Paul Simon wrote about ‘a loose affiliation of millionaires and billionaires’ but if you want to raise money to rescue a company you need more than a loose affiliation. ‘The rebels’ at Celtic managed this in 1994 (somehow), but Paul Murray’s Blue Knights affiliation unravelled over a few days.
While Duff and Phelps were casting aspersions on the SPL for spiking their plans to announce a preferred bidder last week, the Blue Knights were already struggling to pull £0.5m together as a covenant to secure a period of exclusive rights to buy the club.
18 years ago a Celtic supporter walked into a branch of Bank of Scotland and paid £1m into Celtic’s bank account to bring it back under agreed limits and prevent the club going into administration – without any security or negotiating rights. A discrete but hugely important act by a man still on our board. No one from the Rangers consortium was prepared to gamble half as much last week, they even asked Ticketus, finance provider for Craig Whyte’s doomed venture, to stump up the non-refundable cash! The ticket agency declined.
The Celtic consortium soon fell apart with a modest degree of acrimony but personal issues were put to the side until the job of securing the club was complete. Paul Murray’s group was less fortunate. As a chartered accountant Murray would have been fully aware of the Employee Benefit Trusts which brought the club to its knees. What he knew and whether he benefited are likely to be some of the questions other consortium members were asking. He was not best placed to lead the recovery.
Murray also tried to keep a broad church together, from wealthy but detached Rangers fans to various elements of the support. This sounded ambitious from the off.
The most important comment from the Blue Knights yesterday was “The consortium believes that the whole deal process has become incredibly complex and it is critical that a preferred bidder is appointed this week.”
If it’s possible for the words “incredibly complex” and “critical” to be an understatement this is the occasion. The Scottish Premier League and Scottish Football League announce their fixtures in the middle of June. If Rangers are to phoenix before then they better hurry up and die. The liquidation process will take weeks (if it goes smoothly) and can be open to legal challenge. Stadium ownership has also to be secured and the claims of Ticketus and Andrew Ellis have to be satisfied.
Add to the mix creditors, the big tax case, punishments from the SFA for their on-going inquiry into the last takeover, potential punishments from the SPL inquiry into improperly registered players, increasingly widespread opposition from within the SPL and the rest of Scottish football to a place being created for a phoenix and you get the picture.
The last few years reads like a lesson in how to destroy a huge football club. Chances of SPL football at Ibrox next season? No more than 50%.
Bids for the original canvass painting of Neil Lennon by US based artist, Joseph Gormley, have hit an incredible £500. Keep an eye on the auction, which ends on Thursday, here.
Buy a hard copy of CQN Magazine, issue 7, by clicking on the button below. You can read online here.
1,002 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- ...
- 27
- »
shady
Well said
Stringer Bell @19:27
Stringer, these numpties on Snyde are stage-managed stooges. The resson they are so unbrlievable
First of all I do not buy newspapers or listen to radio phone ins.
I see a lot of posters getting upset about “callers” to radio stations criticising Neil Lennon.
So, since Sundays game, how many “Celtic fans” have been on the phone ins?
20,000? !0,000? OK, 5,000? Naw, what about a thousand?
Still nowhere near.
What about 30?
Aye, that’s nearer the number we are talking about.
In percentage terms about 0.000003 of all Celtic supporters or approximately f*** all!
Why do you listen?
I do not believe for one minute that the people that phone in are Celtis fans.
They are plants! Without whom the programme would close.
I worked for a newspaper in Glasgow for years. They are no different from radio stations. Without readers/listeners they are gone.
You’ve bin told!!!
God bless Celtic.
James79
Any team he played against, except Huns.
Mickybhoy, I’m all for diversity of opinion among Celtic fans. If fellow fans want to take issue with Neil Lennon for whatever reason, then I’ll respect their point of view, even if I don’t agree with it. What I object to is people ringing Radio Clyde, a station with a clear agenda against our club, in order to express that critical opinion on air, thus giving huge succour to our enemies.
If zombiehuns get back into the SPL next season, keevins et al will have helped enormously, by their campaign to normalise what is obscenely abnormal. If this happens I don’t know if I can go back to an SPL match ever again. Other fans feel the same way.
Anyway, I digress. The only reason I tuned in tonight was that I so enjoyed the roasting Alex Thomson gave them last night, and I thought there might be some follow-up.
As for the implication that I get a thrill from calling people huns on here, I have never called anyone a hun on this or any other forum. I said that these people are WORSE than huns. Because they are TRAITORS. Or they are too stupid to realise the seriousness of their actions. In which case they have my pity, but not my respect.
midfield
in that game i would just pray the kick the living daylights out of each other!!!!
Just before I head for the pub can anyone supply me with the definitive CQN list of vetted journalists and Celtic friendly approved media outlets
Because I need to know if my parish priest will grant me forgiveness should I stray and commit the mortal sin of listening reading or purchasing of that not approved
unbelievable is because they are not real. Your reaction is EXACTLY what Snyde want… Don’t listen and starve them of oxygen!!!
Hobo
I reckon Rubbery has the beating of this team……
James79
Just read back a couple of pages – looks like you already covered what I said in about 10% of the words – you on eco mode?
S
BIG-CUP-WINNERS on 17 April, 2012 at 19:51 said:
——————————————————————
I do watch every game. In Brazil at the moment so depend on Celtic TV (and Vipbox.tv for SC games)
If I didn’t listen to the phone-ins occasionaly I would miss out on gems like AT last night.
Anyhoo I don’t need to justify myself, and the old ‘scroll on’ option is there for anyone who doesn’t like to see comments on phone-ins.
Having listened to SSB for the past two nights, I am going to find out who produces the show and make my feelings known. Unlike this blog, were we can have our different opinions, that show was a disgraceful stitch-up on OUR manager with a caller selection policy so one-sided you had to hear it to believe it. (or read about it on here! :-)
Shady
Just a hacked off bhoy
Hooiveld, scores again for Southampton. A far better centre half than Wilson.
Billy Sharp, Kojo, nicknamed the gun also scored.
Maybe Kojo was right, we should have bought Sharp when he was available.
gaggybhoy –
As long as Rondaloo is kept at bay then I think wee Frankie Weeberry will be playing in the final. In Bayern, in Munuch, in May.
Joob
don`t listen to the stupid radio phone in`s
and
don`t rise to imposters obviously bating you
chill bhoys
we will have the last laugh
Of course there must be a statistical element to the ratio of Celtic supporting anti-Lennon calls on Clyde. If you are of the pro-Lennon slant you are probably much less likely to listen to Clyde, let alone call in. Then there is the fact that there must be an element of pre-screening involved so if you want to set an agenda you have the tools at hand.
Finally, in my case, I’ve ranted to the wife and kids while listening and I get the ‘then why don’t you call’ retort. My answer is that it would be pointless as these are, despite how bad we think they are as journalists, seasoned arguers. The also control when you’re participation in any discussion is ended and also get the final say – always. I seems, no matter how good you can make your points, they can simply disagree and denigrate you once you are gone.
S
Awe Naw, your response was all too predictable – just a jumble of words designed to deflect but which don’t really say anything. You need not trouble yourself with another as I’m off out. Hail Hail
Anyone know the capacity of the Bayern stadium..?
67Heaven
yes
67Heaven -69,901
69901!
Rieperman,
Probably too high brow for a Clyde SSB affeciando but thanks for inceasing my certainty on you with another sample. Enjoy your night out.
HH
Jobo Baldie on 17 April, 2012 at 20:19said:
gaggybhoy –
As long as Rondaloo is kept at bay then I think wee Frankie Weeberry will be playing in the final. In Bayern, in Munuch, in May.
…………….
Git to agree wit you Hobo.
Offs now and look forward to your whether or not forecast from Mrs Kilbride in the morning.
;);););););););););););););):(;)
Well I called in to clyde tonight because I was sick of the constant abuse he was getting. One stupid woman wanted him jailed and another was blaming him for folk ripping up seats and letting off smoke bombs – nonsense.
I quoted a match report from the 1970 cup final where Jock stein followed R.H Davidson, up and down the steps berating him for his “performance” and wanted the guy investigated.
Keevins said he had told the story an hour previously and I said well it was your match report.
Hee hee
Philbhoy-ah good ole Wiki,66,000 for International games :}
mickbhoy1888
Im sure your pub has now returned to its blue colour and the green was only a blip..
Leggo has been seen on one of his window cleaner benders doing his zigzag man impression through the city’s vomit stained alleyways…the moisture in his brain has dried up until it shrunk to the size of a roosted peanut…he was arguing with a geezer with an onion face & a coconut beard- they’re beef was about who would shoot from the tiger milk from the bottle next…Leggo pulled out his makeshift chiv that he had made from his old press card…the man ran away as Leggo began to rave at the moon, saying: If you can’t see the wood for the trees then don’t go into the woods…he was last spotted on Renfield Street arguing with his wig…many huns still believe everything he says. Tomorrow: Leggo’s Roman Catholic conspiracy exclusive…the Vatican are behind Ticketus!
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon..!!..Truth and Justice will always prevail on 17 April, 2012 at 20:21 said:
Anyone know the capacity of the Bayern stadium..?
69,901 (League Matches)
66,000 (International Matches)
HH
!!Bada Bing!!
You just beat me to it!
Philbhoy….brilliant…
Bandaging ..thanks ..!!!!!!!!!!!..did you two have the same arithmetic teacher…..LOL
I hope the scouting/enquiries have started already. I’m really dissappointed we don’t have a double/triple to our name this year. We are less strong in some areas and with the mibs we’ll all we can get.
James79
Cheer up ffs! We’re champions – well clear even without the 10pts, and in spite of all the cheating. The dinosaur club are going, the dinosaur media are dying. What’s not to like?
It looks like the admin event knocked us off our stride – we were flying when it happened and I guess the extra 10 points just caused a loss of focus.
I cannot wait for the presentation – and the Thai Tims are on their way. Euros over the summer and then into CL qualification.
S
Bayern are making Real look ordinary
James79, deleted, language.
Shady
completely agree!!
arrgh maybe its just quitin these cigs thats making me a moody, depressed pain in the a!”e
Shit have I turned into 1 of them????????
:-)
Awe Naw, *aficionado*
HighbrowCSC
paul67
Sorry
shady on 17 April, 2012 at 20:20 said:
Your final para is why I rarely phone in. Fight battles on your own ground not theirs.