Anyone consuming media coverage would think that the on-going investigation into the registration of Rangers (since renamed RFC 2012) players over the last decade or so was the most pressing matter within The Rangers (until recently, Sevco). I really don’t think so, although it is a useful rallying flag. The EBT issue is not short of drama but there are more immediate concerns.
More importantly, I hear The Rangers are still trying to raise the initial £10m Founding Investors capital. The Sevco Investor Presentation offered these Founding Investors two shares for each one purchased, “effectively doubling their contributions” ahead of a stock-market floatation later this year. My understanding is they hope to raise £20m at that floatation, without the two-for-one share incentive, in order to see them through several years in the Scottish Football League and at least four years without European income.
If/when this matter materialises, remember, in 1994 Fergus looked you in the eye and allowed you to buy into Celtic at exactly the same rate he and the other early investors did. This model worked, anyone hoping to emulate Fergus’ success would do well to offer fans the same terms.
The size of the total capital requirement may be as much of a disincentive to early investors as the terms currently on offer. If you put significant sums in now and the floatation fails to deliver enough cash to allow the company to continue trading, your investment is at risk. I hope Laurel and Hardy at Hampden haven’t deleted their Armageddon slides.
Even selling 40,000 adult season tickets for Ibrox at £268 each would bring in only £9m (ex-vat), so there is a good chance this company will burn cash reserves for some time, assuming they pay taxes, of course, which was apparently optional for some in the recent past.
Target closing date for Foundation Investors was 6 July with Q3 / Q4 slot for floatation on the AIM market, so we should be seeing a prospectus sometime soon if plans are back on track. If Charles Green pulls this off he deserves some sort of Businessman of the Year award.
Anyone who thinks the drama is over still hasn’t realised the enormity of the situation.
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johnnyclash-scarily realistic I fear…
.
Courtesy James Forrest FB..
James Forrest
12 minutes ago near Glasgow, Scotland · ..
During the summer, as the future of Scottish football hung in the balance, as a shambolic battle over the carcass of Rangers was still being waged, a Welsh club playing in England sacrificed its entire identity in return for an investment and the promise of big name signings. Cardiff changed their club badge, their club colours and even the famous Bluebirds nickname; everything, in short, that connects a team to its history. One only has to look at Sevco, playing out of Ibrox, wearing the blue jersey, trying to appropriate the past, in order to understand how vital these things are to the soul of a football club, and whatever the rights or the wrongs of Sevco’s appropriation of Rangers’ identity is, there is a connection, a literal one, a physical one, between the old and the new as a result of these things. Their importance is obvious.
This year, Celtic celebrates 125 years of unbroken history, and we’ve changed the design of our kit to relfect that. The sight of black socks is jarring, unusual, hard to wrap the brain around at first, but already I’m getting used to it. Because the fundamentals remain the same, and the biggest of these fundamentals is a football shirt which is truly unique. Other clubs may wear hoops, but there are not the hoops, and they don’t have our profile. We have here something that is really special. We have one of the most distinctive football shirts in the world.
I would think – I would hope – that no amount of money would change that. There are certain things that have no price. These things – not big name players, not the promise of glory – are what count. One of the reasons Barcelona are considered a special club is because they understand this, and have acted accordingly, for years refusing even to have a sponsor to spoil their shirt. Their connection with the community they come from is another reason – and something we have in common with them. The Celtic shirt is part of that community, and that identity.
I watched the Cardiff situation with great interest. The investment from Asia came hot on the heels of Cardiff’s surprising failure to reach the Premier League. They were unlucky in a sense, and there is a feeling down south that theirs is a club who’s time is certain to come. Yet the fans cannot wait for it, and hovering groups of investors sensed it. Overwhelmed by the disappointment in missing out this time around, the club was wide open to the overtures of a group promising the milk and honey of getting it right next time around. Frustration at failure made the fans suceptible to just the kind of changes the new owners wanted to force through. Yes, they started out angry, they threatened to turn their backs on the club, and they demanded the changes be scrapped, but in the end they rolled over and accepted the new reality.
Big promises trumped principle and identity.
This is how it is in football now. At Sevco, a similar dynamic is underway, as Charles Green has gained acceptance within the support. He was faced with a coaltion of the media and former Rangers men, such as Walter Smith and John Brown, opposed to his remaining in charge. The support was braced for a fight, and looking to oust him. Ultimatums were made. Demands were shrieked from the message boards, and his time so far has been a failure.
He failed to build the coalition which would have kept his club in the SPL. His PR was awful. He made enemies instead of friends. He then failed to get a consensus around the club starting in Division 1. He opposed a transfer embargo which has since been imposed. He said the club would not accept further punishments, yet the SPL investigation into dual contracts can only end with the imposition of just that. He tried to keep the team together, yet every player of high value walked out for free. He has provided no money for McCoist to make signings, forcing the club to shop in the bargain basement of free contracts for out-of-work footballers such as Kevin Kyle. By any standard, his time at Ibrox has been a failure … yet the fans are on his side.
He accomplished this easily, by pandering to their prejudices, by picking fights, by making sweeping statements and generalisations about the rest of Scottish football, which played to the gallery in a way which was shamelessly transparent.
And it worked. He won over skepticism and justifiable doubt … with nothing.
It is hardly a wonder so many owners and chairmen believe football supporters are fickle minded fools, easily amused, cheaply bought off. Cardiff’s fans rolled over, as Sevco’s fans have, based on nothing more than hot air. Nothing has been delivered … yet they’ve given up.
The blue jersey is now a red jersey. The bluebirds are now dragons. From having once been a Welsh club, they went on to be an English one, and they now have Asian owners who care more about the marketability of their “asset” than the identiy that meant so much to the fans. So much, in fact, they were willing to trade it for vague promises.
Would Celtic fans be so easily bought? Would we ever sell the jerseys?
I very much doubt it. The jersey itself is too valuable for one.
Think on it like this. The marketing stategy behind what happened at Cardiff was based around a frankly baffling notion that the red jersey gives them a higher profile in Asia. Yet how can this be so? They are going into a marketplace already over-crowded with red jerseys! Many of these clubs have higher profiles than Cardiff has or is ever likely to have. All across Japan, Korea and China are Manchester United tops, Liverpool strips, Bayern Munich shirts … and Cardiff are going there from a marketplace chock full of blue jerseys as well, everyone from Chelsea to Schalke.
The next time you’re watching the Ryder Cup, see how many red jerseys or blue jerseys you can spot. Could you identify a Cardiff red shirt or a Cardiff blue shirt, and tell the difference between one of those and a shirt from another club? A Cardiff blue shirt could be a Cowdenbeath strip. A red top could be that of Aberdeen. Whether red or blue, they look just like any other run-of-the-mill football shirt. But a Hoops shirt in the crowd stands out a mile. A Hoops shirt anywhere stands out a mile. It is our biggest asset.
There is more to a football club, of course, than the colour of the jersey. History is about more than just a name. If a dead club’s history can be approrpiated by a brand new team, just because the colour of the shirt is the same, then truly anything goes. But as I will never consider Sevco to be anything other than a new club, and right now a Third Division team with as little relevence to, or threat to, our club as Gretna once were, so I will never consider Cardiff City to be anything now other than a franchise team, who have already changed nationality and now have changed their very footballing identiy. It’s hard to take that seriously.
125 years of history though … 125 years of Celtic … that has no price. That is something that cannot be bought and must never be sold. The history of our club is steeped in legend, something mythical, something magic. The Hoops are a big, big part of why.
That has no price. It cannot be bought. It must never be sold.
Summa
James Forrest is Neil Lennon! We are ALL Neil Lennon!
Your submissions are highly valued, even when I disagree.
Here is an interview from back in the day, I think I linked to you after a bad day @ Celtic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6q4n5TQnpA
celtic heritage
as I pointed out last night, that’s a tough Group the Young Hoops are
in the same as last Season but I’m sure it will be a good learning
curve for them regardless of the results
Go on the Young Hoops
A lot of fans discussing Rogne. My opinion is he is a good young player, but far from the finished article. When you consider this with the fact he is injured several times throughout the season, i’m not sure he warrants much of a pay rise, but a pay cut seems harsh. But Celtic don’t do their business in public so who really knows what the situation is.
Someone earlier mentioned Kayal and his improved contract and that they’d sell him in Jan. The problem is he’s hardly played in the last year so we’d do well to get a good fee for him. I like him as a player, but he doesn’t play anywhere near enough to be one of our top earners.
THE EXILED TIM
Unfortunately, I don’t think you will be far wrong.
Off to watch the ROI playing one of those ‘stan teams
Sir Paul
Ah canny see this Share Flotation.. well.. Flotatin’!
As you Know. too well.. Ah am Ah guy who… Likes tae.. . amongst ither things, of course..
enjoy a wee Speculation.
Ah find it fun and profitable, as weel.. oan occasion,
Tae Mak an Investment in a Public Company.
Howevahhhh..
In Ma Opinion.. Very few savvy Investors, whom Ah know , wid be Daft Enuff.. tae Invest in a Company.. Which, has little
chance of Making any Extra Income, for the next several years… Beyond… the funds Received from it’s Yearly sale of Season Tickets..
plus any Monies collected from non Season ticket Holders.. including, a veritable pittance, which is grudgingly disbursed by ..a handful o’ Sponsors.
Not tae mention,the fact, this Club, will still be in the Red, showing Yearly a Loss o’ Brobdingnagian Proportions,in spite of all the Money which it collects over the year.
The F.G.A. is a Shining example o’ whit wull Befall… all of those Self Indulgent Folk… who fail tae practice Prudent Financial Husbandry.
As wiz, Pointed oot, so Drolly..and..well.. Pointedly, by
Mr. Micawber..in the Followin’:
” Yearly Income, Wan Hundred Pounds..
Yearly Expenses.. Ninety Nine Pounds ,Nineteen….and NinePence..Ha’penny…
Represents..Total Bliss and Contentment..
Howevah..
Yearly Income, Wan Hundred Pounds..and..
Yearly Expenses..
Wan Hundred and Wan Pounds.and.. Seven Pence ,Farthing..
Represents.. Total Misery.. Calamity.. and.. the MarshallSea..”
Yes, Ma Deah.. Virginia..
Ah fear that there wull be very few Investors,o’ any stripe.. who wull be even remotely interested in getting involved in such A Certain Boondoggle.. which ,indeed, they
wid be..
By..buying any shares from the Upcoming Proposed Public Flotation o’ such.. by Mr. Greenjeans.et al.
Ah jist canny see it.. being a success.
Kojo
Still, Laughin’
The Exile Tim
How’s the weather where you are today, no doubt another scorching
day it’s 26c In South East England
& The usual mince in Coldland.
thomthethim
Enjoy, watching it myself.
High 30s today, lovely breeze coming through the cave.
THE EXILED TIM……….. 16:30 on 7 September, 2012
TBM…Feck Off :>)))
Aye ok then, just trying to help -):………….
Looks like Lisbon, Moscow and Barcelona are all on my stopping off points over the next few months; was meant to be a fleeting/flying/short visit to see my wee Ma but BMCUW spoiled that with his Peters and Lee emotional blackmail soirée, and not happy with his feguckegging up of my travel plans, tried to get me kicked out of the naps table on the spurious grounds that I already know the winners/results of the early races……….
BTW…… How is the pool? No Julian Assanges thus far?
Regards & Hail Hail
TBM
petec:
You know what mate? I have forever been grateful for having seen that. It was was, it is, one of the greatest things I’ve ever seen in my life.
Thank you mate for reposting that. There are things beyond money, beyond recognition, beyond what people say or think. Those guys made a momentous decision, and they might regret it, but they OWN it. They accept it. It’s theirs. They were never more in control of their own lives and their own will than at that moment.
And it is still one of the most powerful artistic statements ever made.
I actually thought their initial idea was even better; to put it in a frame, hang it on a wall and see its artistic value increase even as the value of the cash reduced.
The idea is beyond value. I loved it then, I love it now. The sheer disbelief in the voice of the interviewer makes it a worthwhile gesture on its own.
Just amazing.
James Forrest; excellent piece.
AKBW1888 you are right about how hard it will be. But the key thing is, will it help develop more of our young players to be first team members – and potential champions league players of the future? Here’s hoping – there is nothing like seeing our own players coming through and making thier mark HH
Anybody know if the Ireland game is on any channel other than RTE?
Not on SKY apparently….
THE EXILED TIM
16:45 on
7 September, 2012
High 30s today, lovely breeze coming through the cave.
I know the weather is nearly always scorching over there
I was over there from the 4th to the 18th of November 2009
& The weather was 23c every day I was there
THE EXILED TIM
16:30 on 7 September, 2012
TBM
Feck Off :>)))
…………………………
petec
Do you honestly believe that they will be allowed to fold ?
Never be allowed to happen.
I will wager you now that the government will step in.
Off out to the shop, back soon……
———————————————————————-
The Rangers will always be there in some form.
We Must accept this. I’d rather have them Exactly where we have them right now. They, and even their Political Supporters have been shown up for the hatred that permeates their very Being.
Scotland has witnessed Salmong but there is not a good alternative.
Auldheid for election. ;)))
The Exile Tim
I was reading on a web-site called costa blanco uncovered
that crime is rife over in there is that true or just bs?
TBM
I will make Barca and Lisbon.
Having to take the Mrs. to Lisbon, so will make a few days out of it.
The pool is fine, no Assanges.
Enjoy yer holibobs….
HH
celtic heritage
16:48 on
7 September, 2012
AKBW1888 you are right about how hard it will be. But the key thing is, will it help develop more of our young players to be first team members – and potential champions league players of the future? Here’s hoping – there is nothing like seeing our own players coming through and making thier mark HH
Your damn tooting young man, well said.
Come on the Young Hoops.
THE EXILED TIM……16:55 on 7 September, 2012
Good man; enjoy. See you whenever…….
Regards & Hail Hail
TBM
The Republic game is on the betting sites.
…………………………….
petec
Aye, could do a lot worse than Auldheid.
…………………………………………
AB….
Crime is rife everywhere unfortunatly.
Off to watch the football.
HH
petec;
You’ve actually inspired me to watch the full documentary again, and what comes out the most, right at the start, is the notion Drummond puts out that they looked at the music business and thought that anyone who wanted a number 1 hit could just “reach out and grab it”, and knowing what audiences wanted to see they simply went out and did it.
Just like that. Like it was easy.
There’s a similar story about George Lucas, who was part of the rising group of directors who came up in the 70’s and changed cinema by making the most iconic films probably of the last 50 years, maybe of all time. He and Speilberg were the “geeks”, but the ones who were most obsessed with where critical acclaim ended and commercial success began. In short, they wanted validation at the box office.
His first project, his vanity project, THX 1138, was so poorly recieved, and his ideas for Star Wars so all over the place and bizarre that a lot of people told him he’d never make it in the business. And he told them it was easy to get an audience emotionally involved in a story. He gave a simple analogy.
Get an actor to wring a cat’s neck. Voila! Audience gets emotionally involved!
To prove it, he said he would make a film that would be a commercial success, just to demonstrate how easy it was. American Graffiti was the result. He then, of course, followed Speilberg’s success with Jaws with an even bigger blockbuster.
Cinema has never been the same again.
KLF were, kind of, exploiting the same model. But the intent behind it was very different; they were making a profound statement about the industry itself, not insulting their audience. I love the fact they were able to do it so effortlessly.
Of course, I love more what they did with the proceeds!
We’re sitting in glorious sunshine outside The George in Holyport, Berkshire
Anyone fancy a nice refeshing pint?
HH
The Exiled Tim
Thankd my bhoy.
Enjoy Exile Tim
I hope your Team gets a good result
Point taken about crime is rife everywhere although someone
who says he lives where you are was saying that all the
pats that he came across have had their cribs tanned two
or three times and said numpties even do it while one is
sleeping and some pats have even been either gassed
or tied up it basically sounds like something out of a
gangster movie is this true or bs?
maybe we will discuss this matter later.
All the best and God Bless
James Forrest is Neil Lennon! We are ALL Neil Lennon!
16:45 on 7 September, 2012
You are a very kind individual, I tried to get the movie (50 mins or so) but it wasn’t there on Youtube anymore.
I really wanted to get that back up but it just isnae there anymore. The interview and discussion is just as important as the video, IMO.
Celtic Must bring through their kids, Celtic must encourage Scotland to get rid of the hammer thrower image. Look at the Celtic stats for bookings over the last decade and further, it just does not compute correctly.
I have started watching the Breaking Bad series that you brought to the Blog. It is really thought provoking and, from what I have seen so far, hopefully, not prophetic of the future.
Walter just tossed a spanner into the flash dudes motor, he is giving up the morals….. he has basically said F it. I am often wrong and occasionally right and I’m now talking myself into watching the next episode.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZXc39hT8t4
HH James.
Ohits
Parking problem do not pay and do not contact them , you will receive in the next 12 months around 7 letters saying they will take you to court,debt sold onto debt collectors so on and so on just ignore them. You should only pay police and council tickets. Check out the guy who’s on GMTV martin something website about parking tickets I had one followed his instructions got letter after letter they gave up hope this helps.
petec:
The entire thing is still up there mate, but it’s in five parts. Stunning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4uQtOQwLGE&feature=related
Part 1 there
I have to agree with the posters who feel that “they” will never be allowed to fold. “they”
are the main vehicle through which masonic Scotland expresses itself. If “they” were to fold masonic Scotland would have to find an equivalent way of expressing and asserting it’s supremacy.
The only way I can think of that masonic Scotland might do that is to organise Orange walks in every Scottish town and city on every matchday whern “they”would have been playing.
Much easier to keep “them” in business.
saltires en sevilla
17:00 on
7 September, 2012
We’re sitting in glorious sunshine outside The George in Holyport, Berkshire
Anyone fancy a nice refeshing pint?
HH
Okay Saltires I would like to join you but I’m 400 miles away.
Don’t rub it in about the weather apparently it’s going to
get colder next week
James Forrest ,get aff that daft magazine and post more often.
P.s That daft magazine ,tell yir ole mhan I enjoyed his article,again.
hh
Thomas Rogne is quite justified if he is feeling undervalued….
He is a promising young player,coming into the best years of his career,and plays an honest,intelligent game.
When he first came to Parkhead,he suffered a series of repetitive thigh injuries…
As he pointed out,in his career in Norway,he had been virtually injury-free.
Probably a reflection of the poor medical back-up,and inadequate training facilities at Lennoxtown….
It has since been suggested that the particular qualities of the turf used on the practice pitches was implicated in the unexpectedly high frequency of muscular injuries sustained by players using the surface….
At any rate,since the problem was identified,and the turf was replaced by another variety which provides a more secure footing,the number of muscular injuries sustained in training has declined
Thomas has never let us down….
His most difficult performance was when he was substituted in a derby game,when he was clearly out-of-sorts…
Small Wonder ! Only one week previously,he had a prolonged anaesthetc in hospital,undergoing the extraction of suppurating wisdom teeth..
He should never have been considered fit enough for the Subs Bench….never mind playing from the start….
He should be earning at least as much as ‘Lennie’s Pal’,Kelvin….who has had about one good game ever,and remains thoroughly unconvincing…
*Always Injured /Cannot Jump/ And at 29y,unlikely to improve…ever/ No Sell-on value…etc etc…
While Thomas appears to be overcoming his fitness problems,has an ‘old head’ on young shoulders….and is a regular for an international team….a fair few places above Shortbread in the rankings…
I wonder what his salary is,in comparison to the ‘prize dumpling’ that was Glenda..
As far as availability is concerned,Thomas could be considered a ‘regular’….compared to our Delph China Dutchman….who was paid more than five times the salary of the stalwart Darren O’Dea…..
To accept a reduced salary would be a downright disgrace….
Perhaps his face doesn’t fit /a bit too cerebral/ no tattoos / a non-participant in the Friday Night BoozeN’CardSchool Culture….
WGS had his ‘favourites’….
Now ‘Dearest Lennie’ seems to be showing the same dangerous tendencies
Time for Oor Ginger Tyro to Wise-Up…?
And Slash Lawwell’s Salary….
Right ? Right !
Glendalystonsils likes a mr whippy with his lime green jelly
17:11 on
7 September, 2012
I have to agree with the posters who feel that “they” will never be allowed to fold. “they”
are the main vehicle through which masonic Scotland expresses itself. If “they” were to fold masonic Scotland would have to find an equivalent way of expressing and asserting it’s supremacy.
The only way I can think of that masonic Scotland might do that is to organise Orange walks in every Scottish town and city on every matchday whern “they”would have been playing.
Much easier to keep “them” in business.
Thank God Glen Daily’s Tonsils not every mind set in Coldland is
stuck in 1690 Mode
voguepunter:
No longer involved with the mag mate. The magazine wasn’t the issue, I’ve been exceptionally busy lately, but some changes (I burned a million quid haha) have been made and I feel more my old self again.
I’m enjoying smelling the coffee, if you like !
Arch
13:07 on
7 September, 2012
I was at Firhill last night for the Nextgen and enjoyed the
game but was disappointed in the way the game was played by us.
It was similar to those first team European games where, although we’re at home, our opponents enjoyed the greater share
of possession and look more comfortable keeping the ball for
long periods. Celtic on the other hand, passed the ball from side to side in their own half before launching a normally aimless long ball to the forwards. I notice a couple of posters last night mentioned the lack of Celtic subs as opposed to Sporting who used 5.
We’re all aware of the need to change our football to do better against the continents best and I have to wonder if we’re missing a trick by employing Frail and Kennedy as coaches in charge of our youngsters. No harm to either of them, and inparticular Kennedy, who obviously was unable to fulfill his potential but I think it would be of more benefit to bring in
coaches from abroad at younger level. Is it jobs for the boys?
I mentioned this to a Sevco fan in the work and he immediately
said that he felt the same thing at his club with Durrant who has, he said, a reputation as a poor coach.
Arch, I couldn’t agree more with your post.
I was having the exact same discussion this morning with someone else who was at the game last night, who played with Celtic BC and knows a lot of people still connected with the set up.
What he had to say about some of the people in charge, I’ll not repeat because it’s his own view of them but he’s not in the ‘for’ camp.
He reckons we missed out when Kennedy got the job in front of Miodrag Krivokapic. But that’s his own opinion.
I thought we had some very good individual performances, but we were lacking a bit in our tactics.
The SL second goal came from the keeper’s kick out but the ball should never have been played back to the keeper to punt the ball up the park in the first place.
Kennedy’s assertion that the SL player should have been sent off is stretching it a bit.
Twardzik lost control of the ball when it was easier to pass it across to two waiting Celtic players. Really poor play.
SPF
petec
16:24 on
7 September, 2012
THE EXILED TIM
No offence my Good Friend but you are worrying about nothing.
Celtic will not be facing The Rangers again
What do you mean AGAIN?
:D
tmd………….. burp…………tbm