he ruled at Ibrox is still revered by the Scottish Sporting Media, despite the very obvious advantages the institutional bias of a Scottish owned bank and an illegal tax avoidance scheme brought him.
A Knight of the Realm who is still a Knight of the Realm. This is Scotland, the best wee country in the world apparently.
upthehoops 9th October 2021 At 23:32
‘..A Knight of the Realm who is still a Knight of the Realm’
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And disgracefully so.
There is nothing more sure than the fact that the ‘honours’ system is even more corrupt than Scottish Football governance, if notions of integrity and honour are meant to be attributes of ‘knights’
John Clark 9th October 2021 At 23:14
Corrupt official 9th October 2021 At 13:21
‘.. £3.4m awarded to a deid club that ripped off all and sundry,’
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Well, it’s more money for HMRC which means us, the taxpayers, who were so ripped off by a knight of the realm
Not really John, as the circa £24m damages payout was obviously from public funds. By my reckoning tax-payers are £20.6m down on the deal.
How much of the £3.4m gravegoods, (after BDO costs are settled), actually finds its way to the creditors is yet to be announced.
Corrupt official 10th October 2021 At 11:30
‘..Not really John, as the circa £24m damages payout was obviously from public funds. By my reckoning tax-payers are £20.6m down on the deal.’
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Aye, but to be fair, RFC of 1872 died because they owed us taxpayers many tens of millions of pounds of tax:
it was not RFC of 1872 that brought a prosecution that was so fecked up as to result in the public purse having to pay out enormous sums in damages!
The really interesting questions are, I think, how the feck-up came about and why?
Was there any genuine attempt to prosecute? or was the prosecution sabotaged?
I followed the court proceedings as often and as best as I could.
I was not at all impressed by the way the Prosecution made an ar.e of itself even in the framing, and re-framing, of the bloody indictments!
And as for investigating police officers seizing documents that they were not legally allowed to seize?
I shake my head in wonderment. Wouldn’t police officers KNOW that that would bugger up any prosecution?
One idly speculates: could buggering-up have been the intention? I think that that is a legitimate question asked with an open mind.
The next question would be: And if so, whose needs were being served?
Oh! Where is the ICIJ when you need it?
Just to get right in there and find objective Truth.
Real Rangers did indeed blooter the tax pocket John, and as a result were put into liquidation. Potless and ceasing to exist, there was nothing could be done with them. The party was over for them as far as the law was concerned..
However the aftermath of corruption continued into new Rangers via Sevco 5088 and/or Sevco Scotland. If, as is widely suspected, certain players were acting in cahoots, successful guilty charges would only have one outcome. The undoing of the asset sale by dint of Sevco being a criminal construct……No new Rangers and 50,000 old Rangers fans baying for Minty’s blood.
I take your point about the framing and re-framing of charges John. Particularly from the original conspiracy charges brought against all of the main players.
It is my opinion that this re-framing was pivotal, and served one main purpose…..Namely to re-apportion blame, but to do so in such a way that deconstructing the asset sale would not necessarily be the obvious next step that would naturally follow a proven conspiracy.
At any cost, a situation of “no Rangers”, was verbotten, and it was an instruction from somewhere on high.
A series of trials followed, carefully framed, so as not to uncover the shallow, unmarked/re-named grave now rotting in liquidation.
Charlie Chuckles wasn’t shy in letting them know he knew where the body was buried when he bought his basket of assets……Legal farce after farce followed.
To “do” one, would have meant to do them all, but they stood united. They all knew what Charlie knew but kept stumpff……..That doesn’t mean they were not prepared to sing like canaries.
I doubt it was a bluff. If they were going down, then so was Sevco Scotland/5088, but regardless, it was never going to be called.
In my view, conspiracy charges were the appropriate charges to pursue, and the unwinding of the criminal construct, (if charges were successful), the natural concluding proceedings.
At least we can be thankful that our referees are honest, but unfortunately, just as incompetent as our polis and QC’s eh.
The maist incompetent wee country in the wurld.
Corrupt Official 11 oct 02:04
Chuckles knew.
Looking back at Oct 12. 2012 I see chuckles knew there would no long er be an SPL. When he said rangers would never return to the SPL while he was in charge, would there be an SPL by the time they get there (or words to that effect) Did he know about reconstruction before it was voted on in 2013 i believe?
Cluster One 13th October 2021 At 12:31
Corrupt Official 11 oct 02:04
Chuckles knew.
Looking back at Oct 12. 2012 I see chuckles knew there would no long er be an SPL.
I only have the vaguest recollection of the statement C1, so I am reluctant to hazard a guess. His MO was usually playing to the gallery while issuing some sort of thinly veiled threat of worm-can opening. I doubt he was hinting at his own premature departure, as he also stated he would be hanging around for the CL tune on the Ibrox tannoy system
Whether he was aware that David Longmuir was to receive a bung, (and a mechanism was required to transfer the funding for it), or a re-drafting of league rules was in the offing would merely be speculation on my part. To my knowledge, nobody was aware of any other viable reason for the restructure.
Oct 2012 was just approaching the fraudulent IPO period, so the notion of one league authority, as opposed to two, may have looked better in the blurb. (Charlie was ever the salesman)
As far as I can fathom, SPL clubs overwhelmingly voted "No to Newco", (albeit, some with a fan-forced hand),and no other vote was balloted to overthrow it. It may have had the potential to be problematic when the time to skip across the two different authorities (via promotion), came. Technically, if the SPL was still in existence, then, without a re-ballot, so was the result of the vote.
Sorry for the rather vague reply, but I am curious as to the importance you attach to his comments.
Corrupt official 13th October 2021 At 14:12
‘..Technically, if the SPL was still in existence, then, without a re-ballot, so was the result of the vote…’
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I doubt if many of us thought that a fix could seriously have been considered.
In those early days I was prepared accept that the new club ((any new club) could apply to buy a share in either of the two companies of professional football clubs that existed, the SPL and SFL.
I was prepared even to accept that a particular new applicant might be given precedence over any prior applicant for the bottom-most place in the bottom-most league; but only as a new club starting from scratch (which unquestionably as a matter of law, SevcoScotland/TRFC was)
When I read things like this item below I suspected that the ‘fix ‘would be in and the Big lie created that ‘Rangers’ had not died as a football club but had merely changed hands (even though, like many liars, the liars never quite got their story internally consistent!)
The sheer effrontery of that Lie was, is, breath-taking. And the fact that the lie underlies the launch of RIFC plc is a damning indictment, in my view, of the Finance regulatory bodies.
From International Business Times
“Rangers voted in to Scottish Division Three
By Alfred Joyner
July 13, 2012 12:09 BST
“Newco Rangers will play next season in division 3 after the 30 clubs in the Scottish Football League (SFL) voted on where to place them in the table.
A majority of clubs voted to send Charles Green’s newco Rangers into the third division, despite the Scottish Football Association (SFA) and the Scottish Premier League (SPL) offering an overhaul of the league structure if Rangers were placed in division one instead.
The clubs met at Hampden to decide on the fate of the club after they were refused admission into the SPL.
Twenty-five out of the 30 teams voted for Rangers to start in the third division.
SFL chief executive David Longmuir said: “This has been a very important day for Scottish football.
“The member clubs have voted to wilingly accept Rangers into the SFL. The only acceptable position was to accept the newco in division 3 from the start of 2012/2013.
“This has been one of the most difficult decisions to make for all concerned.”
The decision could have catastrophic financial consequences on the state of Scottish football, with FA chief executive Stewart Regan saying the move would lead to a “slow, lingering death” of the game.
Former first minister Henry McLeish said before the vote that sending Rangers into the first division would be a “fit and proper punishment” and would benefit the SFL as a whole.
He said: “In the last season, 28% of all the people going through the turnstiles in Scotland were because of Rangers.
“If you add Celtic figures into that, 60% of all the fan base in Scotland is the Old Firm.”
Dunfermline, Elgin City, Peterhead, Arbroath, Alloa Athletic, Berwick Rangers, Annan Athletic, East Fife and Clyde all said in the days before the meeting they plan to vote the Ibrox club into the bottom tier.
Only Second Division club Stenhousemuir publicly announced their decision to vote for Rangers in the second tier.
Clyde football club have expressed concerns the decision may still be overturned by the SFL and by SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster and Rangers allow play in division 1 next season:
A statement on the club’s site said: “Neil Doncaster told the SFL clubs that the SPL would not allow Rangers to join the third division as the loss of £16m would not be countenanced.
“He is also on record as having said that a 16-team league would cost £20m, therefore we can hardly have confidence that the focus on finance will allow these proposals to come to life.
“Given that the SPL and SFA have signalled a clear intention to act against any decision that might result in Sevco Scotland Ltd being admitted to the third division.
“We can expect that, no matter what the SFL clubs decide, Sevco Scotland will not be playing in the third division in the coming season.”
Dunfermline and Dundee are due to learn on Monday who will replace the Ibrox club in the top flight.”
John Clark 13th October 2021 At 17:25
Corrupt official 13th October 2021 At 14:12
‘..Technically, if the SPL was still in existence, then, without a re-ballot, so was the result of the vote…’
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I doubt if many of us thought that a fix could seriously have been considered.
Therein lies the hub of the fix John. A football club called "Rangers" were not in existence at the time of the debut match against Brechin. "Club 12" was the club entered in the draw as. A game which took place using a number of players "borrowed" from the original Rangers registered playing squad. .
Sevco Scotland was granted SFA membership, and Sevco Scotland were awarded a playing license. Several days after the Brechin Debut, Sevco Scotland changed their name to The Rangers Football Club.
The following season Big Fat Salary claimed to have no idea why "Trialists" were only permitted in the opening round of the Ramsden cup.....Trialists who would not have been available to him for selection the previous season, without the necessary release papers and rule amendments.
It is all adequately documented, but still the lie perpetuates.
When the First minister pleads for clemency for an entity dodging taxes, of which he has a clear responsibility to collect, I would suggest it is not a sport that has the problem, but a nation.
Who jails the jailers?
I did not know that there was such an organisation as Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL)the members of which are the FA, the The FA premier League, and the English Football League. It’s the body that provides referees for ten different levels of football, apparently. And pays them.
In a judgment made public today, HMRC has won an appeal against parts of the decisions made by the First tier Tax tribunal and the Upper Tier Tax Tribunal.
The basic question seems to have been whether PGMOL should whip off Tax and N.I conts from the fees they pay to referees.
The Court of Appeal has not decided the matter but has remitted the case to the First Tier Tribunal to reconsider .
This is the last para of the judgment
“133.For these reasons, I would allow HMRC’s appeal and dismiss PGMOL’s
Respondent’s Notice. The FTT and the UT each erred in law in their approaches to
the question of mutuality of obligation in the individual contracts, and the FTT erred
in law in its approach to the question of control in the individual contracts. It is not
necessary for me to reach a view about the overarching contracts. If the other
members of this Court agree with those conclusions, my provisional view, subject to
any submissions which the parties may wish to make about disposal, is that the appeal should be remitted to the FTT for the FTT to consider, on the basis of its original findings of fact, whether there were sufficient mutuality of obligation and control in the individual contracts for those contracts to be contracts of employment. I do not consider that it would be appropriate for this Court to make those assessments, which are assessments best made by a specialist fact-finding tribunal, not an appellate Court.”
The other two judges agreed.
Case details are:
Neutral Citation Number: [2021] EWCA Civ 1370
Case No: A3/2020/1392
IN THE COURT OF APPEAL (CIVIL DIVISION)
ON APPEAL FROM
The Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery) Chamber
(The Honourable Mr Justice Zacaroli and Judge Thomas Scott)
Royal Courts of Justice
Strand, London, WC2A 2LL
Date: 17/09/202
Does anyone know how our referees are ’employed’? Are their fees taxable?
79 days until the next transfer window opens. Are the lights burning brightly into the wee hours as possible sales are discussed. Are the phones lines burning up chasing potential buyers for members of this star studded team. Is it not time for the media to start pushing rumors about departures from Ibrox for untold sums. Is the media chasing what is actually going on or sitting back waiting to be spoon fed the story Ibrox wants circulated. Are they asking about the latest financials. Can they see the opportunity in front of them.
John Clark 13th October 2021 @ 22:19hrs –
I think that Scottish referees are basically self-employed contractors who require to be members of a suitable trade association to be considered for ‘work’. (There’s other criteria as well: fitness, age etc., etc..)
I suppose that their match fees are paid gross & it’s up to the individual to deal with tax & NI from what is, essentially, a part-time side-gig.
Incidentally, I wonder if refs pay towards the SFA/UEFA/FIFA training camps they attend? Do the respective FAs pick up any/some/all of the tab for these?
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As an aside, I note that Jermaine Defoe was unable to attend court yesterday due to ‘COVID isolation’.
https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/19643705.rangers-star-unable-attend-trial-due-covid-isolation/
You have to wonder if there’s more to the story.
vernallen 13th October 2021 @ 22:52hrs –
The perfect scenario for RIFC is that Gerrard goes to NUFC in the next few days & TRFC get enough compo for him & his coaching team to keep the lights on until January. Derek McInnes is available to step in if young Murty declines to cover the big job.
Then, come the transfer window, Gerrard drops £100m or so on signing several Govan Galacticos. I’m sure that Mr. Park & Mr. Robertson would still think that TRFC would romp the league without needing to sign too many replacements.
It’s unlikely that’ll happen, though…
John Clark 13th October 2021 At 22:19
Does anyone know how our referees are ’employed’? Are their fees taxable?
++++++
I know a Grade 1 Assistant and they are paid directly by the SFA and tax is deducted at source is my understanding. If they are in the higher PAYE bracket they will pay 41% on all Referee earnings.
@JJ – stranger things have happened. Wasn’t it Jean-Alain Boumsong who had a short stay in Glasgow before a move to Newcastle for £8m – signed by a certain G. Souness and subsequently rated as the worst ever January buy…
upthehoops 14th October 2021 At 15:46
‘..I know a Grade 1 Assistant and they are paid directly by the SFA and tax is deducted at source is my understanding.’
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Thank you, uth.
I suppose, when I think about it, if they had had any kind of questionable arrangement before the SDM method of tax evasion became known, the SFA would surely have quickly re-adjusted: deceitful they may be, but totally stupid they are not!
Maybe their English oounterparts are in for a shock!
wokingcelt 14th October 2021 At 17:15
‘… signed by a certain G. Souness..’
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I was minded to have another look at Souness’s EBT, but I got diverted when I came across this item written in the when the BBC had resect for truthful reporting:
“Rangers – The Men Who Sold the Jerseys
BBC Scotland Investigates2012
As this proud footballing giant stands on the brink of extinction, BBC Scotland Investigates the inside story of the scandal which brought Rangers FC to its knees. This is a programme based on dozens of secret emails, letters and documents which uncover the truth behind the tax scheme which threatens the club’s very existence, and reveals what went on behind the scenes in the run up to Craig Whyte’s infamous takeover. From the day Sir David Murray took up the reigns at Ibrox, through the nine-in-a-row Championship years to the ignominy of owner Craig Whyte’s reign and the plunge into administration, this programme charts the descent from glory into chaos of one of Scotland’s great institutions. Along the way, investigative reporter Mark Daly goes in search of answers to the questions every Scottish football fan is asking, and attempts to confront those who are responsible for the Ibrox club’s plight..”
I’ve never understood why Pacific Quay meekly did not have the guts and integrity to resist the orders from the BBC Trust to accepted the nonsense from their London masters that they should refer to the ‘company’ as distinct from the ‘club’.
There were powerful people involved in supporting the lie that RFC 1872 died as a football club every bit as ignominiously as any liquidated football club when it could not pay its debts: debts occasioned not by misfortune or unavoidable market conditions, but by cheating HMRC (and lying about it to the SFA and SPL)
And if BBC people kow-tow to ‘powerful people’, what’s the BBC other than untrustworthy itself? little better than an old ‘eastern bloc’ state-controlled propaganda machine?
My post of 19.31 today: you will have noticed (I hope) my careless writing
I meant ( obviously!) to write :
‘There were powerful people involved in supporting the lie that RFC of 1872 did not die as a football club every bit as ignominiously as any liquidated football club’
( That’s what happens when you’re interrupted in your flow of thought, press the send button and don’t have another look while there is time to edit)
Who among us can forget this:
“27/03/2011
This blog will provide details on Rangers FC’s appeals against tax bills which the club has received for underpayment of tax going back to 2001. The case centres round what HMRC believes is the illegal use of Employee Benefit Trusts (EBTs) to avoid paying PAYE and National Insurance Contributions on payments made to players and members of the board of directors.
My motivation to write is born out of the wilful ignorance of the Scottish media on this story. While they reprint unbelievable PR fiction related to Rangers as news, Scotland’s Fourth Estate has gone to great efforts to ignore the tax story…”
%%%
Thus did the ‘Rangerstaxcase’ guy begin his superb blog that, as truth and fact based journalism ,cannot be faulted; and in so doing alerted us all to the dirty wee reluctance of sports journalists in the SMSM even to ask questions of the tax-evading board of RFC of 1872, let alone seriously challenge it.
I have no idea who he is, but I hope I may have had, unbeknownst to me at the time, the honour and privilege of having shaken his hand.
I mention this because I was sent on a wee nostalgia trip this evening after chatting on Skype with my son in Oz and his daughter (who was born round about the time of that RTC blog)
As it happens, this very minute I have a wee quarter gill within arm’s reach as I write, and I raise it now to RTC with deepest thanks to him for the service he provided in exposing the lies and deceit at the heart of Scottish Football.
Here’s to RTC!
I continue to be confused by Barry Ferguson’s profession. Is he a full time football manager, or a part time journalist, or is it vice versa, a full time journalist, and a part time football manager. Based on recent reports in the DR I suspect the latter and managing a football team just gets in the way. I’m sure the new owners of Newcastle got a chuckle out of the DR’s headline, “Ferguson sets Newcastle straight” regarding SG and the Newcastle job. They probably got into the five “w’s” of journalism trying to find out who he is. Meanwhile the directors of Alloa must be doing the same as they try to determine what their manager actually does to earn his pay cheque.
‘upthehoops 14th October 2021 At 15:46
I know a Grade 1 Assistant and they are paid directly by the SFA and tax is deducted at source is my understanding…’
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Happy to be put right!
Thanks!
vernallen 15th October 2021 At 01:24
‘..Is he a full time football manager, or a part time journalist, ..’
%%%%%%%%
The records of the Accountant in Bankruptcy show that the occupation of a Barry Ferguson (d.o.b. 02/02/1978) whose date of Discharge from bankruptcy was 21/07/2018, was given as “Columnist”.
https://disciplinary.uefa.com/insideuefa/disciplinary/updates/026e-137c1e0a99d4-7a4c6b0e1281-1000–uel-2021-22-ac-sparta-praha-v-rangers-fc/
‘INVESTIGATIONS
UEL 2021/22: AC Sparta Praha v Rangers FC
Last updated 10/15/2021 15:30
In accordance with Article 31(4) of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations, a UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector was appointed to conduct a disciplinary investigation regarding potential discriminatory incidents which allegedly occurred during the 2021/22 UEFA Europa League group stage match between AC Sparta Praha and Rangers FC played on 30 September 2021.
The investigation has now concluded that there was insufficient evidence of racism or discriminatory conduct at the match to warrant the opening of disciplinary proceedings against AC Sparta Praha.’
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But, but, but…
John Clark –15th October 2021 — 17:22
Thanks for the update, If his abilities as a columnist are reflective as his abilities as a football manager, heaven help the Alloa team. He spends so much time living in the Ranger’s past and on games with Celtic and Europe there can’t be much time left to plan training, game strategy, and recruitment plans.
I see a club* who pretend to be another club* have brought out a new top to pretend to be 140 years older than they actually are while pretending to be “here first” despite the historical fact that Queen’s Park were “here” in Glasgow 5 years earlier and Kilmarnock, Stranraer and Dumbarton were also in existence here in Scotland before the club* they pretend to be was even dreamt of . To add insult to inaccuracy they have given the video the background tune of a song their fans regularly sing and are prosecuted for due to the racist lyrics they attach to it and are pretending it’s another song with the same tune but different lyrics that the vast majority couldn’t tell you what the lyrics are. Just another chapter in the game of let’s pretend that has been going on for a decade now.
Timtim 15 th October 20.14.
Leaving aside the OC/NC.
The tune is well known to Rangers fans as a tribute to our founding fathers.
The club is commemorating this by producing a top to celebrate the 150th year since the birth of the club.
The song has been sung at Rangers games across the country for nearly a decade whereas the Famine song has more or less disappeared entirely.
So to sum it up, a song sung to celebrate our founders is used to promote a strip released to celebrate our founders has produced an outpouring of faux outrage from the usual suspects.
From 2012.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvXq9ffGwNU
2.316,256 views. Not bad for a song that’s not well known.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7V3IQiCSZU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3S7wBlp41A
130k views between them. Fans seem to know the words and remember this was 9 years ago.
Another from 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soihzsQE5U8
I see a comment on another site suggests informing the U.S. based group that has the rights to the tune perhaps leading to a charge of copyright infringement, and, we all know how the Americans love a legal battle. Also if tapes were available of the numerous games that the tune was used they could also act for royalty rights based on each performance. Hit them in the pocketbook and the tune/song could disappear. Still not a high water mark for their PR department, poorly researched, poorly produced, and appears to be poorly received.
Spin it however you like, there is no excuse for the racism inherent in that ad. And any apologist for it wears the same badge in my view.
An opportunity for some decency to be displayed. An opportunity squandered.
vernallen 15th October 2021 At 22:56
‘..I see a comment on another site suggests informing the U.S. based group that has the rights to the tune perhaps leading to a charge of copyright infringement,’
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vernallen, there will be no need of ‘informing’: the Performing Rights Society seem to have ears everywhere, extraordinarily so.
If anything is ‘broadcast’ without a licence, on, say, a tannoy system at a sports ground, they get to know of it, and if the tune/music/lyrics are under copyright, they take action.
Mercilessly, no excuses accepted!
What a crowd sings to and for itself is one thing: if what they sing is ‘broadcast’ formally by a business, that’s an entirely different matter.
Strike up that tune at any orange walk , in any rangers* bar , on any supporters bus and I guarantee it will be the famine song lyrics that are used . Faux excuses to hide the inherent bigotry that’s found under their Mandarin coloured tops. If you can’t call it out don’t cover it up.
Timtim 16th October 06.24
Orange walk – Yes
Bar – No
Bus – No
Plenty of other videos, going back years to prove this if you require.
BP
No spin required.
We take an abhorrent song and turn it into a tribute to our founding fathers and still end up accused of racism.
Albertz11 15th October 2021 At 21:15
‘..Leaving aside the OC/NC.
The tune is well known to Rangers fans as a tribute to our founding fathers.’
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One cannot leave aside ‘the OC/NC’:
the ‘founding fathers’ celebrated in the song were the founding fathers of Rangers of 1872 , which in 2012 ceased to exist as a recognised club participating in professional Scottish Football.
The founding father of TRFC is one Charles Green!
Albertz11 15th October 2021 At 21:15
“Leaving aside the OC/NC.”
“The tune is well known to Rangers fans as a tribute to our founding fathers.”
“The club is commemorating this by producing a top to celebrate the 150th year since the birth of the club.”
You’re not leaving aside OC/NC at all when you reference 150 years, unless you also reference the club’s death in 2012 of course.
Charles Green is your founding father and all this over-hyped nonsense about title 55 and 150 years of glorious history to try and reinforce downright lies is so blatantly obvious to those of us whose IQ is higher than our shoe size. It really is beyond pitiful.
I’m proud to say I couldn’t recite one solitary line of the Ibrox songbook, but I can’t wait for the upcoming ditty about your real founding father, the purchaser of a basket of distressed assets. I wonder if anything rhymes with Chuck?
Edit: Just noticed JC’s similar post above. Good minds think alike John.
John Clark 16th October 09.37
Highlander 09.45
According to who?
By “leaving aside” i didn’t want it to become part of the FS/4LHAD debate.
Highlander 16th October 2021 At 09:45
‘..Good minds think alike..’
%%%%%%%%%%
‘Good’ as in ‘honest’, Highlander.
The one thing that none of the legals was brave enough or foolish enough to try to build into the 5-Way Agreement was any assertion that CG had bought RFC of 1872. Nor could the Administrators (try to fudge as they might) declare that they had succeeded in bringing the debt-ridden club out of Administration.
It is a plain legal and commercial fact that RFC of 1872 went bust, could not be saved, and ceased to exist as a football club.
And it is a plain legal and commercial fact that a new club, publicly lying about itself as being RFC of 1872, was admitted into Scottish Football in 2012-as a new club.
Those who pretend otherwise are delusional or speaking with false tongues; and it is disgraceful that the SFA does not restore truth to the sport the integrity of which they are the supposed
‘guardians’!
Sevconia…..Where bigotry and racism is justified by a loophole.
O, wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!
It wad frae monie a blunder free us,
An’ foolish notion.
Barcelona, who were close to liquidation, managed to obtain funding, and substantial it was, from Goldman Sachs. Have they sent the phone number, e-mail contact, and the name of the person willing to write such a good sized cheque. Or is it that Ibrox can’t afford a long distance call to either party.
@Vernallen – we don’t know the TRFC financial position and we have seen ongoing funding from various investors. However we do know that to compete in Europe the salaries you have to pay need to be covered by net positive transfer fees as ticket revenue and TV money is not enough – essentially the model that Celtic follow (although I would like us to be a tad more successful in Europe ?). As noted in a prior post by Big Pink it would be strange indeed if current investors walked away at this stage (although there comes a point for any sane investor to stop throwing good money after bad…).
The really tricky element of the “Celtic model” is to sell the player at the point of maximum transfer leverage. Three cases from a Celtic perspective:
KT – a pretty good transfer fee in my view given that there appeared to be only one suitor.
Virgil Van D – ok but maybe should have tried to get a higher % on the sell-on. But hindsight is 20/20 vision.
Ryan Christie – I think Bournemouth got a bargain. Yes, CFC made a profit on what they paid for him but I was surprised that CFC didn’t market him harder given that he know he was not likely to sign a new contract.
When I look at TRFC squad I see assets that are depreciating from a high level in the summer off a season when many had perhaps their best performances. There’s an old investment saying of “sell in May and go away and come back on St Leger’s day” – obviously the transfer window restrictions change the dateline here…
Auldheid
I have always liked the term ‘Ship of Fools’ – particularly with reference to people who abuse positions of power – and was reminded of this by the title of your blog ‘In the Service of Fools’. Thanks for stimulating my thinking!
In Plato’s original version of ‘Ship of Fools’, a defective and mutinous crew seek to overcome a bumbling, incompetent captain by plying him with drink, drugs etc to seize control of the ship. The problem then becomes who assumes the role of captain with each shipmate feeling they are best qualified to do so – despite lacking the necessary skills.
As you might guess, such a scenario would inevitably end in a shambles – with the ship basically sailing onwards aimlessly
I then started to try to establish a connection with the good ship HMS SFA.
I pinpointed the Captain ok (Dungaster) but, despite racking my ageing brain, could not, for long enough, identify the scurrulous crew!
Then the penny dropped! There IS no mutinous crew – they’re aw in it thegither on board that ship! You scratch ma back etc. etc.
(It’s all about Governance ye ken!).
So …on it sails – all at sea so to speak!
bect67 16th October 2021 At 21:03
‘…
Then the penny dropped! There IS no mutinous crew – they’re aw in it thegither on board that ship! ‘
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bect67, I still mourn the passing of Turnbull Hutton, the only football person to call out the shocking abandonment of sporting integrity and honest governance by those whose duty it was to uphold those ideals.
I remember him being reported as saying , in reference to attempts by Regan and Doncaster to get the new club into the first division, that people were being lied to.
Now, in absolute fairness to both Regan and Doncaster I recognise that they, in their offices as CEOs of their respective Leagues, were servants of their Boards and had no executive powers of their own that could override their Boards’ instructions.
The two of them would each have been canny enough to mind their own backs, and take no action that was not, in writing or on tape, recorded as evidence that they were obeying instructions from their respective boards. ( They each ought to have resigned, of course, when ordered to create/participate/propagate the Big Lie: just as the centenarian Nazi camp guard presently on trial should have done)
But you are correct: the member clubs of the professional Football Leagues were/are ‘aw in it together’ for ‘filthy lucre’s’ sake.
We have, in effect, a rigged game, in which sporting achievements are attributed to a football club that wasn’t in existence when those achievements were ‘achieved’
Not sure whether Plato’s philosophy quite covered that scenario!
.
” so, the level of player here at Rangers you expect them to score more than one goal from what we created.” ( from Gerrard as quoted in today’s ‘Scotland on Sunday’ by Moira Gordon)
Hmm!
“We’ve created 28 shots at goal, we’ve had a tap-in to score, we’ve had an opportunity one-v-one where we could have gone around the keeper ”
Wouldn’t THAT be an indication of the level of player, Stevie boy?
Or [to do a Kenny McIntyre ‘probe’. As if!! ] ‘are there deeper problems at Ibrox, Mr Gerrard?
Discontented players? Players not playing for the jersey? Players anxious to get to Newcastle United?
Managers anxious to get to Newcastle United ?
A Board, perhaps, anxious that the manager should go to Newcastle United, where he would reportedly have £25 million a year over the next 5 years to spend?
Oh, what fun is such speculation!
If, as widely expected, Steve Bruce gets cashiered at NUFC this week, & a likely £8m pay-off, why would any manager want the job on football grounds?
NUFC is second-bottom of the EPL & has 12 league matches to go before the transfer window opens. Motivating the current, underperforming squad until then will be inordinately difficult. Staying in the PL is the priority, but may be unachievable. NUFC score an average 1.25 goals per game, but concede almost 2.5. Every other team will be targeting NUFC as a 3-point banker.
Sign players in January, expect them to bed-in right away in a (possibly) different league, different club, different city, different style etc. etc. Fight an expected relegation battle from the moment of signing. No promise of CL or EL football next year: in fact it may be midweek trips to Blackburn, Blackpool, Hull & Luton in the Championship rather than Barcelona, Paris & Munich for the newcomers. There’s FFP constraints to consider, as well. Is Gerrard the man for that? I don’t think so.
Unfortunately, NUFC will be in the market for mercenaries, both manager & players. Money talks in these circumstances.
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I think JC missed out a zero when he wrote that the NUFC manager would have £25m at his disposal each year. It’s more likely to be £250m or more.
Jingso.Jimsie 18th October 2021 At 10:07
‘…I think JC missed out a zero .’
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Ha ha, JJ: no, I had seen it ‘reported’ the other day that the new board at NUFC had said that only one hundred million over 4 years would be made available for new players. But knowing what football reporters are like, you might very well be right! The new owners are not likely to risk relegation, and a mere £25 M wouldn’t buy hellish much in the way of players.
https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/19653490.crown-office-paid-35m-botched-rangers-prosecutions/
I see the bill for these malicious, not ‘botched’ prosecutions is now £35M and rising. I genuinely fear the forthcoming public inquiry will not establish what the intended end game was. Surely money would have been better spent constructing a criminal case against those responsible for setting up the biggest illegal tax scam in UK football history? After all, without that illegal scam, there is no Administration or Liquidation, and ergo no Administrators to maliciously prosecute. However, what would have been malicious about going after people who were responsible for such a massive financial crime against the state? Instead they are still revered. You couldn’t make it up!
From the Secretary, Scottish Law Agents Society writing in today’s ‘The Scotsman’ about the inclusion in the SNP’s 2021 election a reference to creating a register of interest for members of the judiciary.
” Sadly our Courts have not always been free of the pernicious presence of sectarianism.
Bar officers, who escort sheriffs within the court, are often a rich and unguarded source of information.
I recall undertaking a proof in Hamilton Sheriff Court in which such an officer informed me that his Lordship disliked the colour of my client’s jersey.
This opinion may have been attributable to aesthetic taste rather than the hues of the Old Firm, but a register of financial interests would not have helped unravel this mystery.
Unless it is being suggested that the judiciary must in addition to property and assets, gifts, hospitality and trusteeships disclose the profession of their friends and relations, their own religion, politics, cultural links, heritage, any football allegiances, their membership of sports or social clubs, and the like a register of financial interests is a token gesture, pointless, aand likely to risk damaging the reputation and standing of the judiciary”
I like the ‘and the like’.
John Clark 18th October 2021 At 17:16
I am reminded of a humorous encounter involving a high court judge. I was at a testimonial dinner in Glasgow many, many years ago where many very famous football people were present. One of the guest speakers was the said high court judge and he was very witty and entertaining. Later I was taking my menu around the room gathering autographs, and as I made my way along the top table I thought it would be rude not to ask the judge for his too. He replied “I’m flattered son…the only time people normally ask me to sign something is when I’ve sent someone down for fifteen years!”
https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/19653490.crown-office-paid-35m-botched-rangers-prosecutions/
……………….
SCOTLAND’S prosecution service has already paid out £35 million of taxpayers’ money over its botched prosecutions related to Rangers FC, and has set aside millions more.
The figures, which show the situation as of last month, are revealed in the annual accounts from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (Copfs).
The 2020/21 accounts, which were laid at parliament last week but have yet to be published by the COPFS itself, show £40.5m has so far been identified for Rangers related cases.
The bill ultimately falls on the public purse, with ministers allowing the COPFS to over-spend its budget in order to fund the so-called “losses and special payments”.
Scottish Conservative MSP Russell Findlay said: “It is astonishing that unknown sums of taxpayers’ money are being diverted from frontline public services to pay for the Crown Office’s malicious prosecution scandal.
Hopefully someone will humour me here . Is there anything to stop RIFC selling some of their total shareholding in TRFC to Club 1872 , and offering them a seat on the TRFC board ?
@paddy malarkey in theory probably no. In practice the board appear to have been resisting giving Club1872 representation on either board to date. Club 1872 dont have much money available to make such a purchase and isnt buying DCKs shares/paying back his loan a priority. Finally the only asset of RIFC is TRFC so I doubt the shareholders would want to dilute the ownership of the asset.
If anyone wants/needs another hagiography of DCK, this is an excellent effort by Chris ‘Union’ Jack, the Herald’s ‘Chief Rangers Writer’ –
https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/19656017.dave-king-issues-rangers-fans-rallying-call-backs-club-1872-bid-increase-fan-power-ibrox/
‘I, me, we, I, me, we…’ ad nauseam.
@JJ – thanks for the link. I’m a bit behind but am I right in thinking that DCK is planning to sell his shares to Club 1872 (subject to monies being raised)? If this is the case then a very strange use of the word “gift” early on in the article. Always understood a gift was given without payment or strings attached.
The whole piece is PR/propaganda nonsenses – the Herald has certainly not covered itself in glory with this piece of writing.
wokingcelt 19th October 2021 At 13:41
‘..The whole piece is PR/propaganda nonsenses – the Herald has certainly not covered itself in glory with this piece of writing.’
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It disgraced itself in 2012 by accepting the ‘Big Lie’ that TRFC is RFC of 1872.
That is, an individual persons (not some abstract ‘newspaper’) made a decision to buy into and propagate untruth.
There was more than one ‘glib and shameless liar’ kicking about in 2012!
That looked like a decent attendance at Celtic Park this afternoon . We can mibbes get back to the bums on seats debates ,that were topical when Cheeky Charlie was in charge , after Thursday’s match at Ibrox Stadium .
Two quick points:
The SMSM are now touting Nathan Patterson as a £10m transfer target. It was £8m last week. This is a player who’s made fewer than 20 appearances for the first team. [Edit: is it actually fewer than 15?] Absolutely crazy.
https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/19659267.nathan-patterson-transfer-latest-rangers-ace-target-stepped-up-premier-league-interest/
Steve Bruce has gone from NUFC. I can’t wait to see who his replacement is (or isn’t)!
https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/19659613.rangers-steven-gerrard-alert-steve-bruce-leaves-newcastle-mutual-consent/
Rangers chairman Douglas Park claims second victory in legal dispute over SPFL’s £8m cinch sponsorship
RANGERS chairman Douglas Park has won a second victory in a legal dispute over the SPFL’s £8 million sponsorship deal with online car retailer cinch.
The businessman’s company, Park’s of Hamilton, obtained an interim interdict to prevent the SFA proceeding with an arbitration process involving Rangers, the SPFL and cinch.
The Scottish champions are currently refusing to allow cinch’s branding on team shirts or an advertising boards.
Mr Park believes that the deal struck by the SPFL breaches a commercial agreement which has been made between his firm, Parks of Hamilton, and Rangers.
The SPFL have referred the matter for arbitration to the SFA.
On Wednesday, lawyers for the SFA addressed the Inner House of the Court of Session – Scotland’s highest civil appeal court.
The SFA’s legal team told judges Lord Carloway, Lord Pentland and Lord Woolman that the decision to grant the interim interdict was incorrect.
Lawyers for the SFA believed that Parks of Hamilton shouldn’t have a place in the arbitration process because it wasn’t a member of the SPFL.
Parks of Hamilton’s legal team told the court that the decision to grant interim interdict was made correctly and that the SPFL’s own rules entitled Rangers to refuse to display cinch’s’ branding.
They also argued that Parks of Hamilton should have a role in the arbitration process.
After hearing the submissions, the judges agreed with the submissions made by Parks of Hamilton and refused to overturn the lower court’s decision.
Lord Carloway, who as Lord President is Scotland’s most senior judge, ordered the SFA to pay Parks of Hamilton’s legal bill for the hearing – the sum which will be paid is not known.
Earlier in the year, a Park’s spokesperson welcomed the court’s decision to grant the interim interdict saying that the SFA had no other option but to involve it in the arbitration process.
The spokesperson added: “We can confirm that Park’s of Hamilton has been successfully granted an interim interdict at the Court of Session in Edinburgh, to prevent the SFA from proceeding with its arbitration process in relation to the sponsorship of the SPFL.
“For the purposes of Park’s interim interdict application, the Court considered that the failure to include Park’s went against the SFA’s own rules.
“This ruling now prevents the SFA from proceeding with an arbitration process without Park’s of Hamilton being involved.”
At another hearing in the case, the SPFL’s lawyer, Lord Keen of Elie QC told the court that bosses at Rangers had spoken to cinch about renaming the club’s stadium ‘the cinch Ibrox stadium.’
However, a spokesman at the club said no negotiations took place.
On Wednesday, advocate Garry Borland QC, who is acting for the SFA, said it was wrong for interim interdict to be granted.
He said that laws surrounding arbitration showed that Parks of Hamilton shouldn’t have a role in the process.
He added: “In the present context Rangers Football Club Ltd are members of the SPFL and they are therefore required by virtue of article 196 to comply with the SPFL rules.
“The petitioner, Parks of Hamilton, is of course not a member of the SPFL and is hence is under no obligation to comply with the SPFL rules.
“Membership of the league will mean the clubs will have to be bound to comply with certain things including the articles of the SFA.
“Parks of Hamilton is not subject to or bound by those rules. It follows that Parks of Hamilton is not party to contract of the dispute referred to in the arbitration.”
Gavin MacColl QC, for Parks and Hamilton, said that the commercial issues brought up by the matter meant that it was only right for the company to participate in the arbitration process.
He said that the SPFL’s own rules show that Rangers is correct not to allow cinch branding at Ibrox.
He added: “An individual club that is a member of the SPFL does not require to comply with overarching contracts entered into by the SPFL with advertisers, if to do so were to place the individual club into breach of prior contractual obligations.
“In these circumstances, the commercial reality of this is that from the petitioner’s perspective and any objective perspective – is that the dispute is something best resolved with all of the parties that have a clear interest participating in that process and being bounded by that process and avoiding the possibility of the sort of divergent views and divergent orders that could be made if one process having taken place between Rangers and the SPFL alone the petitioner here is sought to go to court to vindicate its own contractual position and other parties such as cinch are forced to take similar steps – that sort of approach makes very little commercial sense.”
Announcing the court’s decision, Lord Carloway said he and his colleagues would issue a written judgement explaining their reasoning.
He added: “We will give our reasons in writing in early course – hopefully within the next week or so.
“But we are satisfied… that there is no reason upon which we can reverse the Lord Ordinary’ decision and we will refuse the reclaiming motion.”
Do they ever learn ? No doubt the agent of Nathan Patterson will be in negotiations with the board to ensure his clients contract adequately reflects the value placed on him by the club*. Mr Gerrard’s odds on securing the Newcastle job have drifted out to an avg 16/1 , no doubt the scuttlebutt about him waiting on the Anfield position instead has had an effect, or maybe reality is just setting in. Paulo Fonseca (ex Roma) remains the odds on favourite although he was previously favourite for the Spurs job which fell through due to (undisclosed) tax issues , the next 3 in line don’t open up any positions in the EPL for Gerrard to jump ship so maybe it’s back to the old game of the media trying to offload players for their favourite club* by pimping them for unrealistic fees . (see Kent, Hagi, Morelos, Tavernier, MacKay , Barisic etc for details) What’s the definition of insanity again? On a more positive note it’s almost 7 weeks since they last had a new allotment of shares , will have to check but that could be a new World record for this Board.
PS had a problem posting but logging out and back in again seems to have sorted it
Timtim 20th October 2021 At 19:56
‘..Mr Gerrard’s odds on securing the Newcastle job have drifted out to an avg 16/1 , no doubt the scuttlebutt about him waiting on the Anfield position instead has had an effect, or maybe reality is just setting in.’
%%%%%%%%
Or maybe, perhaps, Mr Gerrard read ( as I did today on the train to Glasgow on a picked up copy of ‘The Herald) what the very highly principled ( but EBT recipient ) Mr Graham Souness had to offer as advice to said Mr Gerrard: do not think of taking the job at NUFC because of the human rights issue.
Graham, man of high moral principle as he is, says he himself would never work for the new owners of NUFC.
Quite heart-warming to hear men of such integrity speak out!
I don’t think.
Ah, yes, the same principled Mr Souness who (from my fading memory) was paid via EBT by Rangers while managing another club, (Blackburn?). Couldn’t have anything to do with the transfer of players from Rangers to Blackburn though, that would be too shoddy a practice.
Is it because the game of football is riddled with vermin from top to bottom, that when someone smells a rat, it barely causes a stir, or little outcry and certainly no detailed independent investigation. Probably afraid that any detailed investigation of any wrongdoings might eventually lead back to them.
Dom McKay’s “personal reasons” have obviously cleared up quickly enough for him to take up a new position.
Will the truth ever emerge?
…………………………………………………..
https://www.epcrugby.com/2021/10/21/epcr-appoints-dominic-mckay-as-interim-chairman/
Some random musings (offered in the light of getting my 10IAR prediction spectacularly wrong!) …
‘Gerro’ has not a snowball’s chance in hell of getting the Newcastle ‘gig’. He would take it in a heartbeat – especially as he looks over his shoulder towards the East End at what I believe is the start of a Celtic recovery. (If I’m wrong, I will, of course, eat humble pie on here)
I also sense some rumblings of discontent in Govania e.g Kent (have they paid for him yet?), Morelos (though offset by 20 million+ bid on the way), Goldson (contract dispute?), Arfield (cannae get a game) McGregor and Davis (ageing?). All of a sudden the squad looks a bit ‘thin on the ground’ to me. Could take its toll as the season wears on.
Furthermore, in broader financial terms, although TRFC deservedly won the league, I believe they, in desperation, really ‘hawked’ themselves to lenders. As a result there already precarious financial state is even more ‘parlous’. This explains their mediocre summer transfer activity. Oh … and Big Mike is still waiting in the wings!
Furthermore, they may well not progress beyond the Group stages in this season’s Europa League – and they absolutely have to win The SPFL this season.
Stealing (by the previous identity of the club playing out of Ibrox), begging and perennial borrowing will come to an inevitable end – especially if they don’t win the league. Then what – admin or liquidation as per their predecessors? In short, they are skint and ‘somethin’s jist no right there’!
n.b: all of the above is downplayed/ignored by the ‘Sound of Silence’ SMSM which seems to spend a lot of its time denigrating Postecoglou and his approach by (embarrasingly for themselves) asking idiotic questions and querying his attacking approach.
Now, I’m not saying that my team will win the league, but it is surely possible, as the green shoots of recovery, from the disaster that was last season, are clearly there:-
In particular, I feel that Kyogo, Jota, Giakoumakis (who looks a powerful player), and Forrest will play key roles in shifting the balance of power back to Celtic. Julien and Juranovic will bolster the defence significantly and midfield looks good. It’s all about fitness admittedly, in an otherwise very strong squad with undoubted quality.
There endeth, for now, my rambles!
Best67 –Oct 21/2021/16:43
Enjoyed the musings posted above. If the Newcastle job is still available come January and Stevie finds out there is no money to spend in the transfer market it could make for some interesting talks. I think doing a half decent job with Newcastle would add more to the resume than falling short in the overall competitions in Scotland ( cups included). Also agree with your assessment of problems with players looking far afield. I think the attitude is we did the job required, stopping the 10, now get me the hell out of here and into a more stable position. And, finally what will Nathan Patterson be worth next week, if he gets any game time his value could probably double.
Albertz11 21st October 2021 At 16:26
‘..Will the truth ever emerge?..’
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
The ballsing up of a CEO appointment by a Board is really neither here nor there, I would suggest.
McKay perhaps made a farce of himself by applying for the Celtic CEO post and the Board made an even bigger farce of its useless self in making the appointment.
But there has been no question of law-breaking, or breach of Rules or suspected complicity in untruth for financial gain or of propagation of sporting lies by the very governance body of a Sport.
Scottish Football has more to worry about than mere incompetence!
And more of us should be pressing to have the truth exposed.
“will the truth ever emerge”? (A11/RC 21st October @ 16.26)
What a belter, and a truly breathtaking, ironic and petty question from someone who follow follows a team from the Land of Denial, Entitlement – and Non-continuity! Maybe, in fairness, the poster is not a denier (that Rangers were liquidated in 2012, and were subsequently reformed as Sevco then TRFC) so, in the meantime, it would help me understand his point if he clarified this with regard to his ‘dig’ at Celtic..
In short, I wonder how (especially in the context of Rangers 1872 – 2012) he understands/defines truth.
Dom McKay (and CFC) have closed the chapter and moved on – without, I am confident in stating, stealing, lying, cheating, ‘shafting’ creditors etc etc.
Re Dominic McKay:
I suspect that he was simply unprepared for the magnitude of the job (and the commitment required) at CFC.
Perhaps Mr. Lawwell, with his years of experience, made it look easy-peasy when McKay was shadowing him & the reality is/was somewhat different?
I had occasion this afternoon to refer to this case
“61992A0046
Judgment of the Court of First Instance (First Chamber) of 9 November 1994.
Scottish Football Association v Commission of the European Communities.”
The case was about the SFA having ” appeared to be intending to prevent The European Sports Network (TESN) from broadcasting Argentinian football matches in Scotland, and arose from a complaint made by TESN.
The SFA won on one point only, but failed to win overall and had to pay costs, but that’s not why I mention it.
I give a few phrases used by the SFA in their reply to the letter from the Commission of the European Communities, asking for information on a number of points to help with their investigation of the complaint:
“We have received your enquiry with some surprise… this Association is not embarrassed to state that it has a policy, and will continue that policy, of trying to ensure a balance of control over the broadcasting in Scotland of televised football games. ..Speaking frankly, we do not understand why Mr Barron is so jumpy about this matter, nor why the Commission should have intervened in such a peremptory fashion.”
What does the ‘tone’ of the language remind you of? Is there a hint of an underlying attitude of affronted aggression at being questioned, vaguely reminiscent of the tone of recent statements from football persons in recent years/
Or is it just me that imagines that?
A little light reading
https://cdn.celticfc.com/assets/downloads/Notice_of_Meeting_2021.pdf
paddy malarkey 22nd October 2021 At 19:54
‘.A little light reading.
%%%%%%%%%%%
Hmmn.
I have no email intimating the date of the Celtic plc AGM!
So, thank you , pm, for that news.
I note that Bankier and the others are standing for re-election to the Board.
After the farce of last season, and the crass errors in the long drawn out appointment of a CEO who chucks the job six weeks later, who do they think they are that they should be trusted with even a kid’s piggy bank to manage, let alone be re-appointed to the Board?
But the killer for me is this:
“The Board considers, however, that since first raising these matters with the Scottish FA in 2011, it has taken appropriate steps in the circumstances to protect and promote the interests of the Company. ”
I read that as reflecting that saving ‘Rangers’ at the expense of truth and sporting integrity for filthy lucre’s sake : to save their own ‘old firm’ revenue stream was all that they were interested in.
Truth and Integrity came a poor second.
And made absolutely hypocritical the boast of being ‘one club since 1888’.
In my view, the Celtic PLC board which refused to pursue the at least POSSIBILITY that they had been bilked of several millions of pounds by a possibly cheating, lying GOVERNANCE body which itself may possibly have connived in the possible cheating of a club that DEFINITELY cheated the taxman and ‘misinformed’ that very governance body, are unworthy of the positions they held;
and rather than seek re-appointment, they should apologise, resign en bloc and gtf out in SHAME, shame, shame that they let mere finance take precedence over principle.
In short, I imagine the view was ‘ without a Rangers we lose money’
Hell mend them!
John Clark 22nd October 2021 At 23:20
“saving ‘Rangers’ at the expense of truth and sporting integrity for filthy lucre’s sake : to save their own ‘old firm’ revenue stream was all that they were interested in.”
“In short, I imagine the view was ‘ without a Rangers we lose money’.”
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
There’s not a shadow of a doubt in my mind that you’re right John, but of course the doctrine laid down by the Scottish football authorities back in 2012 that Rangers must be saved extended way beyond just Celtic falling for it.
Every club bowed down to the supposedly magical powers of the blue pound, assured as they were that Scottish football would decline to the levels of the Irish or Welsh leagues without the financial pull of a club playing out of Ibrox.
I’m ashamed to say that my club, Hearts, in common with the rest, not only played their part in the fix, the scam, the sham, that Rangers survived, but actively pleaded with the football authorities to get a deal done, a deal that would ultimately become the five-way agreement. Only the late Turnbull Hutton deserves any credit in the matter of the stitch-up that ensued.
Early drafts of that five-way agreement saw title stripping on the agenda, but the final watered-down version proved that Charles Green had been persuasive in dictating the terms. It was either his way or no way.
So Green dictated that there were to be no suitable, meaningful punishments for the newco, yet the newco was otherwise to be treated as if it was the same club as the old one.
The alternative was stark. No form of Rangers.
Or at least, the only official alternative was stark, since there was one other option that mysteriously gained no traction and was jettisoned, ie having a new club linked by name to Rangers playing out of Ibrox starting off with no titles or trophies to its name.
That of course was the direction that the guardians of our game should have taken Scottish football. Instead, they opted for lies and deceit, sleight of hand and verbal gymnastics.
To be fair to them, they couldn’t have done it without their member clubs; every single one of them in cahoots.
Finally, while Rangers* fans, no doubt bristling with indignation mixed with an overactive if entirely unwarranted superiority complex, might bask in the perceived elevated financial importance to our game of whichever club is currently playing out of Ibrox, none of the foregoing alters the fact that your original club, following a decade of industrial-scale cheating, died the self-inflicted death of liquidation. That is an undeniable fact.
Also undeniable is the post-2012 rewriting of history, airbrushing of inconvenient facts and attempts to reapportion blame for Rangers’ demise, despite the fact that we all witnessed what happened with our own two eyes.
Highlander 23rd October 2021 At 09:34
“ the newco was otherwise to be treated as if it was the same club as the old one.”
I have no problem treating the new club “as if it were” the old club .
But when they tell us it actually is the same club – they are just insulting our intelligence.
@Highlander – couldn’t agree more and to be honest I just don’t “get it”. Think what the story could have been:
“Our club was betrayed and set on a path of self-destruction by an egomaniac with friends in high places. We vowed never again in establishing our successor club in the spirit of the “4 lads” (which would also allow for a lot of the sectarian poison that was added later to be jettisoned). Starting again with fans attracted to our principles we rose through the divisions becoming national champions within 10 seasons of our founding. Onwards and never again…”
That could have been a narrative to be proud of – but no they choose lies and deceit which are so transparent that it is a simple fact that respect from fans from across the country will never be forthcoming.
wokingcelt 23rd October 2021 At 22:24
‘..Starting again ..’
%%%%%%%
I know what you mean, wokingcelt, but if I may I suggest that the word ‘again’ might suggest that it is the same club that is starting ‘again’!
As you and I, and the whole footballing world know ,TRFC is a brand new club, starting from SCRATCH in the bottommost league [ and perhaps lucky to be there, even!] and not some historic club that went through a bad patch and has been regenerated!
TRFC are legally not RFC of 1872.
Emotionally, for even those RFC of 1872 fans who were ripped off because of the liquidation, people might fervently wish that TRFC was the 149-ish year old RFC of the lads on Glasgow Green.
Harsh reality is that emotions cannot change the facts: RFC of 1872 is legally as dead as a football club as Gretna and Third Lanark.
And all the weeping and sighing and longing and lying cannot change that absolute fact.
And that a GOVERNANCE body should have been prepared to manufacture the Big Lie to try to get round that fact is entirely unacceptable.
By all means let people wallow in emotion! Let them kid THEMSELVES on, by all means!
But let the actual facts be recorded in the record books: RFC of 1872 ceased to be a football club in 2012.
Good luck by all means to TRFC as a newish football club. But do not let them claim honours and sporting achievements that they did not earn!
As that irritating bloody wee beastie [whatever it is] says in the TV ads: ‘simples’!
Now that the Newcastle position has been apparently filled, by someone who actually interviewed for the job, will the Scottish media ask SG if he had an opportunity to interview. As the media dug out former teammates and associates to discuss that option, no one seemed to directly ask SG about any talks with Newcastle. Surely the $6 million salary would have been an enticement. Still confused on Barry Ferguson and where his loyalities lie. Expressing concern about another team’s player contract or lack thereof seems to be in conflict with his current job. Is the constant commenting on Rangers a subtle approach to applying for the job down the road.
Interesting news kicking about today.
Sunday Mail reporting that Doncaster’s salary was reset back to his pre vivid amount. Tho use obsessed as a £50k pay rise!
Also in Mail the Competition and Market Authority are continuing with their probe into the selling of Rangers shirts by Hummel and Greaves is to continue.
Finally the Sun reporting that the Crown Office spent £1.4M on additional legal support with the defence of the “Rangers crime probe fiasco”
Impressive!
Though for sheer mind boggling stupidity the crown goes to Falkirk FC
https://youtu.be/Eb093q9U4L0
OMG!
dom16 24th October 2021 At 17:08
“…the Competition and Market Authority are continuing with their probe into the selling of Rangers shirts by Hummel and Greaves is to continue.”
%%%%%%%%%%%
That was an interesting post,dom16, and thank you for it.
I had no idea that the ‘Office of Fair Trading’ had been done away with and that the Competition and Markets Authority[CMA] had replaced it under the Competition Act 1998.
I had a wee look at the that Authority’s .gov page
https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases?market_sector%5B%5D=clothing-footwear-and-fashion
“On 15 December 2020, the CMA launched an investigation under Chapter I of the Competition Act 1998 (‘CA98’) and Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (‘TFEU’) into SUSPECTED [ my capitals] breaches of competition law by the following entities and their affiliates: THE RANGERS FOOTBALL CLUB LTD [again, my capitals], Hummel A/S, LBJ Sports Apparel Limited (trading as Elite), Greaves Sports Limited and JD Sports Fashion Plc. The investigation concerns suspected infringements of Chapter I CA98 and Article 101 TFEU in relation to the price at which Rangers-branded replica football kit was sold in the United Kingdom. Following the end of the EU Exit Transition Period, EU law (including Article 101 TFEU) no longer applies in the UK. The CMA’s investigation in this case continues on the basis of Chapter I CA98 only”
These regulatory bodies seem to need a helluva lot of time to complete their investigations, eh, what?
I note that Section 36, subsection 7A, of the Competition Act 1998 reads:
“(8)No penalty fixed by the [CMA] under this section may exceed 10% of the turnover of the undertaking (determined in accordance with such provisions as may be specified in an order made by the Secretary of State).”
I’m not sure whether ‘turnover’ refers only to turnover in respect of the goods involved in any price-fixing cartel arrangement, or to total turnover of any undertaking(s) found to have been in breach.
But it’s potentially not chicken feed in either case.
Mind you, perhaps the CMA is soft-hearted and inclined to favour a mere slapping of wrists rather than getting tore into twisted businessmen who are found to have cheated in the market place?
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”
Most of you will recognise the above quote from Orwells masterpiece 1984. Day by day it seems to move from a work of fiction to a work of art that Nostradamus would have been proud of. Whether it’s the spin doctoring of the realities of Brexit or the continuation of the Liebrox history there seems to be no shortages of lipstick for these particular pigs . I used to think those who were promoted to the highest positions in society were those with the most integrity . As the years roll on I have found that it is those who are the most efficient (or shameless) liars that seem to end up on top. Men (and women) of integrity are a rare commodity in a World where the people are increasingly aware of the cost of everything and the value of nowt. When men like Turnbull Hutton stand up , it’s important that they are given recognition for doing so . To quote Orwell once again “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” In the next few days another man who dared to stand up and tell the truth will be in court , Julian Assange is worthy of support. First they came for the journalists and I said nothing as I wasn’t a journalist….. after that nobody knows what happened.
Timtim 24th October 2021 At 23:49
‘…First they came for the journalists and I said nothing as I wasn’t a journalist…’
%%%%%%%%%
Oh that ‘they’ would come for the ‘pretendy journalists’ of the SMSM who debase their profession by propagating the ridiculous untruth that a not quite 9-year-old football club has earned umpteen football honours and trophies over the past 149 years.
Who would trust any of them to report accurately and truthfully in any really serious matter?
John Clark 24th October 2021 @ 21:47hrs –
I wonder who reported TRFC, Hummel A/S, LBJ Sports Apparel Limited (trading as Elite), Greaves Sports Limited and JD Sports Fashion Plc to the CMA?
Answer on a postcard to your nearest SportsDirect Superstore, please! Winner will be drawn on Halloween & receive a 6 pack of Lonsdale sports socks!
Jingso.Jimsie 25th October 2021 At 11:20
“..I wonder who reported TRFC, Hummel A/S, LBJ Sports Apparel Limited ..”
%%%%%%%%%
I don’t know which other retailer would have been priced out IF there had been any cartel/price fixing agreement.
I’ve only the haziest notion of how the connection between rights owner and manufacturer(s) , wholesalers and retailers works!
But clearly some retailer or other , with the right to buy the merchandise must have felt himself priced out by a (to him) suspicious alignment of prices that he couldn’t undercut without loss.
Maybe someone on the blog who works in retail could fill us in on the question in general terms?
John Clark 25th October 2021 @ 14:01hrs –
From memory, a certain retailer had exclusivity on the distribution of TRFC replica kits when those replicas were made by (or, perhaps, bore the logo of) another sportswear company.
That retailer obviously thought that deal should have ‘rolled over’ when TRFC changed from Puma to Hummel. For whatever commercial reasons (& it must have been commercial, it wouldn’t, couldn’t possibly be personal, could it?), TRFC decided to use a different distribution method, (& in doing so, rather snubbing its usual partner) from previously & it’s this that’s under examination by the CMA.
From Raman Bhardwaj (STV)
The SFA has opened an investigation into a number of ”inappropriate’ Rangers related tweets made by St Mirren chairman John Needham. More on STV Sport shortly.
Rangers have written to St Mirren, the SFA and the SPFL about the comments.
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
I believe this relates to several tweets over a decade or so with many coming in the past year.
Jingso.Jimsie 25th October 2021 At 15:35
“..From memory, a certain retailer had exclusivity…”
%%%%%%%%%%%%
“No names, no pack drill..”
Very wise.
I suppose I can manage to possess my soul in patience until March 2022 when the CMA will give an update.
In the passing, I see this on the CMA website
” Press release Published 20 October 2021
CMA fines Facebook over enforcement order breach
Facebook has been fined £50.5 million for breaching an order imposed by the CMA during its investigation into Facebook’s purchase of Giphy.”[no idea what that was about!]
Maybe there’s a toughness there after all!
From the Rolls of Court of Session;
“LORD TYRE – S Alexander, Clerk
Wednesday 27th October
By Order
between 9.00am and 9.30am
P115/17 Pet: Note RFC 2012 Plc for orders under paragraph 75 of Schedule B1 to the Insolvency Act 1986 ”
To save you looking it up, here is the text of Para 75
‘Misfeasance
75(1)The court may examine the conduct of a person who—
(a)is or purports to be the administrator of a company, or
(b)has been or has purported to be the administrator of a company.
(2)An examination under this paragraph may be held only on the application of—
(a)the official receiver,
(b)the administrator of the company,
(c)the liquidator of the company,
(d)a creditor of the company, or
(e)a contributory of the company.
(3)An application under sub-paragraph (2) must allege that the administrator—
(a)has misapplied or retained money or other property of the company,
(b)has become accountable for money or other property of the company,
(c)has breached a fiduciary or other duty in relation to the company, or
(d)has been guilty of misfeasance.
(4)On an examination under this paragraph into a person’s conduct the court may order him—
(a)to repay, restore or account for money or property;
(b)to pay interest;
(c)to contribute a sum to the company’s property by way of compensation for breach of duty or misfeasance.
(5)In sub-paragraph (3) “administrator” includes a person who purports or has purported to be a company’s administrator.
(6)An application under sub-paragraph (2) may be made in respect of an administrator who has been discharged under paragraph 98 only with the permission of the court.”
Presumably BDO think that the Administrators may have been guilty of something more than incompetence?
I don’t suppose anything much will happen on Wednesday, but if I can I’ll try to tune in to hear what’s what.
Best wishes to Wim Jansen following his dementia diagnosis.
A very good player & manager, who we could never dislike, despite breaking our hearts in 1998.
Thought are with him and his family.
‘John Clark – the CMA can impose a fine of up to 10% of the entity’s total turnover. I’ve never known this to happen but the CMA does have pretty sharp teeth although maybe shy to use them…
Do you think Charles Green will be anxious about the “Switcheroo” ? Craig White was oblivious to it , but could it have been done without the tacit acceptance of others ?
Albertz11 25th October 2021 At 16:17
From Raman Bhardwaj (STV)
The SFA has opened an investigation into a number of ”inappropriate’ Rangers related tweets made by St Mirren chairman John Needham. More on STV Sport shortly.
Rangers have written to St Mirren, the SFA and the SPFL about the comments.
………………………………………………………………………………………………..
I believe this relates to several tweets over a decade or so with many coming in the past year.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
To me at least, the SFA opening an investigation into Needham’s tweets is illustrative of the two-tier system that our pathetic football authorities have always operated, whereby the big clubs can pretty much do and say what they want with impunity, while the diddies are held to account for every minor indiscretion.
Taken to its extreme, this dual approach saw one club expelled from a cup competition for the heinous crime of missing a signature and date from a registration form – ie a genuine administrative error that resulted in no advantage gained – while no action was taken whatsoever against another club following a decade of systemic cheating (as confirmed by the Supreme Court, no less) because apparently there was no appetite for raking over old coals!
I appreciate that Needham has felt pressured into apologising, but I for one wouldn’t be apologising for what amounts to no more than banter. Fans of other clubs referring to your current club as Sevco isn’t just banter, but accurate banter to boot.
Posters on the Bears Den have ridiculed their fellow supporters for the faux outrage at the use of the word h*n.
Needham’s tweet about the squinty bridge tipping over and creating pollution was quite clearly a joke and is the kind of thing I would say to my bluenose mate, or he would say to me in jest, but neither of us would wish for it to become a reality. Again the faux offence by the serially offended is palpable, all the moreso when you consider that the Ibrox hordes are and always have been the most poisonous, sectarian and intolerent group of fans in the country.
“This has to be said about Rangers, as a Scottish Football club they are a permanent embarrassment and an occasional disgrace. This country would be a better place if Rangers did not exist.” So said journalist Ian Archer, but I don’t think he seriously intended that the fans should be eradicated, just as Needham’s comment was also hyperbole.
Who remembers the comedy years during which Dave ‘Litigation’ King had a season ticket for the courtroom, a revolving door of court cases, 99% of them on the losing side, that brought shame and embarrassment to Scottish football virtually on a weekly basis?
How many times did King and/or his new club appear before the SFA on charges of bringing the game into disrepute? One rule for whichever club is playing out of Ibrox and different rules for the rest of us mere mortals (see what I did there?).
To my mind the SFA’s investigation is just another case of the tail wagging the dog, or more accurately, the tail wagging the rattlesnake.
Disclaimer: I’ve only read four or five tame tweets that appeared on Jambos Kickback. If there are other, more offensive tweets then I reserve the right to change my opinion.
Highlander 26th October 2021 At 10:37
” – while no action was taken whatsoever against another club following a decade of systemic cheating (as confirmed by the Supreme Court, no less) because apparently there was no appetite for raking over old coals!”
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In all the circumstances , Highlander, ‘no appetite for raking over old coals’ can be translated, in my opinion, as ‘dread fear of the consequences of what an independent investigation might find!’
And that Celtic plc failed to insist on such an investigation is disgraceful.
Highlander – 26th October 2021 – 10.37
“I appreciate that Needham has felt pressured into apologising, but I for one wouldn’t be apologising for what amounts to no more than banter. Fans of other clubs referring to your current club as Sevco isn’t just banter, but accurate banter to boot.”
I agree with you Highlander.
Albertz11 25th October 2021 @ 16:17hrs & Highlander 26th October 2021 @ 10:37hrs –
In the 21st century, everyone has a past. The concept of ‘Caesar’s wife’ is outdated & unworkable.
That people express faux-outrage at the use of an abbreviation of the term ‘Service Company’ is frankly crackers. The fact that many of the same people are upset by the ‘H**’ word is similarly amazing.
(incidentally, there’s a brand called H** Wine. One of its backers appears to be David Coulthard. Shouldn’t someone tell him?)
JC – 25th October
“From the Rolls of Court of Session;
“LORD TYRE – S Alexander, Clerk
Wednesday 27th October
By Order
between 9.00am and 9.30am
P115/17 Pet: Note RFC 2012 Plc for orders under paragraph 75 of Schedule B1 to the Insolvency Act 1986 ”
To save you looking it up, here is the text of Para 75
‘Misfeasance…………………..”
JC – It will be interesting to see how the case pans out. Like all things related to the demise of the original Rangers, and appearance of the new club, it is almost always true that it is only during legal proceedings that further details are disclosed. So thank you for your continued efforts to ensure those details emerge.
Sad to hear this morning of Walter Smith’s death at the relatively young age of 73.
paddy malarkey
18th October 2021 At 20:21
Yes club 72 don’t have the money, and even if they did i don’t think the board want anyone from club 72 on the board. Club 72 have been trying to gain enough shares since its inception but the board keep diluting the shares??
RIP Walter Smith
A relatively youngish age to pass away. My condolences to his family and friends.
No one can fail to applaud his desire to win and he had great success as a manager. He was also able to follow through on bringing the divide with his carrying of Tommy Burns coffin.
I’m hearing that Jimmy Millar has also passed on . Sore day for Rangers fans .
Cluster One 26th October 2021 At 12:54
My speculation was more to do with the TRFC board rather than the (holding company) RIFC one . They wouldn’t be diluting shareholdings in RIFC , just selling some of their 100% holding in TRFC . Club 1872 would be putting their monies directly into the club rather than the holding company . As someone pointed out (sorry , too lazy to look ! ) the main board may not want to loosen control over their only asset .
paddy malarkey 26th October 2021 At 14:47
“…My speculation was more to do with the TRFC board rather than the (holding company) RIFC one …”
%%%%%%%%%%%%%
As I understand things, paddy m, the ONLY shareholder in TRFC, is RIFC plc!
Only by vote of the majority of shareholders in the PLC could shares in TRFC be sold to anyone.
Individual PLC shareholders can of course sell only their own shares in the PLC, but that only gives the buyer shares in the PLC, not direct ownership of shares in TRFC.
Very sad news about Walter Smith.
A look across social media today shows the respect he was held in by fans across all clubs, and so he should be. Respect and basic human decency transcends football rivalry at times like this as we have seen so often in the past.
He had a wonderful career as a Manager and his legendary status in the game is assured. Let us never ever forget too that when football legends pass away that to others they are simply a father, a son, a brother, an uncle, and of course a friend, and the loss those people feel is something we can all identify with.
May he rest in peace.
Through family, I have strong (historical)connections with Carmyle; and while I did not ever meet the late Walter Smith personally, those of the wider family who are native to Carmyle would agree broadly and generally with my view that he was a decent man.
And they , no more than I, would ever hold him responsible for all that went bad with the Rangers that died the death of Liquidation, the Rangers killed by the hubristic greed and vain boastfulness ( at no great expense to his personal pocket) of a knight of the realm.
The guilty men in respect of the EBT disgraces were, are, not men like Walter Smith – who plied his trade as a football club manager with honest dedication, skill, and great success.[If part of that success was enabled by the EBT stuff, that was not the fault of Walter Smith, but of his ‘board’ to which he was accountable and would not have been in a position to defy]
In the ordinary way of things I myself must be, within a few years of death myself, being some years older than 73! Anticipating that, I very much empathise with Walter Smith’s immediate family and friends and the general run of honest supporters and the rest of the football world who mourn his loss.
May he rest in peace.
Well said UTH and JC – the tributes from across football say it all in the context of a good, honest football man. Our game is the poorer.
I have to say it did seem a little odd to me that Graeme Souness and David Murray issued a joint statement.
John Clark @15.15
It was explained to me that it would make the RIFC shares even more worthless. (is that English ?)
UTH & Paddy. 26th Oct.
Thank you for those kind words uth.
Glad to say that Jimmy is alive and well Paddy.
My post of 25th October 2021 At 21:24 refers:
This morning’s scheduled hearing of ‘P115/17 Pet: Note RFC 2012 Plc for orders under paragraph 75 of Schedule B1 to the Insolvency Act 1986 ”’ was cancelled, I’m afraid. No new date given.
I too, was sorry to hear of the passing of Walter Smith and condolences to his family/friends. I believe he was a decent man and good football manager, who would have little interest in the disgraceful side of the Govan clubs.
However, I was astounded by the tribute in the Daily Ranger;
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/walter-smith-instilled-rangers-standards-25305603
From none other than tax-cheat and scheming bankrupt Barry Ferguson. The irony of his first line, “All I look for in a person is honesty and fairness. After that, anything else is a bonus.”. Honestly, some people wouldn’t get a red face at a bonfire!
And, I’m afraid the headline “Walter Smith instilled Rangers standards in me at 15 I still carry today” is in my opinion, not a compliment to the deceased but rather a slur on his name. While I’m sure BF was well-intention’ed in writing his tribute, surely it is not beyond the editor of this rag to point out to him the irony of these words and adjust his piece accordingly. Some people will do anything for money…
Albertz11 26th October 2021 At 21:064
Glad to see that . The posts announcing his demise have been removed too .
normanbatesmumfc 27th October 2021 At 11:46
‘…bankrupt Barry Ferguson..’
%%%%%%%%%%
I think ‘discharged bankrupt’ now, nbmfc, to be fair.
What an enlightened society we live in these days!
I came across this little gem:( from page 6 ‘House of Commons BRIEFING PAPER
Number 3043, 1 May 2019)
Discharge from bankruptcy
“Under section 278 (a) of the IA 1986, most bankrupts are automatically
discharged from bankruptcy 12 months after the making of the
bankruptcy order, even if no payments have yet been made to
creditors.
The automatic discharge period was reduced from 3 years to 1 year by
the EA 2002. The aim being to:
• remove the stigma of bankruptcy;
• give bankrupts the opportunity of prompt rehabilitation in relation
to their financial affairs; and
• encourage entrepreneurs to try again..”
Boy, the world of business certainly has its friends in the world of politics and law-making.
‘Remove stigma’ forsooth!
‘Encourage entrepreneurs to try again’
Enlightened? A charter for all kinds of chancer , methinks, in whatever kind of business
Brother Beaton to the rescue and another goal from Tavernier Pen
Does anyone sense a drying sensation starting to form in the throats of Rangers as their march to the title has apparently been stalled and a threat has emerged from the east end of Glasgow. Time to start looking over your shoulder, start to question the manager, hope the referees continue to be generous in their assessments of body contact. Does anyone have a stat on the number of times when Rangers trailing at home with time running out have been awarded a penalty. The overall performances of late are hardly stellar, perhaps the media could do a little digging to see what form of malaise has afflicted the team. Is their a question of finance and perhaps concerns over pay cheques, is it the fact we stopped the 10 and need not do more. Is it that the manager’s shelf life is coming to an end and even though there have numerous players in and out during his tenure, after a while the message wears thin. Are they jealous of the speculation surrounding SG, even though it was along shot, and Newcastle while they await suitors to pound on the Ibrox doors looking to purchase those that have been hyped as desired by major clubs.
vernallen 27th October 2021 At 22:45
‘… perhaps the media could do a little digging ..’
%%%%%%%%%
Vernallen, I know you must have tongue in cheek, asking so many questions!
The SMSM did NO digging into the nonsense of the 5-Way Agreement and the scandalous abandonment of any kind of integrity-personal or ‘sporting’- by the very Governance bodies of Scottish Football in their dirty, DIRTY creation of the myth that RFC of 1872 somehow did not die, and that a club newly created by them themselves in 2012 is that very club of 1872 that ceased, on entering liquidation ,to be a football club.
We are singularly ill-served by the SMSM when it comes to truthful reporting and analysis of any matter relating to any ‘Rangers’ operating out of Ibrox stadium.
I charge them all with being either biased or cowardly or both.
And I level that charge at Scottish Football clubs as a whole.
They have a fledgling illegitimate cuckoo in their midst which they allow to crow over them as if it were a mighty and powerful eagle deserving of the thieved honours and titles it brazenly boasts about!
The whole thing is a nonsense.
The dam will burst sooner or later when the Truth emerges as people die off and bits of paper become available, or when men about to die try to ease their consciences a little.
Beaton cheats!….It’s as simple as that.
He has no honesty, integrity, or morals.
It is match-fixing.
Re the latest helping hand for TRFC from a ‘m**** in black’ …
This stuff (nothwithstanding the occasional insincere empty rhetoric dogwhistling from an otherwise compliant SMSM) is brazenly played out ‘in plain sight’. Why? Because nothing will ever be done to address it.
A while back, a delusional A11 expected us to believe that the following harmless ‘ditty’ was sung (in the 70’s?) by the genteel followers of the then Rangers:-
‘A goal, a goal, we are ready to acclaim
A goal, a goal to win another game
We follow Glasgow Rangers, our hearts are strong and true
We are the people who support the boys in blue’
Ironically adding to his post by the way – No sectarianism – No racism. Aye right!
In the light of the continuing unashamed and openly corrupt behaviour by referees, I offer this clumsy variation -which might be sung a referees gatherings (especially in Lanarkshire and Ayrshire:-
‘A goal, a goal is needed for a result
A goal, a goal to help the WATP cult
We’ll rescue Newco Rangers, our hearts are strong and true
We are the people who’ll rescue the boys in blue’
Might as well hiv a laff aboot it, eh?
Folk say ‘Roll on VAR’, but if any football nation can find a way round the (supposed) integrity and fairness if VAR, it’s Scotland for what – I believe are obvious reasons!.
“Beaton cheats!”
and add to that list messrs, Walsh, Robertson and Madden to name but 3.
Be interesting to see how often the trusted brothers are given The Rangers and Celtic fixtures from here.
Brother Beaton gets a day off cheating at St Mirren v Dundee this weekend but Brothers Walsh and Madden have been assigned The Rangers and Celtic games respectively.
They’re not even trying to hide it now. Champions League or bust!!!!
‘bect67 28th October 2021 At 12:03
…Folk say ‘Roll on VAR’, but if any football nation can find a way round the (supposed) integrity and fairness if VAR, it’s Scotland for what – I believe are obvious reasons!.’
::
::
[Climbs into flameproof suit. Apologies for any typos – it’s the gloves!]
I don’t think VAR would have had any influence over that decision last night, unless images showed Sakala as being offside when the ball was played through.
The referee was in a good position & ‘saw’ Bates impede Sakala as the latter moves past the defender. The TV pictures I’ve seen (the SPFL highlights on YouTube, from 3.56 on – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTzFbeLZG_g) shows Bates initiates the contact, with both his arms. If VAR had been in operation, did the pictures show that there was a clear & obvious mistake from the official (e.g. there’s no contact & it’s simulation) for the ‘bods in the box’ to suggest he should rescind or review his decision? I don’t think so.
Soft penalty? Undoubtedly. Stupid defending? Again, undoubtedly.
What would happen if another club complained about Beaton? I would imagine they would be fined for questioning the integrity of the referee and Beaton would be given numerous games involving Celtic and Rangers* to show their support for him however when Gerrard complained about Wullie Collum that ref wasn’t seen inside Ibrox for …… has he ever been back ? When cheating is seen as an acceptable part of the game then the entire game is at risk whether that is cheating by players , by clubs evading taxes and spending recklessly or by referees. The first port of call is to bring in FFP
J.J
You make your points well re last night’s incident, but I was primarily thinking of the ‘bigger picture’ of honest mistakes – ‘going forward’ as they say!
I was visiting family in Scotland last night and watched the Hibs v Celtic match live on Hibs TV. Being used to watching matches in England these days I hesitated to celebrate any of the goals whilst waiting for the VAR check- it’s funny how quickly you become accustomed to new things.
If VAR was in play last night:
1. Kyogo’s goal – very tight but I think ok based on him looking to be in line with Jota.
2. Morelos goal – looked offside but would need an inline camera to be sure. Tight enough for an honest mistake.
3. Sakala penalty – I’ve never known someone to fall forward whilst getting shirt pulled from behind, so not clear what the penalty was given for. Last week the referee in the Athletic-Liverpool match overturned his decision when advised to go to VAR and have a look. That required two things: the VAR officials telling him to have another look and the referee being strong enough to change his mind.
I also (for my sins) picked up a copy of the Daily Record. According to this paper, Aberdeen committed 2 fouls yet managed to get 4 players booked. Quite extraordinary!
wokingcelt 28th October 2021 At 22:26
According to this paper, Aberdeen committed 2 fouls yet managed to get 4 players booked.
That will be the two foulers, and the two goal scorers WC.
From the ‘Daily Record’ today(unless it’s a spoof item!)
“He believes the importance of the club to his life will win the day at a hearing to decide if being a Rangers fan constitutes a “philosophical belief” worthy of special protection.”
Where the heck has the guy been since 2012?
Hasn’t there been ample evidence of the special protection afforded to things ‘Rangers-y’?
Why, the very football governance authorities deny that Rangers of 1872 ceased to exist and created and propagate the lie that TRFC founded in 2012 is the very same Rangers of 1872 that is still in Liquidation!l
You don’t get much more ‘protection’ than that, ‘philosophical belief’ or not.
Honest to God!
John Clark 29th October 2021 At 10:50
From the ‘Daily Record’ today(unless it’s a spoof item!)
“He believes the importance of the club to his life will win the day at a hearing to decide if being a Rangers fan constitutes a “philosophical belief” worthy of special protection.”
Jeezo John what a dangerous proposition. I am making no comparisons, but merely by way of example, imagine if the KKK or Nazi party constituted a philosophical belief, and granted the "rights" that go with it......I hope it is a spoof !
Corrupt official 28th October 2021 At 23:42
‘..That will be the two foulers, and the two goal scorers WC.’
%%%%%%
I enjoyed that one, CO!
John Clark
29th October 2021 At 10:50
3 0 Rate This
From the ‘Daily Record’ today(unless it’s a spoof item!)
“He believes the importance of the club to his life will win the day at a hearing to decide if being a Rangers fan constitutes a “philosophical belief” worthy of special protection.”
…………..
It would be interesting to see, set out, the belief system that allows a person to claim validity for such a philosophical concept.
I mean no disrespect to anyone, but is the claim here that the Rangers brand is an eternally existing diety? And the followers of that brand are a community of religious worshippers?
Wow!
John Clark 29th October 2021 At 10:50
The most hilarious thing about that article is the notion that the Company mentioned would be a hostile environment for a Rangers fan. Believe me, that is an utterly side splitting suggestion…one of the most ridiculous, absurd suggestions I’ve ever seen. I could say much, much more but I would not want the Admins to remove my post.
@CO – that brought a smile as to who was booked. If the DR report is accurate (I know, but let me finish…after all a first time for everything) then the first foul awarded which led to the first TRFC goal and the second foul must have been the penalty awarded, both of which were disputed by the AFC manager. An incredibly disciplined performance from the Dons on the night – I can’t recall any other instance of a team committing so few fouls in a match.
According to BBC Football
Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text
Home Team Rangers Away Team Aberdeen
Possession
Home62% Away38%
Shots
Home18 Away6
Shots on Target
Home4 Away3
Corners
Home14 Away2
Fouls
Home12 Away14
According to the BBC stats, AFC had 4 players booked ( Lewis, Ojo, Bates & Ferguson) & committed 14 fouls. TRFC had one played booked (Morelos) & committed 12 fouls.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58976505
@PM and JJ – in my defence I did question the veracity of the DR editorial quality…?. Separately I applaud Graham Alexander’s comment on bbc sport re introduction of VAR: “..and help the game be fair…” . I would be happy to contribute to the fund to pay his fine when the beaks come calling for bringing the game into disrepute…
And JJ – based on those 4 names some folk won’t be pleased that the ref missed a chance to book Brown on the night…
It’s just struck me, curiously enough, that I have no idea what the technological mechanics of VAR are.
I assume, because of the expense, that they include much more sophisticated camera work than ‘simple’ goal-line’ technology?
Anyone describe?
I see VAR being discussed on here again. I read an article earlier which quoted Hugh Dallas as saying what VAR would NOT be used for in Scotland. Apart from wondering what it actually WILL be used for, I am perplexed at the notion that a man who is nothing at all to do with the SFA any more appears to already be deciding how the SFA will implement VAR! He does work for UEFA of course, but is he allowed to dictate to every other member nation how they use VAR? The answer of course is he is not allowed, with the way England operates VAR as evidence. Was Dallas ever really relieved of his SFA duties? In my opinion he wasn’t, and his statements about how VAR will operate in Scotland is evidence of that.
Why are Scottish clubs so prepared to accept this? It is utterly bizarre. We must be one of the most backward football nations in the developed world.
John Clark 30th October 2021 @ 23:01hrs –
Start here:
https://www.theifab.com/laws/latest/video-assistant-referee-var-protocol/#reviewable-match-changing-decisions-incidents
Next up is:
http://quality.fifa.com/en/media-tiles/var-iaap-technology/
That leads to a PDF:
http://quality.fifa.com/media/171902/var-iaap-technology-tests.pdf
Plenty more to spend a rainy Sunday chasing down…
Another quandary has arisen at Ibrox. How soon will it be before the media are trumpeting clubs interested in Fashion Sakala with reports of multi million pound offers surfacing. This after a performance against the Steelmen ( or should that be the Papermen) of Motherwell. If they can manage to sell a few of their multi talented stars for the rumored values there would be no need to worry about CL money. The incomings from sell offs could fund a new team with a financial base to match. Is it not about time the latest financials should be available. Rumors on anther site have the losses estimated in the 25 million range.
Jingso.Jimsie 31st October 2021 At 11:01
‘..Start here:..’
%%%%%%%%%%%%
Just this minute sat down to the blog Jingo.Jimsie. Thank you for the VAR reading list, which I’ll read with interest.
vernallen 31st October 2021 At 17:16
‘…. Is it not about time the latest financials should be available. Rumors on anther site have the losses estimated in the 25 million range.’
%%%%%%%%%%
From Companies House
RIFC plc
Next statement date 16 November 2021
due by 30 November 2021
Next accounts made up to 30 June 2021
due by 31 December 2021
Confirmation statement
Next statement date 16 November 2021
due by 30 November 2021
( if there have been no changes that are required to be reported when they occur, the confirmation statement will merely confirm that all is as reported in the previous statement)
From the links kindly provided by Jingo.Jimsie I’m reading about VAR technology
http://quality.fifa.com/media/171902/var-iaap-technology-tests.pdf
I had to have a wee laugh to myself at this:
“2. Technology tests and approval
A minimum of five players must participate in the test – one goalkeeper, two defenders and two attackers.
The level/quality of players is at the discretion of the competition organiser; it is, however, recommended to use players who can stage VAR incidents realistically.”
There would surely be near unanimity about which current player in Scotland would get an Oscar for his acting abilities?
I haven’t finished my self-education on the subject, but I assume that the financing of VAR will in some way be passed on to TV broadcasters as part of the television deals?
Is there anyone out there who knows about these things and who might be prepared to give some general information?
John Clark– 31 October 2021 — 21:30
Thanks for the update. Two points with the dates mentioned, provides an opportunity to release bad news during the holiday season, and, the one I like best next accounts “made up” to June 30th 2021. Perhaps having Company House phrasing things is not the best way to go. “Made up” leaves a lot open to conjecture.
Interesting statistics from P&B.
SPFL Premiership
Fouls per Yellow Card
21/22
As at 01/11/21
Celtic 13.6
St.Mirren 9.8
Rangers 6.4
Hearts 6.3
Hibs 6.3
Motherwell 5.5
Livingston 5.5
Dundee Utd 5.5
Dundee 5.5
Aberdeen 5.0
Ross County 5.0
St.Johnstone 4.7
SPFL Premiership
Crime Count (Y=1 R=2)
21/22 Season
As at 01/11/21
Motherwell 36
Livingston 35
Dundee 32
St.Johnstone 32
Dundee Utd 31
Aberdeen 29
Hearts 24
Hibs 24
Ross County 24
St.Mirren 21
Rangers 20
Celtic 11
vernallen 1st November 2021 At 00:30
‘.. “Made up” leaves a lot open to conjecture.’
%%%%%%
Ha, ha!, good one, vernallen!
I hadn’t noticed the ambiguity of the phrase. Or maybe it’s a sardonic acknowledgment by Companies House that the expectation is that annual accounts may very well be works of fiction!
I have noticed the extremely cautious way that any company’s auditors make it clear that they are NOT at all certifying the Truth as established independently by themselves, but merely certifying that what has been presented to them appears to meet the basic legislative requirements.
There’s a kind of parallel ( in my mind at least) in court cases: where the judge will not call into question any matter fact that each of the parties agrees upon.
For example, the question of whether the owners of a football club that was founded and admitted for the first time into Scottish Professional football in 2012 can legally market that club as being 149-and-a-bit years old has not yet been before the courts, even though there have been several actions involving a club that died when it was 140 years old and a now nearly nine year old club that claims to be approaching its 150th birthday.
Since in none of those cases no party expressly asked that question, no judge has made any ruling on it.
Green gains can be ‘as important as signings’, says Hibs financial director today, as he explained the steps Hibs were taking. He also said that installing LED floodlights was an initial large outlay for any club, but there are huge gains to be had. I don’t know of any other clubs but I do know Celtic had them installed at great expense three years ago, and have received derisory media ridicule about it ever since. Right move, wrong club I guess. I can imagine other clubs, one in particular, would have been lauded for such a move. I wonder if the Hibs financial director is aware of this media attitude, and also what their response to his views will be?
John Clark — 1st Nov 2021 –12:13
To continue in the same vein as “made up”, another adage circulating in the accountancy world is “figures lie, and, liars figure.”
vernallen 2nd November 2021 At 00:01
To continue in the same vein as “made up”, another adage circulating in the accountancy world is “figures lie, and, liars figure.”
+++++++++++++++
I once had a chat with a very senior person in the Accountancy world when I met him socially. I was amazed at the fairly simple, but legal things that can be done to make an end of year financial position look better than it is in reality. However the one thing to be avoided is a going concern warning when the accounts are issued. Yet in the world of Scottish football a going concern warning is a passport for the SFA to issue a licence to play in European competition without question. How many times has that happened now with just one club?
On the sports and environment debate
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/59055449
Looking at football specifically I’m struggling to see how it can become greener. Euro competitions involve lots of travel. Two Scottish clubs have fans who live very far away.
Perhaps we should all support our local team? Purely on environmental grounds obvs.
upthehoops 2nd November 2021 At 08:22
‘..going concern warning..’
%%%%%%%%%
Not ever having been involved in ‘business’ or ‘finance’ I lived damned near 70 years before the perverted, fundamentally dishonest ‘5-Way Agreement’ made me wonder how Gretna and other football clubs were/are recognised as having -on being Liquidated-ceased to exist as football clubs while RFC of 1872 was deemed not to have ceased to exist!
The staggering nonsense of that still sets my mind reeling!
And set me looking at things like company accounts and the laws on Insolvency and so on.
And I remember being astonished that a company that depended on personal loans from its directors (loans that were not as far as the auditors knew backed by guarantees from those supposed to be ready to lend) was allowed to continue in business as usual.
The law appears to allow feckless businessmen to carry on until they go bust and lots of people suffer;
just as it lets business people get away long enough with two-fingering the Regulators and perhaps the Courts instead of being banged up!
Slavia at the centre of another racism claim.
Slavia No.2 Pavel Rehak is now at the centre of a huge storm after a powderkeg league clash with Viktoria Plzen, where the visitors were reduced to eight men.
One of the three players sent off was Colombian Jhon Mosquera who posted a picture of the Slavia assistant manager on social media and stated: “This stupid man called me a monkey.
“I hope I don’t meet him alone on the street, because I would smash his face.”
And his club backed him up in a statement. They said: “The club stands firmly behind its player, whom we fully trust and has our maximum support.
“We therefore ask the home club to thoroughly investigate the entire incident and, if necessary, to severely punish the specific culprit.
“We consider Slavia’s behaviour absolutely undignified. The worst moment came when Jhon Mosquera went to the stand and listened to swearing not only from the crowd, but unfortunately also from the Slavia coaching staff
“According to him, one of them even insulted him racially, which our player pointed out immediately after the match in the dressing and subsequently on social networks.”
Slavia have so far refused to comment on the incident.
Rangers face Sparta Prague later this month at Ibrox in a Europa League Group Stage tie, which is certain to be a fiery encounter.
The written judgement of the SFA’s appeal to the Inner House of the COS, re the interim interdict obtained by Park’s, was published today.
https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/docs/default-source/cos-general-docs/pdf-docs-for-opinions/2021csih61.pdf?sfvrsn=f0711814_1
This extract confirms Park’s claim about a pre existing contract with Rangers.
“The petitioners specialise in the sale of new and used cars. They have a longstanding commercial relationship with Rangers. This includes advertisement by Rangers of the petitioners’ business. A written contract has been in existence since June 2015. It was renewed on 17 May 2021. The following month the SPFL entered into a sponsorship contract with Cinch; a business concerned in the sale of second-hand cars. Previously, Rangers had expressed their concerns to the SPFL that the terms of the two contracts might conflict with one another. Subsequently, Rangers have refused: (a) to provide the SPFL with the rights, facilities and properties required under SPFL’s contract with Cinch; and (b) to produce a copy of their contract with the petitioners.”
dom16 2nd November 2021 At 13:31
Two votes to one. (iv)
[3] On receipt of a Notice to Refer, the SFA Secretary must send a notice to the referring
party “and to any other party or parties with an interest in the Dispute” (Art 99.19(a)). The
Secretary’s Notice is to include: (i) a copy of the Notice to Refer; (ii) the Tribunal Candidate
List; (iii) a copy of Article 99; and (iv) an invitation to nominate, or agree to, the appointment of arbitrators.
Lurkio 2nd November 2021 At 19:50
“..The written judgement of the SFA’s appeal to the Inner House of the COS, re the interim interdict obtained by Park’s, was published today.”
%%%%%%%%
I make no comment on the Court’s decision, of course.
But I had a smile to myself as I read ,at para 19 line 6, this little bit;
“……The airing of such disputes may carry a reputational risk to the game and its
participants which the SFA, as the supervisory body, will be keen to avoid.”
Their Lordship seem not to have realised that as a ‘supervisory body’ the SFA shredded such good reputation as it may then have had in 2012 by the disgusting 5-Way Agreement, which entirely destroyed the notion that they were guardians of the Integrity of our Sport.
Seems to me the 2021 May contract renewal is immaterial, being so close to the league start, during which time the Cinch deal would already be at an advanced stage, if not already concluded.
Comparisons must be made between the 2015 contract and the 2021 renewal to assess how they differ.
I think the possibility exists that Sports Direct had the advertising sewn up during that period.
I read today that “Former Fifa officials Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini were charged with fraud and other offences by Swiss prosecutors on Tuesday after a six-year investigation into a controversial $2m payment”
I do not not in any way wish to pre-judge the outcome of any trial, and could not care a tuppenny toss for either Platini or Blatter.
I may, and do, as a football supporter, legitimately express my deep satisfaction that the INVESTIGATION into the pair was not arbitrarily blocked by FIFA in the way that a certain investigation was ARBITRARILY blocked by the SFA on the basis ONLY of that body’s ‘desire not to rake over the ashes’ but to ‘move on’.
and my deep dissatisfaction that our football clubs allowed such a block to be put on that investigation.
@JC 22:06
Unfortunately we live in a deeply corrupted society , that which we thought only existed in banana republics and mafia infiltrated states has exposed itself in our own society on a regular basis now. The Government of the UK is just an organised crime syndicate with plummy accents so is it any wonder that our media outlets and sporting institutions follow suit ?
George W Bush refused to hold an inquiry into the largest terrorist attack the World has ever witnessed for 441 days only relenting due to public pressure but even then what was allowed was restricted by time and money . Bush even refused to testify unless it was done in private, that no transcripts were taken , that he could do so without being under oath and was accompanied on the witness stand by Dick Cheney. The commissioners stated they were lied to , that evidence was withheld and they were set up to fail yet the powers that be got away with it as there is no accountability for their actions.
Moving on to our favourite glib and shameless criminal I have noticed that his company Sebata Holdings recently had a large rise in price from 190 up to 280 last week , it didn’t last long and today saw a 28% drop down to 202 bearing all the hallmarks of a pump and dump operation in the hope of dragging in some mug punters . It was reported on another site that money had headed his way from the klan base possibly for some of his shares as per agreement but as yet unconfirmed but it could have provided useful liquidity for an operation such as that. Sebata and Dave remain in financial trouble and it would seem he needs any cash he can get so things could get interesting . I imagine any cash raised in January sales will be of great interest to him , that’s if he and Rangers* can last that long.
Timtim 3rd November 2021 At 00:41
‘ .. 190 up to 280 last week , it didn’t last long and today saw a 28% drop down to 202 ‘
%%%%%%%%
Is that 1.90 to 2.90 and down again to 2.02 South Africa Rands or US dollars?
Today’s rate of exchange is ! rand =0.65 dollar
If I may go ‘off topic’ (or OT as we used to say on the blog)can I mention that in looking at ‘Court of Session judgments’ I came across the judgment in a case utterly unconnected with football but which caused me to say ‘good on ye’, Court of Session!
The ‘High Court’ referred to in this extract from the judgment of the Inner House of the Court of Session [Lord Menzies, Lord Woolman, Lord Doherty] that I give here is, of course, the English High Court.
“[7] Second, the function of this court [ ie. the Court of Session]is not to rubber-stamp High Court decisions which are usually taken by a single judge. Whilst it has the primary responsibility for assessing the best interests of the child, our procedures require consideration by three Inner House judges.
We also have a heavy responsibility, particularly where the deprivation of liberty of a child
is involved.
[8] Third, all applications to this court must be presented expeditiously. There have
been cases in which this has not happened. In one case no petition was presented to this
court for a period of more than 7 months after a child was made subject to a placement and
deprivation of liberty order in Scotland. THAT WILL NOT DO. [my capitals]”
Man, I do really love that assertion of the rights of the legal system of Scotland.
England is another country, and even those who sold the jersey in 18-oatcake [or 1707?] had enough sense to protect the Scottish legal system when the Union was created.
Not that I make any kind of party political point, which would be no part of the SFM blog, but merely to state the legal realities,
As that judgment does.
see [2021] CSIH 59
P844/20, P349/21 and P598/21
[ For anyone interested, the judgment in question relates to English Local Authorities getting (English )High Court orders to put a ‘child’ into secure accommodation in Scotland because there are not sufficient places in England.]
As ever, being on this blog has been an education for me in so many un-football related ways!
Timtim 3rd November 2021 At 00:41
‘..The Government of the UK is just an organised crime syndicate with plummy accents..’
%%%%%%%
And it’s the plummy accent types that keep the non-plummy accent types in their ‘subordinate places!
I had an uncle called Tom who hadn’t a clue about how he was being used.
@JC
the price is in Sth African Rand (ZAR) so currency fluctuations obviously have a large bearing the current price is 202 Rand or just under £10 but to compare it to 2015 when Dave got involved at Ibrox (again) it was around 1500 Rand (£85 at the time) by any accounting method that is a big haircut
https://za.investing.com/equities/micromega-holdings-ltd-chart
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59162090
About time this behaviour was addressed.
Surely it’s not too much to ask fans to remain silent for a short period of time as a mark of respect.
Just on Bbc radio: SFA fined £8000 for fans booing Israeli team and for inappropriate flag.
Timtim 4th November 2021 At 12:17
“…the price is in Sth African Rand (ZAR)..”
%%%%%%%
Thanks, Timtim, but I don’t understand this:
https://sashares.co.za/sebata-holdings/#gs.fg38gt
I’m reading 2.02 rand as the current share price just as 2 point 2, not as 200 and 2.
But as I have previously demonstrated, I can get easily confused with numbers and decimal points!
I’d be happy,of course, if King ‘s shares in anything were worthless-including his shares in RIFC plc!!
John Clark 4th November 2021 @ 14:11hrs –
I’ve just had a look at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange –
https://www.jse.co.za/
Traded shares are priced in ZAC (South African Cents: 100 ZAC = 1 ZAR).
Sebata’s price of 202 ZAC equals 2.02 ZAR.
Today, according to http://www.XE.com, 1 ZAR = 0.0487324 pence (nearly 5p!) & £1 = 20.5202 ZAR.
Hope this helps!
@JJ
thanks for that , I didn’t realise it was cents instead of rand
Jingso.Jimsie 4th November 2021 At 16:06
‘..Traded shares are priced in ZAC (South African Cents: 100 ZAC = 1 ZAR).’
%%%%%%%%%%
Ah, that makes it clear! Thank you, JJ.
TImtim: I was thinking that you were reading 202 rands, while I was thinking of 2.02 rands.
Who would have thought that there was such a thing as a zac! It never entered my ignorant head that the rand would be subdivided into cents!
Whatever, the fact seems to be that Sebata may be toiling somewhat, and perhaps a bit short of the readies?
Not unlike another company of recent origin in which the man from the ‘mulk is a shareholder!
And anent rands and Sebata I remind myself of this:
“Sars launched an investigation into King’s affairs in May 2000 when it became aware that he had bought an Irma Stern painting for R1.76m and could not reconcile this purchase with his declared gross income of R60 000”,
and I think of the sharp public servant in Sars, honourable chap sadly now deceased, who noticed that, and got him nailed.
And I praise our own HMRC for [eventually] nailing SDM’s EBT cheatery, while wondering why he appears not ever to have been in ANY way personally sanctioned.
Can someone enlighten me?
Strange things can happen in magic circles?????
https://www.scotsman.com/news/fettesgate-magic-circle-spells-panic-police-2444142
Would it surprise you to know the Sir Brassneck went to Fettes???
https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/annual-report-and-accounts-and-notice-of-2021-agm/2nOwvQy99QIKj6zhFkva17
23.5m loss
I’m sure there will be much reading of the above and it seems like Kings loan of 5m has been repaid but it has been replaced by another . Robbing Peter to pay Paul as they say
Director loans
John Bennett, Barry Scott, Douglas Park, Alastair Johnston and Julian Juul Wolhardt
A facility provided by Mr J Bennett, Mr A Johnston and Mr J Wolhardt to the Company of £5.25m is being charged interest at
6% on an accruing basis. Repayments of this, over a 7 year period, commenced in August 2021
17.46m last year 11.27m the year before and 23.5m now makes 52.23m over last 3 years which is what uefa look at for ffp that’s roughly €61.5m . The limit had been set at €25m over 3 years but I believe this had been relaxed due to Covid but not dispensed with , the figure can be reduced for monies spent on ground improvements but this amount has to be a concern .
Just double checking that the 23,500,000 loss isnt in pennies rather than £s
Timtim 5th November 2021 At 12:00
Just double checking that the 23,500,000 loss isnt in pennies rather than £s
Or 27.4m euros in one season. 2,4 more than UEFA FFP permits in three.
John Clark 5th November 2021 At 00:14
And I praise our own HMRC for [eventually] nailing SDM’s EBT cheatery, while wondering why he appears not ever to have been in ANY way personally sanctioned.
Can someone enlighten me?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Because the establishment look after their own. Any other Scottish Club owner would have been subject to criminal charges IMO. The media outrage would have ensured it. Instead the media still fall over themselves to call him ‘Sir’ David. I am also sure the same media would have been onto UEFA to ‘clarify’ the position regarding FFP if Celtic were running up huge losses every year. After all, we only have to see how they contacted UEFA earlier this season in the hope Celtic had fielded an ineligible player in a CL qualifier. UEFA confirmed they hadn’t but it’s quite clear what their agenda is.
A lot of emphasis is being put on the necessity of winning of the Premiership title this season in certain quarters for the financial boost of CL group stages . Are the monies split should both our entrants succeed ?
upthehoops 5th Nov 12.45.
Was it not Celtics opponents Midtjylland who were accused of fielding an ineligible player and not Celtic themselves?
upthehoops 5th November 2021 At 12:45
0 0 Rate This
John Clark 5th November 2021 At 00:14
And I praise our own HMRC for [eventually] nailing SDM’s EBT cheatery, while wondering why he appears not ever to have been in ANY way personally sanctioned.
Can someone enlighten me?
It may have been a wee tad awkward if our wigged wonders and caped QC crusaders were also in receipt of Minty's advice to manage their own tax affairs John. Ye ken how words o wisdom can fly roon' a boozers.....Just saying.
‘Timtim 5th November 2021 At 10:52
I’m sure there will be much reading of the above and it seems like Kings loan of 5m has been repaid but it has been replaced by another . Robbing Peter to pay Paul as they say…’
::
::
I can’t be alone in thinking that it’s highly unlikely that RIFC wrote a cheque (or made an ETF) for £5.832m to DCK & then DCK wrote them a cheque (or made an ETF) for £5m to replace his initial loan. RIFC has paid the £832k interest due in October (still a tidy sum for us mortals!), nothing more. Is DCK’s ‘new’ loan at 16% PA like the ‘old’ loan?
@PM – yes the CL monies are split across teams from same country. More specifically the TV “viewing” revenue is split. This revenue is allocated based on size of market in that country and if only one participant then they get the lot. There are then performance related payments based on results which each team gets to keep for themselves.
The TV element outweighs the performance element unless the team gets to the business end of the competition.
Are the full accounts published online yet, as nothing recorded at Companies House? I would be interested in any auditor comments regarding the future.
Re the Rangers accounts. There is a significant going concern warning. Why are the SFA allowed to continually award them silver or gold star financial status when it comes to European Licencing? It’s utterly incredible. Does the SFA have to highlight issues to UEFA? If they do then FFP is not worth the paper it’s written on. There should be something far more independent in place to regulate this.
@gunnerb
https://assets.ctfassets.net/39646iezddpk/iqWGrSHuBKRWHdWfD47xh/f13e45eb51a6e0f5a54e6b5e02195d01/Rangers_Reports_and_Accounts_2021.pdf
the full accounts can be seen here
Timtim 5th November 2021 At 15:23
Thanks for the link Timtim. I see the auditors have indeed issued a going concern warning ( maybe going for another world record}. The auditors state that there is no binding debt facility and yet it is trumpeted by the company that they have for the first time managed to negotiate a facility with a nationally recognised high street bank?
Another annual loss (23.5) third year in a row of serious losses and a going concern warning from the auditors. When does the SFA step in and act like a governing body with serious questions put forward, when do the other teams voice their concern, both publicly and privately. What happens if another event befalls this group. How can those throwing money at the operation wait 7 years for a return? More importantly what does the Daily Record Columnist/Football Manager think. Surely he must be concerned about his beloved club. Does last night’s performance take the glow off Sakala’s elevation to stardom.
I know accounting is an art, often an artful process, but where does the £23.5m loss come from?
For example, if there was £30m in the bank, I’d expect there to be £6.5m left. I’m sure that’s not the case, therefore I’d have to infer that an additional £23.5m had to be borrowed. Would that be offset by monies accrued from the issue of shares?
Rangers* of course are a peculiar case in so much as they don’t follow the paradigm where one would only expect to be able to sustain losses as long as the cash in hand or bank has not run out. In their case there’s never been any cash in the bank. Accrued losses must now be approaching £100m. My lay inference here is that they must be £100m (minus cash from issue of shares) in debt.
Where is EJ when I need him? I will be seeing him on Monday for lunch, so my guess is I will be steering the conversation in this direction, and away from The Jambos’ excellent start to the season?
vernallen 5th November 2021 At 18:49
When does the SFA step in and act like a governing body with serious questions put forward, when do the other teams voice their concern, both publicly and privately.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Unfortunately, the SFA is the other clubs in this context – including Celtic and my own club Hearts.
All of our clubs have willingly sanctioned every iteration of Rangers* to virtually do as they please, because the alternative without them is deemed to be financially unpalatable. That’s the reality of where we are, and have been for eight or nine years now.
On a separate matter, I read an article in today’s press in which one enterprising journalist informed us that the Ibrox club’s current financial trials and tribulations had their roots in the club’s administration in 2012.
The so-called journalist, while at least acknowledging that it was the club that went into administration, couldn’t quite bring himself to mention the unmentionable ‘liquidation’ word, although if his laptop keypad had developed a fault with the ‘L’ and ‘Q’ keys, it would at least explain why he couldn’t honestly answer that the quality of his article was entirely down to his low IQ.
Prior to the start of the 20/21 season, I opined that TRFC would bring out ALL the financial stops through continued borrowing beyond their means, bringing in players they could not afford to ‘pay upfront for’ (e.g Kent), overloading the squad numbers with admittedly some decent performers, paying ridiculous wages/extending contracts where possible etc etc – all to stop 10IAR. This they duly achieved.
I have no argument, other that a moral one, against the end justifying the means here, since to do so could be seen as sour (green) grapes.
I also expressed the view, as many others have done over the now 9+ years of this clubs existence, that the financial management policies would inevitably and inexorably result in a ‘day of reckoning’ when the well runs dry. I’m sure they will manage to ‘limp on’ for a while, but the chickens are now roosting methinks
Furthermore, as has also been pointed out over the years, a sizeable part of rationale of their borrowing strategy has been to ‘keep the ever dimming lights on’, and although they will no doubt sell in January (are you paying attention Mike?) – thereby weakening the team – there is definitely heavy duty ‘trouble at mill’.
Although the lights are not quite going out all over Govania, they are very, very dim
So how long can the situation go on for before financial implosion? (Serious question). Has it happened already?
Will the SFA/UEFA look at their finances wrt financial fair play? (Wait a minute – don’t answer that last rhetorical question!).
N.B :- the gravity of the situation will be downplayed by our beloved SMSM.
From a financial point of view I think we are witnessing a high-water mark for football generally and in particular across Europe. Valuations, salaries and expectations are completely out of whack. Take Newcastle as an example – a club with a very limited track record of winning but admittedly with a long, continuous history. How to square any investment in that club with likely returns? Look at Barcelona – a financial basket case. PSG – pampered, overpaid players but who struggle at times in the domestic league (in my view due to a lack of team and too much I). Real Madrid – nowhere near the standards they were playing to in the recent past.
To invest into this industry at this time
in a league like Scotland makes little sense unless you are clear on your place in the wider industry. Chris Sutton described Jota last night as a “development player” in the context of whether Celtic should exercise the clause they apparently have to buy him. A very clear example of the place in the industry that Celtic occupy – buy young talent, provide first rate training and coaching access coupled with competitive football at a good standard and look to sell on. Of course it doesn’t always work out and for this very reason it has to be sustainable and not reliant on moonshots. For me there is a very real sense that TRFC and perhaps others in Scottish football have their fingers crossed and hoping that things will turn out alright on the night. But as they say hope is not a strategy.
I note this:
The Auditors of the accounts of RIFC plc are Azets Audit services , incorporated 23 June 2015, company number 09652677
Their holding company is Azets Holdings Ltd, inc. 10 september 2007.
And Azets Holdings is owned by Azets Topco, inc. in the Channel Isles (Jersey) with number FC 033887
Now, the auditors of RIFC plc were themselves audited by Ernst and Young in July 2021.
Ernst and Young in their audit report on Azets Audit Services ( note 1.2) report as follows:
” The company provides audit and assurance services to its external clients of the Azets Holdings Limited Group …….Azets Holdings Limited also provides financial support to the company in order to enable the company to meet its liabilities as they fall due…The directors [ of Azet Audit Services] have obtained written confirmation from Azet Holdings Limited that it will continue to provide support……..In assessing Azet Holdings Limited’s ability to provide this support the directors [of Azets Audit Services Ltd] have confirmed that Azets Holdings Limited has itself received an equivalent written confirmation from Azets Topco….”
So, while the auditors of RIFC plc made sure that their OWN company had written commitments about being guaranteed funding to show THEIR auditors they are happy to sign off the RIFC plc’s accounts on the unwritten promises by directors of RIFC plc that they will come up with a few bob whenever required?
I would suggest that that kind of audit is nothing more than a waste of everybody’s time!
And why don’t the ‘lending directors’ put in writing, for auditors to see, their readiness to lend as and when required?
Well, I suppose that whatever else they may be, they are not actually stupid!
Highlander 5th November 2021 At 19:43
‘.. one enterprising journalist informed us that the Ibrox club’s current financial trials and tribulations had their roots in the club’s administration in 2012.’
%%%%%%%%%
Name that ‘journalist’, Highlander, and I shall personally explain the facts to him and challenge him to refute them!
Honest to God!
It appears Derek Johnstone either has a very short memory or no memory of the recent past involving Ranger’s fans. His comments about the terror of Rangers’ fans in Brondby being labelled the most disgraceful behaviour he has ever seen led me to a little chuckle. If Brondby was such a disgrace what would he label the Rangers’ fans efforts in Manchester where portions of the city were basically under siege. What would he attach to the song fests at Ibrox, what about George Square,, the list is almost endless and I’m sure there are others who post on here that could add to the actions listed above. Of course when everything you see and hear is sky blue, its hard to be objective.
Maybe Derek was just getting his excuses in for the club* in case uefa took a dim view of their fans behaviour. Being in the vicinity of the stadium could lead to punishment such as a partial or full stadium closure .
I am currently laid up having tested positive for Covid, so have been on the internet a lot to pass the time in. Last night I watched a programme from Youtube called ‘The Football Years 1998’. The sycophancy towards Rangers and David Murray was something to behold, even for me who lived through it at the time. While the programme highlighted clubs such as Motherwell and Hearts spending beyond their means at the time, it simply referred to ‘David Murray’s millions’ when talking about the Dick Advocaat era. That is a complete and utter lie of course because it was the Bank of Scotland’s millions, which is of course the bank that did all it could to put Celtic out of business. Celtic throughout the programme were subjected to underlying sneering ridicule, and were at one point described as ‘the poor relations’. It was quite something just to be reminded of how bad it actually was. The then Celtic Chairman, Brian Quinn, opined that a ‘speculate to accumulate’ policy was just wrong for football clubs. Quinn of course was the Deputy Governor of the Bank of England and I can only imagine the regard he would have been held in were such a person to sit in the Chair at Ibrox. The whole thing brought into focus that the media this very day sit in cowed silence and watch the current Rangers rack up over £100m of losses, and that doesn’t include the shares confetti. A media doing their job should surely be asking why the SFA ignore this and wave through European licences. They should also be highlighting that Rangers now appear to be breaching the losses limit for UEFA FFP to kick in. Instead the media sit in silence, hoping that automatic Champions League qualification comes their way. Cheats do win sometimes. If anyone wants to watch the programme the link is below, but have a sick bag handy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLr_r3z1TSc&ab_channel=JAMGers
Where is EJ when I need him? I will be seeing him on Monday for lunch, so my guess is I will be steering the conversation in this direction, and away from The Jambos’ excellent start to the season?
Tell EJ we miss him .
It’s a horrible day here.
I needed cheering up & I got it reading this article from today’s Herald, with Matthew Lindsay’s byline –
https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/19699089.rangers-track-achieve-self-sustainability—despite-posting-losses-23-5m/
I know Liverpool is well-known for producing comedians, but Lindsay’s expert, Kieran Maguire, excels.
A propos of TRFC devastating (well – for most it would be, but…) Annual Accounts, I offer you this ‘nugget’ from Mastermind Charlie Adam:-
‘Gers will invest if title race is tight’. Eh – what with? Always good for a laff is the rotund one.
JJ
wrt to ‘diddyman’ Kieran Maguire, I’ve come across a few prognostications from this Sevco apologist. Nostradamus like, he has predicted that they would overtake CFC in the financial sense before too long.
Where I come from (sunny Govan no less!), this self proclaimed, delusional ‘expert’ (charlatan) would be decried simply as – a ‘bampot’.
DOUGLAS Park, the Rangers chairman, has claimed that Scottish football is being undersold by the SPFL and warned the game in this country will be left behind unless there is change after the Ibrox club announced an operating loss of £23.5m.
Park took aim at the SPFL executive in his annual report to Rangers shareholders – he stated that he and his fellow directors have “real concern” over corporate governance and demanded clubs are shown “more respect”.
The Scottish champions are currently locked in a stand-off with the SPFL over the £8m league sponsorship deal that was signed with online car retailer cinch in the summer and the dispute has been referred to the SFA for arbitration.
They are currently refusing to allow cinch branding to be displayed on team shirts or on advertising boards at their stadium because of a commercial agreement that was struck with Park’s firm Parks of Hamilton.
“The corporate governance of the SPFL continues to cause us real concern,” wrote Park. “We need more transparency in the manner in which the game operates.
“The people in charge are only in those positions due to the existence of the clubs and it is time that they showed the clubs more respect than has been the case in recent years.”
The SPFL last month announced that a record £28.4m in league fees had been paid to all 42 of their member clubs in the Premiership, Championship, League 1 and League 2 in the 2020/21 campaign – £5m more than had been distributed the previous season.
But five Scottish clubs, Aberdeen, Dundee, Dundee United, Hearts and Hibernian, commissioned accountants Deloitte to carry out an independent strategic review of the SPFL back in September and try to identify “significant additional revenues”.
Park continued: “We (Rangers) believe that Scottish football is a strong product, but it is undervalued and as a result undersold. This must change.
“The ambition of clubs must be realised and driven forward by those in leadership positions. If not, I believe Scottish football will be left behind.”
Park blamed the impact of the coronavirus pandemic – which resulted in fans being locked out of stadiums for the entire 2021/22 season – for Rangers’ disappointing financial results.
The Glasgow club’s revenue fell from £59m to £47.7m and their losses increased from £15.9m to £23.5m in the financial year ending June 2021 despite their first Scottish title victory in 10 years.
Park and vice-chairman John Bennett have agreed to cover projected shortfalls of £7.9m to ensure Rangers can continue as a going concern to the end of the 2022/23 season.
Park wrote: “The past year has continued to bring unprecedented challenges to our club. The pandemic wrought a profound impact on our club, both on and off the field of play and its effects continue to be felt.
“When the current board wrestled back control of our club, I viewed this as a 10-year project. In 2021, I still believe that analysis to be accurate. The condition in which our club was left cannot be underestimated. Yet, painstakingly and with unerring resolve, we have rebuilt and we will continue to do so.”
The annual report confirmed that Rangers had repaid a £5m loan to former chairman Dave King in the past financial year – plus £832,000 in interest.
Vernallen
I too was amused by DJ’s memory ‘issues’, and was reminded that English MSM description and vilification of the the Rangers supporters marching through Wolverhampton (1961) ‘like marauding Huns’.
That was when I first came across this term – subsequently used by Celtic supporters against TRFC. I believe the Newco and its ‘supporters’ tried (unsuccessfully?) to have this derogatory term banned (in 2016?).
Albertz11@12:17
“The people in charge are only in those positions due to the existence of the clubs and it is time that they showed the clubs more respect than has been the case in recent years.”
ironic isn’t it that Rangers* are only in existence due to the people in charge that he is now criticising , maybe Douglas should reel his necks in .
“We need more transparency in the manner in which the game operates.” unless it involves raking over old coals I presume.
Respect must be earned.
bect67 6th November 2021 At 12:36
From what I’ve read , it appears that Rangers casuals ,ICF , managed to get tickets for the corporate section and draped their flags over the seats . This led to an attack by Brondby casuals . It might be worthwhile making tickets non-transferable and printing the holder’s photo on it for identification purposes .
Co @ 19.19
You are so right – DEMANDING respect will only alienate people, and turn them from any cause Donald Park may think he has.
I have nothing but disdain for his cheating outfit, and a pathetic, copied and pasted ‘puff piece’ by a poster on here will influence me not a jot.
Park’s arrogant and self righteous attitude is clearly boundless. It therefore needs challenging in the simplest terms, since his memory seems to be as selective/defective as Derek Johnstone’s
Rangers* did not (quote) “wrestle back control” of anything, since there was nothing to reclaim (i.e. Liquidation happened). They merely took over the running of a new entity.
For those who contest the ‘Big Lie’ – ‘lang may their lums reek!’
paddy malarkey@ 19:49
managed to get ? or handed to them directly by members of the board or people close to the board . So trouble by their fans directly outside the stadium and inside the stadium in the corporate area , I hope the uefa delegate is aware of this . Did they also have the naughty song book out again ? there was a video posted by one of their own in a club that made its way onto the media showing them in full voice. The next step may be a full ban on fans and at a time when every penny is a prisoner will not be good news . The board have facilitated this behaviour by pandering to the worst elements in their fan base. We are headed back to the pre Murray era and they are directly responsible . These are the same people who were singing the famine song in the “corporate area ” at Hampden after the 2016 SF against Celtic, who then went on to employ a DUP spokesman as their PR and brought out Orange tops . In Scotland they are a big fish in a small pond , in Europe however they are quickly being seen as more trouble than their blue £ is worth . Maybe a bit of “respect” should be shown or is respect just a one way street with them ?
bect67 6th November 2021 At 20:03
‘…Rangers* did not (quote) “wrestle back control” of anything, ‘
%%%%%%%%
No, nor did he ‘wrest’ it back!( Park should learn the correct phrasing of any metaphor he chooses to use)
It is this insistence on the Big Lie that underlines the deep, deep insecurity of RIFC plc folk.
They, better than most, KNOW that CG did NOT buy RFC of 1872; and that RIFC plc is NOT the holding company of the RFC of 1872 that is in Liquidation, but of the new club created by CG and only recognised as a football club in 2012!
The sheer brass-necked effrontery of it is unbelievable.
They know the Truth of course, and are simply too deeply mired in the myth to admit it.
And they can rely on the SFA/SPFL to protect them in their Big Lie pretensions.
betc67 6th Nov 20.03.
My “pathetic copied and pasted puff piece” was never intended to influence you, or anyone else, in much the same way as no matter the number of posts that refer to Rangers as a new club, will influence me. The main thrust of the article was regarding both the “corporate governance” & undervaluing of Scottish football which should concern all on here.
It’s Douglas Park and not Donald just to be accurate.
Jingso.Jimsie 6th November 2021 At 11:22
‘..I know Liverpool is well-known for producing comedians, but Lindsay’s expert, Kieran Maguire, excels.’
%%%%%%
He certainly excels at bumming himself up! see https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/management/staff/kieran-maguire
He also says: “My aim is to take the fear out of numbers, if you can add 2+2 that’s all that is required, the rest is just detail”
There was a time when I believed that the aim of ‘academics’ at our Universities was the pursuit of Truth , in whichever discipline or field of knowledge they were exploring.
The ready acceptance by Maguire of the Big Lie that TRFC of 2012 is RFC of 1872 ( his reference to the [deceitful!] 150th anniversary) is , to my mind, evidence that he is either going with the flow for an easy life, or that he seriously lacks academic rigorism .
I think he should be ashamed of himself.
Anent my post at 23.12 above, I should say that I looked for an email address for Maguire but none seems to be provided.
While I would have emailed to him, I canny be arsed going to the bother of actually writing to him. He’s not worth the bother or the postage stamp.
Albertz11 6th November 2021 At 23:00
0 0 Rate This
betc67 6th Nov 20.03.
My “pathetic copied and pasted puff piece” was never intended to influence you, or anyone else, in much the same way as no matter the number of posts that refer to Rangers as a new club, will influence me. The main thrust of the article was regarding both the “corporate governance” & undervaluing of Scottish football
I agree.
The league and Association have as little right to respect as Sevco have. However they appear to have a better handle on the numbers than Sevco do!......Or are you suggesting it is their fault that Sevco have lost £104m, (that's one hundred and four million pounds), since inception?
“We need more transparency in the manner in which the game operates.” says Park the bus , well Douglas why don’t we start with the 5 way agreement or do you believe secret agreements between those who regulate our sport and 1 individual club* are an acceptable way to conduct business. What about an investigation into why the majority of grade 1 referees all come from the same referees association . Maybe we can ensure that those same referees are not members of any secret organisations who have a code of helping fellow members of that same secret organisation. Let’s be honest Douglas , the last thing you really want is any form of transparency.
RC/A11
You are right about my Park typo and, seeing as we’re on the subject of accuracy, how’s about entering this wee fact based competition?
How long was the club you insist on calling Rangers in existence?
How many Scottish League titles did it win?
What is the current entity legally called?
You have been given you a clue by the use of past tense for questions 1 and 2
Please do not consult with Derek Johnstone (have I spelled that right?), whose memory may be suspect, before submitting your entry.
First, and indeed only, prize is lifelong membership of the real world.
I assume the mass condemnation of the appalling behaviour of a large swathe of the Celtic support at Dens Park will be forthcoming after the match finishes.
After all, we wouldn’t want this site to become solely focused on reporting Rangers’* misdemeanours while conveniently airbrushing their city rivals’ behaviour out of the picture.
Highlander
Game, set and match on the condemnation -no issues there.
However (and, fair enough we may be into semantics here), I think “appalling” and “large swathes” are a tad ‘over the top’.
Highlander 7th November 2021 At 13:10
Irritating and ill judged.Did nothing but alienate neutral spectators. I have great empathy with the cause but this came across as both childish and annoying.
I continue to be amazed at the far reaching thoughts emanating from Barry Ferguson in his role as a columnist/football manager. Now we can add financial expertise to his ever growing CV. He believes by gaining entry to the CL group stages ($40 M) and selling a couple of players ($20 M) all Rangers financial woes/debts will be cleared up. Evidently he has not been following the reports in the media which indicate accumulated losses of over $104 M. Perhaps he could engage Kiernan Maguire to provide a quick course in finance and maths. How does he manage to keep track of his own finances and that of the team he manages. The influence of the EBT years must be lodged somewhere in his world.
There are many points worthy of comment from the RIFC accounts which hopefully I can find time to collate and post. For now, I’ll stick with one:
In the Strategic Report under cash:
‘The Group has worked to maintain its cash despite disruption to its activities by:-
• changing of our merchant providers, to improve the terms on our season ticket cash flows, supplying cash up front instead of across the season.
• utilisation of government schemes and assistance, including payment deferrals for VAT and employment taxes and the job retention scheme for non-playing staff.
• the deferral of wage payments for high earning staff.’
The last point indicates just how close to the wind the good ship RIFC is sailing. This is the first time there has been formal acknowledgment of their inability to meet contractual obligations as and when they fall due.
Westcoaster @ 19:09
I haven’t had much time to look at the accounts but I had missed that point and the one above it may be just as important “payment deferrals for VAT and employment taxes” just how much do they owe to players and the tax man ? It’s unusual for players to agree to a deferral unless there is a profit to be made , have they agreed a rate of interest along Dave King lines ? their latest loan from board members is at 6%pa . The old club* (RIP) also went down the road of wage deferrals when things were getting tight if I remember , they also built up quite a lot of IOU’s to the tax man as well.
One aspect of raising cash through loans then converting debt to equity is it is highly damaging to any outside investment . Who would want to invest in a business that is constantly diluting their shares . The only people willing to buy shares at the 20p rate have committed all their cash to Dave King . This is one of the reasons their recent share issue was a flop.
Westcoaster 7th November 2021 At 19:09
‘… the deferral of wage payments for high earning staff.’
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
I’ve heard of staff being ready to agree to postponement of wage INCREASES, certainly, and of ‘negotiated’ wage reductions.
But deferral of actual wages? Working for NOTHING for an employer who can’t afford to pay you in case he goes bust and can’t give a guarantee that he will be able to pay you in the future?
That’s a dreadful state of affairs for any plc to find itself in, surely?
“improve the terms on our season ticket cash flows, supplying cash up front instead of across the season.”
Has it not been the practice that ST money is released on a game by game timeline to ensure the cash lasts through the season ?
Is the above stating that the ST money was released up front at the start of the season ? If so how much if any is left ? Is this why wages of high earners were deferred ? Is the furlough scheme now ended ? If any players are sold in the Jan window will the deferred wages become part of the deal . Why the loan with interest (6%) rather than the usual loan later converted to equity deals , are the board calling an end to the confetti?
“A dreadful state of affairs” JC , and that’s without taking into account the settlement due to SDI
Westcoaster 7th November 2021 At 19:09
There is a certain irony in blaming the epidemic for their losses, while excluding the Covid related figures from their reckonings…..Either way, they are still “Social taxes” and still have a fall due date and the potential to become overdues
Is, “That’s pure Sevco”, an accounting term in use around auditing office places?
Westcoaster — 7th November 2021 — 19:09
If the items you lifted from the Strategic Report aren’t enough to raise the alarm at the SFA, and, hopefully at UEFA then the worst must be assumed. Come hell or high water the elusive operations at Ibrox will continue and the other teams in the Premier League, and, the fans will suffer from impotent governance.
As an aside SG mentioning his players on international duty should be more concerned about their club duties and by inference not give 100 percent due to potential injuries. As a former athlete and a high level coach it has been my experience when you ask athletes to be careful, then that’s when the injuries occur. Those words may comeback to haunt SG in the title race, cup games, and further down the road the potential sale of these international players.
It sounds like The Rangers are in a worse financial state than ever before in their 9-year history. Getting all the season ticket up front rather than across the season sounds like desperation, rather than prudence and “improvement”.
Has the list of their creditors reached 273 yet? Could be anew world record coming…
The more I look at their perilous financial situation, the more I question the Celtic Board of Directors around the Scottish Government offer of interest free loans. I believe they are/were in cahoots with TRFC and the Scot Gov to ensure their option to take the £1.6m funding was passed to their (supposed to be) bitter rivals. How else could you justify Celtic’s share of the offered funds not being split equally across the whole of Scottish Football??
I believe the Celtic BoD are as eager as any The Rangers fan to see the new club survive, while if the shoe were on the other foot, Celtic would be buried by now, history with it. In the many decades I have supported Celtic, I have never seen the executives so far out of touch with their support, (Kellys and Whites included).
Quite simply, it looks like the very survival of The Rangers will depend on Champions League group stages next year and anyone/everyone, involved in running Scottish Football is working toward that goal.
“the deferral of wage payments for high earning staff.” surely means players???
Where’s Fraser Wishart when you need him??
Who will be first to ring fence their finances to ensure payment ?
The players , the tax man , Mike Ashley , Memorial walls , other clubs with outstanding transfer fees due , the directors with loans. Those are the known knowns as Donald Rumsfeld would say, then we have the unknown knowns and the unknown unknowns . Even though the Directors have claimed to have repaid Kings loan until it appears on Companies House verified by the auditors it remains an unknown known . There are of course the forgotten knowns that may have slipped my memory . It’s a brave man that accepts an IOU from these chancers.
Brave, stupid or afraid Timtim.
normanbatesmumfc 8th November 2021 At 11:46
‘…Where’s Fraser Wishart when you need him??’
%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Players (and their agents) who think they are worth a few bob might do a Naismith ( who refused to have his contract transferred to the new TRFC) and refuse to agree to a wage cut , knowing that if they are made redundant by TRFC, they can negotiate their own deal with any interested club , no transfer fee being required.
‘In June 2012, Naismith lodged an objection against his contract being transferred to the new Rangers company.[76] PFA Scotland had previously commented that players were entitled to become free agents if they objected to the transfer.[77]
As we heard during the BDO action v the Administrators, and as recorded in Wikipaedia:
” Naismith signed a four-year deal for Everton on 4 July 2012, joining his previous striking partner at Rangers, Nikica Jelavić. There was no transfer fee involved as the player had refused to have his contract transferred from the old to the new company controlling Rangers as the old company was liquidated.”
Whatever may have been Fraser Wishart”s personal view/ feelings, he did his duty as a ‘union’ rep , in arguing that the RFC of 1872 contract with Naismith ( and all the other players and staff) was nullified by Liquidation, and the players were entirely free to rip up their contracts and move elsewhere, while being free to transfer to the new club if they so wished.
Perhaps TRFC hope that they will encourage a few players to get off the wage bill by claiming to need to make big deductions that no player could accept, to get shot of them for for nothing ( except, perhaps, some redundancy pay?)
Timtim 8th November 2021 At 12:50
“..Who will be first to ring fence their finances to ensure payment ?”
%%%%%%%%%%
Wouldn’t this require Court action?
I’m reminded of Martin Bain’s partly successful action in 2011 against the Rangers of 1872, where Lord Hodge agreed that there was a risk of insolvency and awarded Bain about £800,000 of his claim.
Lord Hodge said :
“[15] I am satisfied that there is a real and substantial risk of insolvency if the tax appeal were to be decided against Rangers in the sums which have been discussed. In reaching this view I emphasise that I am concerned with the statutory test which addresses the degree of possibility. I am not speaking of the actuality or even probability of insolvency.”
If I was any kind of creditor of RIFC plc/TRFC I think I’d be consulting a solicitor!
https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/search-judgments/judgment?id=6fb986a6-8980-69d2-b500-ff0000d74aa7
Wikipaedia:
” Naismith signed a four-year deal for Everton on 4 July 2012, joining his previous striking partner at Rangers, Nikica Jelavić. There was no transfer fee involved as the player had refused to have his contract transferred from the old to the new company controlling Rangers as the old company was liquidated.”
Hi John , remind me,what company was it that was liquidated ?
Me on 7th November @ 13.09
Firstly, on a lighter note …
Although only one person was initially invited to submit an entry (probably against competition rules!), this is now open to all – inspired by Gunnerb’s question to John!
At this point in time, the date for the draw has not been determined – due to the fact that no submissions have yet been received.
On a more serious note, do I detect a air of concern descending on the SMSM re the possibility of TRFC not winning this year’s title, with its consequential financial rewards needed to ‘save their bacon?. No laughing at the back as they say!
Never mind boys, as Captain Mannering would say – “Don’t panic”
Well – not yet anyway!
A what if scenario surrounding SG and the rumored interest of Aston Villa. What if he makes the short list due out this week and serious talks commence. With the international break underway it gives all parties a chance to kick some ideas around. What if late in the week SG emerges as the front runner and asks for a week to think things over and Villa says o.k. What if on the Sunday of the Premier Cup semi final St. Johnstone defeat Rangers which would start another potential run of no cups which could be damaging to his reputation. Then with the latest financials out and the option of buying to reinforce the team in January circling the drain, Aston Villa looks pretty good.
vernallen 9th November 2021 At 01:18
A what if scenario surrounding SG and the rumored interest of Aston Villa.
I imagine if a suitable offer is received vern........Say, £7.5m....It would be gratefully received.
Of course that would be in a straight bat world. It remains to be seen if Slippy is one of the high earners on the deferred pay roll, so perhaps less. if AV are willing to compensate him for his reimbursement shortfalls. (Who knows how little, or substantial they may be?)
This would also negate Sevco's need to cough up any N.I/PAYE contributions which will fall due when his deferred payments are settled.
The questions are, (a) Do AV value him so highly?, or (b), Is he even on their radar.
RIFC Accounts 2021
CASH
The Group has worked to maintain its cash despite disruption to its activities by:-
• changing of our merchant providers, to improve the terms on our season ticket cash flows, supplying cash up front
instead of across the season.
• utilisation of government schemes and assistance, including payment deferrals for VAT and employment taxes and the
job retention scheme for non-playing staff.
• the deferral of wage payments for high earning staff.
RIFC Accounts 2020.
CASH
The Group has worked to maintain its cash despite disruption to its activities by:-
• changing of our merchant providers, to improve the terms on our season ticket cash flows, supplying cash up front
instead of across the season.
• utilisation of government schemes and assistance, including payment deferrals for VAT and employment taxes and the
job retention scheme for non-playing staff.
• the deferral of wage payments for high earning staff.
Plus la change, plus la meme chose eh? Don’t think so as …
…the debt has gone up by???!!!
Breaking news -the Easdales have ‘pulled the plug’ on their interest in Derby, and may ride to the rescue.
Elsewhere, I reckon that SG will not get the AV job (apart from anything else, the bookies have not exactly been spot on recently with their favourites for other managerial positions anyway), and if he’s waiting, as has been suggested, for the Anfield vacancy to present itself, he’ll have a helluva long wait. Even if Klopp left in the next couple of years, he would be well down the ‘pecking order’.
Sorry if previously posted .
https://assets.ctfassets.net/39646iezddpk/4nXZyPkbOsMulgDfyhDEQQ/f988552796d9660ec0d1f6239c440a1b/AGM_Notice_2021.pdf
gunnerb 8th November 2021 At 21:49
3 0 Rate This
Wikipaedia:
” Naismith signed a four-year deal for Everton on 4 July 2012, joining his previous striking partner at Rangers, Nikica Jelavić. There was no transfer fee involved as the player had refused to have his contract transferred from the old to the new company controlling Rangers as the old company was liquidated.”
Hi John , remind me,what company was it that was liquidated ?
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
I assume you asked this question tongue-in-cheek GunnerB, already knowing the answer. But here is the answer to your question for those who might not know, (or want to forget, Albertz!!).
The Club/Company which went into liquidation was RFC PLC, not as some would have you believe the holding company, which was of course “Wavetower” (now the Rangers FC Group Ltd), having purchased Sir Brassneck’s 80%+ shareholding for the princely sum of £1.
Poundland Galacticos being a humorous nickname for the new club’s players at the time..
Some further points on the RIFC 20-21 accounts. – apologies for the delay I have had difficulty posting since the 7th.
Please keep in mind the financial end of year occurred on the 30th June 2021. The report is dated the 27th of October in terms of the cut off point regarding Post Balance Sheet Comments included in the report.
The Total Comprehensive Loss for the financial year 20-21 was (£26,024,000) (Page 27)
Note 3 (Page 42) gives details of insurance claim monies received, £1,250,000. This probably refers to the Business Interruption Insurance claim referenced on Page 11 of the Finance Report.
Total trade and other payables owed was £27.4m. While down on the previous year the average payable period increased from 29 days to 33 days. Included in the £27.4m is £7.7m of Social Security and Other Taxes. With government COVID related tax deferral concessions being withdrawn it is likely that the additional £8.5m Investor loans referenced in Note 30 were necessary to at least reduce the outstanding tax liabilities as only £3.27m of cash was on hand as of financial year end.
With regard to previous posts on SFM speculating as to who would step up to fund future cash short falls the report has the following “The Board of Directors have discussed the Club’s forecast cash flow shortfall and have reached agreement with Douglas Park and John Bennett whereby they will provide additional loan facilities as necessary to meet shortfalls to the above requirements and any further amounts that may be required a result of variances to forecast cash flows.”
Contrary to what I have read in several MSM publications there does not appear to be anything in the report which confirms that Dave King’s £5m loan has been repaid. Note 27 (Page 60) deals with Related Party Transactions. It shows Laird Investments, one of DCK’s trusts, was owed £5m at the closing of the accounts (30th June 21)
“Laird Investments (PTY) Limited (“Laird”) Shareholder A facility provided by Laird to the Company of £5m is being charged interest at 8% on an accruing basis. This is due for repayment in October 2021”
Note – “due for repayment.” Without specifying when in October.
Note 27 gives a breakdown of movement of Director loans and references a loan repayment of £5.5m within the FY 20-21. Dave King ceased to be a Director of RIFC on the 27th March 2020 before the FY in question.
There is no mention of having made repayment to Laird in the post balance clisomg note (30) Had this occurred as of the date of the signing of the report ( 27th October) it would, by normal standards, be listed as a material event.
In terms of a reality check Page 6 has the following:
“Our necessary recovery investment and player acquisition programme, combined with the damaging effects of COVID-19, have had clear effects on our financial statements. While this continues into the current financial year, it is important that shareholders are aware that your Board targets profitability at the EBITDA level by year ending June 2022.”
This would seem to be a carefully crafted paragraph. EBITDA stands for Earnings Before Interest Depreciation and Amortisation. The FY 20-21 has interest substantial charges and net Player Amortisation / trading of £8.9m. Breaking even on an EBITDA basis would still have resulted in a net loss of approximately £10m. Interest for FY21-22 continues and player amortisation will still be around £8m ( using the net book values and average existing periods mentioned in the report). So, minus positive player trading in January a substantial loss for FY21-22 is still a certainty.
A11 – 9th November 2021 – 08.27
You are quite correct to point out that wage deferrals have been disclosed during the last two accounting reports. The concern this action indicates has been ongoing.
The difference for FY 20-21 is that the cash balances at FY year end were substantially down, average trade credit extended by 4 days to 33 days ( outside of the stated policy in the report) and HMRC’s outstanding balance was not covered by cash balances at year end.
You are clearly much closer to what might be going on at RIFC than I am. What have you heard regard the Laird loan? To me, it seemed more than coincidental that FY 20-21’s report came out early compared to other years. There were only 2 banking days in October after the report publication. Did RIFC repay Laird in October?
Westcoaster 9th November 13.14.
The wage deferrals were widely reported at the time and spanned both accounting periods hence their disclosure in 2 separate reports.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52192550
I believe the Laird loan was repaid and has been replaced by John Bennett, Julian Wolhardt & Alistair Johnston providing a £5.25 million facility at a more favourable rate of 6%.Repayments commenced in August and are over a term of 7 years.
I will contact a couple of people later tonight and will update you if they have heard differently.
Albertz11 — 9th November 2021 — 8:27
Those are interesting passages you point out in RIFC accounts for 2020 and 2021. Surely someone must have read the report before releasing it and should have spotted the sameness of the items. Not what you would expect from a board comprised of senior business executives who have dug deep to keep the lights on, and it looks as if some of them will have to dig deeper to see out the season.
paddy malarkey 9th November 2021 At 12:15
‘..Sorry if previously posted .’
%%%%%
No apology required as far as I am concerned, pm. Without your post I would have missed the opportunity to note the
“SPECIAL RESOLUTIONS
8. “THAT the Directors be and they are empowered pursuant to Section 570(1) of the Act to allot equity securities (as defined in Section 560(1) of the Act) of the Company wholly for cash pursuant to the authority of the Directors under Section 551 of the Act conferred by Resolution 7 above, as if Section 561(1) of the Act did not apply to such allotment provided that unless previously revoked, varied or extended, this power shall expire at the conclusion of the Company’s next Annual General Meeting in 2022, except that the Company may before the expiry of this power make an offer or agreement which would or might require equity securities to be allotted after such expiry and the Directors may allot equity securities
in pursuance of such an offer or agreement as if this power had not expired”
My understanding of that ( as ever, open to correction) is that the RIFC plc board seek shareholder authority to make a general share issue without first having to offer the right to purchase to existing shareholders.
If I am correct in that understanding, then it signifies that they do not want another King situation, where they sold to King without regard to the entitlement of other existing shareholders to buy on the same terms.
And King was caught up in a lot of grief on that occasion, resulting in a contempt of court charge.
[A legal action, by the way, which did nothing , as far as I was concerned, to make me think highly of the FCA and their kid-glove treatment of folk who two-finger them as Regulators: or of the Courts which, although also two-fingered (in my opinion) , were happy to ignore the apparent ‘contempt’ as long as somebody eventually did what he had been ordered to do!]
Whatever.
The RIFC plc Board seems to be, in this regard ,playing by the book. Fair do’s.
What would puzzle me is this: if the Board is authorised by the shareholders to offer shares at, say, a price that existing ( major)shareholders like, say, club 1872, would jump at…. has the Board already assured that such a resolution will be passed – by the votes of those other major shareholders who do not on ANY account want Club 1872 to gain any voting power by being able to insist on the right to buy more shares?
My suspicion is that Club 1872 was created by the Board to be a milk cow and to have its teats machine-suctioned by the Board to provide the readies they need, with absolutely no hope or intention that anything like ‘fan control’, or even a director representing the fans on the Board, would eventuate!
May it go hard with me if my suspicions are not shared by those making their contributions to Club 1872-with not a personally owned share certificate to show for it!
vernallen 9th November 2021 At 22:35
‘..Surely someone must have read the report before releasing it and should have spotted the sameness of the items’
%%%%%%
To be scrupulously fair, vernallen, I think that not too many people on the Board of RIFC plc want to be too hands on and personally ‘responsible’ when it comes to publishing the dismal facts of the financial situation of RIFC plc.
We know already that their PR people have been a disaster for years.
All that was needed in the current RIFC accounts was something like ” we have successfully followed the same policy/processes as last year, namely… which have succeeded in keeping us viable and thriving as we move into a new season of success….”
Honest to God!
Their PR people seem not to be at all worth a tuppenny damn!
Maybe they are not being paid according to contract, but have had a wage reduction?
Westcoaster
As you can imagine the repayment of the Laird loan was not the main topic of conversation in Rangers circles this evening but after a couple of calls i can confirm that it was repaid, including interest, at the end of October.
https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/sport/19704128.former-rangers-chairman-dave-kings-full-detailed-statement-5million-loan/
“I was approached last year by the Club to grant permission for loans to be made against the security of Club property- which I understood to be a requirement for certain new director loans.”
“I refused to even countenance such a request as I considered it against the spirit of everything I had committed to supporters.”
“Now that the Laird loan has been repaid the present Board is free to make its own decisions on using Club property as security.”
Has the new 5m loan at 6% apr over 7 years been secured on the stadium ?
Is this a cheap way of buying the stadium should they go into admin/liquidation?
John Clark 9th Nov 23.08
My suspicion is that Club 1872 was created by the Board to be a milk cow and to have its teats machine-suctioned by the Board to provide the readies they need, with absolutely no hope or intention that anything like ‘fan control’, or even a director representing the fans on the Board, would eventuate!
…………………………………………………………………………………
As a non – Rangers supporting fan i wouldn’t expect you to know that the relationship between the Club and Club 1872 is non-existent and has been for some time John.
Club 1872 is a busted flush under their current leadership i’m afraid.
Timtim 10th November 2021 At 00:29
‘…Is this a cheap way of buying the stadium should they go into admin/liquidation?
%%%%%%%%%%
Hark, listen!
D’you hear renewed cries of ” Where’s the deeds?’
“former ….. Chairman cites inaccurate information in the club’s most recent accounts, saying a £5m loan was incorrectly attributed to him rather that a business within his family trust structure” ( Sun)
A further source states that he also said …
” some glib and shameless liar has been casting aspersions on my transparency, upstanding citizenship and good character” (Me)
and
“However, there’s nothing a few late evening phone calls can’t sort out. I’ll contact the SMSM and South African authorities to demand and ensure that this stain on my good name be removed, as I have never tried to ‘muddy any waters’ regarding my financial affairs” (Me again)
Whit a ‘plank’ this guy is!
Apologies in advance for what may be a daft question:
Does DCK’s statement indicating that he has been repaid £5.8m since the Annual Report & Accounts were made up mean that RIFC is now in a worse financial position than the published one?
In my inbox from the ICIJ earlier this morning:
” Big news out of Chile today. President Sebastián Piñera has been impeached weeks after the Pandora Papers revealed details of a controversial mining deal, which the opposition argued constituted a conflict of interest.”
Oh, if we could just get the ICIJ to have a wee look at the possibility of there being a wee Sports governance body in a wee country in Europe worth having a wee investigative look at!
Better still would be if that wee country had its own proper journalists instead of partisan propagandists!
Lots of talk of Gerrard to Villa but we’ve been here before many times . If he was to go then the compensation due has been reported as just £2m , with the previous reports of high earners having deferred wages would there actually be any money making its way to Ibrox . I believe Gerrard would be a big loss for them , not because of his ability but as a highly recognised name in football . The hope is if he does go that he will be back to pay top dollar for players that nobody else seems interested in aka Boumsong. The difference between Souness and Gerrard is one of them was a dyed in the wool bluenose. The one sure saving would be on the managers wage , he is reputed to be on 2.5m and whoever replaces him will be unlikely to command that . All speculation of course but there are more reasons for him to leave than to stay. A wage rise , a solvent club , closer to his family , higher profile , less pressure . He can leave as a winner or roll the dice and it could all end in tears . If he is given the choice I think he will be off .
According to the bookmakers, Steeeevie Geeeeee is a racing certainty, (if there is such a thing) to be next Aston Villa manager. Billy will be raging!!!
I’m just surprised Barca, Real, Bayern or PSG didn’t make an approach with his record of 55 title wins in one season.
Timtim 10th November 2021 At 00:29
“Has the new 5m loan at 6% apr over 7 years been secured on the stadium ?”
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
As i understand things, any borrowings by a plc secured by a charge on its property has to be notified Companies House within 21 days.
No such charge appears yet on the CH pages of TRFC Ltd or of RIFC plc?
Timtim 10th November 2021 @ 11:56
Souness was not a ‘dyed in the wool bluenose’……neither were John Grieg or Sandy Jardine.
tamjartmarquez 10th November 2021 At 14:25
Souness was not a ‘dyed in the wool bluenose’……neither were John Grieg or Sandy Jardine.
++++++++++++++
I assume they were Jambos when growing up?
Souness , Greig and Jardine may not have started out supporting the Ibrox club* but it would be hard to argue they didn’t end up being committed to the cause. If Gerrard had a relationship with anyone at Ibrox it was King (probably as they are both Liverpool supporters) even though Gerrard supported Everton when he was younger . The point I am trying to make is Gerrard won’t waste cash buying duds at over the odds to help Park and Co.
Albertz11 10th November 2021 At 10:05
‘…the relationship between the Club and Club 1872 is non-existent and has been for some time John.
Club 1872 is a busted flush under their current leadership i’m afraid.’
%%%%%%%%%
That’s an interesting observation, Albertz11, in relation to ‘Club 1872 Shares Community Interest Company Ltd ( company number 476150) [which is the ‘Club 1872’ I reference , the ‘CIC’ for short];
perhaps not surprising, in that the more money collected from the regular donations made by Contributor members, the more money available for the CIC to buy shares in any future issue ( unless the RIFC plc board gets a ‘disapplication of pre-emption rights’ resolution passed at any AGM, and such a resolution is on the agenda for the upcoming AGM!).
The Board clearly are not interested in appointing a “fans’ Director”, so will carefully contrive to ensure that CIC’s shareholding stays at a relatively low percentage of the total, such that CIC could not reasonably and fairly demand the seat on the RIFC plc board that convention, at least, would declare to be theirs.
As you rightly say, I am not at all ,[and would not expect to be] privy to hard information about the state of the ‘relationship’ between the Board and the directors of the CIC.
I suspect , however, that many of the Contributor members of the CIC ,who might reasonably expect to be told exactly how things stand, may also not be privy to important developments that might influence their attitude to making pure donations to buy shares [ which, I know, is not the sole function] of which they as individuals have no individual, personal ownership.
Viewed from outside, the situation seems to be far from being the same relatively happy situation as prevails at Hearts.
There the Board , as I understand things, has responded well to the fans after the the heroic exit from Administration ;
an honourable exit which kept the club and its history alive and well in Scottish professional football- without the need for a ‘Club 12’, or a SevcoXX, or for the admission of a newly created [by secret and secretive 5-way Agreement!] football club called ‘The Heart of Midlothian FC’
And I need pass no other comment about how Hearts were dealt with by the governance bodies in very recent times!
I’m sure I read that any club that accepted the Government’s recent loan and then paid off other debts had to repay the Government’s loan immediately.
Timtim 10th November 2021 At 19:46
‘.. The point I am trying to make is Gerrard won’t waste cash buying duds at over the odds to help Park and Co.’
%%%%%%%%%%
Well, of course, there’s no EBT scheme at Ibrox these days under which he might be entitled to a payment some years after he leaves the club, if he leaves. Is there?
[Mrs C and I were discussing what our advice to Gerrard might be if he were to be offered the Aston Villa job.
We were in agreement that we would say “take the job only if you take McAllister with you”
We share the view that Gerrard , while a superb player, is still a learner as a coach, and needs McAllister.
We both wonder
a) whether McAllister would be prepared to go with him at all
b) would be prepared to go with him in preference to taking his place at Ibrox (if it was offered to him) and
c) whether Gerrard would not take McAllister at all, preferring someone else in the English set-up.
We both , in the end, decided that option (c) was the most likely.
We think that, psychologically, Gerrard has to break out of his comfort zone.
He has had an EXTREMELY easy Press, he won a first trophy for TRFC, shafting his club’s greatest rival in the process.
But he surely must know that the commendations of the SMSM are not worth the paper [or the broadcast time]they’re printed/aired on….
He must prove himself now in a much more critical press and broadcasting environment.
But that’s just us, who don’t really give a tuppenny damn about what he does!
Ballyargus 10th November 2021 At 22:55
0 0 Rate This
I’m sure I read that any club that accepted the Government’s recent loan and then paid off other debts had to repay the Government’s loan immediately.
Hi Ballyargus:
Had a quick look at the terms and conditions regarding the emergency covid loans from the scottish government to the professional game.It may be why Mr King was at pains to point out the recent repayment was to Laird and not to himself as a a director.
2.1 The purpose of the credit facility and the borrowings drawn down is to assist the Prospective Borrower with losses of income and additional costs resulting from its compliance with Covid-19 public health rules. 2.2 The Prospective Borrower must use all the borrowingsfor working capital and general cash flow requirements. 2.3 The Prospective Borrower must not, without the prior written consent of the Scottish Ministers, use the borrowings to: i) repay any director loans; ii) repay any loans from persons with significant control (as defined in section 790C of the Companies Acts 2006); and/or iii) refinance existing borrowings for a period of 12 months from the last draw down date of borrowings, except where the refinance is necessary to deal with the financial impact of the Covid19 pandemic.
https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/foi-eir-release/2021/08/foi-202100222527/documents/foi202100222527—information-released/foi202100222527—information-released/govscot%3Adocument/FOI202100222527%2B-%2BInformation%2Breleased.pdf?forceDownload=true
Ballyargus 10th November 2021 At 22:55
‘..any club that accepted the Government’s recent loan and then paid off other debts ‘
%%%%%
Maybe not answering your particular query, Ballyargus, but in trying to find the answer I came across this:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202100213841/
See that ‘Freedom of information Act?’
Brilliant, except for the fact that the really dirty, dirty corruption in political circles is excluded!
If the politicos don’t want us to know, they make damned sure that we won’t know!
Or at least, try to ensure that we won’t know.
And there is nothing easier to do in a country such as ours with a Press and broadcasting authority thirled to propagating a sporting lie!
Honest to God.
If the SMSM and BBC Scotland can lie about a liquidated football club still being alive, what really important stuff will they not be prepared to lie about?
And I am saying that seriously, not in jest.
There are liars in our media. And of course they know who they are.
And as they have a drink together in whatever howff in Glasgow or Edinburgh they toast their success , each of them KNOWS that he and the others are liars, who would be scorned by those real journalists who died in the interests of Truth.
Bad cess to them.
JC@00:32
“If the SMSM and BBC Scotland can lie about a liquidated football club still being alive, what really important stuff will they not be prepared to lie about?”
People who tell the truth end up sacked or imprisoned or killed or living in exile , Julian Assange,Chelsea Manning, Bill Cooper and Edward Snowden are just a few examples while people like Blair , Johnson, Bush and Clinton literally get away with mass murder. We are in a prison of our own making because we have allowed the very few at the top of the pyramid to control the monetary system which ultimately controls everything else. As Amschel Rothschild famously said “give me control of a nations monetary system and I care not who makes the rules” until we change that the changing of Governments is a futile exercise.
Timtim 10th November 2021 At 19:46
Souness , Greig and Jardine may not have started out supporting the Ibrox club* but it would be hard to argue they didn’t end up being committed to the cause.
I would like to think that any player or manager at any club would be committed to the cause of that club.
I dont claim to know or have met any of the 3 personally, but believe all 3 would have given their all for for whatever club that they played for. Souness, a fine player (who I saw play for Middlesboro with Bobby Murdoch v Dunfermline. I suspect money was his main cause when he linked up with SDM. Greig and Jardine, I think were great players and servants at Rangers, and are correctly lauded as such. Liked the adoration of being a club ‘legend’ (who wouldn’t?), and whatever match day hospitality crumbs from the table, or dregs from the loving cup that came their way after their playing careers ended. No different than long serving ex players for any club from the 60s/70s.
Well, that’s Gerrard off to Aston Villa!just announced on Radio Scotland two mins ago.
https://www.rangers.co.uk/article/club-statement-11-11/59uIWHbnTGNvF7wRXO1oAI
The replacement will speak volumes of the current state behind the scenes . Murty slipping back into his brogues would be the ultimate alarm warning . I think the last 2 times he did so for no extra money . It’s a poison chalice for all but the most desperate and the January transfer window will see more departures than arrivals.
Gio Van Bronckhurst is being touted (more in hope than expectation) he wouldn’t come cheap ,would demand a large transfer budget and his recent foray as a manager isn’t successful.
Has the compensation been paid in tranches like most transfer fees? Did they negotiate a smaller fee for cash up front? Were any of their wages deferred and part of the settlement ? Are the banter years set to return ?
Whilst reading the official statement from Ibrox about ‘Gerro’ leaving, I noticed the words and dates on the ’emblem’ – Rangers Football Club. 1872-2022. 150 years! Perhaps somebody (A11/RC?) can help my confused state of mind here, by clarifying the following:-
LIQUIDATION Did I dream that?
… and what about the dates(should be 1872 – 2012. 140 years???).
Always happy to have my continuing football education updated on here, especially wrt the above (by the way, if we are indeed in 2022, then maybe I just slept through ‘the Bells’!).
I should acknowledge that the wording/dates might, in all fairness, be a printer’s error – or a presumption that all will be well down Govan way (e.g. Liquidation did not happen).
John Clark 11th November 2021 At 10:07
Well, that’s Gerrard off to Aston Villa!just announced on Radio Scotland two mins ago.
Maybe he heard the famine was over John.
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC437060
is this the company ?
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC425159
is this the club* ?
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC004276
what’s this ? and what was it incorporated with ? Incorporated on 27 May 1899
I don’t know what all the fuss is about Steven Gerrard leaving .
Why don’t they just hire someone ( maybe with a scouse accent ), change his name by deed poll to “ The Steven Gerrard “ and carry on regardless ?
https://philmacgiollabhain.ie/2021/11/11/rugger-guy-drills-down-into-the-ibrox-2021-accounts/#more-22700
Barry Ferguson appears to be confused about the reported compensation on offer in regards to SG’s move to Aston Villa. He referred to the package Celtic received for Rodgers. Unfortunately I don’t think you are comparing apples to apples in that case. Leicester got a manager with EPL experience, a host of titles and cups and I believe some CL experience. Aston Villa get a manager with no EPL experience, one title and no cups in three and a half years with Rangers, and no managerial experience in the CL, and who’s position prior to landing at Ibrox was at the youth team level. I think this should clarify the reported gap in compensation
Barry Ferguson appears to be confused about the disparity in the reported compensation package for SG and what Celtic received for Rodgers. Lets take a quick look at the resumes. Rodgers has EPL experience, won several titles and cups, and I believe some CL managerial experience. Gerrard has no EPL experience, one title and no cups in three and a half years at Ibrox, and prior to landing that job was coaching in Liverpool’s youth system. Hopefully that clarifies that for Barry.
From the Court of Session Rolls
“LORD TYRE – S Alexander, Clerk
Tuesday 16th November
By Order
at 9.00am
P115/17 Note: RFC 2012 Plc for orders under paragraph 75”
and on FRIDAY 19th, Lord Tyre again
Procedural Hearing
at 9.30am
CA71/20 Duff & Phelps Ltd v The Lord Advocate
Timtim 11th November 2021 At 13:32
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC437060
is this the company ?
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC425159
is this the club* ?
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC004276
what’s this ? and what was it incorporated with ? Incorporated on 27 May 1899
Link 1 takes you to the new “holding” company for the new club.
Link 2 takes you to the new club
Link 3 takes you to the old club, (previously RFC PLC, prior Rangers Football Club Ltd).
The old club had it survived would be celebrating its 150th anniversary soon.
The new club is nine years old.
The “holding” company was set up to fleece investors via a share scam, pretending to be the old club. The Scottish Football Authorities and Media, (especially BBC Scotland) were only too happy to help the big-handed Yorkshireman in this ruse.
Well played Charles Green, shame on you SFA/SPL/SFL/MSM.
I liked the way they changed the name of the old club* to rfc*2012plc , it’s almost like changing your Granny’s name on the death certificate so you can carry on claiming her pension. It is another World record though , the only club in history that’s named after the year they died rather than the year they were formed . The question “What age is your grandmother ” just got more confusing.
normanbatesmumfc 12th November 2021 At 09:21
‘..The Scottish Football Authorities and Media, (especially BBC Scotland) were only too happy to help the big-handed Yorkshireman in this ruse’
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
More significantly, nbmfc, the Financial Conduct Authority and other finance regulators paid no heed to what I think any reasonable person would say was the deception that was practiced by a newly set up business .
The deception ( as I believe) involved and involves the marketing of itself ,by that company, as being the holding company of football club that was founded in 1872 ,but which, having entered Liquidation in 2012 thereby ceased to exist as a professional football club [ which claimed to be the most successful football club in the world] competing in Scottish .
professional football:
whereas in truth it is the holding company of a football club newly created in 2012 which has not exactly achieved a helluva lot over the few years since then.
There is to my mind far too lax an approach by Parliament and the Courts to the regulation of business and commercial finance that allows ,in my opinion, such a blatant untruth to be used in a Prospectus and in company accounts etc to mislead the investing public and potential creditors.
Sorry for the duplication of earlier posts as a gremlin had entered my computer and was causing untold grief.
Well, let me say that I rejoiced in the brilliant skills that got the two goals tonight ,and prevented ‘two against’.
But I’m annoyed by the fact that the unworthy men in Scottish Football ‘governance’ who persist in abandoning ‘sporting integrity’ by continuing to propagate and foster the Big Lie at the heart of Scottish CLUB football ,will try to claim credit for that.
It is a piece of absolute nonsense that such men should get credit for the achievements, the honest sporting achievements, of the men at the coal face who actually play to the rules and win honestly by their sporting efforts.
John Clark 12th November 2021 At 22:57
“the unworthy men in Scottish Football ‘governance’ who persist in abandoning ‘sporting integrity’ by continuing to propagate and foster the Big Lie at the heart of Scottish CLUB football”
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
I see that the BBC has produced an hour-long documentary about the birth of phoenix club, Macclesfield FC, following the liquidation last year of Macclesfield Town FC, whose winding-up was as a result of relatively modest debts of around £500k.
Local businessman Robert Smethurst bought the old club’s assets, including the stadium, and along with board member and former footballer Robbie Savage, has brought professional football back to the town in the form of Macclesfield FC.
I haven’t watched the documentary yet, but everything I’ve read about the demise of Macclesfield Town and the rise of the phoenix club makes abundantly clear that Macclesfield FC is a brand new club, formed in 2020.
Notwithstanding that neither of these clubs are governed by Scots law or the Scottish football authorities, it is striking that those who govern the North West Counties Premier League in which Macclesfield FC play aren’t pretending that the phoenix club is the same club as the old defunct one, and neither is anyone connected to the year-old club.
The BBC’s treatment of the two Macclesfield clubs begs the question why did the BBC Trust (now itself defunct) decide to treat the original liquidated Rangers club and its phoenix club as the same club?
“why did the BBC Trust (now itself defunct) decide to treat the original liquidated Rangers club and its phoenix club as the same club?”
The flip flop from new club* to same club* which many more entities than the BBC Trust decided to champion was down to money plain and simple. If the fans at Ibrox had happily supported Charles Green and his new pioneers then all this angst wouldn’t be ongoing . His project was failing , the ST sales were on a par with Morton and if the fans didn’t stump up the cash then he would have sold out to Tesco , made his profit and still bought a chateau . That was a shit oh moment for all involved and regulators media and other interested parties needed a plan B . A million shares later and Ally McCoist was comforting the fans with his belief it was the same club after all Charles had stumped up £1 to buy the history . They really were the World’s most successful club and if it’s good enough for Ally it was good enough for them. Fans who had already reached stage 5 of the grief process could moonwalk back to stage 1 and triumphalist elitism .Rangers* in whatever form they take are more than a football club* they are a vehicle for WATP supremacist bullshit and people of low self esteem cling to it . Stealing from the tax man was shameful but if they could divert blame to the faceless company rather than their glorious club* then it wasn’t a problem. All they had to do was remove incorporation from the dictionary
If there had been any integrity in Scottish Football Governance in 2012 SHE SFA would have insisted that Charles Green’s SevcoScotland would , as a condition of being admitted into Scottish football as a new club , that CG make a statement on the same lines as that made by the new Macclesfield club:, and would have barred the RIFC plc board from claiming that on gaining controll of TRFC they had become the holding company of Rangrs of 1872.
“Macclesfield FC can confirm that further to our league applications, the Football Association have accepted us into the North West Counties Premier Division for the 2021/22 campaign.
This represents Step 5 of the non-league pyramid and with it, comes automatic inclusion into next season’s FA Vase competition.
It also means that our inaugural league season will commence on Saturday 31st July 2021 and we will advise our definitive fixture list once confirmed.
The Club are delighted with this outcome and can now fully commit to our preparations ahead of the new season.
We would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work and dedication throughout this process.”
Unfortunately, there was no such Integrity, and the guilty men will die [in the fullness of time] KNOWING that that they are liars and abusers of their office of Trust and were regarded as such by many, many people.
TT – ‘ST sales were on a par with Morton’
TT I was enjoying your post until the low blow of bringing The Ton into the argument ???? – 2878 at Cappielow this afternoon well above current average home gates bolstered by a sizeable Killie away support. A deserved 0-2 win for Killie making the halftime pie the highlight of the afternoon!
Westcoaster
“halftime pie”
Steak&Sausage?
@Westcoaster
Is it too late to change that to Dukla Pumpherston ? Apologies to all Morton fans ……..and those of Dukla Pumpherston !
For some reason today’s Herald on Sunday has chosen to report that Rangers have a going concern warning in their accounts. They do of course but the accounts were released some time ago now so what has prompted the Herald to run with it now? Maybe a long shot but perhaps the auditors feel the GCW was pretty much glossed over at the time and have used some influence to highlight it? I am not familiar with accountancy practices but I imagine such a warning is something Auditors take very seriously.
uth 14th Nov 10.39.
They (Herald) did exactly the same last year.
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18888224.auditors-going-concern-question-rangers-annual-pre-tax-losses-rise-18m/
Says more about the standards of journalism at the paper than anything else.
upthehoops 14th November 2021 @ 10:39hrs –
It’s a slow news day (or weekend) because of the international break.
I suspect that Martyn Williams submitted that piece several days ago & it’s been used today to drive clicks/fill space on an otherwise very quiet day for fitba’. It seems to have worked!
upthehoops 14th November 2021 At 10:39
‘…perhaps the auditors feel the GCW was pretty much glossed over at the time and have used some influence to highlight it?’
%%%%%%%%%55
No, uth, I imagine that it would be very unprofessional of any company’s auditors to use anything other than their actual audit report to draw external attention to any particular matter in their report.
In RIFC’s case, the auditors reported their view that RIFC plc is dependent on loans from persons who told the Board, without giving written guarantees, that they will provide loans as and when required.
That’s the extent of the Auditors’ statutory duty in respect of ‘going concern’ (assuming all other duties have been discharged, of course).
I don’t think they are either obliged or empowered to re-visit their own report, or to urge or suggest to the Press that they should follow up any particular matter mentioned in their report.
I have previously mentioned my own astonishment that auditors are not obliged to insist on seeing written guarantees that loans to keep a company afloat will in fact be enforceable in the event that they are needed.
My view is that verbal promises are not worth the paper they aren’t written on!
I believe that if the Directors and/or significant shareholders are NOT ready to back their promises with a written guarantee it’s an indication that they themselves have no great faith in the future of their company.
That by itself sends a powerful message to the market: get out while you can!
UTH
There should be a perennial GCW about this scandal-ridden outfit.
So my question is …
Whit happens if they don’t win the League this season ( a New Newco?)?
Also, is ‘The Herald’ barred noo for going mainstream with the blindingly obvious?
RIP Wee Bertie.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59284380
It seems that the going concern in Rangers financials has been a perennial statement in the last few years. Not sure about Scottish Law but if a director/board member states that he will provide loans to fund the operation is that not a guarantee to fulfill such an obligation. I believe that on this side of the ocean such a verbal commitment can be enforced.
Vermallen
I’m a wee bit confused by your point about (the law?) being able to ensure that a verbal commitment can be enforced. If I promise (even guarantee ) to lend you £1000, on top of a £1000 I previously lent you, which you haven’t yet repaid, and then I say I can’t because I’m skint or that my own financial situation is in peril (e.g. my bus company) – what happens?
So, I guess my question, in greater detail, is :-
When might a ‘Going-Doon- the Swanee’ Warning be issued, especially if the Park/Bennett et al formal (loan) facility well runs dry?
Rangers Football Club
@RangersFC
Everyone at Rangers FC express sadness and pass on their sympathy to the Auld family and Celtic FC at the passing of former player, Bertie Auld.
vernallen 14th November 2021 At 18:52
‘..Not sure about Scottish Law but if a director/board member states that he will provide loans to fund the operation is that not a guarantee…..”
%%%%%%%%%
That sent me on an interesting wee search, vernallen, to find out whether a verbal promise is enforceable under Scots Law.
The answer seems ( to me, who has never studied law, but who did date, back in the sixties, a law student [for the avoidance of doubt, female]) to be an almost unqualified ”yes”.
But I couldn’t find ( so far) anything about how the ‘promisee’ would prove that the ‘promisor’ had made the promise, if the promisor wanted to renege!
Perhaps a verbal ‘promise’ to lend made at a Boardroom meeting would be recorded in the minutes the meeting, and that would be enough ( if the lending director did not challenge the Minutes at the time) to serve as adequate evidence?
Or perhaps company directors are universally men of such unimpeachable probity and integrity that they would never ever lie or break a promise!
I looked at a paper entitled
” THE ENFORCEABILITY OF PROMISES IN SCOTLAND AND IN THE EUROPEAN CONTRACT LAW: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS FROM AN ITALIAN PERSPECTIVE” by Laura Vagni , who is Researcher of Comparative Private Law at the University of Macerata,Faculty of Law.
Perhaps not every reader’s cup of tea on a Sunday night, but I found it very interesting, as were some of the other sources she references.
The link (I hope) is :
https://www.academia.edu/11935746/The_Enforceability_of_Promises_in_Scotland_and_in_the_European_Contract_law_a_Comparative_analisys_from_an_Italian_Perspective
And anent my post at 22.51 tonight, I for fun fired off this email to Professore Vagni:
“Dear Professor Vagni,
When you published “THE ENFORCEABILITY OF PROMISES IN SCOTLAND AND IN THE EUROPEAN CONTRACT LAW: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS FROM AN ITALIAN PERSPECTIVE” I suspect that you little realised that it would be referred to in 2021, by a football supporter in Edinburgh, in a football blog [ sfm.scot/blogs] in a discussion about the enforceability of a verbal promise, by the directors of a football club, to lend money to the club if the need arose to prevent insolvency!
Well, this very evening I referred to your paper as part of a discussion on whether a promise by some directors on the board of Rangers International Football Club plc that they will provide loans if the company needs money to avoid insolvency.
The discussion on the blog is about whether the Company could take legal action to enforce that ‘promise’, and what evidence they would have to produce that such a promise had been made.
I would like to think that you will be pleased to learn that basic Scottish bloggers/ tifosi on a football blog have been introduced to your academic expertise to help in their discussions!
Auguri, e buona notte
Sincerely,
JC
Best 67 and JC
Sorry for any confusion in my earlier post in regards to directors and promises. My understanding is that any board member with signing authority who makes a verbal commitment or promises can or could be held responsible should any action arise. However there maybe loopholes that could negate such commitments or promises. I didn’t mean to imply this could apply to the ordinary person in the street but could apply to those in authority. If I was a board member at the company/holding company/engine room, or what ever guise they operate under I would be careful about having my name attached to any written minutes.
A11 – “halftime pie”
I suspect that a Cappielow shell pie would be closer to “meat free” than one that could be described as “steak and sausage” 🙂 That said, with a bit of brown sauce, definitely a decent snack.
vernallen 15th November 2021 At 01:27
‘.. If I was a board member…… I would be careful about having my name attached to any written minutes’
%%%%%%%%%
Ha, ha, yes indeed: but if the Minutes had you recorded as having been present and that you had made a promise, without signing anything, to lend to the company if and when requested , what then if your promise was called in later?
The whole question of when a verbal promise is to be treated as actually being a legally binding and enforceable contract seems historically to have been a problem area right up to modern times in Scots law, as far as my VERY limited reading and understanding leads me to believe.
But like you, vernallen, if I was ever to be a wealthy board member I’d be very careful never to suggest even in jest that I’d lend the company money as and when it might need a loan!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59289290
I’ll leave the comments about how good a player wee Bertie was to those who saw him play.
I’m just a little bit too young.
What I can comment on is I spent a wonderful evening in his company a few years ago.
One of the funniest men i’ve had the pleasure of listening to.
Better than some comedians I’ve seen.
Coincidently, Tam Cowan told a story about Bertie on Off The Ball on Saturday about the time Bertie told Tam about a gay player in the Celtic European Cup winning team. If you haven’t heard this you should still be able to get it on Catch Up or whatever the radio equivalent is. Classic!
RIP
What a truly stunningly skilful performance by Scotland tonight!
I don’t think I have seen anything like that for about 55 years.
I am delighted that we can internationally lift our heads up again.
The funniest thing doing the rounds just now is the supposed clause inserted in the deal taking the whole management team from Ibrox to Aston Villa…They are forbidden to take with them any of the current playing staff. Villa fans will be gutted.
bect67 14th November 2021 At 17:18
‘..Whit happens if they don’t win the League this season ( a New Newco?)?’
%%%%%%%%%
You may be sure, bect67, that if RIFC plc were to go into Administration due to lack of the millions of UEFA money, the same CG scenario would emerge, given that there is no lack of people like CG and CW or of ineffective Administrators or of people of the stamp of our Football Governance fraternity!
For as long as TRFC are allowed to ponce about as RFC of 1872, and RIFC plc are able to make money on the back of that, Scottish Football governance will remain rotten at its very heart.
Hello..
Just catching up or trying to.
On deferred wages? New rules were brought in on May 2012. If i remember, all players must be paid on time or club faces a transfer embargo. I would have to look it up to be sure.
On kings £5mill repaid loan, this was paid after the accounts were made up to the end of june. Will this show up in the next accounts? If so they are £5mill down before a ball is even kicked so to speak. Happy to be corrected as i have been away
gunnerb 15th November 2021 At 22:59
‘….Villa fans will be gutted.’
%%%%%%%
Ok, it’s a spoof.
But it may be aimed at pointing up the ‘power’ that a football club manager may have in suggesting to his new club that there are players in a club he has previously managed who ought to be bought.
I do not say that that ‘power’ has ever been improperly exercised, but in the abstract, one can see that such a situation might arise!
Well, the hearing this morning has just ended: it was about what rate of interest should be awarded on the damages sum. The Noters asked for 8%, from 14 June 2012: the Respondents said it should be 4% and only from Feb 2017.
Lord Tyre awarded 4% from 14 June 2012.
One or two other additional fees were claimed under a number of heads (a) to (i).
The judge awarded only (a) to (c).
It will be for the Auditor (of Court) to do the actual calculations.
‘Cluster One 15th November 2021 At 23:29
…On deferred wages? New rules were brought in on May 2012. If i remember, all players must be paid on time or club faces a transfer embargo. I would have to look it up to be sure…’
::
::
I doubt that any players (and their grasping agents) would agree to deferred wages, even if allowed under SFA rules. Contractual bonuses may be a different matter.
I suspect that senior staff members of RIFC & TRFC (Messrs. Dickson, Robertson & Bisgrove as examples; there may be others!) may have agreed to being short-paid over an agreed period.
If only we had some of that famous Douglas Park transparency that he likes to witter on about!
Interesting news from Derby.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/nov/16/derby-deducted-another-nine-points-for-breaches-of-efl-rules-over-pride-park-sale
Oh for Scottish Football to have similar financial conduct rules
My earlier post at 10.31 this morning:
‘The hearing’, of course, was the hearing before Lord Tyre of “P115/17 Note: RFC 2012 Plc for orders under paragraph 75”
BDO were looking for the Court to exercise the discretion it has under the Insolvency Act to fix the rate of interest to be paid on the amount that was awarded by way of damages from the Administrators.
But Lord Tyre decided that, since interest rates since 2008 have generally been low for everyone it would not be appropriate to award more than what the Rules of the Court of Session generally stipulate , i.e 4%.
Expenses in full were awarded to BDO.
Mr McBrearty , representing the Noters, argued that there had been a whole lot of extra work occasioned by the Covid precautions that had to be taken by solicitors involved.
Lord Tyre had a little chuckle at the idea that solicitors who did not need to move from the comfort of their offices at all for a ‘virtual’ hearing had had more work to do! While Lord Tyre said that he deeply appreciated the work of Counsel and their agents/solicitors, and the transcribers and everyone involved in a long and complex case, he did not agree that the Covid-related expenses could be recognised as an expense of the action.
jj 16th Nov 11.07
I doubt that any players (and their grasping agents) would agree to deferred wages, even if allowed under SFA rules. Contractual bonuses may be a different matter.
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52192550
As usual, David Squires’ regular Tuesday cartoon strip in the Guardian is worth a look –
https://www.theguardian.com/football/ng-interactive/2021/nov/16/david-squires-on-steven-gerrard-return-premier-league-managerial-changes
His panel on ‘The Scottish Fitbaship’ is brilliant.
‘Gerrard’s coaching abilities remain something of an unknown quantity, because for the last few years he’s been managing in a mysterious faraway land. We can only speculate what goes on behind the Irn Bru curtain.’
Does anyone find it strange that Sevco have not, (at least to the outside world), appointed a leader from amongst the four coaches currently in control of training?.
If a manager is not appointed prior to the semi, (or even appointed, but not up to speed) who will pick the team, decide on tactics, formation and shape. Who dictates whom and when subs will be made, selects the penalty takers, etc.
Surely the four won’t be voting on them?
It’s not particularly any of my business, but if I was a fan, it’s something I would want to know……And yet nobody appears to have asked.
Very strange.
Jingso.Jimsie 16th November 2021 At 16:18
‘..for the last few years he’s been managing in a mysterious faraway land…’
%%%%%%%%
Yes, indeed: a land where a 9 year-old football club is supported in a ridiculous fiction that it is 149 and a bit years old!
A land where notions of Integrity in sport are dismissed by those who accepted office as the GUARDIANS of that Integrity for base, venal, mercenary reasons: and by so doing have destroyed any belief in their own PERSONAL integrity as decent human beings and men of principle.
Honest to God!
That we should have to put up with such turpitude and perversity in our football governance!
In which Circle of Dante’s ‘hell’ would they be found, I wonder?
Possibly the 8th?
And good enough for them, too!
In regards to the GVB continuing saga .. First does anyone in Scotland just fly somewhere or do they just jet in, second is GVB get anxious in regards to the financials at Ibrox and recognizes everything might not all be as sky blue as media pundits allude to, and, thirdly is the question regarding backroom staff ( what a terrible phrase to apply to members of the coaching staff, almost like a political party) turning this into an Eddie Howe sort of escapade. I understand that there are former Ranger’s players in OZ who might have a lead on a new manager. Seems to have worked for the other side of Glasgow.
vernallen 17th Nov 01.39.
“Seems to have worked for the other side of Glasgow.”
………………………………………………………………………..
Has it?
Season 20/21
P-13 W-9 D-3 L-1 GF 34 GA 13 GD 21 PTS 30.
Season 21/22
P-13 W-8 D-2 L-3 GF 30 GA 9 GD 21 PTS 26
After 13 games last season Rangers had 35 points compared to 30 this season. Imagine had Rangers been 9 points ahead after 1/3 of this season has been completed. What would the reaction of the Celtic support been toward the manager?
Albertz
Apart from the obvious, “if your auntie had calls she’d be your uncle”, I’m not so sure your implication is correct.
Speaking generally, with a brand new team, I think any manager would still have a considerable amount in his goodwill pot if the masses were convinced he was going in the right direction.
More specifically, earlier in the campaign it did look as though Rangers would stretch their lead. I got the feeling that the backlash was aimed firmly at the Celtic board and not the manager.
But like I say, “if your auntie …”
BP
You will know as well as i do that any amount of “goodwill” can disappear quickly on either side of the Old Firm divide if results are not forthcoming. I am not suggesting that the Celtic manager will be handed his P45 anytime soon but had Rangers replicated the previous season’s points tally then questions would be have been asked, and tactics, signings etc would come under more scrutiny.
Whilst not being concerned on what is happening over at Celtic, i would agree with you that the majority of the supports anger seems to be directed towards the board, although as last season showed the manager & players will quickly become targets should results not improve.
Albertz
“BP You will know as well as i do that any amount of “goodwill” can disappear quickly on either side of the Old Firm divide ..,”
——————————————-
10/10 for the “OF” reference?, but I don’t agree.
Last season and this season aren’t comparable for myriad reasons. Celtic fans were on Lennon’s case from eighteen months before it became clear he had lost it.
The current manager has betrayed no similar behaviour, in fact the opposite appears to be the case thus far.
Had Rangers been less inconsistent, I don’t think there would have been calls for his head from the fans – though the MSM were gearing up for it at one point.
I also know that the feeling at Parkhead was that if Celtic were within three or four results of Rangers at the turn of the year, then decisive moves could be made in the window to put pressure on.
Again something that simply didn’t happen last year. This optimism was in place even before the split between Gerrard/Defoe/Rangers board started to emerge.
The Parks Motor Group are to sponsor the SWPL for season 2021/22.
https://www.womenspremierleague.co.uk/news/parks-motor-group-announced-as-title-sponsor-of-the-swpl/
‘Albertz11 16th November 2021 At 15:16
jj 16th Nov 11.07
I doubt that any players (and their grasping agents) would agree to deferred wages, even if allowed under SFA rules. Contractual bonuses may be a different matter.
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52192550‘
::
::
Your link references the situation in April 2020 – 19 months ago. That was under the specific conditions of the COVID19 pandemic & was occurring nationally & internationally, across many types of businesses. Many chose not to publicise that they were doing so: TRFC (from the BBC report) went full-on virtue-signalling.
RIFC records in its Annual Report that senior staff are still deferring wages in June 2021 (the date of the report). Is that because of COVID19 or is there another reason?
You’ve got the contacts: how many players are not currently in receipt of full salary? How many senior staff?
jj 17th Nov 11.32
The wage deferrals spanned both accounting periods hence their inclusion in 2 seperate reports.
Replied to westcoaster on 9th Nov on the subject.
In answer to your final point , None is the answer.
Albertz11 17th November 2021 At 11:09
Getting in before cinch ?
I think TRFC/RIFC will struggle to keep the perception of a connection to RFC(in liquidation) extant . I think they got lucky in securing Davis and McGregor , and would hope to keep Patterson , but the barrel must be close to empty . The daughter’s Rangers -supporting man agrees so it’s not just a Thistle thing .
‘Albertz11 17th November 2021 At 11:48
jj 17th Nov 11.32
The wage deferrals spanned both accounting periods hence their inclusion in 2 seperate reports.
Replied to westcoaster on 9th Nov on the subject.
In answer to your final point , None is the answer.’
::
::
Thank you for your reply.
It’s heartening to know that every senior, salaried employee at Ibrox is now receiving their full whack, even those who weren’t when the AR was compiled!
j.j.
The following response to you:-
‘In answer to your final point, None is the answer’
should, for clarification, read:-
‘Sorry, I haven’t a clue. My bull**** answer to your final point was typed whilst wearing my ‘everything in the garden’s rosy’ specs’.
(wrt ‘contacts’ – the boy’s goat some imagination!).
Wow. The EFL strike again.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/nov/17/reading-agree-six-point-deduction-with-efl-for-breaching-financial-rules
jj 17th Nov 16.07
Where does it say in the accounts that senior staff were not receiving their full salary post-June 2021
Albertz11 17th November 2021 @ 18:04hrs –
It doesn’t.
However, it also doesn’t state that all staff returned to full salaries prior to the compilation of the AR for the 12 month period ending June 2021, hence the possibility that the practice had continued beyond the AR shut-off point & may still have been ongoing.
You’ve written that all employees are now receiving their full salaries. I’ll accept that.
For some reason I did not this year receive an email informing me of the Celtic plc agm, and so ( obviously) was unable to print off a hard copy of the proxy voting form .
Without that voting form it would have been pointless to attend in person. So I didn’t attend. ( Whether Celtic plc or the mailing company was responsible, it was a damned poor show and someone should get his arse kicked. I shall be following the matter up with Celtic plc)
What I did today instead was begin the process of typing up ( for my own sake) the manuscript notes I made of all the BDO v Administrators hearings that I had been able ‘virtually’ to attend and make notes of.
I didn’t, and don’t, intend to put them on the blog, of course.
However, I had forgotten one little item from the evidence of Paul John Clark during the hearing on May 24 2021 that was of significance in a number of ways.
You can judge how significant and in what ways for yourself:
%%%
From Monday morning May 24 2021, Mr Clark being examined by Mr McBrearty, QC for BDO, Judge Tyre presiding:
“QC: Maurice Rothbart., Steve McKenna.. seem to support the view that there was a market. You don’t dispute that?
Mr Clark: If it were a manufacturing business, easy to see break-up….I accept that we did not actively go out to look
QC: What you didn’t do was to seek advice ..?
Mr Clark I accept that.
QC: You identified the concern of fans at the prospect of break-up?
Mr Clark: Yes
QC: Football fans protest over many things?….
Mr C: Yes
QC: ..the SFA embargo?…
Mr C: Yes
QC ..[there] might be liquidation? asset sale, because it might break continuity..?
Mr C: Yes
QC: ..’red card’ protest in the 77th minute?..
Mr C: Yes
QC: Very considerable emotional…..[? Upset?]
Mr C: Yes
QC: Understandable, at facing the demise of their football club?
Mr C: Yes
QC: They didn’t like the sale to Sevco?
Mr C: They preferred a CVA!
QC: When the CVA didn’t happen, and the asset sale went ahead, although it was
TECHNICALLY A LIQUIDATION OF THE EXISTING ENTITY the Rangers fans kept on supporting?
Mr C: Yes
QC: In advance you knew the fans didn’t want an asset sale to Sevco.
Mr C: The final structure was put in place for a deliverable outcome. We decided near the end of the season that the actual sale to Sevco was either going to be a CVA or asset sale. It was only when we knew that a CVA was not going to proceed [that] we decided on an asset sale.
[ At this juncture, Lord Tyre suggested a break. The QC asked, and was granted, a minute or two to finish his line of questioning]
QC: You reached a stage where the decision was not popular?
Mr C: Yes
QC: Rangers fans, they just have to suck it and see?
Mr C: [ed: I missed the words used, but the meaning was ‘yes, as things turned out’]
QC: And they’re back, winning the league!
Lord Tyre: It’s 11.28 now, we’ll break, and resume at 11.45. “
Is it just me? Am I the only one seeing a problem with the Chairman (business) of a competing football club sponsoring the league in which “his” club is playing???
How would it be received if Dermot Desmond’s IIU were to take over sponsorship of the SPFL post-Cinch?
Ian Bankier intimated at the Celtic AGM the club were “concerned” with refereeing performance and had regularly voiced their concerns to the SFA (Ian Maxwell). He did not elaborate on any of the SFA’s replies however. I suppose being told to shut up and get to the back of the bus would not have gone down well with supporters.
Thinking back to a time when The Rangers complained about Collum, who was then removed from the The Rangers rota for months.
Strange how Walsh is given the Celtic v St Johnstone Semi, when in the recent league match, his incompetence, or more likely manipulation of events, was so obvious.
normanbatesmumfc 18th November 2021 At 10:42
“.. Am I the only one seeing a problem with the Chairman (business) of a competing football club sponsoring the league in which “his” club is playing???”
%%%%%%%%%%%
No, nbmfc, you are but one of many thousands who can reason that there is room for a ‘conflict of interest’ in that relationship as there is in the relationship between an MP and a company for which he is paid to lobby!
We know that the then SPL/SFL participated in the creation of the 5-Way Agreement in 2012 which demonstrated that money rather than principle was their principal concern.
We must , as reasonably sensible folk, reasonably conclude that they might be exposed to further unprincipled action if they thought that sponsorship monies might be withdrawn if any sponsor had occasion to take umbrage at them.
Not a case of me giving a dog a bad name, as recognising that the dog already has a bad name!
Amidst the fall out from the Celtic AGM yesterday, and the associated media spin on it, I feel one very important matter has been overlooked. It was confirmed at the AGM that the majority of Scottish clubs don’t want Financial Fair Play. What is particularly interesting is that the absence of FFP really only benefits one club, so why are the majority against it? Very, very strange. I wish the matter had been given more debate, but I suspect so many uncomfortable questions were asked of the Celtic Chairman that he was more than happy for obfuscation and deflection to come into play at times.
It is undeniable though that this subject needs to be given more public debate. Rangers have just appointed a new, high profile manager, and it remains to be seen if the magic money tree will bear fruit yet again. Meanwhile other clubs are expected to live within their means, and generally do.
What is also undeniable is that the Celtic Board have once again been shown up to be completely spineless. it is quite incredible to sit there and say you believe the Scottish Government mistreated your club, then in the next breath say ‘but what can we do?’ They also handed the SFA a free pass yet again on the wrongful award of a European licence to Rangers in 2011. Going back to FFP they seem totally unconcerned about any level of debt accrued by Rangers, no matter the success it brings. At the same time they insist Celtic must show a level of financial probity unseen at Ibrox since 1985.
What an all round strange approach to have. It makes no sense at all. Would Dermot Desmond allow any of his other businesses to be cheated? Would Ian Bankier allow his own successful business to be cheated? Would Tom Allison sit back and watch Peel Ports being cheated? I suspect the answer is no every time, so why are they happy to see Celtic being cheated? It is utterly bizarre.
We’ll mibbes see soon whether a verbal contract is worth the paper it’s written on .
https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/19726717.former-east-kilbride-fc-boss-sues-club-glasgow-sheriff-court/
upthehoops 18th November 2021 At 19:32
‘… to sit there and say you believe the Scottish Government mistreated your club, then in the next breath say ‘but what can we do?’’
%%%%%
Bankier is quoted by Ronnie Esplin ( caveat: he is a SMSM journalist!) as having said ” Well, if the First Minister stands up and says ‘ I want a red card or a yellow card to be shown to Celtic football Club, what is it you do? So, do you take them on?”
Too right you do, Mr Bankier!
You should have challenged her directly and immediately-and through the Courts if necessary.
It is NO function of the First Minister to act like some over-excited assistant referee almost choking on his whistle as he blows for a foul while simultaneously yelling for a ‘red card’.
As for ‘Making your views ‘really clear’ to the Scottish FA [as bankrupt of Integrity as any liquidated football club ever was of Cash] that was no more effective than your refusal to fight for an independent investigation of the Res12 matter!
It was Celtic’s fight as a PLC being damaged by unjustified political interference by the First Minister.
And that fight should have been fought and won.
Shame on you and your fellow Board members.
Latest fines from UEFA.
Competition: 2021/22 UEFA Europa League
Date: 19 October 2021
Match: Celtic FC vs. Ferencvárosi TC (2:0)
Celtic FC
Charges:
• Provocative offensive message, Art. 16(2)(e) DR
Decision:
The Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body has decided:
• To fine Celtic FC €15,000 for transmitting a provocative message of an offensive nature.
• The above fine must be paid within 90 days of communication of this decision
Competition: 2021/22 UEFA Europa League
Date: 4 November 2021
Match: Brøndby IF vs. Rangers FC (1:1)
Brøndby IF
Charges:
• Crowd disturbances, Art. 16(2)(h) DR
• Insufficient limitation of spectator movement, Art. 37.01 SSR
• Throwing of objects, Art. 16(2)(b) DR
• Blocking of public passageways, Art. 38 SSR
• Lighting of fireworks, Art. 16(2)(c) DR
• Illicit chants, Art. 16(2)(e) DR
Decision:
The Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body has decided:
• To fine Brøndby IF €10,000 for crowd disturbances.
• To fine Brøndby IF €5,000 for insufficient limitation of spectator movement.
• To fine Brøndby IF €5,000 for throwing of objects.
• To fine Brøndby IF €8,000 for blocking of public passageways.
• To fine Brøndby IF €5,000 for lighting of fireworks.
• To fine Brøndby IF €10,000 for transmitting a provocative message of an offensive nature.
• The above fines in the total amount of €43,000 must be paid within 90 days of communication of this decision.
Rangers FC
Charges:
• Crowd disturbances, Art. 16(2)(h) DR
• Throwing of objects, Art. 16(2)(b) DR
• Lighting of fireworks, Art. 16(2)(c) DR
Decision:
The Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body has decided:
• To close the proceedings opened against Rangers FC for alleged crowd disturbances.
• To fine Rangers FC €5,250 for lighting and throwing of an object.
• The above fine must be paid into the bank account indicated below within 90 days of communication of this
I believe GVB got the message most managers/coaches/etc dread. You will be given time is not a message you want to hear before you’ve even managed a game. That is very similar to the owner/board stating confidence in their manager/coach falling a dismal spell of performances. Generally the axe falls soon after.
Slight correction in the above post — should read “following a dismal spell of performances”.
From Barry Ferguson’s column in the Record –
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gio-van-bronckhorst-knows-rangers-25499587
‘OK, there are a few players heading towards the end of their contracts and the odd lad is the wrong side of 30.’
Of the 29 players listed in TRFC’s first team squad (using Tranfermarkt as a base), seven are 30 or over – McGregor, McLaughlin, Balogun, Tavernier, Arfield, Davis & Defoe. (In addition, Jack is 30 before season’s end.) That’s about 27.5% of the squad.
The following players are out-of-contract before the start of next season – McGregor, McLaughlin, Balogun, Davis, Arfield, Defoe, Goldson, Barker & Firth. That’s about 31% of the squad. Of course, some may be offered new contracts & some may not. Some may decide to move on.
What should be worrying for GvB is that there are five ‘stripped’ first-team regulars (in reality six, if you include McLaughlin) in both lists.
It looks like there will need to be a substantial rebuilding job over the next season & a half, which may well be complicated by TRFC’s apparent need to sell players; the most-marketable of whom aren’t mentioned above. Few of the names I’ve listed are worth a substantial fee.
It’s going to be interesting…
I’m a little late on this one .. Parks Motor Group sponsorship of the SWPL is announced with great fanfare. Parks Motor Group sponsorship deal with Rangers not treated in the same vein. You would think the Parks Motor would like all Rangers supporters to know of their allegiance to the club with a sponsorship deal, which could lead to increased car sales, in a very depressed industry these days.
Jingso.Jimsie 20th November 2021 At 11:20
‘..From Barry Ferguson’s column in the Record –
‘OK, there are a few players heading towards the end of their contracts and the odd lad is the wrong side of 30.’
%%%%%
When I read your post a little earlier today, JJ, I did not see the second quotation mark. I therefore took it that the whole piece was a straight quote from the DR!
I was flabbergasted that Barry’s ‘ghost’ writer would have had either the ability or the temerity to provide such a nicely put together factual summary of what is shaping up to be something of a possibly serious problem for TRFC; and that the editor of the DR would let it to be published!
Only when I had opened the link and read the whole thing did I realise that you had lifted only one line ( the one quoted above) and that the rest of the piece was your own excellent work.
It brought me up to the minute on the subject, and I thank you for it.
There was a peculiar little exchange in the radio commentary of tonight’s semi-final.
Alan Preston ( for whose analysis of any game he is watching I have the greatest respect) wondered whether what Bankier might have said about referees could be having an effect on the referee. ( I think this was in relation to yellow cards being shown to ST J players)
Liam Mcleod observed immediately that it was known on Monday who was to be the referee at this evening’s match, while the AGM was on Wednesday.
How does one interpret that exchange?
Did Preston believe that the choice of referee was made with particular care to ensure that Celtic would have no grounds for complaint?
Or that, no matter who had been appointed as referee, he would have been told to have Bankier’s comments in mind?
It annoys the hell out of me that the whole feckin dirty mess created by the way the Football Authorities manufactured and maintain the stupid myth that TRFC is Rangers of 1872 has so corrupted the game as to make us suspicious of anything in Scottish professional football.
[Really, when there is absolutely no trust, the game’s a bogey, operating on principles that are the very antithesis truth and integrity.]
From time to time I dip into the UEFA website.
I did so a minute ago( into the disciplinary pages)
And my eye was caught by
“Competition: 2021/22 UEFA Europa League
Date: 4 November 2021
Match: Brøndby IF vs. Rangers FC (1:1)
Brøndby IF
Charges:
• Crowd disturbances, Art. 16(2)(h) DR
• Insufficient limitation of spectator movement, Art. 37.01 SSR
• Throwing of objects, Art. 16(2)(b) DR
• Blocking of public passageways, Art. 38 SSR
• Lighting of fireworks, Art. 16(2)(c) DR
• Illicit chants, Art. 16(2)(e) DR
I am intrigued by ” illicit chants”
What kind of chants would they, could they, have been?
Anyone know?
Just watching MOTD and somewhat surprised to see SG being interviewed (and appearing happy to do so) on BBC. Unless I am mistaken throughout his time in Scotland he refused to be interviewed by the BBC (Scotland). I get that MOTD have a contractual right to hear from the managers but I thought that Sportscene had the same? Why did Sportscene accept presenting quotes rather than interviews with SG?
Happy to stand corrected but have I missed something/misunderstood the past?
@wokingcelt I believe SG was operating to a TRFC policy and not his own. It probably did break SPFL contracts but unless broadcasters complain then Neil Doncaster and Co are unlikely to do anything. Presumably Cinch lodged a complaint wrt contractual rights on sponsorship and with a threat to finance Doncaster had to act.
John Clark 20th Nov 23.59,
I am intrigued by ” illicit chants”
What kind of chants would they, could they, have been?
Anyone know?
………………………………
• To fine Brøndby IF €10,000 for transmitting a provocative message of an offensive nature.
………………………………………………………………
Perhaps a anti UEFA chant?
wokingcelt & tykebhoy.
Rangers banned BBC reporter Chris McLaughlin from attending Ibrox from 2015, as they were entitled to do.
The BBC stood behind him, and have refused to send anyone from the organisation to Ibrox from that day to this, as they are entitled to do.
Got to be honest and say that i haven’t missed them.
‘John Clark 20th November 2021 At 21:38
…When I read your post a little earlier today, JJ, I did not see the second quotation mark. I therefore took it that the whole piece was a straight quote from the DR!…
… and that the rest of the piece was your own excellent work…
::
::
One of the drawbacks in posting on here is that there seems to be no facility to italicise or embolden remarks made by others. I should probably have put the quote above the hyperlink to emphasise it was a quote from Ferguson’s ghost-writer.
As an aside, I don’t know whether to be offended or not by your comment which appears to state that I write like a tabloidist…
Albertz11 21st November 2021 At 09:20
wokingcelt & tykebhoy.
Rangers banned BBC reporter Chris McLaughlin from attending Ibrox from 2015, as they were entitled to do.
What for?.....Wearing trainers?
Jingso.Jimsie 21st November 2021 At 11:14
“As an aside, I don’t know whether to be offended or not by your comment which appears to state that I write like a tabloidist…”
%%%%%
Be assured , JJ, the very opposite was the intention: it was because your piece was so well written ,and contained an implicit criticism of TRFC finances, that I couldn’t believe that a DR hack could have written it!
On the absence of the facility on the blog for using ‘italics’, Bold, underlining with a line rather than having to use any symbols that work (like the % sign), I long ago asked for that facility to be restored….
And if I give a ‘thumbs up’ to any post that already has a few, those few disappear and become ‘0’s! [I don’t use that button now, of course]
Curiously enough, even if pre-type my stuff on ‘Open Office’ using bold, or italics etc, when I cut and paste to the blog, all that disappears!
If BP sees this post, he might be able to help?
Albertz11 21st November 2021 At 09:06
‘..Perhaps a anti UEFA chant?’
%%%%%%%%%
I didn’t know there was such a thing!( If there is an English version, I’ll learn it!)
Albertz11 21st November 2021 At 09:20
‘….banned BBC reporter Chris McLaughlin from attending Ibrox from 2015, as they were entitled to do’
%%%%%%%%%%%%%
It is one of the wonders of the modern world that the BBC in Scotland, having disgracefully rolled over on its belly to yield to the then BBC Trust’s order to propagate the myth that RFC of 1872 did not die, found the guts to tell the Ibrox board that if McLaughlin was banned from Ibrox, no other BBC reporter would be sent to Ibrox.
Now, we’re not likely to get the full story until McLaughlin leaves the BBC of his own accord and writes his book [ perhaps in collaboration with Jim Spence]..if there isn’t a ‘non-disclosure agreement’
Interestingly, Andrew Marr announced just the other day that he is leaving the BBC after umpteen years ,saying he is keen to do journalism with “no filter”.
I don’t dispute that the proprietors of a place of entertainment (even if a pawn shop may be holding a wee ticket as pledge of security for a loan) are entitled , on reasonable grounds, to refuse entry to anyone.
But refusing access to the BBC instead of publicly demonstrating and explaining why was always a bit stupid. It suggested that the RIFC plc Board know damn fine that RFC of 1872 is in Liquidation and that their claim to be the holding company of the most successful football club in the world is bogus, misleading, and farcical.
“Rangers have now progressed beyond the semi final just once in their last nine attempts” (BBC Website)
should read…
“TRFC have now progressed beyond the semi final just once in their 9-year old history” (SMSM Factcheckers Anonymous)
Albertz11 21st November 2021 At 09:20
1 3 Rate This
wokingcelt & tykebhoy.
Rangers banned BBC reporter Chris McLaughlin from attending Ibrox from 2015, as they were entitled to do.
The BBC stood behind him, and have refused to send anyone from the organisation to Ibrox from that day to this, as they are entitled to do.
Got to be honest and say that i haven’t missed them.
++++++++++++++++
McLaughlin reported the factually correct news that three Rangers fans had been arrested at a game for sectarian offences. That Rangers should see this as a banning matter says much.
bect67 21st November 2021 At 20:14
‘..should read…..’
%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Nice one, bect67!
The BBC seem to share the view of an eminent QC, who [ffs!] can talk in court of ‘a technical Liquidation’ of a club which the Administrators failed to bring out of Administration, causing it to crash into Liquidation ,but which while in Liquidation is miraculously ‘back’ and ‘being there and winning a League title’
An arrant piece of nonsense, on a par with the nonsense that some of us had a right good laugh at in Court some years ago, about the eternality of the ‘ethereal whatness’ that is the transferable essence of a football club( or rubbish to that effect)
A Liquidation is of course “technical”: that is, it happens when the laws on Insolvency in all their ‘technicality’ are applied to a club that went bust because it could not pay its debts and when the Administrators make a hames of the Administration and fail either to find a buyer or succeed in achieving a CVA. [ see my post of 17 November at 21.53]
If that club had not been ,as a matter of fact and law, liquidated there would have been no need for CG to set up another club from scratch and apply for a share in one of the leagues prior to and and as a necessary condition of seeking membership of the SFA.
He would simply have become the new owner of a historic club, the players’ contracts would still have been binding, the debts to HMRC and other creditors would have been paid ( under some agreed arrangement) and RFC of 1872 would not have died, killed in effect by the hubristic tax-evading Knight.
upthehoops 21st November 2021 At 21:42
‘..McLaughlin reported the factually correct news that three Rangers fans had been arrested at a game for sectarian offences. That Rangers should see this as a banning matter says much.’
%%%%%%%
Yes, indeed.
Can you give us a date when McLaughlin ran with that story?
Why are the other organs of the SMSM not even now screaming about the banning of a newsman?
Was/is it out of fear of missing out on the succulent lamb?
What was the outcome of the arrests? Prosecution? Conviction? Charges dropped? Arresting officers quietly warned not to be too enthusiastic in making arrests at Ibrox? and cards appropriately marked ‘lack of judgment’?
This is what happens when one’s trust in the integrity of those in any kind of public office takes a battering.
And when the Press allows itself to be muzzled, or happily muzzles itself, then we are in dead trouble.
Ja wohl, meine freunden!
An interesting 10 days (perhaps season-defining) ahead for TRFC’s new management team:
Three difficult fixtures: Sparta Prague on Thursday, away to Livingston on Sunday & away to Hibs next Wednesday.
A dressing-room to re-energise after the SF defeat & some frankly-embarrassing post-match comments by players.
Clamour to play Patterson. (He’s now a £25m player, according to sections of the press. That’s quite a rise from the already-inflated £10m the SMSM had him valued at a month ago. How many first-team games has he started? Where’s his head at with all this transfer talk?)
There’s always plenty of other matters to occupy a new manager’s time as well. It’s a good job GvB has Jimmy Bell to depend on! Worthwhile Advice Taken Personally…
Test, sorry been away a while.
Jingso.Jimsie 22nd November 2021 At 16:28
Saw what you did there !
Is there prize money for the cup competition from which Rangers were recently eliminated. The board room must be a little touchy as recent financials did not paint a very good picture. There is a positive to this though, no win bonuses need to be paid. However with the $25 million valuation of Nathan Patterson be bandied about, this should cancel the need for another share issue.
Albertz11 21st November 2021 At 09:20
The ibrox clubs have been banning the BBC for years for one thing or another
John Clark 21st November 2021 At 22:56
Can you give us a date when McLaughlin ran with that story?
…………………
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/bbc-refuse-send-staff-ibrox-6179565
………………………
Douglas park stepped down the same week, also in the news
Are Sevco so skint that it makes more financial sense to accept gate money from uncontrollable thugs, than provide an honest, law-abiding citizen, a safe haven to perform his job of work?
That must be a whole lotta thugs !
https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/sport/19737009.celtic-hero-chris-sutton-refused-ibrox-access-again-bt-sport-shift-studio-empty-parkhead/?ref=rss
Co …
Although, I’m sure, Sutton won’t be too bothered, it’s pathetic intit?!
We Are The Petties!
It’s worse than pathetic Bect. The violence and lawlessness of Sevco fans under the casual acceptance of their board, coupled with the lauding and revelry received from those same fans does nothing but paint a target on Sutton’s back for these lunatics
The most distasteful aspect is that it is designed to. They know it, and so does everyone with half a brain……..Including the fitba’ authorities who must at least collectively meet that criteria.
Half a brain they may just about muster, but an ounce of courage to challenge a disorganised crime syndicate is an ask too far.
Fixtures to kick of December;
Hibernian v The Rangers
Celtic V Hearts
I wonder which referees the SFA can rely on to be a safe pair of hands and get the results they want? Step-up loyal brothers Beaton and Madden.
Incredibly this will be Madden’s 4th Celtic fixture this season (match week 15). They’ve given up trying to even hide it now!!
Cluster One 23rd November 2021 At 22:28
”..Douglas park stepped down the same week, also in the news’
%%%%%%%%%%%
Thanks for that, Cluster One.
Corrupt official 24th November 2021 @ 0217hrs &
bect67 24th November 2021 @ 1022hrs &
Corrupt official 24th November 2021 @ 1212hrs
::
::
TRFC just don’t get it. They were widely pilloried for ‘banning’ Sutton & Lennon the last time.
BT (the host broadcaster, don’t forget) reportedly complained to UEFA about TRFC’s actions. So what do they do? They do it again!
Wance Again, Totally Preposterous.
Jingso.Jimsie 24th November 2021 At 14:56
Exactly why I raised the financial aspect of it JJ. The cost of several stewards strategically placed around the broadcast area, is easily outmatched by the broadcast income/brand awareness etc etc.
Clearly Sevco’s actions are about nurturing some other aspect of their income streams.
normanbatesmumfc 24th November 2021 At 12:41
I wonder which referees the SFA can rely on to be a safe pair of hands and get the results they want?
A lesson in how to get fast-track promotion through the refereeing ranks.
https://twitter.com/OwenJamesBrown/status/1463512862408728578?s=20
Corrupt official 24th November 2021 @ 1529hrs –
On the previous occasion when Sutton was denied accreditation, I wondered what message that sent to UEFA as regards security & safety for players, officials & media persons within the ground & surrounds: a ground where an opposition player was assaulted after the match by a TRFC player.
The longer that TRFC is allowed to ‘cancel’ Sutton, the more dangerous it becomes for him, not just at football stadia, but in his everyday life.
Won’t Allow That Person, perhaps?
Corrupt official 24th November 2021 At 15:29
‘..Clearly Sevco’s actions are about nurturing some other aspect of their income streams.’
%%%%%%%%%%%%
Well, Corrupt Official, the Governance bodies of Scottish Football made forsworn liars and cheats of themselves in pandering to Team 12/ CG’s Sevco5088/(curiously becoming SevcoScotland) and then to RIFC plc ,in accommodating the publication of a factually untrue Prospectus.
Could we now realistically expect that those ‘Governance’ bodies have either any desire or capacity to challenge RIFC plc in anything that that organisation does?
I think not, since the lack of integrity is so generalised across our clubs.
Likewise, the BBC finds itself in a position of self-inflicted weakness versus RIFC plc because it itself continues to propagate an untruth, and must expect its hand to be bitten contemptuously by the beast which it feeds.
If the BBC were to revisit the stupid, stupid ill-founded ‘policy’ of trying to make a distinction between the Rangers Football Club that, like other football clubs, lost its right to play in Scottish Football and some mythical holding company that had held the share in the SPL, then perhaps things might get sorted.
Rangers Football Club of 1872 is in Liquidation: that is an incontrovertible fact
The Rangers Football Club Ltd was newly created in 2012.
Thee is no one ignorant of those facts, and for anyone in the BBC to try to pretend otherwise is truly monstrous.
Jingso.Jimsie 24th November 2021 At 15:56
Indeed !….
Equally, as this as cited by Sevco as a “Security concern” this MUST involve liasons with external Ibrox authorities. For e.g. the league and association wrt the safety of players on the park, and the polis, wrt upholding the laws of the land. the players union as well as the broadcasters themselves wrt staff safety.
Who amongst these external agencies and authorities not only agrees with Sevco, but stands idly by and permits the situation to stand.
In the end up, if the safety of a pundit in an area of the stadium subject to additional measures and ID pass security is not only problematic, but cannot be overcome, then Sevco are publicly stating, “No-one is safe in here”.
But not a dickie bird uttered by these externals with a vested interest…..It is shameful.
Co, JC and j.j
You are all of course right in your indignation. It will be interesting to see what Sutton’s take on the ‘security ban’ will be. The incidents are becoming increasingly embarrassing for TRFC, who will be the PR losers (notwithstanding our useless football authorities?), and in the broadcasting world – particularly with BT, who seem to ‘have CS’s back’.
bect67 24th November 2021 At 17:21
Co, JC and j.j
You are all of course right in your indignation. It will be interesting to see what Sutton’s take on the ‘security ban’ will be.
Sutton’s take……….
https://twitter.com/chris_sutton73/status/1463559310261239812?s=20
While watching an old episode of ‘Poirot’ this afternoon, having a cup of coffee with Mrs C, an advert popped up.
It was for The London Mint Office , touting a ‘gold commemorative coin’ celebrating Elvis Presley.
The London Mint Office was incorporated as ‘FathomRealm Ltd’ in November 1997, changed its name to ‘The Crown Collections Ltd’ in December 1997, and again changed its name on 28 June 2007, to ‘The London Mint Office’
Now, Section 54 of the Companies Act 2006 has this to say about company names:
” 54. Names suggesting connection with government or public authority
(1)The approval of the Secretary of State is required for a company to be registered under this Act by a name that would be likely to give the impression that the company is connected with—
(a)Her Majesty’s Government, any part of the Scottish administration , the Welsh Assembly Government or Her Majesty’s Government in Northern Ireland,
(b)a local authority, or
(c)any public authority specified for the purposes of this section by regulations made by the Secretary of State…”
I’m not particularly gullible [ !?] but before the whole rottenness in Scottish Football alerted me to the fact that not everything in business is as it seems, I think I might well have thought that ‘The London Mint Office’ was in some way PART of The Royal Mint and that in dealing with it, one would be dealing in effect with a government department..
It appears not to be, but is only a private business that acts as a distributor of the stuff made by the Royal Mint ( and other national Mints).
BUT I can easily see that the Secretary Of State may justifiably give his approval to use of the name ‘The London Mint Office’.
I cannot, however, see how the Secretary of State could have knowingly given his approval to use of the name ‘The Rangers Football Club’, a name deliberately chosen try to indicate that TRFC was continuity ‘Rangers’ that the Rangers of 1872 still existed unless he had been badly misinformed.
Or perhaps his approval wasn’t even sought??
I think I’ll ask Kwasi Kwarteng, just to be sure, though.
Co
He certainly has got the Follow Followers’ knickers in a twist if these contributions to their forum are anything to go by:-
“Sutton constantly damages our brand” (well actually – they’re making a pretty thorough job of that by ‘shooting themselves in the foot’ with each ban)
“I take satisfaction from the fact that he will never set foot in Ibrox again” (ur ye sure aboot that dear Sevcoite? BT might jist hiv a ( financial) say in that)
Everyone anyone (except Sutton and Celtic supporters) as they say!
My post of 19.53 above refers.
Gremlins or what?
My reference to section 54 of the Companies act 2006 , most of you will realise, was wholly the wrong one [I was carried away by the ‘The Mint’, and having memories of Minty ( or some such aberration)
The appropriate sections are sections 66 and 67.
It seems to me that calling a new company created in 2012 ‘The Rangers Football Club would be prohibited under the Act because there was/is an existing ‘The Rangers Football Club, born in 1872 and presently in Liquidation since 2012.
Interesting judgment in my inbox, with some vague relationship to English Football:
This is the Judge’s introduction to the case
“This is a libel action which arises out of the publication of a book with the title ‘Putin’s
People’, and the sub-title ‘How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took on the West’
(“the Book”). The author is Catherine Belton (“the author”) and the publisher is William
Collins, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Limited. The Book was published
electronically on 2 April 2020, in audiobook on 11 April 2020 and in hard copy on 16 April
2020. The paperback edition came out on 15 April 2021.
2. The front dust cover includes a quote from the author of Moneyland which says: “This is
the Putin Book that we’ve been waiting for”.
3. On 22 March 2021 the claim form was issued and served seeking damages, an injunction
and related relief in defamation. The particulars of claim were served at the same time.
The defendants are the publisher and the author.
4. The claimant, Roman Abramovich, describes himself as “a successful Israeli-Russian
entrepreneur and businessman” who has “a very substantial reputation in this jurisdiction,
where he has been widely known since 2003 as the owner of Chelsea Football Club”. The
claimant complains that he has been defamed by the publication in the Book of the words
identified in 26 specific passages of the Book. These 26 passages are set out in the Annex
to this judgment (and the numbered passages referred to below are to the numbered
passages in the Annex).
5…..
6..
7…
8..
9. The trial of the preliminary issues took place on 28 July 2021.
10. This judgment concerns that trial and only relates to the meaning of the passages
complained of in the Book. The defendants have not yet been required to file a defence
and so no substantive defences have been raised. The court is not, at this stage, adjudicating on any issue concerning the Book other than meaning (and the other preliminary issues identified in paragraph 6 above). Specifically, the court is not determining whether allegations made in the Book about the claimant or anyone else are true”
The case is:Neutral Citation Number: [2021] EWHC 3154 (QB)
Case No: QB/2021/001025
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE
QUEEN’S BENCH DIVISION
MEDIA AND COMMUNICATIONS LIST
Royal Courts of Justice
Strand, London, WC2A 2LL
Date: 24/11/2021
……
When the actual ‘defamation’ trial comes around, it should be fascinating.
I think I will buy the book (by an ICIJ journalist , based on the Panama Papers)
There can’t be many people left in Scotland for the TRFC to have a go at. SFA and cinch, BT and Chris Sutton, BBC ( who kind of fawn all over them in a distant manner), etal. Someone in the boardroom has to take a stand and tell fellow members that this is not a good road to be on. Sooner or later the worm will turn and they will be in need of friends for support in some area or dispute. Not too many hands will be offered to help. Surely there is leadership somewhere in the board of directors. They could start be pointing out that the Sparta team they meet tomorrow night is not the same as the one involved in last year’s competition and some decorum might not go amiss in the stadium.
I see Hibs had 2 players sent off late in their game last night. I wonder who they might be playing next in the league???
Answers on a postcard to…..
Although I’ve stated this previously I think it warrants repeating
If ANY club fails to meet its sponsorship obligations their payments from those sponsors should be immediately withheld by the SFA/SPFL until it is resolved eg BBC, Cinch, BT, etc.
This would be so that if the sponsors are to subsequently claim against the SFA/SPFL those monies would be used, if not then all the other clubs will end up paying for the problem of another club
I would go even further and make it part of the rules that if any club fails to intentionally meet sponsors contractual obligations without going through proper and due process then they immediately lose their proportion of said income
Maybe then some clubs will think twice before blatantly flaunting contractual agreements
On a separate subject, I was watching the BBC news last night with my wife when she commented that the studio that they were presenting from looked different from normal. Indeed it had red and blue background. Low and behold it was because they were presenting from Pacific Quay in Glasgow ! The normal London studio had a neutral colour. Are the BBC, especially in Scotland, so Union biased that they feel they have to push their brand at every opportunity ? Imagine the outcry if the background had been green and white ! PS I support neither Celtic or Rangers so this isn’t whataboutery just a view about the supposedly neutral BBC
“Rangers fans stage UEFA protest …with anti-racism banner”
We Are The Pharisees (Hypocrites) – Football Scotland
normanbatesmumfc:-
St Johnstone (A) – Sat 27 Nov?
normanbatesmufc 25th Nov 09.27
I wonder who they might be playing next in the league???
……………………………………………………………………………
St Johnstone.
Menace 25th Nov 09.43
If ANY club fails to meet its sponsorship obligations their payments from those sponsors should be immediately withheld by the SFA/SPFL until it is resolved eg BBC, Cinch, BT, etc.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
What obligations are Rangers not complying with ?
Just given myself a ‘riddy’!
Football Scotland is the source of the quote – NOT the WATP comment!
Apologies to all for confusion
“What obligations are Rangers (Newco for clarification by me) not complying with”?
Maybe just a few minor moral ones in terms of the ‘common good’* of the rest of Scottish clubs! They are very, very angry peepul (has Oldco been legally liquidated yet?).
It should be noted that the current Govan ‘outfit’, totally lacking in remorse and contrition for historical, egregious actions by the club it (wrongly) claims to be, has not shaken off the ‘shackles’ of its predecessor – certainly in terms of its perceived superiority (we’ll ‘shaft’ ye if we want).
It’s no’ oor problem if future sponsorship deals are in jeopardy – so deal wi’ it!
They have won ONE (league) trophy and declare themselves all mighty, and the most powerful, and successful, Scottish club which can ride roughshod over others. Their ‘modus operandi’ is also known as The Divine Right of H***.
‘I’m all right Jack’
To me, their self-centredness and irresponsible behaviour is just another ‘nail in the coffin’ of PR garbage such as:-
Everyone anyone (whit a farcical ‘motto’!)
betc67 25th Nov
So none then.
If the SPFL have signed a sponsorship deal with cinch, whilst knowing that Rangers would be unable to fulfil many of their rights due to a pre-existing contract then who is at fault?.
Your anger should be directed at the incompetents who are in positions of power within the game who signed this deal and not a club who are not only abiding by Scots law but also the SPFL’s own rules.
I would imagine the BT contract with UEFA has sections covering their operations and staff access to the stadiums hosting the games.
Both BT and UEFA need to stand up to The Rangers and tell them to close all the sections of the ground where they fear they cannot guarantee the safety of BT staff/pundits.
None then (?) Please elaborate
Gimme a break RC!
As a matter of interest, how old is this arrogant Everyone anyone lot? Would you answer that for the blog please?
You get credibility score depending on your answer.
Albertz11 25th November 2021 At 16:09
I was unaware that there had been a resolution of this in RIFC/TRFC’s favour . Link please ?
Albertz11 25th November 2021 At 16:09
Your anger should be directed at the incompetents who are in positions of power within the game who signed this deal and not a club who are not only abiding by Scots law but also the SPFL’s own rules.
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
The problem you have Albertz11, is that those incompetents who are in positions of power within the game are the very same incompetents who are the root source of the big lie that your old club survived liquidation.
See how it works? See double standards?
As for your reference to Scots law, that really is the height of irony.
Albertz11 25th November 2021 At 16:09
Maybe playing devils advocate here but if there was a pre-existing contractual arrangement causing issues and notified to the spfl with supporting evidence then we can’t blame the member club.
Is this not the situation Alberzt11 ?
Hi guys and gals, long time no see. Hope you are all well and in fine fettle. A quick question : I noticed on BT Sport the Rangers badge was blue and gold in colour when advertising the game tonight. Has this been changed or does it not matter regarding this? Just thought I’d ask.
Maybe they’ve picked a fight with someone not obliged to show their badge ? It couldn’t be the other way round , could it ?
paddy malarkey 25th November 2021 At 17:39
‘..I was unaware that there had been a resolution of this in RIFC/TRFC’s favour . Link please ?’
%%%%%%%%
From the judgment of the Inner House of 20 October 2021:
” 1. The SFA reclaim (appeal) the interlocutor of the Lord Ordinary, dated 23 August
2021. He granted an interim interdict which prohibits the SFA from appointing an arbitral
tribunal in a dispute between the Scottish Professional Football League and Rangers,
without having first issued a Secretary’s Notice to the petitioners. The issue is whether the
petitioners have a prima facie case based upon the SFA’s Articles of Association.
( ie, Park’s of Hamilton claimed to be a party in the dispute)
“The Lord Ordinary held that the petitioners’ averments did disclose a prima facie case
that they were parties with an interest in the dispute. They could not be categorised merely
as persons who were interested in the outcome. They had a direct patrimonial interest. ”
“There is at least a prima facie case. It is impossible to find fault in the Lord Ordinary’s
approach. The reclaiming motion must be refused.”
As far as I know, the SFA has not yet fixed any date for an Arbitration Tribunal which will be notified to Park’s of Hamilton as a party with rights of representation?
In my own opinion, TRFC were playing silly buggers in not letting the SPFL/SFA see the contract they supposedly had with Park’s of Hamilton that pre-dated the SPFL contract with cinch. Much hoo-haha and expense would have been avoided!
(I am sure I am not alone in wondering whether that was to gain time in order to find evidence of such pre-dating)
But, as it stands, IF there was such a contract then Park’s of Hamilton have to be notified of any Arbitration Tribunal that is set up.
Simples.
And it shows how badly, how very badly, both the SPFL and the SFA function as any kind of governance bodies, having lost any kind of moral authority because of their creation of the running sore of the 5-Way Agreement and the abandonment of any kind of integrity that that brought about!
Honest to God!
Have a read at the judgment of the 20 October on this link:
https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/search-judgments/court-of-session
You’ll have to scroll down to RECLAIMING MOTION BY PARK’S OF HAMILTON (HOLDINGS) LIMITED AGAINST THE SCOTTISH FOOTBALL ASSOCIATON LIMITED AND ANOTHER FOR JUDICIAL REVIEW
John Clark 25th November 2021 At 22:19
That’s where I thought it rested .
Menace 25th November 2021 At 09:53
‘.. the supposedly neutral BBC’
%%%%%%%%
The supposedly neutral BBC (Scotland) and the UK BBC Trust (now happily mouldering in its grave) was NOT neutral in its Sport department under Peter Thomson.
In more recent times it has again and again demonstrated its lack of ‘neutrality’ by ridiculously obeying the order ,from the BBC Trust on high, to broadcast continuing support for a lie as blatantly ridiculous as any that ever emanated from the ‘Reich Broadcasting Corporation’ which was controlled by him who had no b.lls!
There are , of course, good men and women in BBC Scotland.
But they have to fear for their jobs if they depart from the official line, if they even were to suggest that it might be worth discussing on air questions such as ‘what was the holding company of Rangers FC of 1872 in 2012? Who were the directors of that ‘holding company’ and who were the directors of the company that was ‘held?’
We know that it was Rangers FC of 1872 that held the share in the then SPL in virtue of which it was a member of the SFA. We know that it lost that share AND its membership of the SFA when it entered Liquidation.
Can we have a discussion on BBC Radio Scotland about that?
Pantomime time reply: ” Oh, no we can’t!”
And BBC impartiality goes right out of the window!
Really, the whole thing is a malign pantomime, in which vice triumphs over virtue, lies win over truth, and dishonour is honoured-
and at our expense, who pay our licence fee!
Gott strafe the BBC ( Schottland)
paddy malarkey 25th November 2021 At 23:03
‘..That’s where I thought it rested .’
%%%%
I guessed as much, pm, and was happy to support your point.
@John Clark
Re your libel case in London
Private Eye have been reporting in this fir a while. Their view was that Abramovich is using financial muscle to bring the publishers to heel. This is not a comment on the strength of his case more the bonkers works of English libel courts and their role in enabling very wealthy individuals to control events.
Has there been any indication that the Scottish Government is proposing to introduce an Independent Regulator of football, inthe way that the ‘ English’ gov intends to do?
John Clark 17th November 2021 At 21:53
QC: In advance you knew the fans didn’t want an asset sale to Sevco.
Mr C: The final structure was put in place for a deliverable outcome. We decided near the end of the season that the actual sale to Sevco was either going to be a CVA or asset sale. It was only when we knew that a CVA was not going to proceed [that] we decided on an asset sale.
………………………
Paul clark of Duff & phelps said there was a full “fall back plan and that is the sale of the business ans assets to the Charles Green consortium” and added “There is no avenue for anyone else to come in at this stage.” June 13, 2012.
…….
Also known as “The fall Back plan”
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13061560.rangers-football-club-born-1872-died-2012/
……………….
The fall back plan.
sorry to late to add to last post.
14 000 000 shares @25p issued by RIFC plc on 23 November 2021, reported by Companies House today.
Total now in issue 422 000 000
Statement of capital now GBP 4,229,388.57
JC – if the going price for a share in RIFC is now 25p, then the 422m shares would value the company at £105m. That values the club at £10m more than Celtic’s market capitalisation based on today’s share price.
3.5m was suggested to be the monthly shortfall , do we expect to see this every month til the new ST are in or some big sales in the Jan window? Interesting to see the new price of 25p rather than the usual 20p is this because club 1872/ new investors raised an issue as to why they had to pay more or is it to create a higher paper value for the company* overall in order to appear solvent . One thing it may do is increase the asking price for King’s shares
Timrim 26th Nov 20.40
£3.5 million per month?. Can i ask where this figure comes from?
From the recent accounts –
At the time of preparation, the forecast identified that the Group would require £7.5m by way of debt or equity funding by
the end of season 2021/22.
The first tranche of funding is required from investors before the end of December 2021.
Timtim 26th November 2021 At 20:41
‘… is this because club 1872……’
%%%%%%%%%
We don’t yet know who the purchaser/purchasers of the 14M new shares is/are.
And I don’t know whether the Board ( under the authority of the ‘disapplication of pre-emption rights’ affirmative vote at the RIFC plc AGM ) has complete discretion as to whom they will sell shares?
Would Club 1872 have been offered any new shares, or would the gutsy big shareholders carve out the lot among their few selves, at least partly to pour water on any kind possibility of Club 1872 ever having a percentage large enough to reasonably ask for a seat on the Board?
Whatever about that kind of thing, those buying the shares before they knew whether TRFC might not exit the Europa league thingy certainly took a personal gamble.
May it spectacularly backfire on them, is what I would say, in the fullness of time.
TRFC’s spat with the SPFL is a strange one…
Cinch branding within Ibrox is deemed (by TRFC) to be contrary to an existing contract with Parks of Hamilton.
Parks of Hamilton is a company involved in the sale and leasing of motor vehicles and a private bus hire business.
Cinch, of course, is an online car sales business and part of the British Car Auction group that also owns the webuyanycar.com brand.
You can see why Parks of Hamilton may not be happy to see advertising from one of its competitors in and around the stadium.
As I understand it, Parks of Hamilton claim to have an exclusivity contract with TRFC that precludes the display of branding from businesses involved in the motor trade.
It is strange therefore to see advertising for Central Car Auctions and its sister brand justsoldmycar.com within the Ibrox stands.
Perhaps Parks of Hamilton have a stake in Central Car Auctions?
If not, it appears somewhat contradictory to state that cinch branding is forbidden when branding from an almost identical company has been allowed.
“A newspaper industry chief and Conservative councillor has hit out at planned new legislation that “could criminalise public interest journalism” ”
The person in question, would you believe, is none other than that defender of truth and the public interest , the former editor of ‘The Scotsman’ and present Unionist councillor on Edinburgh City Council, John McLellan.
The true measure of his interest in truth and public interest can, I believe, be gauged from the fact that, in a political piece in today’s print edition of that newspaper, he makes an incidental reference to “….Rangers were relegated to the third division”
Says it all, eh, what, what??
I can’t quite find the word that begins with an ‘H’ and is sometimes preceded by ‘nauseating’
HirsutePursuit 27th November 2021 At 06:28
‘…Perhaps Parks of Hamilton have a stake in Central Car Auctions?’
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
I’ve tried to check up on that, HP
The last return to Companies House which gave details of the shareholders of Central Car Auctions was in June 2016: at that time there was only one shareholder- Jonathan C Miller, who owned the entire 1000 shares.
No notification of any change in shareholding has been recorded by CH since then, so presumably there has been no change in share ownership.
So ‘Park’s of Hamilton’, and ‘Park’s of Hamilton(Holdings) Ltd’, have NO connection with Central car auctions.
Likewise , Jonathan C Miller/Central Car Auctions is not a shareholder in either of the Park’s companies ( Douglas Ross and Graham hold the lot between them)
Although somebody appears to be paying 25p per share , the indicative share price on the JP Jenkins site is 19p .
Rangers International Football Club Plc RFC
19.00 16 0.00 GBX Traditional GB00B90T9Z75 SC437060 1.00
John Clark 26th November 2021 At 11:55
Has there been any indication that the Scottish Government is proposing to introduce an Independent Regulator of football, in the way that the ‘ English’ gov intends to do?
+++++++++++++++++++
I’m not sure this is something I’d welcome. In principle yes, but there is no way the Scottish Government could be trusted with something like this. Let’s not forget they tried to get HMRC to write off the previous Rangers illegally obtained tax gains. Not exactly a good starting point for an ‘independent’ regulator. Let’s be honest here. The ground rule is that one side is as bad as the other, and sod the rest. I can see why that annoys fans of all the other clubs, but neither do I have any time whatsoever for any of them who subscribe to that view. Rangers (IL) cheated the state out of tens of millions of pounds. Celtic didn’t and never have. Why so many people fail to acknowledge that is pathetic. It is not ‘two cheeks’ or whatever they want to call it. One side illegally cheated, and one didn’t. End of.
gunnerb 25th November 2021 At 17:51
2 0 Rate This
Albertz11 25th November 2021 At 16:09
Maybe playing devils advocate here but if there was a pre-existing contractual arrangement causing issues and notified to the spfl with supporting evidence then we can’t blame the member club.
Is this not the situation Alberzt11 ?
gunnerb 27th November 2021 At 21:32
It may be that a club expects its word to be believed without supporting evidence, because of who they perceive themselves to be?
upthehoops 27th November 2021 At 20:38
‘..I’m not sure this is something I’d welcome. In principle yes, but there is no way the Scottish Government could be trusted with something like this…’
%%%%%%
I know what you mean, uth.
Alex Salmond did his own political party no favours whatsoever with his intervention in the shameful tax evasion of a knight of the realm to try to save RFC of 1872 from ignominious death by Liquidation!
Elsie McSelfie [and credit to whoever it was who coined that name]has to live and cope with the perception that the SNP at that time was thirled to the Unionist ‘save Rangers’ cause!
A strange position!
‘paddy malarkey 27th November 2021 At 16:18
Although somebody appears to be paying 25p per share , the indicative share price on the JP Jenkins site is 19p .
Rangers International Football Club Plc RFC
19.00 16 0.00 GBX Traditional GB00B90T9Z75 SC437060 1.00’
::
::
The price shown on JP Jenkins is for second-hand shares. Whoever bought the 14m at 25p from RIFC got brand-new ones!
Is there a difference in value between 2nd hand shares and new shares ? I doubt it. The 19p on JPJ is what they traded for on the open market although this can also be easily manipulated if a group of investors decide to “paint the tape” by trading back and forth between themselves at ever higher or lower prices . They are limited to the emotional investor as no big money will invest without the proper regulations and safeguards that a NOMAD and a proper trading platform brings. If Park and Co wanted to bring some company* respectability back they would bring in a NOMAD and rejoin the AIM market however they are too far down the rabbit hole to want that type of regulation . I have heard that Park’s family are not happy with their inheritance being squandered on this vanity project . I suspect that having put so much into the pot he has little option but to go all in and hope for the CL payday that may help him recoup some of his stake.
Re the football regulator issue.
I had some concerns about the interference of government in a sport but this piece from David Conn was quite helpful https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/nov/25/crouch-review-a-genuine-landmark-for-football-with-possibility-of-real-change
I’m pretty confident the football authorities are going to screw things up all by themselves. The English championship being a case in point of rogue clubs spending more than they can afford. Though they do seem to be cracking the whip there so maybe hope for the future.
paddy malarkey 27th November 2021 At 21:59
EDIT
It may be that a club expects its word to be believed without supporting evidence
Thanks for the reply paddy malarkey, a cynical but understandable suspicion . I reposted in the belief that Albertz11 might have missed my query but for such a regular contributor not to respond is puzzling and disappointing.
Timtim 28th November 2021 At 12:42
‘… I suspect that having put so much into the pot he has little option but to go all in and hope for the CL payday..’
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
The remarkable thing about the recent shares purchase is that it was made before the Sparta Prague match , the result of which might conceivably have been a defeat for TRFC.
I’m not a gambler myself, but doesn’t that show a recklessness bordering on lunacy? Anyone in his right mind would surely have waited for the result so as to have a better idea of what TRFC’s finances /further prospects would be?
Was the need for immediate cash so great that the Board had to have it by 23 November?
gunnerb 28th Nov 14.28.
Not guilty gunnerb.
I replied the next day (26th 13.36) but as every post is placed in moderation, sometime for several days like this one, it makes it impossible to have a back & forth conversation.
I would ask BP that this makes it on to the blog as way of explanation.
Thankyou.
‘Timtim 28th November 2021 At 12:42
Is there a difference in value between 2nd hand shares and new shares ? ‘
::
::
It was a joke, obviously a poor one!.
JP Jenkins run a platform matching buyers & sellers of already-issued shares, hence the ‘second-hand’ comment.
The 14m shares bought for 25p on 23.11.21 were ‘new’ shares issued by RIFC & not previously sold. They didn’t really exist until point of sale & were created especially for this purchaser.
Incidentally, according to the ‘RIFC’ page on JP Jenkins’ website, there have been no trades, even at the bargaintastic price of 19p, since a flurry of activity in late April this year.
https://jpjenkins.com/company/rangers-international-football-club-plc/
Gunnerb @ 14.28
re your unanswered query.
Par for the course when ‘cornered’ I’m afraid.
However, if you ask him nicely to make a late night phone call to those in the know, you may (?) get a response.
dom16 28th November 2021 At 14:13
‘..I had some concerns about the interference of government in a sport..’
%%%%%%%%%%
Yes, so had I, and I think I’m still not too sure that, apart from matters of public safety and health, ‘Sport’ is any business of democratic governments!
Mind you, if there had been Regulator in place in 2012, perhaps the dirty work of the 5-Way Agreement might not have happened, and the truth that RFC of 1872 no longer were entitled to a place in Scottish Football would have been INSISTED upon ,and false claims made in the market that the club had not been liquidated would have been pointed as being based on untruth.
D’ye think?
It will be interesting to see how any English legislation is framed and what statutory powers any Regulator will have, and also what both UEFA and FIFA might have to say about the concept of Government ‘interference’ in Sport.
@jj
I did see the joke so maybe my response should have indicated that better
@JC
“Was the need for immediate cash so great that the Board had to have it by 23 November?”
The short answer is Yes , it seems they are only stumping up as required to keep the wolf from the door . Maybe they fear a ring fencing order from Ashley or others . While the additional income from progress in Europe is welcome it doesn’t get them out of jail
Congratulations to the chap who has had a letter published in ‘The Scotsman” this morning
about the factually incorrect reference to ‘Rangers’ having been ‘relegated to the Third division’ made by former editor and now Tory councillor on Edinburgh city council, John McLellan.
And perhaps a word of encouragement to the ‘letters editor’ and/or the actual Editor who allowed it to be published.
If he/she can educate the football writers and persuade them to desist from referring to TRFC as if it were continuity Rangers winning their umpteenth trophy he would be restoring some kind of truth and integrity to sports reporting.
And perhaps BBC Scotland will be encouraged to man up and do likewise.
Jingso.Jimsie 28th November 2021 At 19:16
‘…Incidentally, according to the ‘RIFC’ page on JP Jenkins’ website,..’
%%%%%%%%%%%%
The whole world of ‘finance’, ‘investment’, ‘shares’ is pretty much a closed book to me. I feel handicapped by my ignorance when I think of the likes of the Whytes and ‘Kings’ and ‘Easdales’ and ‘Parks’ of this world.
If, as I assume, RIFC plc is still using JP Jenkins , why isn’t the share price that was actually paid for the latest issue ( which presumably JP Jenkins brokered) not shown? Is that incompetence, carelessness?
Or did RIFC use another broker?
I think JPJ is merely a trading post where buyers are matched with sellers and their price is indicative of the last deal concluded through them . They are the 2nd hand car sales room while RIFC are the factory producing new models , not that a new share is worth more than a 2nd hand share even though it appears to be on paper . Maybe it’s similar to a new car that as soon as you drive it out the showroom it loses 20% of its value . This post was sponsored by Cinch until the Park Motor Group had a tantrum.
John Clark 29th November 2021 At 10:16
I don’t think the new share issue needed brokering , but were a direct issue by the club from reserves to selected buyers at a fixed price .
Companies House are showing a further 400,000 shares having been issued on the 8th of November. ( the 14,000,000 were issued on the 23rd Nov with that notification being released ahead of the 400,000 notification).
The annual report contained a post closing comment that £8,500,000 of further loans had been made since the 30th June. At the time of the report, contrary to the MSM reports, DCK (Laird) had not been repaid. He was however repaid his £5m shortly afterwards. The 14,000,000 share issue of the 23rd @ 25p equates to £3.5m. One possibility would appear to be that the £8.5m loan was used to provide the cash to repay DCK potentially replacing the loan (at similar terms) with the balance (£3.5m) going into the OPEX pot with that part of the loan now converted into equity.
The Rangers* website has not updated their shareholder page. When it does we will be able to see who has “stepped up to the plate” this time. We should also be able to see whether “Club 2012” have purchased any of DCK’s shares as at the moment he is still showing as having 16.4m
Westcoaster 29th Nov 13.17
Borita Investments Ltd
Perron Investments
John Bennett
George Letham
Rangers* has now updates their shareholder page. The 14m shares were bought by:
Julian Wolhart (Borita) 4m new shares
George Letham 4m
John Bennet 2m
John Halsted ( Perron) 4m
DCK and Club 2012s’ totals remain unchanged which, if correct, mean none of DCK’s shares have been sold.
@Westcoaster
The absence of Park’s name is interesting
I was watching Sportscene there and noticed this on screen .
Watch: Scottish Cup fourth round draw on Sportsscene
paddy malarkey 29th November 2021 At 21:54
“I was watching Sportscene there and noticed this on screen .
Watch: Scottish Cup fourth round draw on Sportsscene”
I wonder if a team, (so hard up and desperate for cash, it has to have a monthly auction of worthless confetti to its staunch millionaires club just to meet payroll), will get a much needed home tie to help with cash flow????
@John Clark
I read yesterday that various clubs are out rubbishing the regulator proposals.
Steve Parrish, Karen Brady and Christian Pursloe have weighed in.
“ Regulators are instruments of government and they are independant [sic] only up to enforcing the current remit which can be changed at any time by a new act of parliament. So Football will be – under this plan controlled by government.”
So not fans then?
The amusing thing is the discussion was about EPL and EFL talking about parachute payments and how they skew the market.
Albertz11 28th November 2021 At 16:13
Mea culpa
https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/19752957.former-rangers-chairman-dave-king-votes-re-election-graeme-park-ibrox-agm/
Bad blood evident between King and the Park family as King votes against Park Jr’s re-election to the board , he also voted against allowing directors to issue shares to specific investors .
King likely trying to stop his own shareholding from being diluted further before he has a chance to offload it to club*1872.
Timtim 30th November 2021 At 22:43
Bad blood evident between King and the Park family as King votes against Park Jr’s re-election to the board , he also voted against allowing directors to issue shares to specific investors .
King likely trying to stop his own shareholding from being diluted further before he has a chance to offload it to club*1872.
.
Dunno TT. He may well be trying to sell them to club 1872, but 20, or 25p(whatever) is only the Mickey Mouse value, bearing no resemblance to actual worth. There is already enough shares issued to give every midge in the highlands a couple each. I doubt another dilution would affect his asking price
Unless the other in-house Mickey Mouse sales begin trading at a lower value he will see no reason to accept a lower price per share for himself.
It’s not a real market in that respect.
Fascinating piece in the Scotsman on interest rates being offered to the Ibrox board as stated by John Bennet.
Close Brothers was over 9%. He claims they will only accept loans at 6 or less. Good luck with that.
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/rangers/were-not-paying-that-rangers-loans-from-friendly-investors-and-why-ibrox-club-tuned-down-australian-bank-3477343
Financial organisations only offer those types of rates to distressed companies and it’s pretty obvious that there is a lot of angst down Ibrox way. But good job on spinning this as a positive!
How easy is it for Rangers Directors at an AGM. Despite accumulated losses of over £100m, and going concern warnings in their accounts, they simply have to announce they are close to being financially sustainable and the media go away enjoying the happy ending of all great fairy tales…’and they all lived happily ever after’. The fairly tale is repeated verbatim and the world is at one.
The Scottish media are an embarrassment…an absolute, utter embarrassment.
The Scottish media have done more damage to the institutions inside Ibrox by covering up their behaviour than exposing it . They could have exposed the EBT scam and had it shut down before it did catastrophic harm , they could have exposed Craig Whyte and his vulture capitalist history instead of the off the radar wealth nonsense , they could have held McCoist and Green to account over why they needed to spend 850k on a manager and maintain the 2nd highest wage bill in Scotland just to win the 4th tier of Scottish football and run up tens of millions in losses during his tenure . They could have exposed the glib and shameless cold shouldered liar and told the truth over Ashley’s reign where they were within a baw hair of breaking even . It could all have been so different if they had taken the vegetarian option instead of the succulent . Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake said the little General (not you Gio)
@dom16
“He claims they will only accept loans at 6 or less. Good luck with that.”
I wish I could walk into my bank and tell them what rate of interest I will accept for loans or savings . The direction of rates is now nudging upwards so his statement about only accepting 6% or less may come back to bite him on the elbow if they do need further loans in the future and we have gone full Zimbabwe .
That came across as a bit of a rant by Bennett and being a senior manager of a large financial institution, he knows exactly how the debt market works. The lender calls the tune, not the borrower! AND the interest rates offered by lenders tend to be influenced by the creditworthiness (or otherwise) of the borrower.
Not only have The rangers accounts shown time and time again, what a disastrous commercial entity it is but they also have a record of not paying their debts and instead convincing friendly lenders to convert to confetti. That won’t wash with major banks and institutions who have shareholders to answer to.
No doubt come January it will be the same rhetoric regarding player sales. Desperate for cash, (regardless of what drivel the SMSM swallow), other clubs will be very aware of The rangers perilous financial position and will no doubt low-ball their initial offers for players they fancy.
All the ranting in the world will not alter the realities.
dom16 1st December 2021 At 08:04
“…….interest rates being offered to the Ibrox board as stated by John Bennet.”]
%%%%%
In the print edition of Halliday’s report on Bennet’s statement, the last paragraph has Bennet saying: ” We have taken the view that we will just get on and try and grow our own revenues to the best extent we can with the team that we have got here. I think we are doing a good job of that .We are on the cusp of financial sustainability”
Halliday clearly had enough sense not to include such a fatuous remark in the online edition!
Timtim 30th November 2021 At 22:43
“..Bad blood evident between King and the Park family as King votes against Park Jr’s re-election to the board , he also voted against allowing directors to issue shares to specific investors…”
%%%%%%%%
I could be facetious, Timtim, and say something like ‘the more bad blood in the Ibrox board, the more chance that the 9 year old club will die by its own hand” and that that would give the Governance bodies a chance to restore some truth and integrity to the Sport when the next new club would seek entry into a league!
But it’s late o’clock, so I won’t!
John Clark 1st December 2021 At 18:36
4 0 Rate This
In the print edition of Halliday’s report on Bennet’s statement, the last paragraph has Bennet saying: ” We have taken the view that we will just get on and try and grow our own revenues to the best extent we can with the team that we have got here. I think we are doing a good job of that .We are on the cusp of financial sustainability”
You’d almost think someone has guaranteed them Champions League qualification next year???
Certainly, Brother Beaton was delighted to oblige last night and while there are questions as to whether it was a dive or stone-waller, you just know if it were at the other end with Boyle in Kent’s place, it would have been waved away with a possible yellow card for Boyle. He remains the toast of the Crown Bar where I’m sure he’ll never need to put his hand in his pocket.
Step-up Brother Madden tonight. “Do everything in your power to ensure Celtic do not get 3 points.”
I got a rather unexpected bill from HMRC last month, however it was correct. So I have just paid it as I absolutely should. However, should I have refused to pay it and then I might have got an offer to work as a pundit on BBC Sportscene, Sportsound, or Sky? That seems to be the reward for tax cheating. Then again I would clearly never be welcome at BBC. They already have their token Celtic man in Pat Bonner. Even then he firmly sticks to the policy of ‘never say anything good about Celtic or I might lose my job’.
normanbatesmumfc 2nd December 2021 At 10:52
“..You’d almost think someone has guaranteed them Champions League qualification next year???”
%%%%%%%%
I’d put it this way: the very governance body of Scottish Football created and has sustained a lie right at its very heart.
It can therefore be expected to lie again, as often as might be required to provide ‘justification’ for their lie.
In other words, the precedent has been set: ‘Rangers’ must be helped to survive, preferably before administration followed by liquidation but, if need be, by allowing a brand new club[set up by scavengers who would have snapped up the assets at bargain basement price] to claim falsely to be the ‘Rangers of 1872’.
And spineless owners and Boards of other football clubs would support that lie as they supported , and continue to support, the first lie.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59183267
normanbatesmumfc 2nd December 2021 At 10:52
Certainly, Brother Beaton was delighted to oblige last night and while there are questions as to whether it was a dive or stone-waller, you just know if it were at the other end with Boyle in Kent’s place, it would have been waved away with a possible yellow card for Boyle. He remains the toast of the Crown Bar where I’m sure he’ll never need to put his hand in his pocket.
Step-up Brother Madden tonight. “Do everything in your power to ensure Celtic do not get 3 points.”
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Not quite how it worked out though, was it, what with Celtic’s offside goal?
Perhaps Brother Madden hadn’t read the script, or more likely, yet another diddy team had to suffer one of the big two getting “the benefit of the doubt” that none of the other clubs ever get.
But who cares? There’s only two teams that matter.
There isn’t a universe where that goal would have been allowed to stand if Hearts had scored it at the other end, even with Bobby Madden refereeing!!
I’m surprised this item was missed .. On my historical dates calendar for Nov 30/21 it posted that on this date in 1872 the first ever international soccer match took place at Hamilton Crescent, Glasgow, Scotland vs England.. Does Kris Boyd ever comment on a Ranger’s loss. He appeared to be the only former Ranger who had two cents added following the semi final loss to Hibs. He’s quite vocal when commenting on Celtic. I feel a little sorry for Leon King, 17 years old and dubbed a Rangers star with minimal first team experience. Its nice to be recognized as a possible target for major teams but it would be better if he was allowed to grow up and into the game without the star moniker being attached. Sometimes this can cause problems with future development if too many of these articles surface. So another share issue has come and gone. Has Scotland had any involvement with “go fund me pages” They are quite popular on this side of the ocean for people/groups needing assistance. With 500 million world wide fans with $2 from each, debt could be wiped out and they could embark on another spending orgy.
Further to my post of last evening, I forgot to mention an incident that succinctly sums up Scottish refereeing.
Jota was running at speed with the ball when he pulled up sharply as a result of what was clearly just a muscle injury, leaving two Hearts players in possession of the ball deep in Celtic’s half.
While Jota’s injury was both unfortunate and debilitating for the promising young player, it was neither a head injury nor remotely life-threatening.
To add insult to injury, ‘bluenose Bobby Madden,’ assigned to the game by the SFA to ensure Celtic lost, if you were to believe some conspiracies, restarted play by placing the ball at the feet of a Celtic player despite Hearts being in possession when the referee unnecessarily intervened by blowing his whistle.
You really couldn’t make it up! There would’ve been rioting on the terraces if he’d assisted Hearts in that manner.
Then there were incidents involving the throwing of objects, including bottles, at Barrie McKay.
Ligue 1 in France have imposed points deductions on Marseille and Nice in recent months following incidents which were similar to last night’s cowardly, pathetic and embarrassing attacks by ‘the greatest fans in the world.’
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that strict liability has to be introduced, regardless of how unfair it is to the clubs, if it is the only viable solution to what is a major problem.
For decades, our cowardly governing bodies have turned a blind eye to mass sectarian chanting and other offensive behaviour rather than having matches played behind closed doors or imposing point deductions.
Why? Strict liability would have little if any impact on 40 of our 42 senior clubs.
The football authorities can fine St Mirren’s chairman for historical tweets and deduct points from clubs who inadvertently play an ineligible player, but somehow they lose their appetite for raking over old coals when it comes to dealing with the two clubs with the largest support.
Scottish football clearly operates a two-tier set of rules where allowances are made for the Glasgow giants.
This site deserves credit for focusing on the misgovernance of Scottish football, but it would be nice if its main demographic took off its green tinted goggles every now and then and realised that not all of football’s problems emanate from Ibrox.
Here’s the thing about CFC’s ‘offside’ goal: it’s the purpose of the Assistant Referee to flag if a player is in an offside position. He’s supposed to be in line with the second-last defender when the ball is played & have the best view of an attacker in front of that defender. He didn’t flag. The referee is in no position to judge the relative positions of attacker & defender because he’s not in line with the second-last defender & his view is compromised. As the AR didn’t flag, we must assume that he was satisfied that the attacker was not offside in his opinion. ‘Brother Madden’ accepted that the AR was correct.
::
::
On another note: I wonder when whoever is ‘Head of Bantz’ at Sky Sports will realise that Kris Boyd has become (even more of) a caricature of a pundit & is now a liability? I suppose that Boyd’s rating will be sky-high (see what I did there?) because of the amounts of follow-up press & clicks he generates, but the actual content of his scarf-waving, badge-kissing comments is woeful.
Highlander 3rd December 2021 At 08:27
‘…. but it would be nice if its main demographic took off its green tinted goggles every now and then and realised that not all of football’s problems emanate from Ibrox.’
%%%%%%%%%
Indeed they don’t, Highlander.
The fundamental difficulty is that the very governance bodies -principally the SFA- showed themselves once and for all to have no will to be honest in their approach to solving problems, and that they will lie when it suits.
Problems may be caused at any level- individual clubs, individual chairmen, individual referees, individual players, fans groups, individual fans-but if the problem solvers, those with the duty to resolve the problems justly, fairly and competently and the power to do so, are themselves prepared to lie and cheat in the preservation of liars and cheats, what then?
Who can seriously believe that those responsible for the 5-Way Agreement, which flies in the face of all historical football truth and business legislation, will act honestly in relation to any problem?
They have no moral authority, and will have no moral authority, until the lie enshrined in the 5-Way Agreement is rescinded and the truth that RFC of 1872 died in football terms in 2012, and with it- as acknowledged at the time by all and sundry from James Taylor to the BBC in Scotland- its sporting history.
In that matter, the Truth shines with its own light, that cannot be changed by the wearing of tinted spectacles (whether tinted blue, green or tartan!)
Deliberate cheating by individual players, clubs, boards, referees etc is one thing.
For the actual governance bodies to cheat is something quite, quite different.
It has to end.
Highlander 2nd December 2021 At 23:19
I would roughly estimate Highlander, that 99.99% of all Celtic supporters would welcome with open arms an independent review of the structure, employment process, and lack of referee allegiance declarations, currently forced upon the Scottish fitba' public that results in the abysmal standard of our whistlers.
I can but assume fans of almost every other club, view the current system with similar high levels of distrust, disappointment, and frustration.
From your comment, would it be safe to assume you would, as a Hearts fan, also support such an independent review, with a view to improving the current standard?
Not quite how it worked out though, was it, what with Celtic’s offside goal?
Perhaps Brother Madden hadn’t read the script, or more likely, yet another diddy team had to suffer one of the big two getting “the benefit of the doubt” that none of the other clubs ever get.
But who cares? There’s only two teams that matter.
There isn’t a universe where that goal would have been allowed to stand if Hearts had scored it at the other end, even with Bobby Madden refereeing!!
…………………………………………………………………………………..
“Offside goal”??? the records will show the goal as legitimate and regardless of Boyd’s blue-nosed rant, the decision was a matter of inches, onside or offside and taken in a split second. As Jingo.Jimsie said above, the AR was in a better position than anyone to make the call.
Kyogo was no more offside than James Forrest was onside in the disallowed effort, wrongly deemed offside at the Tynecastle fixture, where additionally, Madden’s chum Halliday avoided being sanctioned despite a straight leg, studs on side of shin, lunge which could have ended McGregor’s season. As Douglas Ross would say “red card, red card” all day long!
Believe you me Highlander, there are no fans out there more keen than Celtic’s to see VAR introduced, hopefully bringing with it a reduction in “honest” mistakes against all teams.
I echo your sentiment regarding the missile throwing but sadly it seems to be happening too often at a variety of grounds from a range of mindless idiots from many clubs. I also understand your disbelief at the Jota injury incident although again this is happening more and more, (twice I think at Easter Road the previous night). I think maybe there might have been a misunderstanding on the restart, where Madden dropped the ball at McGregor’s feet expecting him to return it to Hearts. That’s what I expected him to do but for some reason he maybe thought Jota was in possession at the moment of the injury and felt the drop was in favour of Celtic. Good job they didn’t go up the field and score!!!
Corrupt official 3rd December 2021 At 12:54
“From your comment, would it be safe to assume you would, as a Hearts fan, also support such an independent review, with a view to improving the current standard?”
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Yes, CO, I would of course support a truly independent review of all aspects of Scottish football, including refereeing, but would be sceptical that its terms of reference would be set by those who currently misgovern our game, in order to skew its outcome, in the same way as the Nimmo-Smith inquiry was rigged.
normanbatesmumfc 3rd December 2021 At 13:16
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////
I can’t disagree with most of that and don’t want to get the blog bogged down in whataboutery regarding an entirely separate James Forrest incident from weeks ago, lest I be tempted to go find hundreds of examples of my own.
I will though reiterate my main point, which is that in the grand scheme of things, the two clubs with the largest support invariably receive more than their fair share of contentious decisions in their favour when playing the supposedly lesser clubs, yet appear blissfully unaware of this.
The refereeing fraternity such as ‘Brother’ Madden and his colleagues, whose prime objective we are told is to stop Celtic at any cost, seem to have spectacularly misinterpreted their orders by hindering Hearts with a series of bizarre decisions.
But that’s alright, because only when one of the big teams is negatively affected do we need to pay attention to the issue.
I’ll leave it at that before I even start annoying myself.
Don’t be getting annoyed with yourself Highlander. Get annoyed with those responsible for the cause of it. Divide and conquer is the name of their game, Lording over the bitch-fest they create.
Albertz11 28th November 2021 At 16:13
wrote:”I replied the next day (26th 13.36) but as every post is placed in moderation, sometime for several days like this one, it makes it impossible to have a back & forth conversation.”
Was there a lot of sweary words in your initial response Albertz11? Can I ask you to indicate yes or no to the question posed i.e. Is it your understanding that the SPFL were properly notified with supporting evidence of a member club having a pre existing contractual obligation that meant they could not support the deal with Cinch. If you would reply either yes or no and then in a secondary post be as expansive as you wish then there should be no problems with moderation.
gunnerb 3rd Dec 20.31
No sweary words.
I suspect that you are aware that Rangers were not under any obligation to produce evidence of a pre-existing contract at this stage. The obvious reluctance to do so says more about the relationship, or lack of, at this time.
Did the SPFL inform cinch of an issue with Rangers ability to fulfil the rights before signing a contract?
………………………………………..
Stewart Robertson 4th August
………………………………………..
“When the SPFL Executive put forward the written resolution with regards to the new sponsorship contract, Rangers immediately notified Neil Doncaster that, in line with Rule I7, we would be unable to provide the new sponsor with many of their rights due to a pre-existing contractual obligation.
“We cannot breach an existing contract. This is a legal principle which is founded in Scots Law and is the reason that the SPFL has Rule I7 within its rules.
“Rangers has complied with and will continue to comply with the SPFL rules and fulfil all sponsorship obligations which do not conflict with our pre-existing contractual obligations.
“However, this situation has raised some questions which the members may well wish to ask of the SPFL Executive:
Given the possibility of Rule I7 being relied upon by members, did the SPFL Executive/legal advisors include a clause in the contract with cinch, which allows the SPFL not to provide rights to cinch where members rely upon Rule I7? If not, why not?
Given that the issue was raised by Rangers (when there is no need under the rules for Rangers to do so) immediately after the written resolution was raised, why did the SPFL Executive proceed to sign the contract when they knew there was an issue and without further checking with Rangers as to its extent?
Did the SPFL Executive inform cinch prior to the contract being signed that it could not provide all of the rights it was contracting to provide due to SPFL Rule I7?
– It was interesting that the Chairman provided the Chief Executive with the credit for closing the deal when it was introduced to the SPFL by an agency that will receive c.£100,000 pa in fees for each of the 5 years of the deal. That is c.£500,000 of cash that will be leaving the Scottish game. Is this the best use of Scottish Football’s limited resources? Could this money have been better spent by employing a full time Commercial Director?
“I trust that this clarifies the position.”
………………………………………………………..
From the Inner House COS 20th October.
Opinion of the court delivered by Lord Carloway.
A written contract has been in existence since June 2015. It was
renewed on 17 May 2021.
…………………………………………………
There is always a problem with moderation.
To go completely OT:
tonight, we ‘dined out’ to celebrate Mrs C’s 21st birthday in an hostelry situated in the Grassmarket.
(It was in this Square that a certain Porteous [Captain of the City Guard , found guilty of murder by his order to fire on the people]was hanged by the mob : it had dragged him from custody in the Tolbooth because it believed that Queen Anne was going to reprieve him)
Halfway through our meal in nice surroundings, and to a round of happily surprised applause, a young man at an adjacent table was seen to get up, and on bended knee, propose to the girl he had been dining with.
I don’t think it was a stunt, because there had been no attempt to draw attention to it by the couple or by the restaurant staff ,or any kind of that nonsense.
And we were happy to see their happiness.
It cheered us immensely, as we [differently, of course!] remembered our equivalent occasion!
“Ah, yes, I remember it well”….. as old Maurice Chevalier might have said!
Highlander 3rd December 2021 At 15:30
‘.. the two clubs with the largest support invariably receive more than their fair share of contentious decisions in their favour when playing the supposedly lesser clubs, yet appear blissfully unaware of this.’
%%%%%%
I own up readily to a great degree of ignorance on how ‘business’ and companies and members of companies and Articles of Association and all that kind of stuff works.
I have never understood why two members of the SPFL Ltd ( Celtic and whatever club may be masquerading as Rangers of 1872) have more voting power in at least some areas of the business of the SPFL than other members .
I have not begun to research the matter.
Is there not ‘one member, one vote’ -on whatever issue?
And if not, why not?
Does anyone know?
Does it matter anyway, in a crooked sport?
Who cares?
Who would give their money in support of a rigged sport any more than to the gambling casinos of Monte Carlo?
Is there any question but that Scottish Football at the highest level has been subverted by the very body charged with the duty of maintaining its integrity?
Honest to God: maybe an Independent Regulator is indeed required.
Albertz11 3rd December 2021 At 21:27
Wrote.”I suspect that you are aware that Rangers were not under any obligation to produce evidence of a pre-existing contract at this stage.”..
No Albertz11 I was not aware. I seem to recall reading elsewhere that a redacted copy of the contract was produced at court proceedings. Whatever the truth of the matter both parties have behaved in a churlish and irresponsible manner. If the SPFL were verbally informed of difficulties and asked to see the contract ( a logical assumption) then a refusal to comply has turned the matter into a wearisome pssig contest.
Thanks for the reply.
gunnerb 4th December 2021 At 11:48
” I seem to recall reading elsewhere that a redacted copy of the contract was produced at court proceedings”
%%%%%
Perhaps you read this,gunnerb;
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/7738861/rangers-cinch-ibrox-rename-sponsors/
I suppose we have to assume that Lord Carloway and the other two judges had been given sight of the unredacted version sincethey include “A written contract has been in existence since June 2015. It was renewed on 17 May 2021” in the text of their judgment .
As said before, TRFC and Park’s were clearly playing silly buggers: there would have been nothing to stop them letting the legals for the SPFL/SFA see the bloody contract under strictest confidence.
From ‘Investment Week”, 02 December 2021
https://www.investmentweek.co.uk/news/4041474/changes-fca-listing-rules-welcomed-government-address-wrinkles
“The FCA’s listing rules – which come into effect on Friday (3 December) – have seen a number of changes to keep the UK as a “trusted and attractive place to list successful companies”, according to the watchdog.
Although in the policy statement the FCA acknowledged there were some respondents who did not agree with the new listing rules, overall the changes have been received well.
Anne Fairweather, head of government affairs and public policy at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “Rule tweaks will encourage more companies to list in the UK providing welcome opportunities for investors.
“The government must now look to address wrinkles in the way reams of information must be disclosed through the use of old-fashioned prospectuses, which currently limit the attraction of offering new capital raisings to ordinary investors.”
%%%
‘Rule tweaks’!!
I imagine that being allowed to claim in your IPO Prospectus to be the holding company of a very old and very successful sports club when in fact and law you are no such thing was a ‘rule tweak’ that not many would-be listed companies will be allowed?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59532032
paddy malarkey 4th December 2021 At 17:19
%%%%%
On VAR,
“The 42 senior clubs will vote on its introduction to the Premiership at a general meeting in February.”
“Dundee United head coach Thomas Courts revealed on Friday he had been impressed by the governing body’s “clear, robust” plans after attending a presentation”
Of course, no serious money can or will be spent implementing the ‘clear, robust plans’ until the Vote, so there’s no possibility of VAR being an inhibitor of ‘honest mistakes’ towards the end of what is a very critical season for a financially desperate club : a club on whose account our governance bodies have already lied and which might conceivably need the occasional refereeing lapse now and again to stay solvent.
Ranger fans must have been salivating at the DR’s headline regarding Bobby Madden’s mistake and earning a SFA talking to. Their minds must have been spinning with the thought of the “goal” being disallowed and earning another possible point. How disappointing to see what the actual story was. What will become of today’s incident when Ranger player was supposed to have put his hands on another player’s throat, or, was this a simple misunderstanding where the player was only asking for a throat massage. How will this play with the compliance officer.
Will the BBC have the head of Refereeing on every week to discuss goals that are borderline in terms of offside? If not, why not, because such goals are scored every week? Why is this the first time this season this has happened? Why was the Referee Chief not on after Celtic played Hearts at Tynecastle to explain why a perfectly good Celtic goal was wrongly disallowed for offside? Why was he not on to explain why when Rangers beat Motherwell earlier in the season with a BLATANTLY offside goal, that the goal was allowed? BBC want Celtic fans money, but otherwise we don’t exist. We get virtually zero representation on Sportsound or Sportscene. Instead we are expected to believe that a plethora of Rangers, Hearts and Aberdeen fans will be objective about our club. A farcical situation.
The desperation for this Champions League money is rather obvious.
I note from the pages of Companies House that on 11 November 2021 a ‘Notice of move from Administration to Dissolution was filed’ on receipt of the Final Progress Report of the ‘Special’ Administrators of a company called Pritchard Stockbrokers Limited.
This company went into Administration on 16 March 2012.
Para 16.4 of the Final Progress Report covering the period from 1 September 2021 to 25 October 2021 reads :
” The Court ordered that, pursuant to [ references to relevant legislation].. the Joint Special Administrators be discharged from liability in respect of any actions of theirs as Special Administrators with effect from 28 days after the Final Progress Report is filed with the Registrar of Companies” .
The Company will be dissolved 3 months after the final report was filed with Companies House.
Why am I interested?
Well, the Company Secretary [ who resigned on 14 February 2012, having been company secretary since July 2009] was none other than our friend and former resident in Castle Grant, Grantown-on-Spey, Craig Whyte.
RFC of 1872 entered Administration on that day : dissolution is still to come!
have I been cancelled BP?
Bordersdon
Certainly not. Can you expand a bit?
upthehoops
4th December 2021 At 21:01
0 0 Rate This
Will the BBC have the head of Refereeing on every week to discuss goals that are borderline in terms of offside? If not, why not, because such goals are scored every week? Why is this the first time this season this has happened? Why was the Referee Chief not on after Celtic played Hearts at Tynecastle to explain why a perfectly good Celtic goal was wrongly disallowed for offside? Why was he not on to explain why when Rangers beat Motherwell earlier in the season with a BLATANTLY offside goal, that the goal was allowed? BBC want Celtic fans money, but otherwise we don’t exist. We get virtually zero representation on Sportsound or Sportscene.
@@@@@@@@
Very good points there UTH. I listened to bits of Radio Scotland yesterday and was bemused that the Head of Refereeing had shown up.
I look forward to his presence for every “controversial” refereeing decision over the rest of 21/22 season.
Otherwise – why appear yesterday?
‘dom16 5th December 2021 At 09:58
Very good points there UTH. I listened to bits of Radio Scotland yesterday and was bemused that the Head of Refereeing had shown up.
I look forward to his presence for every “controversial” refereeing decision over the rest of 21/22 season.
Otherwise – why appear yesterday?’
::
::
I suppose (but don’t know, of course!) that Crawfie had been lined up to comment on/explain the groundbreaking, earth-shattering SFA/SPFL VAR news (yawn!).
A churnalist then asked him about something else. Isn’t that how it works?
::
::
Hugh Keevins is 72. He’s probably a bit old for a man-crush, but he’s still up for a bromance!
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gio-van-bronckhorst-distinguished-rangers-25616145
A laughable piece of arslikhan, succulent lambery that most editors would wince at, but not the Record/Mail. We really do get the press we deserve…
The heat on Sevco receiving favourable treatment has been growing all season, which in itself has been a catalogue of bizarre and unexplainable decisions by our whistlers. This has come on the back of previous seasons were keepers could be bundled into their own nets, red cards meant staying on the pitch, celebrating Hibs fans chased off it, and Covid criminals could serve their sentences, when the injured returned…The dam walls were creaking.
So much so, opposition teams, fans, and pundits alike were becoming resigned to it, memes of hilarity choked fan-group websites, while the absence of VAR was foisted with the majority of the blame in the SMSM.
Then suddenly after an extremely marginal call favouring Celtic, WWIII erupts, every stone-chipper in the country receives his call-up papers, operation “Two-cheeks” swings into action, and the airways are subject to saturation bombing.
Coincidence?
Ladies and gentlemen, are we really so foolish to believe that a system, namely VAR, not even available to our game…..Is the cause of such howling injustices?
As a tool, it is only as effective as the grease-monkey holding the spanner.
upthehoops 4th December 2021 At 21:01
Somebody more cynical than me might suggest that only a Celtic supporter could transform a tale rooted in his club’s good fortune through preferential treatment by officials during a match blighted by his club’s odious supporter behaviour into one of victimhood.
As I’ve said many times on here – try supporting a ‘diddy team’ long term and you’ll soon appreciate that ONLY being the second most pampered club in Scotland is actually something to be grateful for.
Highlander 5th December 2021 At 17:58
I take your point Highlander, but not a Celtic fan I know wants “pampered”, let alone the perception of it. Without a certain amount of it, the arse only has one cheek, and nothing to hide behind.
Ask any Celtic fan or official, and all that is being asked for is a level playing field. A decent and just standard of refereeing, fair compliance outcomes, and a regulated level of FFP.
We agree on more than we disagree.
Corrupt official 5th December 2021 At 19:09
‘..A decent and just standard of refereeing, fair compliance outcomes, and a regulated level of FFP.
%%%%%%%%%%%
Yes, and we would expect that our governance bodies would strive to ensure that those things were achieved.
And I’m ready to believe that before 2012 the great majority of us believed that ,while an occasional individual office-holder and/ or elected board member may occasionally have succumbed to temptation to abuse his office, the Governance bodies were more at fault for their lack of vision and awareness of the need for serious adjustments/restructuring than for being lacking in integrity and honesty.
The 5-Way Agreement- still shrouded in the secrecy of a NDA – and the absence of any believable [ i.e truthful in relation to Law and fact and Articles of Association etc] explanation of how a dead football club, in Liquidation, can still be alive and kicking in the shape of a club that was newly created and admitted for the first time into Scottish Football in 2012,changed that perception.
In 2012 , Integrity and Truth were blown sky-high by a tissue of lies that embarrassed even those propagating the lies( having first told the truth in banner headlines)
The Governance bodies created a pernicious myth that dogs their every step today, 9 years on.
We CAN live with incompetence and inefficiency.
But no Sport can live with Untruth at its heart.
The Ibrox boards know the truth. Our Governance bodies know the truth.
Yet they both refuse to acknowledge the Truth.
Until they do so, or provide convincing evidence that Rangers Football Club plc of 1872 foundation did not go into Liquidation but had been successfully brought out of Administration by a CVA, or by paying ALL the debt it owed to its many creditors, they are living a lie.
And Scottish Football is very much the worse for it.
That is the charge.
And Insolvency legislation as applied to the facts, and the Articles of Association of the (2012) SPL and SFL, and of the SFA ,and the records of Companies House are the evidence and proof.
And mindless witterings by whomever about ‘the essence of things’ , the ‘whatness of a football club’ ,the’ things that make a football club, the fans, the what-it’s-all-aboutness’ are
just so much balderdash and nonsense.
RFC plc of 1872 was the shareholder in the SPL. It went bust. It had to surrender its share in the SPL. Without a place in a league it ceased to be a member of the SFA.
Full stop!
TRFC was founded in 2012, and admitted into the SFL and thereby gained for the first time membership of the SFA.
As said before, TRFC is not, could not possibly be, RFC of 1872.
According to Wikipedia , the festival dates back to 1643 , and . In part, the event commemorates the day Lyon was consecrated to the Virgin Mary(couldn’t possibly be anything to do with the venomous – in my eyes – response ).
https://www.rangers.co.uk/Article/club-statement-061221/3zhTfgjcOapPEuFLzcFpQo
paddy malarkey 6th December 2021 At 16:14
“.., the festival dates back to 1643 ..”
%%%%%%%%
Curiously,
From Planet EU:
“Lyon Festival of Lights starts on Saturday, 04 Dec 2021 and ends on Tuesday, 07 Dec 2021 and it lasts for 3 days. Lyon Bookings Book now and get the best price! Traditionally, every house in Lyon during this festival place candles along the outsides of all the windows to produce a spectacular effect throughout the streets…”
If the polis in Lyon can’t ensure that things are back to normal two days after the end of a ‘festival’ one would question their efficiency, n’est ce pas?
I suspect, though, that the local authorities may believe that many of the fans of TRFC were previously the fans of the now defunct RFC of 1872, and have some fears on that account.
Correction to my post of 16.14!
Planet EU seems to have given duff info, because the Lyon tourism page has
“From the 8th to the 11th of December 2021, for four evenings, Lyon will be celebrating light!
From 7 to 11 pm on the 8th and 9th of December, and 8 pm to midnight on the 10th and 11th of December.”
Apologies for not