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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  1. A big well done to the Club today for their two positive statements, their opposition to the O.B. Act and on the signing of Dedryck Boyata.

     

    Great days to be a Celtic supporter.

     

     

    HH

  2. Robert88

     

    12:42 on

     

    2 June, 2015

     

    dena29

     

     

    It wont happen here, yes we have BTP that have them, but general plod no chance.

     

     

    the people of the UK wouldn’t allow it and any excuse of national security would soon be put to bed.

     

     

    I think and hope your right ………………but such a scenario would be very worrying……

     

     

    HH

  3. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    tbj says wee oscar knox is in heaven with the angels

     

     

    12:42 on 2 June, 2015

     

    Imagine waking up on Monday morning and realising your a zombie – poor wee Huns

     

     

    Have they no been punished enough ??

     

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~++~~~~~~~~~~~~

     

     

    Remember You’re a Zombie!

     

     

    You All Live in An Orange Submarine

     

     

    ~~~~~~~~~~~++~~~~~~~~~~~

     

     

    Any more for any more for the singsong at George Square?

  4. TBB

     

     

    They needed to walk away from the Big Hoose 3 years ago.

     

     

    Too much love can kill you.

  5. Paul67

     

     

    I’m delighted that Celtic have issued the statement, truly elated.

     

     

    However, ‘on the front foot’?

     

     

    No, that’s not the case. A great deal of work has gone on behind the scenes to ‘encourage’ the club to have issued it.

  6. Hamiltontim

     

    12:51 on

     

    2 June, 2015

     

    Welcome Dedryck Boyata to thee most special football club on the planet.

     

     

    I’ll second that :-))

     

     

    HH

  7. Shameless repost

     

     

    eireann

     

     

    12:14 on 2 June, 2015

     

    Thinking of taking a couple of season tickets, it’s been more than 10 years since I have been in Celtic Park, open to advice as to where to sit for best view etc, used to sit in the Jock Stein, all thoughts welcome

  8. proudbhoy

     

     

    Sounds like Carra bucks the trend of most football autobiographies by actually saying something. Add it to my kindle wish list now.

     

     

    Cheers mate

     

     

    LB

  9. eireann

     

    12:56 on

     

    2 June, 2015

     

    Shameless repost

     

     

    eireann

     

     

    12:14 on 2 June, 2015

     

    Thinking of taking a couple of season tickets, it’s been more than 10 years since I have been in Celtic Park, open to advice as to where to sit for best view etc, used to sit in the Jock Stein, all thoughts welcome

     

     

    I replied to your post end of previous thread ……did you see it?

     

     

    HH

  10. Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on

    eireann

     

    I am in 106 and love it but make sure you are at least as far back as Row J. Anything lower offers a lesser perspective.

     

     

    JJ

  11. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    LIVIBHOY

     

     

    Two biographies I’m sure you’ve read are the Jock Stein one by Archie McPherson and the Bobby Murdoch one which you can google via my moniker.

     

     

    (Smashwords)

     

     

    Excellent,the pair of them.

  12. HT. The statement by the club about the OB Act must encourage you in your determination to have this Act Changed. At times you appeared to be a voice in the wilderness, but because of your tenacity and your sense of justice you have kept the good fight going. Just hope that more bhoys and ghirls on here who have still to sign the petition will do so soon.

     

     

    YNWA my friend.

  13. lennon's passion on

    jungle jim hot smoked

     

     

    12:43 on 2 June, 2015

     

     

    It hasn’t as far as I’m aware.

  14. Hrvatski Jim on

    Welcome to Dedryck (new name for my spell checker – what spell checker you say based on my normal typos?). I hope that he has commenced the deed poll application to change his surname to Bhoyata.

     

     

    May you enjoy your years with us and have every success.

     

     

    Sorry but I can’t believe that 44,000 season tickets have already been sold at this stage. Maybe we are on target for that but many people wait until late before renewing. Would love to be proved wrong and great if true. If you are wavering, go on – renew or, even better, take the plunge and join us every week.

  15. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Welcome to Celtic big chap

     

     

    Clique duty done for the day, just called Oldtim to make sure he was in tip top condition

  16. jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ on

    BDJ on Clyde last night. “Im sure something will happen this week” Hey big D it did on Sunday ya fudd!!!

  17. How about a statement on standing areas to make it a hat trick of good news today?

  18. Delaneys Dunky on

    Desertbhoy

     

     

    Were you lost in the desert?

     

    Good to see you back neebs!

  19. Welcome to the new bhoy Boyata… Let’s hope he is as good or better that other Belgian defenders.

     

     

    On the subject of the team from Govan, would the Financial Fair Play rules (stop laughing at the back) not preclude King from making a £30million dump into their coffers? They may have to exist on a drip feed of cash to keep money in the meter, until the stadium collapses. Packing it in really is the best option for them.

  20. 67Heaven .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I am wee Oscar...... Ipox belongs to the creditors on

    dena29

     

     

    12:59 on 2 June, 2015

     

     

    North Stand upper is a good view……and you might be lucky enough to meet Paul67 up there

  21. eireann

     

     

    Section 439 in the Jock Stein upper must be one of the best views in the ground, plenty of empty seats down near the front as well. You look right down onto the goal and get all the goals 2nd half.

  22. connaire12

     

     

     

    13:00 on 2 June, 2015

     

     

     

    Thank you my friend but believe me I’ve only played a small part. The Act is inherently wrong and I’ve seen enough evidence of its affects to know that it needs repealed as soon as possible.

     

     

    There’s my bell again :-)

  23. 67Heaven .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I am wee Oscar…… Ipox belongs to the creditors

     

    13:10 on

     

    2 June, 2015

     

    dena29

     

     

    12:59 on 2 June, 2015

     

     

    North Stand upper is a good view……and you might be lucky enough to meet Paul67 up there

     

     

    I dont have that kind of luck :-))

     

     

    HH

  24. 67Heaven .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I am wee Oscar...... Ipox belongs to the creditors on

    abzmike

     

     

    13:09 on 2 June, 2015

     

     

    T’would be the best option all round, methinks….. :)

  25. By all accounts there is no way out for Sevco but just maybe a radical plan will take everyone by surprise.

     

    Perhaps a merger/takeover of another club will come about…..St Mirren Rangers anyone?

  26. @ABZMike

     

     

    The current FFP rules would prevent them to play in Europe or would at least lead to a fine.

     

     

    However, the rules are set to be relaxed in June. You won’t be allowed to run up debts with other institutions but you are allowed to run up debts to your owner.

     

     

    Clears the way for PSG, Man City etc

  27. Who is our possible opponents then for the qualifiers ?

     

     

    May just make wee trip to paradise this summer

  28. leftclicktic on

    Celtic Football Club Statement

     

     

     

    By: Newsroom Staff on 02 Jun, 2015 09:32

     

     

     

    CELTIC has opposed the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012 from the outset as evidenced by our submission to the Justice Committee in 2011.

     

     

    We believe that the Act has the potential to discriminate against football supporters.

     

     

    Celtic continues to oppose the Act and, as a contribution to the Scottish Government’s review of the Act, met recently with the Scottish Government to explain our position.

     

     

    We proposed that at a minimum certain offences under the Act should be repealed. Celtic also recently met with Fans Against Criminalisation to discuss how to take this issue forward.

     

     

    We wait with interest the findings of the forthcoming review and trust that it will be the full, transparent and in-depth review that football fans expect.

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