Celtic have lost in the game immediately after three of their previous four European games, shipping nine points which could be crucial in determining the destination of the championship, so it was not surprising they were below par for much of the game yesterday. Fortunately, the Aberdeen goal came early enough to allow Celtic time to raise their game and respond.
How Celtic respond after European games will become even more crucial in the weeks ahead as they have visits to Motherwell, Dundee United and St Johnstone due after our next three Europa League games. Any slim championship aspirations will be extinguished in these games if Celtic are unable to improve performance for the league challenge.
Ally McCoist is defying early predictions and grinding out impressive results for Rangers, who will seldom have started the league with such an impressive defensive record. Six away wins from six games without conceding a goal is the kind of form it takes to win leagues.
Our more immediate challengers, Motherwell, dropped two points on Saturday, meaning we can go two points clear of them if we win our game in hand, however, the teams meet at Fir Park a week on Sunday (three days after Celtic play Rennes), in what looks like being a key game in our season.
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Graeme Macpherson, The Herald
CRAIG WHYTE seems like the kind of guy you could trust with a secret.
Even now, following last night’s BBC documentary that attempted to shed light on his life prior to becoming Rangers owner and chairman earlier this year, there is still much about him that remains unknown.
It is rare for any public figure to retain an air of mystery in this age of celebrity culture where even the most banal of facts can be quickly ascertained and then widely disseminated via internet forums and social networking sites.
Whyte, though, has so far managed to keep prying eyes out. And he clearly prefers it that way. Since taking over the club six months ago he has rarely granted interviews to the media, and even then it soon becomes apparent that there are matters that are strictly off limits.
Not the garrulous type, at least not with a tape or microphone under his nose, his responses to questions about his personal life – be it about his wealth, business record, or favourite holiday destination – are usually met with a polite smile and the briefest of responses. It forces you to arrive at one of two conclusions.
Either Whyte has something to hide, as the BBC claimed through some of their findings, or he simply believes a man is entitled to a private life, and how much he has in the bank or how he fared earlier in life are nobody’s business but his own.
As a sort of pre-emptive strike, Whyte granted an interview to STV ahead of the BBC’s “prejudiced muck-raking exercise”, as Rangers called it, in an attempt to get his retaliation in first. Put to him that his Wikipedia page claims he has sufficient wealth to be considered a billionaire, he again elected to give nothing away. “That didn’t come from me,” he replied quickly. “I’ve never commented on my personal wealth and I’m not going to start commenting on it now.”
On other matters he was marginally more expansive. Whyte would have been aware of the gist of the BBC documentary at the time of speaking to STV, as it later emerged that he and his legal team had been asked to comment on the allegations, most of which they firmly denied.
It prompted him to come out fighting in an attempt to protect his reputation. “I’ve got nothing to hide,” he added. “I’m sure the [BBC] programme will no doubt make various allegations and it’s maybe not going to be flattering about me. But I’ve got nothing to be ashamed of. Ultimately my track record speaks for itself. I’m the chairman and owner of Rangers. I’ve done a lot more successful deals than deals that haven’t worked out.”
What is undeniable, however, is that Whyte’s brief tenure as chairman and owner has been riddled with problems, some inherited and others that have emerged after buying out Sir David Murray’s majority shareholding.
From directors resigning and pursuing legal action against the club, to the tax case involving HM Revenue and Customs that could potentially thrust Rangers into administration, it has been far from plain sailing for Whyte in his first job in football. His motivation for buying Rangers is still unclear, but he revealed he had no regrets about doing so. “Do I regret not walking away during the bidding process? No. There are days when there are challenges and it’s tough,” he said. “There’s a big job to do here and somebody has to sort it out. I’m the guy to do that.”
Alastair Johnston, the former Rangers chairman who was scathing about Whyte’s credentials in the documentary, once famously described the potential tax liability from HMRC as being like having “a gorilla in the room and you don’t know what its appetite is”.
Prior to last night, it was almost universally accepted that Rangers would appeal should the court find in favour of HMRC but Whyte hinted that may not be the case. “It would be impossible for any business to operate under this level of public scrutiny with that tax debt hanging over it, dragging on for months and years to come. It might be better for everybody involved with Rangers if a conclusion is reached as soon as possible.”
While administration looks likely in those circumstances, Whyte ruled out the worst case scenario should the club be landed with a sizeable tax bill that it cannot pay. “I’m not saying administration is inevitable, and it’s not something we want to see happening. We’re doing actively all we can to avoid it. But there’s no chance of Rangers going out of existence, no chance whatsoever.”
Whyte has promised to settle Rangers’ £18m debt, currently residing with his holding group, should the club win the case. Yet that decision to pay off a debt he inherited from the previous regime would not be an altruistic gesture.
“The debt is not going to be converted into equity, which would dilute the shares of the other shareholders. The debt will effectively be written off,” he said. “That will be my money that writes it off. I own a fantastic asset and a business that, once it’s been restructured, I think will be very valuable. So it’s not an act of charity.”
Whyte is not a loquacious self-publicist in the manner of his predecessor but he is not averse to blowing his own trumpet quietly when the occasion warrants it. “I understand people’s concerns [about his background and ability to do the job] but I’ve stepped up to the plate. When judgement is passed in years to come I think people will see I have taken the business forward and sorted out the issues.”
greenjedi 25 October, 2011 at 12:14
“I am a Celtic fan first, second and last!”
And they are Celtic haters first, second and last. It doesn’t matter where they do it.
kitalba – CRAIG WHYTE seems like the kind of guy you could trust with a secret.
But not with money. (thumbsup)
“Whyte is not a loquacious self-publicist in the manner of his predecessor but he is not averse to blowing his own trumpet quietly when the occasion warrants it.”
Must be very supple….!
TTTT
TTTT, now, now, laddie!!!
TTTT
Always wondered where the phrase ‘getting the horn’ came from.
kitalba – Put to him that his Wikipedia page claims he has sufficient wealth to be considered a billionaire
Edited by Wikipedia user: Mullet & Co (thumbsup)
“The debt is not going to be converted into equity, which would dilute the shares of the other shareholders. The debt will effectively be written off,” he said. “That will be my money that writes it off. I own a fantastic asset and a business that, once it’s been restructured, I think will be very valuable. So it’s not an act of charity.”
Auld Neil Lennon heid says:
25 October, 2011 at 11:48
voguepunter says:
25 October, 2011 at 11:43
and Maribor.
and Falkirk.
play
philvisreturns says:
25 October, 2011 at 12:26
If I was not such a secrative guy my wiki-page might describe me as a zillionaire. Then again it might just abbreviate that to… bum.
kitalba – “The debt is not going to be converted into equity, which would dilute the shares of the other shareholders. The debt will effectively be written off,” he said. “That will be my money that writes it off. I own a fantastic asset and a business that, once it’s been restructured, I think will be very valuable. So it’s not an act of charity.”
“It’s a proprietary strategy. I can’t go into it in great detail.” – Bernie Madoff, on being asked about his business strategy in 2001. (thumbsup)
VP- I thought it was Peter Cook and Dudley Moore :0
Greenjedi
I would tend to agree that you couldn’t really change teams..
But if you are an Orc and havent married well that means you stay at home and have more subjection to misery. HA ha ha ha
Bada
You’re a bit aulder than me,I’ve never heard of those guys :O)
kitalba – If I was not such a secrative guy my wiki-page might describe me as a zillionaire. Then again it might just abbreviate that to… bum.
Still, you’ve got to admire the Glasgow Herald’s commitment to investigative journalism.
The hack looked at Wikipedia and then asked Craig Whyte if he was a billionaire. When Whyte refused to give him a straight answer, the hack immediately dropped the question.
Woodward and Bernstein stuff. (thumbsup)
philvisreturns says:
25 October, 2011 at 12:33
It’s a pity that after the hack dropped the question somebody with a wee bit of integrity didn’t find it.
MWD
If you’re there …
I’m one of the 2 per cent who voted yes. I’d love to lord it over The Rangers Club or Ready Rangers Utd, welcome them to the SPL, ask them if they need any help on running a club etc.
Estadio
If the schackles were off the cross border affiliation do you not think that Celtic would be invited to the top table by the likes of Barcelona rather than left behind with the Wigans etc?
In fact the way I see it Celtic would be one of the inviting parties rather than an invitee. The perception of no football competition or Celtic as we know it without der hun is an utterly depressing one. Many, if not most of our best historical moments do not have der hun in the report. European nights and glory can fill the void. Death to the hun would see us win the war, not just the famous battles of 7-1, 6-2 or 10-men-win-the-league, and the Celtic movement moves on to a brighter future.
kitalba – It’s a pity that after the hack dropped the question somebody with a wee bit of integrity didn’t find it.
Trying to find a man of integrity in the Scottish press is like trying to find an Airdrieonian whose parents weren’t related before they got married. (thumbsup)
Bed time for me and if the sun comes up tomorrow I’ll still be a Celtic Supporter. I wonder if the huns have the same confidence about they and them.
Does this synopsis of a film on TV today sound familiar?
” A teenage secret agent uncovers a sinister computer plot by an apparently philanthropic billionaire. ”
JJ
philvisreturns says:
On the subject of shadowy characters you could do worse than read Fintan O’Toole’s ‘Ship of Fools’.
Considering that in recent years we have had on our board ‘Not a shot fired in anger John Reid’ donors to the Tory Party and public signatories to letters applauding its welfare benefit cuts, perhaps we should be a little circumspect in questioning the character of those associated with an other football club.
BK – if European football is re-structured, which is our best hope of being freed from SPhell, then I really can’t see us being invited to any top table.
Along with the Portugese and Benelux clubs, we would be asked to join a lower tier with a chance of promotion to the top league some time in the future. An infinitely better proposition then our current death by a thousand cuts.
HH
TTTT
Sadly I fear if Newco came to pass, they would go for RFC 1690 or something similar as a name.
quonno 25 October, 2011 at 12:43:
Stop getting so defensive over rangers, you’ll get a reputation.
Barca and their like know we are one of the Clubs with a truely major global support.
In terms of world wide support we are easily in the top half of the 10 biggest clubs.
Celtic, Barca, Man U, Liverpool, Milan, Inter, Juve & Real have a proper and real fan base, the others are just a passing fad.
greenjedi I fear if we joined a league like that we could be the first ones relagated, then where do you go?
Newco should be called FEIGNgers.
The Honest Mistake (Sickened) says
Telling it as it is is hardly the same as being defensive about anything.
The litmus test for my posts is. Are they accurate?
Kittoch
Who says there would be relegation?
TTTT
I agree with BK here.
Celtic are a massive draw globaly, I assume that with reconstruction a new TV deal would be put in place, and this is where we would be up with the big boys.
The likes of Chelsea and Man City are only big draws in england cos they are winning, they do not have a global draw.
Celtic are unique, and the rest of the football world know it.
It may not happen in my life time, but it will happen.
jinky v john greig
Best moniker on here for a while mate.
The Honest Mistake (Sickened) says
A wee thought. When was the last time I actually used the word Rangers?
quonno 25 October, 2011 at 12:50:
You do know that you can tell it is or rather how you perceive it to be without defending rangers?
Mort
company law ….a sure fire cure for insomnia
without doubt the worst subject i studies at uni …………………snorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre
quonno 25 October, 2011 at 12:52:
Just a minute ago.
TET – I hope we see it in both our lifetimes.
I wouldn’t have any qualms about not going straight into a top division, as I think we could take a couple of years to complete the stadium and build a proper squad prepared for the modern game….unlike the present one!
HH
TTTT
TTTT
Interesting take on it. I disagree just because I think the criteria set will not be based on recent success, I think based on infrastructure and ‘brand’ we are top table every day of the week.