Blogging on the move right now but want to pass comment on one part of the statement by Aberdeen chairman, Stewart Milne. As he confirmed his club would place the fifth and decisive vote against Sevco being allowed access to the SPL next season he said:
“Reorganisation of the game is a priority and is something we have been actively involved in for a long time, but it is not something that should be rushed through just to deal specifically with one club.
“As we have indicated there are a number of other areas that we feel need to be addressed openly in the coming period if Scottish football fans are to feel that their views have been properly taken into account.”
Those well-paid executives who work for us and on Friday met to discuss a way to reorganise the league structure in the next couple of weeks should pay heed. As Mr Milne suggests, we are the game, not you.
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If the SFL vote goes against Sevco how much would it take to buy out Annan, or Clyde, or East Stirlingshire, and have their home games transferred to Ibrox.
Huns will have a plan ‘B’, ‘C’,’D’………’X’, ‘Y’, ‘Z’. To lose Ibrox gates for a year would be a sore one for whosoever got it in the goolies.
O.G.Rafferty on 26 June, 2012 at 10:19 said:
When’s payday Mr Green?
Oh, that is very soon… and a cash shortfall you say?
Maybe you could ask some friends, maybe in London, to help out?
Oh, you did but they aren’t interested you say?
No, it doesn’t sound good, and yes, I’d be worried too… maybe try and make some more friends?
Maybe abroad?
It is all a bit rushed Mr Green, isn’t it
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No money for wage this month OG ?
Kitalba – that may be a plan, however it falls down at the whole “buy” part. Mr Green is a tad low on the ol’ readies at the moment…
kitalba
Assuming someone could purchase Annan or a.n.other club and agree with the SFL that their home games would be played at Ibrox, I really don’t think they would get 40,000+ through the gates for home games and even if they did, they would have to charge 3rd division prices, say a tenner.
Opening a football stadium has costs in place in terms of policing, stewarding, electric etc. I’ve no idea how much it costs to run Ibrox but I do know that Croke Park (an 80,000 all seater stadium) needs 40,000 souls through the gates to break even.
Mort
And we used to laugh at the ole Brigton Butcher; at this rate he will not only be sponsoring thems he’ll own them too.
O.G.Rafferty on 26 June, 2012 at 10:08 said:
One insolvency event, unfortuntate… but two? It’s deja vu all over again…
As Oscar Wilde put it.
To lose one parent is unfortunate. To lose two is carelessness.
Meanwhile at the Euro’s the ole Portuguese semi final tactics have been leaked.
Some speculation on here yesterday of something big coming out today, I assume it wasn’t the crown prosecution?
The Raven, 10:25
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…
RogueLeader:
Never stopped the huns in the past.
Mort:
If they were able to get the funding I don’t think there is any law in the land that could stop them from transfering their games.
I don’t know what their plans are and how many huns would fall into line wioth 12 on their backs, but they would be stupid beyond stupid if they didn’t have at least one more cunning (legal) plan.
The game is over, the Internet Bampots have won.
*in a Brian Dempsey voice*
RM huns think getting back to the old days of wearing blazers and not signing Catholics will help them moving forward. These people are beyond help.
Funny part though when some hun suggest playing the national anthem at the end of every game. Lets call them hun1,hun2 and hun3:
Hun 1:’National Anthem at the end of every game at Ibrox’
Hun 2: ‘Oh flower of Scotland COMON when will we see. Great idea.’
Hun 3: ‘He said National Anthem, not Regional’
Hun 2: ‘Ah you prefer a song about being a servant, rather than a song about being free from tyranny. Fair enough. Its not for me to censor your musical choices’
I like Hun2, think he’s just taken a wrong turn in life but there is hope for him:) Also like the guy who suggested the manager and players should all be suited and booted- I don’t think they’ll need fitba’ boots either pal.
HH
Ole Moses McNeil led Ragers into the wilderness
bournesouprecipe
Aye, and for 140 years.
With no royal city at the end of it …
FF
O.G.Rafferty on 26 June, 2012 at 10:38 said:
The Raven, 10:25
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…
what the dickens is happening today?
I wonder how David Murray feels today, does he still feel on top of the world, A no1 top of the heap?
I wonder if any of his old pals still call for a chat about the good old days when they spent a tenner for every fiver Celtic spent?
I wonder if he’s expecting a tall dark stranger at his door?
One of my absolute favourites from the laptop loyal.
Say what you like about Sir David Murray – and many have, including this correspondent – but without him Rangers very likely would have been in the hands of the administrators 20 years ago.
Roddy Forsyth
08 Apr 2011
That fact has been lost, almost completely, in the coverage of the wearisomely protracted saga of Craig Whyte’s takeover bid.
The process of fulfilling Rangers’ potential as a major player in British football – arguably, the major player – at that time was not begun by Murray, of course, but by David Holmes, the club’s chairman when the controlling interest was held by Lawrence Marlborough, who had inherited it from the John Lawrence building group, which was founded by his grandfather.
Marlborough deserves credit for putting a stop to the boardroom squabbling that had repeatedly erupted amongst the most influential directors and for asking Holmes to identify ways to modernise Rangers on and off the field, a request that resulted in the appointment of Graeme Souness as manager. Murray, meanwhile, had tried to buy his hometown club but was rejected by the directors of Ayr United.
I phoned Murray soon afterwards to suggest that Kilmarnock were a club who could do with a bright young entrepreneur to push them forward but he replied that if he could not gain control of Ayr, he would leave football alone. He was, he said, more of a rugby man anyway.
Two crucial circumstances changed his attitude and set him on course to acquire Rangers. One was that Marlborough, who was based in Nevada, found it inconvenient to run the club’s affairs from several thousand miles’ distance.
The other was that Robert Maxwell began to let slip that Rangers might be an interesting acquisition. Maxwell had bought Oxford United in 1982 and saved them from going to the wall but he had to back off a proposed merger with Reading when the plan caused uproar amongst both sets of fans.
He tried to buy the controlling stake in Manchester United in 1984 but would not meet Martin Edwards’ price and finally he bought into Derby County in 1987. The word amongst Maxwell’s associates, though, was that he was after bigger game.
In the summer of 1986, Maxwell and Souness made back-to-back headlines. Maxwell had offered to take care of an estimated £4 million deficit for the running of the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh, which had been hit by a boycott of African countries.
In fact, he wrote to Margaret Thatcher threatening to put the organising body into liquidation, unless the Government subsidised it by £1 million. The Prime Minister refused and it was subsequently disclosed in official documents that Maxwell had never put more than £250,000 into the Games in any case. By the time the event was under way, however, Maxwell’s eye had been caught by the publicity surrounding Rangers as Souness began to make high-profile signings like Terry Butcher, then captain of England.
When, two years later, it became known that Marlborough’s enthusiasm for running Rangers from afar was waning, Maxwell sniffed an opportunity. Souness, though, also heard that Maxwell was on the prowl and called Murray to suggest he get in first. Murray obliged and the rest is a chapter of history that is evidently edging to a close.
It is worth considering Rangers’ likely fate had Souness not made that call. Rangers were able to take advantage of English clubs’ exclusion from European football after the Heysel disaster to attract top-name players – like Butcher, Chris Woods and Richard Gough – for remarkably favourable prices. At the end of Souness’s first season in charge he had signed nine players and released 15 for a total transfer outlay of an astonishingly low £1.725 million, although the spending soon soared, as did the wage bill.
When Murray took over, the club was valued at £7.6 million, taking into account a capital debt of £8 million with an annual interest charge that ate up the £1 million annual income from the Rangers Pools. So what would Maxwell have gained from Rangers had he beaten Murray to the purchase?
Well, by 1989 Cap’n Bob – as he had been dubbed by Private Eye, who also called him the Bouncing Czech, much to his annoyance – urgently needed favourable publicity and money in equal measure. Burgeoning debts had forced him to sell a large part of his publishing business for over £400 million.
What was not known – although one or two warning voices had begun to be heard – was that Maxwell was busily looting the pension funds of 32,000 employees on a colossal scale to maintain the share price of his stock in the Mirror Group. By the summer of 1989, six months after Murray took charge at Ibrox, Rangers announced sponsorship deals worth £9 million and embarked on a scheme to sell debenture seats to spectators in an extra tier of the Main Stand, at £1,600 a pop.
It is impossible to imagine that Maxwell – with his habit of appointing placemen to the boards of the companies he ran – would not have attempted to lay his own hands on Rangers’ cash in his mounting desperation to avoid exposure. In the event, the Cap’n was found bobbing in the Atlantic swell off the Canary Islands 18 months later, in 1991.
Soon afterwards all of the companies he owned were declared bankrupt. Had Maxwell, rather than Murray, purchased Rangers from Marlborough, the club would have gone into financial meltdown two years before Celtic’s family dynasties brought the Parkhead club to within minutes of bankruptcy, prior to the buy-out by Fergus McCann.
Of course, had Rangers been pillaged by Maxwell, Murray might have got the Ibrox club for a knock-down price, but he would also have been that much more likely to have had competition – assuming, of course, that his interest in acquiring the club had been maintained. Meanwhile, the quote that has rebounded on Murray more than any other is the notorious pledge that for every £5 spent by Celtic, Rangers would spend £10.
The cost of that promise is still being measured by Craig Whyte and Lloyds Bank. Nevertheless, it translated very well into the language football fans understand above all others – success.
Under Murray, Rangers’ trophy record, in comparison with Celtic’s, is as follows: Scottish championship 15-7, Scottish Cup, 9-6, Scottish League Cup 11-5 – in total 35-18 in Rangers’ favour. Had Murray taken over at Ibrox a month earlier, incidentally, it would have been 36-18 – exactly the same ratio by which he vowed to outspend the other half of the Old Firm.
It seems, in that respect at least, that Murray got his money’s worth out of Rangers. And all because Ayr United didn’t think he had much to offer them.
O.G.Rafferty on 26 June, 2012 at 10:19 said:
When’s payday Mr Green?
Oh, that is very soon… and a cash shortfall you say?
Maybe you could ask some friends, maybe in London, to help out?
Oh, you did but they aren’t interested you say?
No, it doesn’t sound good, and yes, I’d be worried too… maybe try and make some more friends?
Maybe abroad?
It is all a bit rushed Mr Green, isn’t it…
—————————————
Can you imagine the phone calls?
Investor 1″hello charles,how are you?”
Chuck “Im good thanks ,any chance of investing say £8m in a football club”
Investor 1 “whats the return on the investment,future income streams,guarantees,exit strategy,charles?”
Chuck “Erm….well theres no license to play any where yet,no season tickets so far,but fingers crossed on that one,Alistair is still here so thats good,isnt it?limited squad if any ,and looks like no return on your investment…what do you think,I need the money by thursday by the way….
Investor 1 Click
Chuck….” hello….hello…..”
Here’s a list….
It contains the names of people who have consistently called every aspect of this Rangers saga wrongly
Jim Traynor
Chic Young
Darrell King
Keith Jackson
Iain King
Dingwall
David Edgar and his sidekick
Doncaster
Jack Irvine
OldGold
6 of these are salaried to bring accurate information into the public domain. They haven’t brought information , they have all pedalled an agenda. Each and every one of them has failed. That’s why Traynor is so bitter. He realizes he has no influence. He is as busted a flush as his former dinner companion Dodgy Dave. The idea that Traynor still receives public funds from the BBC is as offensive as Ogilvie still being in power at the SFA
The others are just guilty of stupidity and arrogance. Jack and OldGold, they probably are one and the same, are becoming increasingly desperate. They don’t know any other way than lies, misinformation and threats. That currency is about as useful as the Lira nowadays .
The “Rangers ” fan representatives have been a source of entertainment in what should be a tragedy but has long since turned into a comedy farce. Edgar and his sidekick have provided a permanent reminder of the arrogance that was at the root cause of their downfall. Their podcasts have to surely have a best of clip put together by a fanzine of another club.
” Celtic fans are creaming themselves about Rangers going into administration ” …….” not going to happen says Edgar……never will says the sidekick
“Rangers will never be liquidated” ………never going to happen says Edgar, never ever says the sidekick
“Rangers will be in the SPL” …….you can take that to the bank says Edgar, absolutely says the sidekick
I’m not quite sure what Dingwall says, as he appears to have problems putting together a cogent sentence that does not include derogatory terms about his hate list……
However there are also good guys to have come of this……..
The blog community, this one , RTC and many others, who knew there was corruption afoot and would not let in lie uncovered
Mark Daly
Jim Spence
The STV guys and also many BBC reporters
Journalists such as Tom English and John McGarry
Chapeau to all of you, and to others who have been resolute in lobbying for the truth to out, and for justice and fairness to prevail…….
Jim Spence was bang on the other day when he said fans and new media had brought about this situation. Things have changed forever and Traynor and his ilk know it……….
Good morning from a bright Cleveleys home of the Vmhan.
First job nice little run up here.
kitalba –
The whole plan was predicated on the sale of season tickets, but nobody is buying them. The funds from the sale of season tickets previously sold is sitting in the Administrator’s bank account, because Sevco don’t have a bank account.
They couldn’t afford to buy St Anthony’s never mind Annan Athletic.
Charles Green’s confirmation in the various press reports this morning that Sevco FC needs to apply for membership of the SFA is an important acknowledgement that the timeline of Rangers has come to an end as far as the SFA is concerned.
Technically, it means that Sevco cannot register football players until such times as it is admitted to membership, which makes the position with regard to the transfer of players from RFC to Sevco all the more difficult to justify. With funding issues, cashflow problems, few if any fans, no players to play and no competittions to play in, it is reasonable to consider that Sevo will not be hosting competitive football matches any time soon.
The Criminal Investigation into the takeover of RFC plc last year, together with the investigation by BDO into the club’s affairs going back a number of years, might well yet result in the purchase by Sevco being challenged and reversed.
In essence, Sevco are pretty much FUBAR 2 FC.
The fans of our and every other club in the country have been overwhelmingly clear that Sevco FC has no place in Scottish football on merit, and therefore no place in the Game. This incudes fans in the SFL whose ideas of sport, merit and integrity pretty much reflect those of the SPL fans. The surprise is that the people at the SFA trying desparately to conceive of some way to save Rangers have overlooked this fundamental flaw in their panic.
The ‘Regan Plan’ to create a two tier Professional league and a two tier Community league requires the membership of both the SPL and the SFL to vote to approve it.
In the SFL’s case, the proposal needs a 75% majority in the first instance to change the rules on reorganising or dissolving the SFL, which currently requires a 12 month period of notice.
In the SPL’s case, and changes to the Articles or of SPL Rule C relating to distribution of revenues requires a 90% majority to approve. with only 11 currently eligible SPL members, 90% means all 11 clubs voting in favour. Stewart Milne’s statement yesterday indicates this is somewhat unlikely to occur.
Point of al this being…
…the SPL clubs, however unlikely it may have seemed only 6 weeks ago, have collectively decided to take the overwhelming view of the fans on trust.
It is over to the fans now to reciprocate the trust placed in them by the clubs, and back their teams in big style.
Jim Spence has tweeted about the collapse of newco apparently, can’t get on to check…
South of Tunis @10.12
It’s no surprise that England have failed once again in a big tournament – the players just don’t have the ball skills or the passing game, it’s the foreigners who dominate the EPL.
Watching Andrea Pirlo last Sunday evening as he faced up to the unsporting demented antics of Joe Harte reminded me of the famous tv ad for Hamlet cigars. Happiness Is Pirlo as he nonchantly lights up a cigar and steps up and taps the ball past the English goalie.
If they can’t play football this coming season, Mr Charles is just the fellow to lead Sevco to greatness after a short quiet period.
I think he can.
I think it will look and sound something like this.
We’re back
O.G.Rafferty on 26 June, 2012 at 10:38 said:
The Raven, 10:25
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…
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OG……….you’ve lost me ! ! ! ( not hard i know )
Raith Rovers statement: http://www.raithrovers.net/3766/statement-of-board-of-directors.htm We need much more of this.
Raith Rovers FC continues to closely monitor developments in the saga of who will replace the liquidated Rangers within Scottish football.
As proud members of the Scottish Football League, we may soon be called upon to consider proposals for the way forward not only in relation to any vacancy that may arise in our league but also in respect of the future construction of the game in Scotland.
Whilst we retain an open mind on the subject of league reconstruction, and will carefully consider any proposal put to us by the SFL board in this regard, the board of directors of Raith Rovers FC is unanimous in its view that we shall certainly not cast our vote in favour of any integrated plan that in our view compromises sporting integrity by involving the admission of any ‘Newco’ directly into Division One.
Raith Rovers FC
Raith Rovers FC continues to closely monitor developments in the saga of who will replace the liquidated Rangers within Scottish football.
As proud members of the Scottish Football League, we may soon be called upon to consider proposals for the way forward not only in relation to any vacancy that may arise in our league but also in respect of the future construction of the game in Scotland.
Whilst we retain an open mind on the subject of league reconstruction, and will carefully consider any proposal put to us by the SFL board in this regard, the board of directors of Raith Rovers FC is unanimous in its view that we shall certainly not cast our vote in favour of any integrated plan that in our view compromises sporting integrity by involving the admission of any ‘Newco’ directly into Division One.
http://www.raithrovers.net/3766/statement-of-board-of-directors.htm
Traditionalist – nothing on Twitter from Jim.
johann murdoch, 10:56
Phone calls bad, face to face… even worse. Tomorrow could well bring out the Jack Bauer in him if what I hear is the case …
Barcabhoy on 26 June, 2012 at 10:56 said:
And this is where Jim Spence differs from the others. I get the impression he goes out and speaks to fans in person regularly. Traynor on the other hand (perhaps jaded by too many years on your call) gives the impression that he’s above and superior to them.
I’ve always liekd listening to Jim Spence, he sounds like le loves football, it’s not just his payroll.
Did Bain ever win his case? This was the beginning of the end when the polis showed up and spotted some interesting documents regarding third party payments.
By James Traynor
RANGERS chief executive Martin Bain Martin Bain is the chief executive of Scottish Premier League football club Rangers.
He was appointed chief executive by Sir David Murray in February 2005, having been at Rangers since 1996. plans to sue over claims he took pounds 150,000 in bungs during player transfers.
He was accused of pocketing the cash two years ago in an article in a French newspaper yesterday.
At the time, Gers were involved with agent Ranko Stojic in deals to bring Jean-Alain Boumsong and Dado Prso to Glasgow from French clubs. Bain and Stojic were involved in a property deal at the same time.
French authorities are investigating the allegations.
But Rangers owner David Murray David Murray said: “At no time has he acted illegally or improperly.”
Agents from the French police’s national division of financial investigations have visited Ibrox.
Furious Bain last night pledged to take legal action over the allegations in L’Equipe. The report claimed he had received payments amounting to pounds 150,000 from Serbian Stojic.
L’Equipe also suggested that Bain could find himself under investigation by French police.
French authorities have been probing deals involving Paris Saint Germain and Stojic.
Officers are said to have uncovered papers relating to relating to two payments made by Stojic to Bain on August 20, 2004, through Stojic’s account with the Rothschild Bank in Monaco.
L’Equipe also state a decision on whether or not to investigate these new findings had not yet been made.
As part of their investigation, French police also went to St James’ Park in Newscastle – where Boumsong moved after Rangers.
The Record understands Bain has confirmed to Murray that he was involved in a transaction with Stojic – to help him buy a house in France from a player on the agent’s books.
Bain said the deal helped him buy a property owned by former Chelsea and Manchester City player Laurent Charvet but he repaid the agent.
He has produced his bank statements which satisfied Murray as proof Stojic’s money was paid back in full.
But the timing of the transaction – during the period which saw Stojic clients Boumsong and Prso sign for Rangers – raised suspicions among the French revenue investigators, which led them to focus on Bain.
In a statement, Murray said: “An article appeared in L’Equipe today concerning a financial transaction between Rangers chief executive Martin Bain and Ranko Stojic.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I was made aware of this transaction in advance of it proceeding.
“It related to the purchase of a house in France by Martin Bain which belonged to a player, Laurent Charvet, represented by Mr Stojic.
“I am satisfied that all matters were carried out in the correct manner.
“This was a personal matter entirely unrelated to Martin’s responsibilities to the club and at no time has he acted illegally or improperly.”
Bain’s lawyers, Levy & McRae, warned other papers not to repeat the allegations, pointing out “they are completely without foundation”.
Bain joined Rangers’ commercial staff in 1996 and was appointed director of football business in 2002.
The 38-year-old was made a club director the previous year and is only Rangers’ fourth chief executive.
French magistrates have been trying to clamp down on corruption in their game.
In particular they are scrutinising 19 deals and, like UEFA , they are worried about football being used for money laundering The process of taking the proceeds of criminal activity and making them appear legal.
Laundering allows criminals to transform illegally obtained gain into seemingly legitimate funds. .
I’m satisfied matters were carried out in the correct manner’
“whats that skippy…..chuck…. has fallen down the well with…….. no money?”
DeniaBhoy
Sorry, it was a tweet from yesterday someone on fb was referring to:
“bbcjimspence ‘On Newco. Don’t like to say I told you so, but I told you so.’
traditionalist88 on 26 June, 2012 at 11:01 said:
Don’t see anything from JS on twitter about it, not yet anyway, can’t be far away as it’s obvious Chas ain’t got the readies!!
Status and Transfer of Players & the Future of Rangers FC Players
It has been suggested that Rangers FC players are legally obliged to transfer their contractual responsibilities to a new company that would potentially participate in the competitions of the SFA and the SPL. I cannot stress enough how erroneous this contention is. I have recently explained, very clearly, the situation in an interview with the BBC and suggested that the Rangers players are fully protected not only by the law of the land, but also by FIFA’s regulatory framework.
There is no point in repeating the same arguments again. With the completion of the liquidating event, all rights and obligations of those contracted to the old company come to an end. There is no such thing as ‘transfer’ of contracts to a new company and such contention is to say, the least, oxymoron. Even if we were to accept the term ‘transfer’, such term would require the parties to create new contracts, as the new agreements would have to be between the same players and the NEW company. This is the underlying and fundamental reason for the protection of employees and the CHOICE they are given by the law. It is also a fundamental principle of contract law that no alterations to a contract are allowed, unless both parties have given a valid consent and have agreed to such alterations.
The players could of course decide to create NEW agreements with the new company and they could agree to have the same or similar terms as before. But they have A CHOICE. They could reject any new agreement, they could accept a new agreement with the same terms as before, or they could accept a new agreement with new terms. They are, therefore, not obliged to sign a new agreement with the new company if they do not wish to do so. In terms of football law, they become free agents. The standard SFA and SPL contracts incorporate a series of implied terms in relation to contract and employment statutory instruments, capable of protecting the rights of such players. It would be unnecessary to cite Bosman and the other case law from the European Court of Justice, as well as the ones from the Court of Arbitration for Sport and FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber and the Players’ Status Committee.
This is the reason that I find public comments, to the effect that there would be legal action against the Rangers players if they do not sign for the new company, not only erroneous, but also prejudicial and illogical. Even if the relevant court was to hear the argument that liquidation has not yet been effected and the players have to honour their contracts, such argument, with respect, is flawed and has no merits whatsoever. The players are contracted with a club to offer services, in the form of playing football. Rangers FC is not playing any football at the moment and it is highly unlikely to play any football in the foreseeable future. There is no court in the land that would apply specific remedies against the players, either in the form of specific performance or an injunction. This would be in violation not only of the current law but it would go against public policy too.
It follows, therefore, that any legal action [I would hate to think that any lawyers would advice in favour of such course of action] against the Rangers players is bound to fail, before it would even begin. It would be frivolous, without merits and it would only serve to indicate that the wrong decision was taken. My experience from appearing before CAS and FIFA on similar matters, suggests that much and it allows me to produce the present opinion with certainty, clarity and confidence. We can never be certain regarding the likelihood of success on a legal matter, but the present jurisprudence from the aforementioned legal forums, should allows us to be extremely confident.
Dr. Gregory Ioannidis
There was a fair bit of traffic here and elsewhere yesterday morning that Tuesday would bring a ‘big’ story – Not sure how much bigger things can get, but here’s hoping…