PSG were wonderful last night. They served up a great night of European football as we witness what may be the end of the greatest team of all time.
Mark Warburton fired his opening salvo against Newco with a joint statement with Davie Weir and Frank McParland issued through the League Managers’ Association today:
“We would like to formally place on record, that at no stage did we resign from our positions at Rangers.
“It is a matter of surprise to us, and to the League Managers Association, which is advising all three of us, that despite its detailed public statements, the club has not answered key questions put to it by the LMA, in writing, requesting an explanation of why it suggested that we resigned from our positions.”
I’m cringing with embarrassment on behalf of the guys at Newco who have to sign up to this guff, Stewart Robertson in particular, who has titular hands on the wheel but must feel like a hostage to fortune. This is not how he ran things at Motherwell.
More lawyers’ fees, more reputational damage, less chance of a credible future.
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https://twitter.com/jhnmcgnly/status/831988186591199232
Stay classy McGhee…
TGM
Got called a fenian bassa by a Scouser in the Kop in my teens. The Irish/Scouse family I was with, sorted that hun scoundrel out. :)
HH
DD
I once went to an Orange Hall in Lpool with more than a few Scouse Tims, to speak to a few naughty fellows.
They didnae like it:)
But nae option.
HH
Good Evening.
It was in the days immediately after the administration that we saw Scottish sports journalism exposed as a sham and an insult to many fine men and women who earned a living by using a pen and reporting “The News”.
Back in those crazy days, The press pack were taken by surprise because they knew precisely nothing about business, legal process, the available legal remedies and had an absolute lack of desire to go and investigate just what was possible ……… or even probable …….. IF……..
Since the departure (by however means) of Warburton, Weir and McParland from Ibrox during the week, we have seen a return to the days of obvious idiocy on the part of the press.
They seemingly make no enquiry, ask no questions and dare not even contemplate the potential business and legal consequences of The Rangers rumbling with theur former management team.
Yet a number of questions cry out to be asked, and a number of potential scenarios need to be examined by the directors and those who are self appointed observeres. In business, this is called “risk management” and for many managers and directors the natural inclination is to be “risk averse” — however to do that you first of all have to look at the situation and assess the risks or potential risks.
With Rangers, few if any journalists dare examine the risks or ask “What if?”
Further, comparisons beg to be made between the press treatment of Warburton and just about anyone else in this saga.
For example, in the eyes of many, including certain journalists, Warburton is a two timing rat and McParland was incompetent as a scout. Any trawl back through past headlines would tend to suggest that McParland was in fact a man on top of his game when luring the likes of Barton and Senderos to Ibrox as both were presented as a major coup and a mark of how high Rangers were regarded by such highly prized and well known players.
McParland was also responsible for gems such as Tavernier and others who, last year, were tipped for big moves to top flight English clubs by this same press pack who are now so quick to deem him a has been and a failure.
The Warburton “Magic Hat” is now portrayed as the Dunc’s Cap by the same people.
But what of David Weir? What flack, what hint of failure, what suggestion of treachery his way comes?
Eh, not a lot it would seem. Now ain’t that interesting – I wonder why that should be?
Another example of press thickness comes in the observation from Dickie Wilson that the LMA has no jurisdiction in Scotland!
And you know what? He is correct.
This is what meets you when you look further into the LMA webpages:
“The League Managers Association is the collective, representative voice of all managers from the Premier League, the Sky Bet Championship and Sky Bet Leagues 1 and 2.”
– See more at: http://www.leaguemanagers.com/corporate/lma/#sthash.dLO3wgwl.dpuf
Now it is as plain as the nose on your face that The Rangers do not play in any of those leagues and that the three people concerned are not employed by any club playing in those leagues.
But so what? There is nothing to stop any manager from any league joining that organisation and so accessing the members benefits which include access to experts in the field of sports contracts and the law.
Now, for all I know those experts may well be expert in English Law as opposed to Scots Law, but I will bet they have the appropriate phone numbers and e-mail addresses with which to contact their Scottish counterparts and colleagues.
Those same colleagues will have written to whoever employs the three concerned claiming to act on behalf of the three individuals — not the LMA. The LMA is merely a facilitator like any other professional body or organisation. They are not the client.
Don’t get me wrong, a quick look through the non executive directors of the LMA makes you wonder and scratch your head to an extent, but if they produce the legal team in return for annual subscriptions then it matters not a jot whether they say they are aligned to the English leagues or the Legion of Mary.
Wilson makes the classic gaff of taking a given sentence and not working it through in his brain or asking any pertinent questions — much like Roddy Forsyth did in yestertear when he predicted that the Admin of a certain company would be done and dusted in under 4 weeks which was something of a legal impossibility.
However, Roddy had been fed the line and simply repeated it without thinking to ask anyone if that was possible. The rest is history – a very long history extending well beyond the confidently predicted 4 weeks.
It would appear to me that the Rangers Board have been told that if they don’t cough up the full sums due to the so called resignees, then the three will very quickly sue for damages for breach of contract and that they will seek to “ring fence” the money due in the knowledge that Rangers are skintus and don’t have -parden the pun – Warburton’s Bread.
“Ring fence” is a lay man’s way of describing that money has been “arrested on the dependence” of a court action and if a premia facie case can be made for granting such an order then it will be granted.
The only way to recall such an order is to persuade the court that the arrestment of the money is “Nimious and Oppressive” and I can assure you that none of the executive of the LMA will be personally arguing the ins and outs of that legal terminology.
Whoever is running the Gers is completely crazy for even allowing any dispute with Warburton & Co to develop into a court action where this type of tactic can be used because it can lead to money being frozen, cashflow being severely hampered and hindered, and other creditors simply piling up.
If I recall correctly, it was Martin Bain and Donald McIntyre (two former employees) who arrested money on a previous occcasion and which led to the former club getting further behind in tax matters, and in turn this led to Sheriff Officers turning up at the behest of HMRC one summers afternoon.
And that as they say was that — because they too arrested half a million quid and that was “good night folks” from everyone at the Loony Tunes Factory. Insolvency was declared — Pronto!
I posted earlier today that no one believed that Woolworths would ever close and Rebus rightly pointed out that Rangers or The Rangers will always have a customer base and so is in a different category to the once mighty retail chain.
Except that even in the final days, loads of people still went into their local Woolworths and shopped. Not only that, only months before there were buyers lining up to pay some money for Woolworths with its 800 stores and its place in the high street. But it was losing too much money despite rising margins, and the customer base was diminishing over the long term because, put simply, Woolworths could no longer deliver what that customer base really wanted at the price they were prepared to pay.
It ran out of money, ran out of product, and eventually ran out of time.
The administrators, in some people’s view, were the nail in the coffin as they couldn’t save the existing brand and business, and were only interested in picking up a fee. They later came in for major criticism.
See here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/6570626/Woolworths-the-failed-struggle-to-save-a-retail-giant.html
Switch back to the current position at Ibrox, if the legals go the wrong way for the board in the next few weeks or months there will be a serious cash crisis. A Tsunami of cash restricting court orders that would cripple the club and the holding vehicle.
The Ibrox Product is success. Anticpated, expected, never ending success as of right. A Place at the very highest echelons of Scottish Football — except that was not what was on offer when Lawrence Marlborough sold to David Murray (for less than a pound BTW).
If litigation and creditrors cripple the cash flow what comes next?
If, and I stress the if, that happens in March, what follows?
Directors have duties and they can be personally held liable if they trade whilst knowingly insolvent. Some are resident in far flung places but others are here, and remember that some in far flung places are not directors of certain legal vehicles and may well not face the flak that others might have to face.
Further, given the court cases and stresses heaped on past insolvency practitioners who followed paths and practices that others could not fathom 5 years ago when dealing with these same assets, and given a precarious trading pattern going back several years now, who is going to welcome the job of insolvency pratcitioner here?
There will be few volunteers.
No, the press here cannot see it, can’t smell it and don’t recognise the potential signs written in the runes.
If Warburton & Co put the legal boot in, no matter where their advisers are based or have jursidiction, then, It could very well be, as Nancy Griffiths once said, closing time down at the five and dime!
MiT
All good here by the Bank o’ the Clyde thanks.
Glad you enjoyed yer wee break. Sounded wonderful.
HH
At least Mark McGhee kept his dignity.
I was called a Fenian bassa by my Hun pal. Mind the PROUD ya dirty orange see u next Tuesday I replied. Still a pal but not ever an orange Hun sort. Stood in front of ICF mob one day of a derby game after the game when one real orange Hun see you next Tuesday was happy to put a blade to my throat. 1 in about 48000 of them are ok. I always called him a DOB in jest and I was the Fenian in jest. Funnily enough he never said he was a proud DOB.
MWD
MOONBEAMSWD on 15TH FEBRUARY 2017 10:34 PM
I was called a Fenian bassa by my Hun pal. Mind the PROUD ya dirty orange see u next Tuesday I replied. Still a pal but not ever an orange Hun sort. Stood in front of ICF mob one day of a derby game after the game when one real orange Hun see you next Tuesday was happy to put a blade to my throat. 1 in about 48000 of them are ok. I always called him a DOB in jest and I was the Fenian in jest. Funnily enough he never said he was a proud DOB.
———————————-
Remember you posting from your hospital bed ya madmahn…..shocking stuff .
Take care big fhella hh.
BRTH- The back of the Sunday Mail last week had ‘Ibrox Revolution’, as if it was a positive force imminent, absolute bollox.And as for these clowns who thought they had taken their last order from Traynor……..hell mend them.
Prima Facie — Premia Facie is a dancing girl in Istanbul (or at least so I am told).
DD
Did you hear from Big Denis?
He is coming home for a wee while in May!
DD ….
… DrKT and I were supposed to have a romantic valentines dinner last night (at the local cheapy noodle place…I”m a big spender! ), but she had to cancel, as she was called in to do a heart transplant on a young girl …. not usually happy to be sitting at home with the dog on Valentines Day, but somehow, a young girl getting a new heart on Valentines day seemed right …..
the work she and her colleagues do simply amazes me.
Send in the clowns. Red nose and big slippers et al. Some say McGhee lost it. How can you lose what you never had.
HH.
BRTH
Great Post there.
Lets see if Dave King of Africa can bamboozle his way out of this one:)
HH
BRTH
If only … all it takes is a Brother to state that all monies owned to the Go3 will be honoured and the pentagle will be levelled or squared or whatever . Faced with such incontrovertible evidence the Scottish judiciary will roll over … the cash flow needs to get to just the point to afford an Administrator .. someone will keep the lights on this season ..
Biggest challenge is crap take-up on season book renewals , which will I suggest be heavily dependent on our forwards keeping a cool head in front of goal in early March , 6 goals or more will see mass defections – if they’re going bust needs to be soon or Early June
HH
Voguepunter
That was a different derby game. This was back in the 80’s after a game at iPox. Me and my buddy and a few other pals of mixed support would make our way to and from games together. It was fun before and sometimes fun after depending on result but each would always pay our penance in good spirit.
Now. No chance. That’d never happen. Lost touch with these friends of youth from the dark side long ago.
MWD
BRTH – what do you think the ‘soft loans’ from Park, etc, are secured on?
Surely not goodwill? Surely not a gentleman’s agreement, and surely mor ethan ultimately worthless shares?
Surley there’s some charge on something tangible? (Broxy Bear? :)) )
If there’s any serious litigation on the horizon, I tend to think the Hun demise part 2 will be triggered from within.
I’ll bet on Park making sure he’s not hung out to dry by King from afar.
The Ashley case on March 16th will be the siren.
Admin 2 will be a surprise, and quickly initiated, maybe before it. If not, immediately after a detrimental outcome.
MWD …
you guys are more forgiving/understanding than me ….I dont have any zombie pals ….
my brother’s best mate is a zombie … and he does seem like a decent sort ..my brother wouldn’t be pals with him if he wasnt ….
but, I could never bring myself to trust him entirely …. figure that deep down, there must be something in him that hates my kind, or he would follow another team….
Paddy Crerand, ’50 per cent right’ on being called a fenian bassa in a game versus the original ‘taxes’ran*ers’.
BRTH
Hope it’s no when we are in Lisbon. :)
Put me down for the meal on 24th please.
HH
EKBhoy on 15th February 2017 10:49 pm
I disagree with you in certain respects.
First, if the money is arrested, it will not be “unarrested” by anyone turning up and promising to pay or assuring the court it will be paid. Actual physical money will need to be produced and literally secured by giving it to the court to hold or similar.
Second, without getting into who or what is “The Establishment” — trust me Rangers are not their team anymore and they will nt bend over backwards for that club.
Third – not that it should make any difference – but there are a surprising (to some) number of Celtic supporters amongst the upper echelons of the Scottish Judiciary.
I was recently at a mass organised by one, shared a pavement in Seville with another, regularly saw a third in the lounges of the North stand until a few years ago and can name at least one more, Many others are more likely to look down their noses at football altogether rather than head to the Broomloan Road Stand.
I repeat, if the three arrest money there is a real problem.
MIT
Mike, you are a fortunate man having no zombies around you:)
Its unavoidable here, but all the bhoys and ghirls i see, wear the Hoops with a smile.
I must admit, if i see a stray hun top hanging about anywhere in Maryhill, i usually swipe it and bin it, thats if i dont get the chance to burn it.
I try to keep the rags out of my street, doing pretty good….and there are loads and loads of Tims in Maryhill:)
HH
Sandman,
I am told that internally Park has been advised to get his money out or at least not to put any more in!!
DD – no he is home before that. He and his Da are going out to Lisbon on something like the 16th.
Noted re the meal.
Sandman- from an impeccable source, Park helped out the Sevco wage bill in January, he’s in for £5.5 mil, no more.
BRTH
“as Nancy Griffiths once said, closing time down at the five and dime!”
The exact lyric is :-
“Hey, it’s closing time
And love’s on sale
Tonight at this five and dime”
So, as well as closing Ibrox, they’d have to put Ian Durrant back on his alleged off-field duties to make the Bhould Nanci Griffiths lyric apt.
Weir will be compromised if monies are ring fenced, can’t see him being a part of that, if it is an option.All blackmail accepted down Govan way .
If you’re a good communicator and have a strong commitment to the Light Blues we want to hear from you.
Did Sevco adopt a different colour from Oldco? Whatever happened to Royal Blue?
Just curious.
I saw the Reporting Scotland 10.30 news there .
They had a report about the inequality in wages between men and women despite the Equal Pay act which came into force over 40 years ago.
They interviewed this lady representing an organisation fighting for equal pay. The organisation is called Close the Gap.
Brogan, your usual excellent posts today.
Some great tweets tonight about that Asenal mob. One said , serves you right for having Piers Morgan as a supporter . Another said Arsene Wenger finally got Arsenal to play like Barca after years of trying.
TGM
The only blue fitba tops I see in Clydebank now are Chelsea. Hoops, black and pink tops everywhere. They have chucked it. Nice!
HH
SUPERSUTTON
I remember after the rat infested ship had sunk into the no-return of Liquidation.
Days later and from then on, the shameless idiots were still parading around in the attire of a defunct club.
Still havent got my head around that one?
HH
What happened to the Rangers Legneds Money – again
@ 2013
The charities watchdog has strongly criticised trustees of the Rangers Charity Foundation after cash raised at a match went to the football club.
The fundraising game between Rangers Legends and AC Milan Glorie took place after the club entered administration.
After doubts the game would go ahead, trustees gave the club control of match income – a decision which cut the charity’s profit share by £191,430.
The watchdog said the decision making of trustees “constituted misconduct”.
However, the Scottish Charity Regulator decided not to take action against any of the trustees.
The regulator’s report states that the Rangers Charity Foundation had three trustees at the time of the game – all of whom were employed by or held senior positions at the club.
A fundraising dinner and the football match between Rangers Legends and AC Milan Glorie had already been scheduled for 29 and 30 March 2012 when the club entered administration on 14 February.
Income control
One of the trustees alerted the administrators, from Duff and Phelps, of the club’s commitment to provide support for the event.
The report states that the trustee believed there was a risk that the administrators would not allow the game to go ahead if it was not in the interests of creditors.
The charity’s decision-making process, which allowed important decisions to be made by one trustee acting alone, was in breach of trustees’ duties
Scottish Charity Regulator
The trustee agreed to assign control of the income from the charity match to the administrators to ensure that the club could recover costs.
Before this decision, the Rangers Charity Foundation had been due to receive 60% of the net profit from the game plus a management fee of £25,000.
As a result of the trustee assigning income control to the administrators, the charity only received 10% of the net profit – £38,286 – plus the management fee.
This meant that £191,430 of profit that would have gone to the charity under the old arrangements, went to the administrators who were running club.
In its ruling, the charity regulator noted: “Although the decision was a breach of legal duties, it was made in good faith and in the interests of the charity given the risk that otherwise the fundraising event might not have taken place.”
The regulator said: “The charity’s decision-making process, which allowed important decisions to be made by one trustee acting alone, was in breach of trustees’ duties and constituted misconduct on the part of the charity trustees as a whole.”
The regulator said that since the charity was set up, there had been “an inherent conflict of interest” because of the trustees’ connection to the club.
It also states: “In addition, the conflict of interest presented by the assignation was not managed appropriately and professional advice was not obtained as required by the charity’s trust deed.”
Losses avoided
The regulator added: “Having looked carefully at the whole situation, [the regulator] has not found that the ongoing risks to charitable assets or to the reputation of the sector justify [the regulator] taking action against any of the trustees.”
The regulator’s report noted that one of the three trustees “did not respond to any of our requests for information”.
The Rangers Charity Foundation was and continues to be a force for good, sustained in large part by the loyal support of the Rangers Family
Rangers Charity Foundation
In a statement, the trustees of the Rangers Charity Foundation said they were “pleased” that the regulator had “concluded that the decision to assign the rights of the fundraising event to the club was done ‘in good faith and in the interests of the charity'”.
The trustees said that the foundation had received £63,288 from both fundraising events in March last year and that if these had been cancelled, it would have “lost over £12,000 in pre-paid deposits”.
The statement continued: “Extensive legal advice has been sought by the foundation during the last year in order to enable new trustees to be appointed and new aspects of governance to be established.
“These actions, which are now concluded, were an inevitable consequence of the situation faced by the foundation following the changed circumstances of the club.”
The statement concluded: “Supporters of the foundation can be reassured that the Rangers Charity Foundation was and continues to be a force for good, sustained in large part by the loyal support of the Rangers Family.
“The generosity and charitable spirit of Rangers fans is second to none and the foundation looks forward to further expanding its activities going forward – in Glasgow, across Scotland and throughout the world.”
DD
I dont care about the morons who wear those blood rags, but i will burn every one i can:)
Thats only fair:)
HH
BRTH
I really appreciate your detailed take on the ‘legals’ involved in the fiasco that is all things Govanite, but I do have a wee grey area to worry about.
You offered a very positive summation of the two chaps (exact ‘titular’ niceties escape me) involved at the sharp end of the FTT, who eventually brought in the incomprehensible, to me, judgement that EBTs were ok, fine, not a problem. My layman’s interpretation of what was then laid down at the Court of Session when the three judges disassembled the FTT conclusions and found for HMRC was that they (the chaps helping Heidi Poon) had made an erchie of it.
I therefore don’t, ever, expect the higher echelons of our judicial system to find as commonsense suggests they should/might, when Govania is involved.
It’s my upbringing you see, aided by my life experiences.
Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on 15th February 2017 11:08 pm
I saw the Reporting Scotland 10.30 news there .
They had a report about the inequality in wages between men and women despite the Equal Pay act which came into force over 40 years ago.
They interviewed this lady representing an organisation fighting for equal pay. The organisation is called Close the Gap.
That made me laugh…….
TGM
Mon the Maryhill Arsonist!!! :)
HH
— much like Roddy Forsyth did in yestertear when he predicted that the Admin of a certain company would be done and dusted in under 4 weeks which was something of a legal impossibility.
———-
He was broadcasting that we would be going to Cambuslang on the day before it was confirmed that we were staying at Celtic Park.
MWD 11.10
Much respect for a very honest post.
TT
BRTH
Och the SFA will be able to get a handle on things in April as they conduct club Licensing.
” A club is required to submit a summary of financial information covering the reporting year for 2016 and the previous two years i.e. 2015 and
2014 as detailed below.
Clubs will provide this information as follows –
• SPFL clubs – by 31 March 2017
• All other clubs – by 30 April 2017
Unless the 2013 & 2014 figures have not previously been provided the club only requires to provide the 2015 figures.”
More details of what is required can be found on pages 55, 56 and 57 at and if its really bad, page 58. at http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/resources/documents/ClubLicensing/2015/Scottish-FA-Club-Licensing-Manual-2017.pdf
The journos of course will be battering down the SFA door to see how matters stand.