Georgios, Fraser, the deeds and Whyte broadly true

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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

  1. The Battered Bunnet

     

    16:10 on

     

    29 April, 2013

     

     

     

    Every day is a school day (c)TET.

     

     

    If no payment was received for the second group as yet, how much short of the £22M (less costs say £19.5m) would the cash kitty be?

     

     

    Also would there be cash in the kitty from the first group and if not, how much left in the kitty then?

     

     

    I appreciate that in accounting terms such promises can be counted as a form of income but in terms of cash to meet bills due how much of the £19.5m might be left in the kitty before monthly costs deducted? I’d like to try a “what if” on thone business case.

  2. iPaddy McCourt on

    CFC can ram their season ticket.

     

     

    Just been told that I’m ‘not eligible’ despite having attended almost all games at Hampdump in last three years. This, couple with being punted out of my seat for Champions League games, has left me scunnered. I’ll just pick and choose my games next season – why shell out for a season ticket when you get treated like this?

  3. CELTIC will play FC Union Berlin in a friendly match to celebrate the opening of the German club’s new main stand and with it, the completion of their stadium. The match at the An der Alten Fosterei Stadium will take place on Friday, July 12

     

     

    The Scottish champions will be using the match as part of their preparations ahead of the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, while FC Union Berlin will be preparing for their league season, which kicks off the following weekend.

  4. iPaddy McCourt

     

     

    Tickets for the Cup Final are allocated on the basis of how many SC games you have attended home/away for the last 2 seasons, not just on games at Hampden.

     

     

    If you have attended the vast majority of those fixtures then you have a right to be unhappy.

  5. ernie lynch 14:23 on 29 April, 2013

     

     

    …”Your determined efforts to defend the board’s laodician approach…”

     

     

    ===================================

     

     

    LAODICIAN…word of the day.

     

     

    Just off to Google it!

     

     

    Thumbs up

  6. cliftonville celt from belfast

     

    16:41 on

     

    29 April, 2013

     

     

    Union Berlin is the only pre season game confirmed as far as I know. Did read somewhere last week we were playing a few pre season games in Germany ahead of CL qualifier so I suppose St Pauli is a possibility.

  7. My friends in Celtic,

     

     

    Just back from a wind-swept CQN free Blackpool and reading previous posts.

     

     

    I’am glad BMCUWP swally session went so well, it would have been a pleasure to meet you guys and put faces to names.

     

     

    The discussion about censorship is very relevent, however to expect Paul 67 or administrators to monitor every post is not feasible. Self censorship is key. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion- however controversial.It should be self-explanatory what is appropriate and safe to say in this forum without vilification.

     

    All in all this blog continues Setting the Standards.

     

     

    We must explore all avenues to move forward and build on our success on and off the park. Until we can move to a league more befitting of our aspirations (Which surly must come ) we have to acknowledge that Celtic must be guided by fiscal motivation not moral obligation. For a club that was formed for charitable reasons and has a fine track record this will require a subtle balancing act.

     

     

    I will not be too despondant about the result yesterday but the players ( no matter what team is put on the park ) must show more professionalism. We all know the league has been won, but they have a duty to the supporters and manager to give 100% effort as a minimum.

     

    A quick question reading back :- Would Paddy McCourt continue to command such blind devotion from some if he was Welsh.???

     

     

    Steinreignedsupreme @ 14.45 hrs. Liquidation is a matter of public record- not opinion.

     

    Totally and unequivocally agree. What part of the word liquidation is not clear. Why do we let others try to redefine this word? They are gone, kaput.

     

     

    HH. Always in Celtic.

  8. I hope the clever guys on here and phil and our club .keep an eye on the sfa regards their dealings with thems on the granting of a licence , pressure must be kept on them and let the sfa know were watching .

  9. The Battered Bunnet on

    Auldheid

     

     

    Haven’t a scooby, anything I suggested would be entirely speculative.

     

     

    that said…

     

     

    …start with 35p per share subscribed, paid up in December, with a further sum due per share on 18th June based on average AIM market price of Xpence.

  10. ernie lynch

     

    14:23 on

     

    29 April, 2013

     

    Steinreignedsupreme

     

     

    14:12 on 29 April, 2013

     

     

    Tom English claims to have seen emails from the SFA to UEFA stating that so far as they, the governing association are concerned, the club continues with the history since 18 whatever it is intact.

     

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++

     

    What would have been iteresting was UEFA’s reply. Did it say something like – well that is not how UEFA see the situation and we are not going to countenance any involvement in UEFA competitions by the Rangers Newco should they stay in the SPL because of the risks and violation of our rules. So you can say the membership of your association continues but we at UEFA will apply our own definition of club and membership and the consequences of your decision to ignore our standards are on your heads.

  11. Michael

     

    16:31 on

     

    29 April, 2013

     

     

    Thanks for that. Can you answer this for me? I don’t know if RFC are being shorted (or even if you can) but if they were do shorts being closed show up as normal trades? I haven’t found a straightforward answer anywhere but I can’t think of a logical reason why there are occasional large-ish buys reported.

  12. CELTIC will play FC Union Berlin in a

     

    friendly match to celebrate the

     

    opening of the German club’s new

     

    main stand and with it, the

     

    completion of their stadium. The

     

    match at the An der Alten Fosterei

     

    Stadium will take place on Friday,

     

    July 12

  13. Big Georges Fan Club on

    iPaddy McCourt

     

     

    20-30,000 season ticket holders will not get a ticket – every one has a reason why they are more deserving than the next man – stop squealing like a spoiled wean and live with it.

  14. jimtim

     

    16:47 on

     

    29 April, 2013

     

    I hope the clever guys on here and phil and our club .keep an eye on the sfa regards their dealings with thems on the granting of a licence , pressure must be kept on them and let the sfa know were watching .

     

    ++++++++++++++++++++

     

    On the basis that observed behaviour changes the behaviour that is exactly what is being done.

  15. Kayal33

     

    Deluded land claiming sevco have preseason game lined up against same 2nd Div opposition

  16. Big Georges Fan Club on

    Hey BT

     

     

    Up to a point only – I feked up badly and put a dampener on it for everyone.

     

     

    In the severe doghouse, and might never get back out :-(

     

     

    BGFC

     

     

    IamanarseCSC

  17. leftclicktic

     

    16:58 on

     

    29 April, 2013

     

     

    Ryanair fly to Berlin so its possible.

     

    Union Berlin v Third Rangers?

  18. Kayal33

     

    BREAKING NEWS ON deludedlands RM

     

    after they were discussing by which route they would get to Germany and what they would do during their trip:))

     

    …………… breaking news………….

     

     

     

    ————————-

     

     

     

     

    It’s not us it’s them.

     

     

    http://www.fc-union-…ersterei-17793k

     

    —————–

     

     

    FFS

     

    ————–

     

    WAHHHHAAAAHHHHHAAAAHHHHHAAAAAAAA

     

    Its the small things that make me happy :))

  19. Sorry to those without a ticket, just out of work and realised I had a ticket. Not rubbing it in.

  20. BIG-CUP-WINNERS on

    ASonOfDan

     

    16:53 on

     

    29 April, 201

     

     

    just had an Email from Celtic telling me that you have been allocated my ticket by mistake and to arrange an uplift from you direct.