Dark days of 2012 haunt Ibrox once more

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One of two things are going to happen:

Possibility One:

Dave King will say: “You ain’t got no problem, journos. I’m on the pot. Go back in there, chill them Bears out and wait for the £30m, which should be coming directly”.

Possibility Two:

Dave King will make some irrelevant, vacuous, comment, or make no comment at all, but he will NOT say “Chill them Bears out and wait for the £30m”, because £30m isn’t coming.

If option one happens, Newco has a future.  If anything but option one happens, they have no future.

They will need £10m to keep the lights on next season in the Championship – and that’s before any ambitions to improve the football operation.  Even more important than keeping the lights on, they need to find £5m to repay Ashley’s loan (yes, getting Intellectual Property off Mike Ashley is more important than staying out of administration).

That’s £15m loan or capital investment needed, on top of ticket sales and other income, to survive the next 12 months, without repaying any of the directors loans and without finding a budget for a better keeper than Cammy Bell.

If they find this money, and they win promotion next year, they will still have a deficit (even with the current player budget) in the Premiership.  £30m would be gone within two years, and that’s assuming the millions needed to be spent on the stadium is forgone for a while longer.

While King was building momentum to displace the last board, he was crystal clear about the level of ambition which was a minimum requirement for Newco: compete with Celtic.  He was prepared to spend his children’s inheritance, £30m, £40m, whatever it takes!

Now he’s not so verbose.

Last year he issued a statement asking “Does the [Newco] board agree it is unfair to ask fans to buy season tickets before they consider the business review?”  Now he’s ‘on the throne’ we’re hearing little about the club’s plans. It’s easy running a football club when you’re criticising the guys currently doing the job, it’s a whole lot harder when it’s you who has to make the decisions.

Mike Ashley’s EGM next week may be a welcome distraction.  Mike will be the bogeyman, but only for the permanently gullible (and there are lots of them).  His loan is modest compared to the size of the funding gap and it was known about before King urged shareholders to back him.

That Ashley is an uncompromising lender and holder of onerous contracts is no mitigation for King.  Ashley is that and more.  We knew this, King knew it when he told fans he was the man to turn things around.  He cannot act surprised now.

So is the £30m coming?  Even if King has the money, I can’t see it, it just doesn’t make sense.  Pouring £30m into a black hole, without merchandising rights for 7 years, without a realistic prospect of being competitive on the field, when the only reward is to survive long enough to pour in yet more millions, is lunacy.  The dark days of 2012 will haunt Ibrox once more.

It makes more sense to let the club go to the wall, let Ashley run off with the Rangers brands, make him the bogeyman, and use your money to bid for the stadium from the insolvency practitioner.  Four or five years down the line Govan United could be a top-flight team.  They may even be able to cut a deal with Ashley for rights to the ‘Rangers’ name, which despite all that’s gone on, still has some cachet.

I’m pleased to read Celtic on the front foot again this morning regarding the Offensive Behaviour’ Act. I’d hoped that when the baton passed from Salmond to Sturgeon the Scottish Government’s lunge in the direction of extraordinary police powers, and laws created after curious political considerations, would end. I gather a glimpse of doubt crept in around a year ago, as immediate political realities gave the Government reason to reconsider, but all such self-doubts have since been washed away.

Get used to the Act, police with guns on our streets as a matter of course, and ambitious aims for their authority.

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675 Comments

  1. TheLurkinTim on

    As for the so called Orangefest happening this weekend…..I’ve absolutely no problem with freedom of religious expression, but if your religious expression is fundamentally based on hatred then no way should the City of Glasgow have even considering granting a license for this to happen in the City Centre…..I urge anyone in the vicinity in Glasgow to bring any offensive singing/chanting to the attention of the police ( especially if they’re wearing the dead teams top )

     

     

    On the same topic, there had better be a full and open account on why it is that a flute band should be allowed to march in Edinburgh’s Cowgate on the same day that the James Connelly Society have organised a Commemorative Festival to honour this great man.

     

     

    Am so pissed off…..it seems that when the current entity playing out of Ibrokes is in it’s final death throws…..there is a concerted effort to promote its so called ” values and traditions ” Wtf century are we all living in?

     

     

    H.H. & KTF

  2. Philbhoy

     

     

    Best of the the young wan.

     

     

    HH

     

    …………………………….

     

     

    MacJay

     

     

    Rous, dearie me, I thought you would have researched him a bit more before you said he was sound.

     

     

    Apart from being a total racist, etc, etc, aye he may well have been sound :-)

     

     

    Seriously tho, you make a crackin point about video evidence, it’s been Blatter who has been the main driver against it, football needs radicly reformed imo, the money men will always call the shots, but ffs, a clean honest game on the pitch should be the goal first off, then clean up the administrators.

     

     

    Same for the game in scotland, I have said it since I can remember, sort the cheating on the park and the rest will take care of itself.

     

     

    HH

  3. GlassTwoThirdsFull on

    Don’t know why everybody is mocking the Drogba to Sevco rumours. Surely he’d be happy to link up again with their new manager, Jose Mourinho?

  4. Bearing in mind that Gordon Matheson was one of the first up to plead leniency for THEM on Administration Day, I have very little sympathy for Glasgow City Council.

     

    However, as I have posted at least today. With regards to Orangefest therei s nothing it or Holyrood can do to ban it.

     

     

    In the case of West Dunbartonshire Council I mentioned earlier, I believe that the police had objected to the Apprentice Boys March through Dumbarton and it still did no good.

     

     

    Regardless of how obnoxious we find these things, as long as we are in Europe with its Human Rights Court we will just have to stay out the way and grin and bear it

  5. quonno

     

     

    Aye, like a few seasons ago, when the dress rehersal draw was identical to the real draw.

     

     

    Something like 18k squillion to 1.

     

     

    HH

  6. leftclicktic on

    sipsini

     

     

     

    17:35 on 2 June, 2015

     

     

     

    Leftclick tic…

     

     

    Like this….

     

     

    Big Mad Shoe – YouTube

     

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7eGXEFUNS4

     

    Brilliant ,can I get to right ones please, thank you for making me smile:))))

     

     

    jamesgang & mike in toronto

     

    And you two aswell :))))

     

    roasters CSC

  7. A Ceiler Gonof Rust on

    With a bit of luck it will pish from the heavens all day long in Glasgow city centre on Saturday.

     

     

    Bedragled, miserable zombies are funny. I saw some last sunday before our game as they walked along Duke st. The poor wee zomboid children were not looking like they were enjoying the bigot fest.

     

     

    A very strong wind would also help.

  8. I could go on about Orangefests etc all night. However it gets the blood pressure up.

     

    To quote my admittedly ould lad before he died.

     

    The Sick, The Lame, and The Lazy.

     

    Off to bed to dream of it pishing down on Saturday.

  9. TheLurkinTim on

    Delaneys Dunky

     

     

     

    23:17 on 2 June, 2015

     

     

     

    Thelurkintim

     

     

    An orange flute band in Cowgate on Saturday??

     

    ————————————————————————-

     

     

    DD,

     

     

    The JCS put out a statement…..was posted on here earlier today…..check their website, sorry dude ;-((

     

     

    H.H.

  10. quonno

     

     

    Correction to previous post.

     

    23:21 on

     

    2 June, 2015

     

    I could go on about Orangefests etc all night. However it gets the blood pressure up.

     

    To quote my admittedly biased ould lad before he died.

     

    The Sick, The Lame, and The Lazy.

     

    Off to bed to dream of it pishing down on Saturday.

  11. Acgr

     

     

    Weather forecast is good for Saturday so hope they get burnt red raw and blister

  12. martybhoy59

     

    23:24 on

     

    2 June, 2015

     

    Acgr

     

     

    Weather forecast is good for Saturday so hope they get burnt red raw and blister

     

     

    Hopefully sweat will run down the sheughs of THEIR collective arses.

  13. Delaneys Dunky on

    Thelurkintim

     

     

    I am going through to Reekie on Saturday for the JCS event. Off to check their site. Thanks bud.

  14. TheLurkinTim on

    Delaneys Dunky

     

     

     

    23:26 on 2 June, 2015

     

     

     

    Thelurkintim

     

     

    I am going through to Reekie on Saturday for the JCS event. Off to check their site. Thanks bud.

     

    ——————————————————————-

     

     

    Aye a know yer going through……and encouraging everyone else to……rightly……but am sure someone posted a link to it earlier

     

     

    H.H.

  15. Keeping The Faith on

    Having read the Connolly society page it looks like there is a Republican band marching on Saturday not an Orange one.

     

    Celtic Commemoration Commitee?

  16. TheLurkinTim on

    macjay1 for Neil Lennon

     

     

     

    22:48 on 2 June, 2015

     

     

     

    TLT

     

    The opp. of…

     

    Syno….nyms.

     

    ………………………..

     

     

    Exactly…..contronyms ;-)

     

     

    H.H.

  17. TheLurkinTim on

    Keeping The Faith

     

     

     

    23:33 on 2 June, 2015

     

     

     

    Having read the Connolly society page it looks like there is a Republican band marching on Saturday not an Orange one.

     

    Celtic Commemoration Commitee?

     

    ………………………………………………………………………………..

     

     

    R U sure? to be honest they were being very diplomatic about freedom of expression…..maybe I picked it up wrong and they wern’t wanting it hijacked by Republicans?

     

     

    H.H.

  18. From the Sevco website this evening………

     

     

    Why have season ticket prices been increased?

     

    The last two season ticket campaigns have seen a 33% decrease and a subsequent freeze in season ticket prices. This season as the Club prepares to return to the top flight, challenge and re-establish Rangers at the top of Scottish Football, we must invest further in all areas across the Club. An increase in season ticket prices is therefore necessary.

     

     

    Surely time for an update?!

  19. jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ on

    Treasurer of LOL8 Coatbridge fiddles over 5 grand.

     

     

    Big drum belter same ludge attacks Eastern Star ” fair maiden” and is found guilty Awaiting sentence!!!

  20. The Comfortable Collective on

    Given that a cornerstone of the Loyal Orange Lodge is “Civil and religious liberties for all”, I am assuming that if a couple of Roman Catholic priests or nuns decided to walk through George Square at the weekend, they could do so with no issue, hastle or grief.

     

     

    And if any issue were to arise I would hope that Police Scotland would remove those who were making it an issue and not the priests or nuns who were simply walking through a public space.

  21. A Ceiler Gonof Rust on

    Martybhoy59 / Quonno, I’m liking you’re fine weather scenarios a lot:_)

     

     

    HH

  22. I think the flute band is a Republican flute band but is linked to the West of Scotland Band Alliance. They are opposed to Sinn Fein’s strategy and the Good Friday agreement.

     

     

    I could be wrong but I think that’s the issue.

  23. Delaneys Dunky on

    Thelurkintim

     

     

    Just checked. Not an orange flute band. Police Scotland appear to be combining events normally kept apart. One, a June event, the other an October parade.

  24. TheLurkinTim on

    BIG-CUP-WINNERS

     

     

     

    23:40 on 2 June, 2015

     

     

     

    Don’t think it’s a Loyalist march in Edinburgh.

     

    ……………………………………………………………………………..

     

     

    well if I’ve caused a storm in a teacup…..it was good to b controversial for a bit

     

     

    H.H.

  25. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    TheLurkinTim

     

    23:36 on

     

    2 June, 2015

     

     

    As opposed,of course,to

     

    Anto….nyms.

     

     

    Next……………….:-)

  26. TheLurkinTim on

    DD,

     

     

    the fact that we all “hic” believed it was a possible says it all about our belief in authority ;-))

     

     

    Maybe meet u fur a puff wan o these days ;-))

     

     

    H.H.

     

     

    misinterpretedCSC

  27. Delaneys Dunky on

    Coneybhoy

     

     

    Hope they never have the need to appoint their 4th manager.

     

    Think they may die before then.

  28. TheLurkinTim on

    macjay1 for Neil Lennon,

     

     

    Am sure Anto is away this windows ‘n will be takin his nyms with him…..r they collectables? ;-))

     

     

    H.H.

  29. Delaneys Dunky on

    Thelurkintim

     

     

    It is my every night painkiller, so any day for a puff bro. ;))

  30. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    paisley bhoy

     

    22:51 on

     

    2 June, 2015

     

     

    I said Rous was sound.

     

    I didn`t say he was perfect.

     

     

     

    The most pertinent question……….Was Rous corrupt?

  31. Hamiltontim

     

     

    Do Sinn Fein have a strategy? Seems to me it is based around promising the earth when they know they will never be in power. Stealing Labour votes right now in Ireland but no-one would ever go into coalition with them.

     

     

    Interesting times next year at the election, could have a FG and FF government. The civil war may finally be over

     

     

    In terms of the occupied counties, I think they played a political blinder over the last 15 years but are likely to reach a limit here. As a Labour man and admirer of James Connelly, they are my direct opponent but I fear a bloody nose at the next election