I didn’t realise until watching TV last night it was Keith Lasley that Anthony Stokes ‘did’ on Saturday, the player who put Adam Matthews out of the game for a couple of months. It’s a physical game, and I’m not going to concede violent behaviour is acceptable, but it would be super-human to not be affected by earlier violence. We need to rise above this.
On a similar theme…. Another incident I missed at the game was James McFadden wresting Fraser Forster, who was holding the ball, early in the second half. Minutes later Fraser threw himself to deny McFadden what looked like a certain goal.
Players need an edge to be able to summon their very best performances, and a wee nyaff climbing all over you is as likely to give you an edge as anything. McFadden has a few years left in him. He’s at a well-run club who will give him the platform to excel, if he can find the focus to deliver.
I see some re-writing of history today and over the weekend on where responsibility for Newco Rangers acute financial plight lies. Among throwing blame on convenient scapegoats, one-time-hero-though-transparent-chancer Charles Green, and financial director, Brian Stockbridge, few seem prepared to offer up the prized oaf.
They banked £22m from a share issue and cash from circa 30,000 ticket sales, enough to see them through to top flight football, as long as they didn’t blow it on football bling. So who was responsible for doing exactly that (if you can stretch the definition of bling to Jon Daly and even lesser appealing gems)?
Sure, Stockbridge and Mather signed off, and they certainly knew the financial situation the club was in, but we know enough of the story to explain why it happened.
Despite having a budget close to 100 times their opponents Newco suffered considerable humiliation at the hands of fourth-tier clubs last season. Without reinforcements their chances of progress from the third tier was far from guaranteed – if they continued to allow Ally McCoist to run football operations.
McCoist was unsackable. He played the fans perfectly, earning a ridiculous contract and shares a 1p each for his ability to put bums on seats. Mather had to throw enough talent into the squad to ensure promotion with McCoist in charge, then rely on Charles Green to pull together another share issue.
The question you have to ask is, once McCoist had his reinforcements, who torpedoed the Charles Green supply ship?
No one is going to tell you Charles Green is a man you would want associated with your club, but before mob-rule ensured his attempts to raise investment cash were quashed, should someone not have asked the questions, why did the board find it necessary to bring such a pariah back and what happens if we throw him and his investment plans out?
We’re about to find out.
If suggestions that Newco will come close to expiring cash in hand before season ticket income arrives are accurate I expect they will get there, even if players don’t agree to a wage cut. Companies can control when to pay creditors, even HMRC, who despite what is likely to be an acute interest in Newco, would take months to complete a debt recovery action.
Don’t get too drawn in the minutia of this, whether an insolvency event happens or not does not change the fundamentals, which we touched on last week. Newco had a gamblers chance of turning into something resembling Oldco.
Spooking the SPL into giving them a ticket into top flight football would have seen them debt free and competing for last season’s SPL. Three years of paying our bills while losing the league would have been pointless. I genuinely think only one of Glasgow’s big teams was ever going to survive the SPL decision on Newco.
Had they liquidated Oldco, then flooded Newco with talent and won the league, Celtic would not have recovered, a reality that should be remembered when journalists talk about Scottish football harming itself in 2012. It was them or us.
[calameo code=000390171bffb0dd3dc4f lang=en page=128 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
627 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
Slabhoy
BBC Radio Shortbread – Vic Galloway show, 8-10pm. Mogwai were on playing live from about 9pm. Worth a listen.
jamesgang. Tourtenay has seen it on news now Celtic it appears to be originally from the Sun not much more I can tell you. H.H.
Doc 12:04 on 21 January, 2014
“If they were the same club all this austerity would be them saving up to pay the tax owed.”
Sleekit McCoist is a genius. Absolutely no doubts about that.
While it is easy enough to fool the idiots who support the Rangers group of clubs, McCoist has proven equal to every one of the transparent chancers who have fleeced Sevco and the gullible Zombies in the past 18 months.
Absolutely is asked a reasonable question about booking his third-tier team into four star accommodation and he deflects the question by referring to the old club in the present tense – by doing so he has effortlessly moved the debate away from the real issue. Brilliant.
I read some posts yesterday suggesting McCoist was stupid. He is anything but stupid. Sleekit? Yes. But definitely not stupid.
Geordie Munro
12:14 on 21 January, 2014
Didn’t say he wouldn’t improve his chances by moving south, just that I don’t think Hodgson will pick him either way. His first and second picks are cast in stone, and given that Ruddy was in squad for the majority of the qualifying campaign, then being the conservative coach he is he’ll more than likely stick with him. Butland was ahead of FF in the pecking order before slipping back due to lack of games, his return to action with Stoke will boost his outside chances.
Unfortunately, you are spot on. Frasers’ only chance is a move south and I believe (I hope I’m wrong) he will force a transfer if not selected. A loan move would (maybe) keep all happy and see his return for next season.
Kayal 33. Maybe in jest you have a point as to win honours in Scotland we dont require any new signings our squad is strong enough,However,we do need to strengthen for Europe. H.H.
NegAnon2
12:19 on 21 January, 2014
Natknow – do you understand the concept of a blog such as this?????
Martim – what you are doing is following the logic of ïf someone doesnt do as I do are act as I do then there is something wrong with them”
I coould equally say those who blindly and happily accept everything said by celtic make the board complacent and therefore directly harm celtic.
———————————————————————————————————-
You do say that. On a regular basis. That’s fine – no-one’s trying to stop you.
Do I understand the concept of a blog such as this? Ummm…yeah…I think I’ve got the hang of it. Thanks for your concern.
Joe Filippis Haircut
12:24 on 21 January, 2014
We definitely need to strengthen for Europe. In all areas, defence, midfield and attack. Players who can retain possession and not give it straight back to the opposition, players who can break forward at pace and most importantly player(s) who can find the net.
Djorkovic OUT of Australian open . Beaten in five sets to Wawrinka
neganon2
12:19 on 21 January, 2014
Natknow – do you understand the concept of a blog such as this?????
Martim – what you are doing is following the logic of ïf someone doesnt do as I do are act as I do then there is something wrong with them”
I coould equally say those who blindly and happily accept everything said by celtic make the board complacent and therefore directly harm celtic.”
And you frequently do. Your logic implies that the Board is cognisant of, and takes comfort from, the acquiescence of the quiescent fan. You have a great insight into the thoughts and minds of the collective that constitutes the Board. I don’t think so. But we welcome your opinions. Just don’t elevate them to the level of Gospel quite so much. On a blog all opinions have weight but repetition spells Boardem.
steinreignedsupreme
I agree he is not stupid.
But sometimes it feels as though the Authorities in Scotland think we are.
They aren’t the same club, they are in liquidation. A football club is not some ethereal entity that lives in the ether, it is a legal entity and lives, and dies in the real world.
An oft repeated lie may become accepted as truth, but it will never be anything other than a lie.
Richie,
Thank you for that, your reply is summed up in your first three words which is in stark contrast to many who believe that their opinion is the honest fact but in reality it is just that, an opinion.
However, it appears that it is opinion that drives this site and generates great debate and long may that continue.
Paul provides the majority of the facts and off we go.
HH
neg anon2, all I did was compare the constantly negative people on here to the annoying grumpy bloke at the match. I insist on listening to all opinions to stop me from being narrow minded as I see it as weakness. In my view usually a combination of ideas or development of ideas from one by others often makes for the best outcome. It just seems, some people will never be happy and at a guess, it’s probably not to do with Celtic.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
OK. Let’s give it a go.
“Jing”
Rats!
Perhaps I haven’t said it often enough.
If I keep saying it, it must come true sometime.
After all, that’s what Rangers fans think….
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
I can play the guitar like John Williams.
Just back from court in Dumbarton. The wife was in a car accident a while ago and the taxi driver who crashed into her was claiming against her insureance. What a joke our legal system is at times, it’s adverserial, even for a civil case. No one seemed interested in the fact that all 3 witnesses to the accident discribed the damage to his car as minimal, while the damage to the wifes was discribed as much worse. The wifes cost just under £800 to fix yet the taxis which had almost no noticable damage cost £3,500+, all the lawers and the judge seemed interested in was whether my wife as the driver was distracted and whether she understood physics and the laws of centrefugal force. What a joke.
new article posted.
Interesting reading the exchange between Neganon and Natknow.
One was reasoned , humorous and calm. The other was speculative, aggressive and irrational.
JJ
EDDIEINKIRKMICHAEL
I don’t remember Physics being part of the driving test.
Just as well,for I would have struggled!
I do know,though,that part of the test relates to stopping distances,which you could argue is partly Physics.
Sadly these tell you the stopping distance based on the available facts 60 years ago,with no updates re modern technology.
That’s why the cops will do you for 80mph and swear in court that the stopping distance is 400 feet.
Aye,right-if I was sleeping at the time!
the English strip has three lions,triggers broom has ten years history,rangers are the same club, celtic are the same club, only one of these statements is true, ask any self respecting hun…..if there is such a thing h h
DjYNWA67 @ 11:56,
GlassTwoThirdsFull @ 11:16,
“Forgot to say. If it’s the same club, why any need for a “transfer of membership”? To transfer membership from one club to the SAME club??????
_________________________________
This conversation been going on for nearly 24 hours. We know it was the great Scottish Swindle so put it to bed already. As for Sporting Merit; if Sevco win a Cup, it will not be on Sporting Merit therefore thy ain’t gonna be playing in any European Competition. Infact they ain’t gonna win any Major domestic Trophies. If they do, I’ll run through the Gallow Gate naked”
Well it is a somewhat annoying debate and can seem circuitous but when anyone states that some see Newco as a continuation, it in no way changes the FACT, that Rangers Football Club was liquidated and is no more –
The Newco point has been laboured enough, although more than ever I really, really, really hope, they don’t win any Major domestic Trophies.
Just to address these points though…
GlassTwoThirdsFull @ 10:59,
“Now, if they WERE the same club, why not just say so? Maybe something to do with the death threats he got, and admits that police told him to be “a bit more safety conscious…. Auldheid’s post at 3.14 covers what I was going to say. It’s all about commercial reasons. They want “Rangers” “back” in the SPL so they can sell the “old firm” brand to sponsors and TV companies. So they have to pretend it is still Rangers. But they cannot come out and say it is the same club as they know this is not correct. Membership and history are two different things.
That’s very true, you can see some of what was going on in this BBC article – none of it’s relevent in so far as it’s inbetween Sevco being rejected for the SPL and no getting into the SFL Div 1.
But you can see just after Sevco’s rejection by Scottish Premier League, the SPL are already looking to but SFL TV rights.
28-June-2012
“Television rights for Rangers matches in Scottish Football League Division One are to be bought by the SPL for £1m.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18625293
Of course, no one outside knows the in&outs of the 5 way agreement but commercial considerations were paramont.
Hail Hail
GodblessthegoodfholkofGallowgateCSC