The BBC report that police in England detained four men in early morning raids in relation to an inquiry into the purchase of Rangers by Craig Whyte (not one of the four) from Sir David Murray. This one has been a slow burner so far and although this is a significant step, there are still many layers to be unpicked. It’s been three years since I heard of what was going on in the dying days of Rangers, this step seemed inevitable, but as the years passed I wondered if anything would happen.
Please remember this is a serious legal proceeding, so act appropriately here and elsewhere online. Failure to do so could prejudice future prosecutions – and we don’t want to do that. No speculation on who is involved and what they may have done.
Why are we reading that the European Commission confirmed Celtic did not benefit from state aid? Good grief, if six of you get together and badgered someone into checking if Ronny Deila is in the Norwegian Red Brigade, would anyone subsequently report this nonsense?
Absurd fantasies being denied is not news, unless you’re analysing the absurd fantasists.
I see there are complaints aimed at Ibrox that they are “giving away the family silver to keep the lights on”.
What kind of fool has silver in the drawer but can’t put money in the meter? Football clubs, like all companies, have to keep the lights on and pay all creditors. If they cannot pay, they are legally obliged to sell assets. Failure to do so will result in the court appointing someone to dispose of those assets for them.
This is where Newco Rangers are now. The utter contempt for financial responsibility which has endured at Ibrox for over two decades, means that no one can afford to cherish whatever silver remains. It is perhaps even more futile to blame major shareholders for not accepting an offer to dilute their control and destroy shareholder value – which is an accurate description of Dave King’s recent approach.
Those shareholders were heralded a short time ago for putting their money where their mouths were when the legions of ‘Rangers men’ kept their hands in their pockets. Offering shareholders a deal which would jeopardise their chances of the financial return they expect was a waste of everyone’s time.
Newco is owned by people who have put tens of millions into it and who are looking for a financial return. Any forward plan has to recognise this reality. With trading conditions are severe as they are, the club will sell-off anything they have to compensate these shareholders and meet obligations to tax and trade creditors. Costs will be cut, and if income subsequently falls, cut again.
Having checked out Burton’s online this morning I think I’ve got Christmas sorted. I really hope we see the Sports Direct ‘flash mob’ protests deployed at another of Britain’s major retailers. They are up there along with State Aid campaigns as a productive use of time and energy by people with unparallelled levels of vision and clarity, who really need more focus more/tone down the hissy fits.
I’ve never been one for patriotism but if you’re off to Celtic Park tonight, remember to sing both anthems in the battle of the Celtic nations. This advice may change on Tuesday. It will be great to see Aiden, Shaun, David, Robbie, Martin and Gordon grace Celtic Park one more time. So many great memories…
You can get copies of Caesar & the Assassin, Billy McNeill and Davie Hay’s accounts of managing Celtic from Jock Stein’s departure until the appointment of Liam Brady, here. We’ve stopped taking orders for signed copies, which will only be available at author events going forward.
A CQN’er (and absolute star) has kindly donated two North Stand tickets to Tuesday’s Scotland-England game on Tuesday. He doesn’t want any money, but asked if I could get something for Mary’s Meals for them. Face value is £60 each. Email me before midnight tonight if you’d like them, celticquicknews@gmail.com
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Aw naw. Another referendum debate.
I’m ouutta here.
Bye.
I’m on major CQN catch-up at the moment, and decided to have a look at James Forrest take on the latest developments…….take a bow, James….amazing article in On Fields of Green…..a must read for anyone who hasn’t ‘read yet…….DYNAMITE indeed
http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/five-ways-to-hell/
Was in the jock stein upper with 2 irish mates over for the match. I havent been to a scotland game since east germany that shows you how long. We were in a small pocket of around 50 or so irish fans and elements of the “great tartan army” pelted us with objects during the first half. This led to increased security at half time. Near the end we had plod watching as one scottish fan spat at the irish fan on the way out and many trying to provoke the irish fans as they were leaving. The booing of the irish huddle and mcgeady certainty was not of the panto variey and it has been made worse by mcqueen and strachan who has gone down in my estimation. Scotland hasnt moved on one bit since I returned after 14 years. And my next scotland game will definitely be east germany!!!
The Booing of Aiden has turned into a referendum debate.
Wow!
Not soo long ago half of CQN and Celtic fans used to gee the boy jip at every opportunity. In fact in sure one or two old CQNers were lost to the blog over the shit storm the boy took on here. Must be some amount of bigots on CQN too.
Mentalists CSC
MWD said AYE
As I said last night,not a boo directed at Mc Lean.The Aiden booing was a carefully constructed SMSM campaign,which the moronic element in the Scottish support went for.
We know the majority are jealous of Celtic.They are Teuchters,nearly to a man.You could count the number of real hun bigots there on your two hands.
If Mc Geady played for Scotland,he would be cheered to the rafters,as was Broony at the last game.
Too much being made of this.Not an ounce of trouble between the fans.CQN,well some,trying their hardest to make it so.Throwing in their wee 45 jibes to try and pathetically make some point.Away and gies peace.
Ernie Lynch.
Don’t understand your point?
,
Didn’t see the game last night, but did see the goal. As someone who hates short corners even I have to say it was well worked. Nice touch by Broony and a lovely finish by the Malaysian born Scotsman. Not the first time he has found that corner of the net.
I was around the city centre in the afternoon and it seemed to be a friendly atmosphere with fans in green and blue milling around together. Wonder of it will be the same on Tuesday?
ernie lynch
09:46 on
15 November, 2014
sunny calmachie
09:34 on 15 November, 2014
So what does it say about Scotland, and the Scots, that the OO is such a pervasive presence?
As usual,trying to score some cheap points with very little facts.
The OO march the length and breadth of England,Liverpool,Nottingham,Manchester,to name a few.We also have Muslim extremists marching throughout the country.It is called democracy.We also have many Republican marches throughout Scotland.Because we dont like it,has no bearing on their right to march,or gather,or protest.
sunny calmachie sometimes it is debatable whether Ernie understands the point.Pointless to engage with him/her/it you must have more fulfilling things to do this lovelySaturday moning. Hail Hail Hebcelt
i was delighted for wee shaun scoring
after the malaysian fans booed him during the friendly in kaula lumpar last year because he chose to play for scotland instead of the land of his birth
in saying that he will now be out injured for 3 months because he kicked the ball too hard for the goal
The OO feel right at home here because Scotland is part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
They may only be 0.1% of the population but the other 54.9% have realised their ambition.
As I said yesterday Scotland is institutionally sectarian. She can’t help reacting to the Irish and catholics in that way. It’s ingrwined and the country is in utter denial.
I listened to salmonds speech yesterday. So he and his party intend to ignore the majority who voted against independence. How very disrespectful of him. Then again what else do I expect.
What a mess scotland is.
Hebcelt
I know what you mean,
But I’m at my maws waiting on my Breakfast being cooked, and thought,
maybe if I say that to E.L I could let him go on one of his big worded explanations.
us under educated call it verbal fishing,
thanks for the advice my friend.
Happy
Celticing. .
By the way………to all that say Charlie mulgrew is shit…..Charlie mulgrew can’t do this……Charlie mulgrew can’t play midfield …….you haven’t got a clue about football !!!!
Goldstar10 does that mean that 55% of the population are stupid and should be ignored? Wow modern scottish democracy rules……..
Just learned of young boy who died at CP last night.
Thought with his family.
MWD
Neganon2 enjoy the game and result last night? Hail Hail Hebcelt
Great goal last night by a wee favourite player of mine.
Just sat there taking it in and didn’t utter a thing.
Wasn’t planned or thought through.
I just don’t have it in me to celebrate a score against my Irish cousins.
HH jamesgang
Terrible news about that young lad last night
God love him and his family
nefanon2
ehhh,
in what way are they planning to ignore those people?
Tom McLaughlin – 09:21 on
“I know. Imagine sharing a nation with the sort of people who would . . . er . . . boo someone at a football match.
Bring back National Service for these people and teach them some manners.
‘Booing’ – you sure you didn’t mean rank abusive sectarian vitriol?
National Service might be just the answer right enough though, get them to sign up with the Swiss Guard at the Vatican for a 2 year stretch.
Grey and a clammy 21 degrees -way down south . If it rains it will monsoon.
Weekly email exchange of Hows things / Whats Up news and views with my Plaistow residing West Ham fanatic pal..
Seems he watched last nights football in a West Ham supporters boozer. Writes of some West Ham fans who were intending to go the game on Tuesday but now arent. Stated reason ———- learning that some real thing we like violence nut jobs from West Ham / Millwall are going . Not daft teenagers ———— hardcore violence is a thrill nut jobs . Seems those nut jobs wont be the only nut jobs on the streets . An England wide thing -a blast from the past.
neganon2- I know plenty of NO voters who now bitterly regret their decision. The empty promises from the Unionists is now coming home to roost. Labour will be routed in 2015 and 2016. This is not going to go away.
vinniethedog- Agreed.
More from On Fields Of Green…….
Their club teeters on the brink of total collapse, in the hands of men who have run it into the ground through a combination of hubris and greed. They stumble between signposts of crisis, flirting with The Second Death, lucky to have gotten this far, ever listening to the big ticking clock in the background, the one counting inexorably down.
Every now and again they buy a little more time … but these days they’re pretty much living hand to mouth. They are losing a million a month, an astonishing sum for a football club playing in Scotland, and this without the high profile players McCoist thinks they need to make them competitive again.
Their fans are divided into various opposing camps, with fantasists at their head. Some think Dave King is going to ride to the rescue. Others think it’ll be Walter Smith and a consortium of “Rangers minded men”. Others think Mike Ashley will suddenly discover philanthropy and start throwing money at them like it’s a scramble on a wedding day.
They are quite literally coming apart, with savage cuts on the way and people staging boycotts and taking part in tame publicity stunts like the one recently where fans walked into Sports Direct stores and piled up merchandise on the counter before offering the staff £1 for it, like Craig Whyte impersonators reliving the big meeting with David Murray.
For the last 12 months though, all of that has taken second stage for some of them as they’ve immersed themselves in land deal contracts in an effort to prove the Grand Conspiracy of Celtic and State Aid. That fantasy – for that’s what it always was – has come crashing down.
Look at these people for a minute. Try and wrap your brains around what they’ve been doing and what they’ve been up to. Try and climb into their wee world for a moment.
These are the people who’ve wrapped themselves tightly in the Union Jack at a time when more and more folk in this country are defining themselves as Scottish.
The biggest highlight of their year is an army recruitment day at their ground, at a time when the country is sick and tired of our troops being sent on military adventures. Their more hard-core elements support Britain and the armed forces on certain days and on certain others can be seen making the Nazi salute.
For a solid year now they have been going through the backgrounds of every single person they could identify as having been involved in land deals involving Celtic. Every second name has been scrutinised for signs of Irishness. They’ve gone through it all looking for the schools people went to and they’ve read through biographical information looking for connections to Celtic.
The Labour Party has been indicted because some of its parliamentarians have served on our board, so obviously they used their connections to get us preferential deals. The Scottish Government has been indicted because some of its senior members aren’t God fearing Protestants and they rubber stamped the deals. Glasgow City Council – all of it – is involved too, of course, because despite being multi-ethnic it is actually run by a clique of Catholics who all follow Celtic.
Some, in non-governmental agencies, were so keen to lend Celtic a helping hand they were happy to perpetrate a fraud against the tax payers, they were willing to write off millions of pounds for their own organisations and, of course, they did this in full awareness that they were putting their jobs and professional reputations on the line at the same time.
Senior politicians and NGO executives … risking their careers … to help their favourite football club.
The people “investigating” this make no effort to contain their bigotry and their hate and they look at the rest of the world through the lens of their own prejudices. They twist the shape of it into that of their own peculiar madness and for a while now they’ve been able to balance the shambolic state of something they care about with their fantasy of seeing something they hate brought low.
But the fact is, Celtic is an extremely well run organisation, built on the safest foundations, in rude financial health and with a board of directors who are thoroughly professional. Not only is there a good squad at the club, but substantial sums have been invested in the very infrastructure Sevco Rangers is going to need if it is ever to catch us.
That infrastructure includes the Celtic Triangle, and other properties which form the basis of these utterly bizarre claims.
That land is worth millions and Celtic have it all locked up tight. At the same time, Sevco Rangers’ infrastructure has been stripped to the bone and what little of it remains is tied up in the Albion Street carpark and in Edminston House. Both are now the security for Mike Ashley’s loans, and may not belong to the club for much longer.
The idea that Celtic could have accomplished all that it has legitimately, living within its means, sticks in the craw of those whose own club appears incapable of doing the same.
But the whole of Scottish football is moving beyond the club playing out of Ibrox; it is not only Celtic who are being prudently run, and striving for success at the same time.
Hearts and Hibs are on the road back to strength, as they restructure their finances and rebuild following their relegations last year. Hearts, in particular, having recovered from their own liquidation scare, look as if they are going to be a model of financial probity at the same time as they’ve got a young, talented manager who likes to see attacking football.
Aberdeen, fresh from last season’s successes, are about to become debt free, at a time when they too have a cracking young team and a talented coaching staff, and are starting to acquire a taste for winning again.
Dundee United have long been a brilliantly run team, with a youth system that seems to produce very good players with ease. Furthermore, they also take chances on promising youth players from elsewhere; their pursuit and capture of Charlie Telfer is a case in point.
At Ibrox they are borrowing money from a sports retailer, and giving up God knows what in collateral and security, just to keep on the lights.
One million a month in losses; say it again until it sticks, until it sinks in.
They have fourteen first team players out of contract at the end of this season, and at this point there is no money to renew them far less sign replacements. The club that was going to rely on youth has almost a dozen first team footballers who are over 30, their careers on the wane, earning salaries far in excess of their abilities.
What a mess they’ve allowed themselves to become.
Until last night, though, they could push all that aside, as they dreamed of the European Commission driving a wrecking ball through everything we have that they don’t.
The dream is over. Reality bites.
Their bigtory and hate pushed them to waste time they didn’t have and effort they couldn’t afford on pursuing a pipe dream that would not have made them stronger or taken away any of the issues that threaten to destroy them.
Instead it was about destroying us. That, to me, sums up exactly who they are. At a time when something they profess to love is being systematically dismantled, this is what they were putting much of their energy into and pinning their greatest hopes on.
Pathetic, and what makes it worse (or better) is that even now some of them are vowing to keep on digging, to find more avenues down which to attack us. The truth is, we’re too strong for them, with or without the friends in high places.
They really have no-one but themselves to blame for the dire state they are in.”
and why are the 55% getting pelters on here this morning?
they wouldnt have been interested in the game last night anyway so none of them would have been at the game or even watching it
but they will be tuned into eurosport just now cheering on great britain in the world weightlifting championship from khazakstan
so im away for a bit of snatch while they have a clean and jerk into their butchers aprons
Hi Hebcelt. I was driving down to England but listened to the game on the radio (while getting lost). It’s a great result and was pleased yes.
james forrest from on fields of green is simply supreme in his writings..the best since the late great paul mcConville
Fair play to the Aberdeen supporters for putting up the dosh
Debt free dons,hearts the same
Armageddon all right .for some anyway
NegAnon2
10:19 on
15 November, 2014
Goldstar10 does that mean that 55% of the population are stupid and should be ignored? Wow modern scottish democracy rules……..
The 55% of people who voted No,are some of them not ever to think,”I made a mistake”
If as looks likely,Westminster will not be delivering all they said the bribes to sway the undecided,would people not be entitled to change their minds.No one has said a new referendum next year,or the year after.If which looks more than likely,Scotland votes an SNP government next May,by a landslide,would that not be a hint,that the population,are having second thoughts?.
Or would you rather the people were ignored,as you tell us the 55% are being now.
Next May will be very interesting.
Turkeybhoy,
I think paolosboots (post at 9.57) found there was more than an “ounce of trouble” at the game, unfortunately.
dynafc67
10:35 on
15 November, 2014
james forrest from on fields of green is simply supreme in his writings..the best since the late great paul mcConville
Agreed.Superb.
Having watched last night’s game again, I’ve only one question: why can’t Mulgrew play like that in the SFPL, never mind in Europe. Best he’s played by a long stretch this season.
tom mclaughlin
09:08 on 15 November, 2014
Let me give my friends on CQN a wee insight into something my son was told while in Glasgow yesterday for the big game.
The SPFL are very keen to have the Celtic v Rangers League Cup semi-final played at Ibrox, as a neutral venue, with Celtic fans getting as near as possible an equal allocation of seats.
The other semi will be at Celtic Park.
They are apparently just waiting for the right time to announce it and are expecting a shit storm from Celtic supporters.
I think shit storm is a large underestimation of the furore that will ensue in the wake of such a decision.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
No Celtic Supporter should be going anywhere near that game….
Goldstar 10 in much the same way as scotland pretends it doesn’t have an anti catholic or Irish issue, independence votes are creating their own version of reality. They do so while simultaneously denigrating the majority of people who voted against independence. It seems their view doesn’t count any more.
This site has become an excellent example of cognitive dissonance. On the one hand decrying the sectarianism and on the other hand longing to allow the bigots to take over.
NegAnon2 thats better see how refreshing it can be posting football stuff on a – primarily – football blog . Leave your -and others – political stuff for political blogs please. Hail Hail Hebcelt
neganon2
Simplistic. Generalised. And wounding for Yes voting, bigotry recognising/hating, reasonable reconciliationists like myself.
But I forgive you all of that you auld bassa. Hope you’re well and thriving
HH jamesgang
Neganon2
I’m interested to find out how you know what ALL yes voters are thinking and how that affects their behaviour.
If your skill is transferable, there could be a very highly paid career for you.
dynafc67
10:35 on 15 November, 2014
Absolutely …….he is ‘SOME MHAN’….