Enormous congratulations to Georgios Samaras, Celtic’s Player of the Year, 2012-13. Scoring in five consecutive Champions League away games this season was a remarkable feat. His last minute winner in Moscow was a seismic moment in our progress in that tournament. Georgios is a player who thrives on positive reinforcement but endures negative sentiment without hiding. No wonder all his managers have valued him so highly.
I was also delighted Fraser Forster won the Players’ Player of the Year award. His performances against Barcelona were nothing short of incredible. It should surprise no one that Victor Wanyama and Kelvin Wilson received a large number of votes for the Players’ Player award. Kelvin will play for England if he continues to perform at the level he has this year. Victor was a genuine contender for all awards, including goal of the year, but was honoured only as the Young Player of the Year, reminding us all that his is gifted beyond his years.
I was referred in the direction of yesterday’s Sunday Mail online story about Rangers International FC’s finance director, Brian Stockbridge, showing a reporter the “deeds”, made eloquently famous by John Brown. Stockbridge used the deeds of Ibrox, Murray Park and the Albion car park to “prove Craig Whyte is on a loser”.
Craig Whyte’s current actions against the newco club and his report to the Serious Fraud Office are based on the belief that RIFC inappropriately took possession of Rangers assets, including Ibrox, when the club were liquidated last year. Proving RIFC have the deeds is no defence against Whyte’s claims, in fact, this merely establishes the premise of his point.
Despite discussing these matters with a reporter Mr Stockbridge made no comment on how Sevco Scotland Ltd (since renamed as The Rangers Football Club Ltd), acquired the entitlement to the assets which Sevco 5088 Ltd had an irrevocable agreement to buy after paying an exclusivity fee.
This interview contrasted with Scotland on Sunday’s interview with former oldco Rangers director, Paul Murray, who without a whiff of irony said, “Whoever is involved going forward has to look after the club’s interests first and their own interests second. You are a custodian of the assets and you’re passing it through the generations. That’s your role.”
Well done as a custodian, Mr Murray. I wouldn’t let you be custodian to corner flag (memories of Dougal from Fr Ted on corner flag-watching duty). He also suggests the club “should also get back to some of the values that were there under Bill Struth and William Wilton”. “Some of the values”, do you think he means that most distinct value? I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt, but why on earth could he not chose an inspiring custodian from a period when oldco was not blighted by their controversial employment policy? There must be someone. Surely?
Murray does, however, nail several issues in his interview. “You have Charles Green who said he had no involvement with Craig Whyte and that was patently not correct.
“The problem is that when you get found out on these things you then start to question other things. And one of the most important things in all of this is the SFA. The SFA sought very direct and specific assurances that Whyte was not involved and Charles Green gave them those assurances and I’m not sure that was actually correct.
“If Charles Green had a set of documents that proved that Whyte is lying then this thing would have been put to bed in two minutes, but it was then discovered that what Whyte was saying was broadly true.
“I’m not saying he does, but say Whyte owns the assets but on the other side he’s just lost a multi-million pound claim to Ticketus. Are we saying that Ticketus would then own the assets by default? And if they own the assets they’ll want to be paid in order to give the assets back to Rangers, but how will the club do that bearing in mind that it had an IPO [Initial Public Offering of shares] that is potentially not valid?
“It was then discovered that what Whyte was saying was broadly true” is perhaps the most significant understatement I’ve heard in years. The moment Pinsent Masons report will be a watershed.
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972 Comments- Pages:
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mickbhoy1888
12:48 on 29 April, 2013
thebarcamole
12:15 on 29 April, 2013 mickbhoy1888 11:12 on 29 April, 2013…………
ex Lisbon lion????????
TBM
Stand corrected Lisbon Lion…………
Cheers……..
Who was it? I’ll guess Stevie Chalmers or Wispy ????
TBM
Well done Sammi
– ‘head and shoulders above’
Steinreignedsupreme
12:55 on 29 April, 2013
”As I said. It was reported in the MSM.
Sevco certainly noticed it – they responded on their own website.”
#############
It was mealy mouthed and equivocal, and of course was ‘balanced out’ by The Great Desmondo’s previous comments.
Come on Celtic summon up the courage to set the record straight.
Hi folks.
Looked at my season ticket renewal online. Isit in famiky stand and my ticket is same price as last year…no £100 reduction. Anyone else in this situation?
TTT
Thanks for that – I’ve told him
Yesterday’s game brought a couple of positives and also glaring deficiencies.
On the plus side, young Tony W must have played his way into contention for a spot in the cup final, his eagerness to get past a player and chase people down was a breath of fresh air.
Rogic in midfield also looked very comfortable and lively in the first half with a good eye for creativity and will be an ample replacement for Joe L if he leaves.
Izzy on the other hand has to remember he is a defender first and foremost, he leaves us exposed many times and other teams are playing to that weakness I feel.
Hope the next few weeks brings in some more fresh faces to get the competition for places hotting up.
Mincey….not that bothered that we got beat yesterday.
minx1888 12:45 on 29 April, 2013
On cup final tickets, I got one, my bhoys not so lucky! Obviously I can’t give the ticket to one without the other feeling left out!!
Wish me luck tonight when I tell them I’m off to the cup final but they are not!
My 13yo daughter failed to get one as well.
She’s a ST holder and went to the semi as well as other away games.
I have already told her she’s going, and she’s told her pals at school she’s going, so I’m giving her mine.
I realise that tickets are awarded on points basis and you earn them from going to away games etc, but it still sticks in my throat when I speak to people, as I did at the w’end, who aren’t ST holders and only go to CL games, who have purchased the Silver, Gold and Platinum packages from CP.
I wonder if her points total would have got her a ticket if there were no packages available to take away a couple of hundred tickets.
SPF
Adrian J Brennan @adrianjbrennan 5m
News from Celtic Ticket Office 1hr ago was tickets still available for tonight’s Glasgow Cup (U17) Final. Rangers sold out, must be keen!
ScotPatsFan 13:21 where have you planked that ticket?
Emdae saw Jabba lately? Lots of pics around of this wan and that wan but nae jabba to be seen in any of them.
Maybe he’s sleepin with the fish??
ScotPatsFan 13:21
My bhoys went to all the games I went to as well! My eldest is a student 18yrs the youngest is 13yrs those tickets would have cost me £10 each! They cynic in me wonders if they had full price tickets would they have been luckier?
ernie lynch 13:14 on 29 April, 2013
“It was mealy mouthed and equivocal, and of course was ‘balanced out’ by The Great Desmondo’s previous comments.
“Come on Celtic summon up the courage to set the record straight.”
———
It is a matter of public record that Rangers have been liquidated.
I’m surprised you require further assurances on the situation.
Is Vic banned for the final?
it seems sevcos audited accs.due at the sfa tomorrow…that should clear up the £22m in the bank pash..new licence at the ready??mmmmm
It’s difficult to form a constructive opinion about yesterday’s game when you have Norris’s whimsical refereeing to contend with. What was a reasonably promising 1st half script was torn up with a ridiculous penalty award and an offside goal, not to mention umpteen free kicks given/not given to both sides.
I said before the game I thought our strengths were defence and attack, so guess I was half right there. Watt, Hooper and Samaras did a good job, with Watt in particular a thorn down their right hand side (no idea why Sammi got so much stick – he played well). Rogne had a dreadful game, however, and Charlie’s play went rapidly downhill after the penalty. Kayal played better than he normally does, but our midfield play was humdrum – Wanyama hasn’t looked right for a while, and we needed more from him yesterday. Rogic was on a par with Kayal – better passing but jogged around aimlessly in stretches.
McCourt has been playing a deeper role in his recent appearances, and hit some sublime passes – his highlight was eliminating two players before sending a beautiful ball to Stokes which should have been a goal. There is a uniqueness about him, and he should be given a start from now till the end of the season. If I were to guess at what it is that folk have against Paddy? Brute strength feels safe, while some find it satisfying to smother beauty at birth.
Last night, someone posted that Neil Lennon had been summoned to referee’s room after the ‘Well match.
Since then, I have neither heard nor read anything to substantiate the poster’s claim.
Does anyone have any further news or was the post incorrect?
a huge weldone to sammy and vic on their well deserved awards!!
h.h
jude2005
im afraid so m8
Not sure that there are concessionary tickets available for the final and if they are then they would be limited in number.
Macgregor saying he is optimistic and has an “open mind”. Hmmmmm, wonder what deal he has done and with whom…..
Maybe if it fails he will claim the Ross County supporters didn’t understand the play-offs!
HT – there are concessionary tickets £10 each but as you say limited in availability hence the reason so many kids will be left disappointed
HT how is your leg mate
HH
Ntassoolla 13:28 on 29 April, 2013
ScotPatsFan 13:21 where have you planked that ticket?
Somewhere I don’t have access too.
My wife’s got it in her purse.
SPF
Cup final letter arrived :)-Iki Snyde News at 12.30 said NL was in refs room at FT,no reason given.
agent craig “green and” whyte!!
From previous thread.Sorry had to do some work. The girl at the ticket office was great I think they have got a very difficult job ahead trying to keep everyone happy. My new seat is only 2 rows in front and along a bit though a bit concerned how the atmosphere will be at the back with all the empty rows.
tommybhoy
Thot that. Lenny said in yesterdays paper he was giving him a 10 day break and bringing him back for the final. That confused me.
Kayal is banned too but that doesnt concern me.
Happy days!
Cup Final ticket letters in this morning and we all have one if we want (we do, we do!)
We have STs & are registered for the Home Cup ties (always buy tickets) and we always take up our ST holders priority offer for semi-f tickets.
We have almost always been successful for Final tickets – except against them dead ones.
Early round home cup ties & semi-fs at Hampden are usually poorly attended I think it helps us secure available cup final tickets since, obviously, a relatively low percentage of ST holders take up options for these games.
I guess we earn enough points by doing what we do.
jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ 13:28 on 29 April, 2013
Emdae saw Jabba lately?
Isn’t he working on a book with Green? Probably busy at the typewriter…….
Manx1888
If allocated a ticket then I believe that they would still have the option of purchasing a ticket at the normal price once the concession tickets have sold out.
MT
It’s getting better but I have a feeling that it’s going to be a whole lot more painful later on. :-)
Keep your head up big fella and we’ll catch up soon.
up over goal
agree with you on your points..dont see why mulgrew gets picked every week..so slow..rogic didnt turn up second half..hoops an sammy were poor also..when coomons isnt playin behind the front two we struggle to get quick service to the strikers..too many big gaps in the midfield allowed them to play through us easily h.h
HT / Minx
There is concessions for Final, we got 2 included with our 5 allocated in this mornings letter.
hh
B
commons = big thumbs
For those waiting for something to happen re: their audited accounts – don’t. They won’t need to produce them, because they don’t have any for last year their first audited accounts aren’t required until the end of this year, and therefore won’t be required by the SFA until next summer.
There’s more detailed explanation over on TSFM but that’s the gist of it.
Steinreignedsupreme
13:31 on 29 April, 2013
‘It is a matter of public record that Rangers have been liquidated.’
Is it? The narrative is that although the holding company was liquidated the club survived. It’s said that that’s what the SFA have told UEFA. One assumes Celtic would be aware of that communication, or could make themselves aware if they were to enquire.
####
‘I’m surprised you require further assurances on the situation.’
I require reassurance about Celtic’s position on sevco claiming the history of the former club. So far I’m not getting any.
ScotPatsFan @13:38 thanks. That made me laugh out loud.
Mmmm ——
Pal tells me that his local Off License is shutting early tonight —– something called an Old Firm game is the stated justification.
Quick scroll through the Scottish rags . Much Old Firm guff- Eg– —–
“Atmosphere at Glasgow Cup Final will be just like a proper Old Firm derby , says Rangers starlet Daniel Storey.
iki – http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/lennon-called-into-referees-room-after-well-defeat.1367217691?
HT I will mate and look forward to a few beers.
iki It is being reported on Celtic news now re NFL being called to norris’s room. Lenny keeping quiet regarding more trouble or not with the clowns at hampden.
HH