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.
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I love Celtic like a daughter. She is currentlty being raped and stabbed with knives by Scottish authority whom are present at the rape scene. They are present at the ongoing rape scene and they are not doing much. My Celtic family is there also. Some of them are tutting and shaking their heads and waving a finger at me chastising my daughters audible expletives.
That is where I am coming from and if any of you take offence then I genuinely apologise.
HH
So with the post split fixtures starting this Sunday, in addition to hoping we win all our games I’m hoping that Dundee Utd or even St Johnstone secure the 2nd Champions League spot. The standings at the moment are –
Motherwell 55 GD +5
St Johnstone 50 GD +6
Dundee Utd 49 GD +12
Hearts 48 GD +9
Jobo
Rieperman
Im pulling your leg fellow tim and eloquent speaker. I thought you were going out ?
Anyway I have explained and apoligised.
You will feek better now.
HH
If the common feeling is that Neil Lennon makes a fool of himself then I’m he’ll stop as soon as the refs do…
So, Paul Simon eh?
Good taste Paul67.
Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio, our nation turns its lonely eyes to you…
Its the phone these spelling mistakes.
Honest
HH
Auld Neil Lennon heid on 17 April, 2012 at 20:33 said:
There’s also the fact that by calling in, who would you be hoping to convince? The way many of the callers are treated too, even if the points are good, the pundits often seem to manage to twist it and the good calls can end up almost underpinning the agenda.
S
What’s with all the Ronaldo hating?
grame soouness complaining about shirt tugging , how things have changed
Can we not send mickbhoy1888 to FF on a bosman.
How did CQN pick this nugget up?
A bit off topic I know but are we any further down the line with the plans for the proposed safe standing area ?
Yet again the Scottish media get it wrong.
‘Asian Bill Ng interested in rangers’
Its
‘Asian interested in BilliNg rangers for money owed.’
Good luck to him.
Apparently players, officials and fans have been evacuated from Tannadice, where a youth game is taking place, as a result of a fire.
The GB anyone??
ASonOfDan
mickbhoy1888 is a genuine, albeit warped, Celtic fan. He has been vouched for. He suffers from anhedonia, though.
Shame!
ASonOfDan on 17 April, 2012 at 20:42 said:
I have it on good authority that he is indeed a Tim. Just not the kind I know :-)
A simple click of Mickbhoy1888’s user name will show you he is a Tim..
hamiltontim 20:44
Radio Clyde reporting Neil Lennon to blame…
EN
I would be concerned if Lennie tried to change his ways imo we have one of the best young managers in the game and his fiery way is part of his make-up.I think he has challenged the decisions certain people have made against his beloved Celtic I can see no big issue.Now Lennie has been physicaly assaulted and been sent bombs in the post and his and his families lifes have been threatened.Now for me his response has been pretty measured surely if your a Celtic fan calling a radio phone in show you would be decrying those people who threaten our manager and letting the public know how measured Neil has been.H.H.
Richie on 17 April, 2012 at 20:17 said:
I appreciate all that you wrote. It must be difficult to stay in touch.
But don’t waste your time writing to anyone; stop listening and they’re lies will die. It’s that simple.
These clowns are as guilty as Muirhead and the other bigot. In fact the criminals hatred was ignited and fanned by these outlets. Why give them our custom ?
I stopped buying their poison and It’s amazing how your perspective on the ‘tic changes. Helps the blood pressure too !!
Brazil or Bishopbriggs, no matter turn your back on them, they’ll whither. Who knows we might even create a fairer media ?
James79, not a problem.
Awe Naw, it is perhaps my fault that we don’t have any rules on the use of violent sexual imagery. Let’s try to ensure we don’t need to consider this subject.
ItaliaBhoy, aye, he had a talent for lyrics.
Starrybhoy
Naw it disnae. 2 mins work.
HH
while Bayern are on top, they need to get another goal
I would love to have a pint with mickbhoy1888…
I think somethings come onto the blog wrong..(as SFTB said last week.).
you can debate better in person than online, well I can
especially when a pint is involved….o))
Paul67
I promise never to go there again and do wish I had used another example. I am guilty of pushing those boundaries sorry. Please delete.
HH
BT
I’m pretty sure I know the hostelry where he has escaped to. I could arrange a wee date for the two of you :-)))
Snake called in to clyde and put his point across well, defending Neil.
The only problem is, he was one of two with another twenty or more at best criticizing, at worse slaughtering the man. And there were some huns.
What about that ‘good men doing nothing’ malarky?
Snake’s a good man who did something. For my part I have sent in a reasoned complaint to the producer of the show. (not sure I’m a good man though, but at least I’m no’ a hun :-)
Reiperman, many thanks for the support but the day I get offended by a rocket like Awe Naw i’ll chuck it, he seems to have significantly more issue with my chosen profession of which I am very proud as opposed to anything else, which is his perogative. Although I don’t want to put words in his mouth, Awe Naw I understand your rationale that you just posted, I only came on here and asked as outside of here and the various other sites run by the celtic family I get all the unfiltered and honest reporting of things effecting my club or the scottish game. I choose not to deal with the MSM and rely on one of the bhoys from my CSC who very kindly compiles the articles and sends them to us daily, Thanks Mr. Kelly as I know you’re reading. I asked today as I had seen the tweets last night from the celtic sites and had then spoken to my Brother this morning who also spoke about it so I was looking for confirmation or explanation of what had gone on. I don’t think that is a bad thing as unlike the mouth pieces in the Scottish press I came to seek answers from the source, it won’t stop me from lurking and reading the brilliant contributions from the site by people I consider to be real journalists like James Forrest, Auld Heid or BRHT. but it also didn’t warrant the smart arsed comments, or attacks on my profession, but as i said earlier everyone is entitled to their opinion, but we could maybe look at how we express that or as reiper stated we run the risk of heading down the FF road.
Damn madrid!!!
HT
just clicked on his username…
says it all really he is friends with kignow….. p))
Goal Madrid
Are you sure about MickeyBhoy- He’s the only person I have called a hun on here after his “this is a disasterous season” rant at the weekend
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on 17 April, 2012 at 20:50 said:
Could be a fake and if so then how sad would that be??
By the way should you no be practicing??
Starry
McTall
It’s ultimately Paul67 who decides who posts on here.
So until he tell’s you otherwise, keep posting!
BT
You are quite right
Communicating by phone, where the other person cannot see your face and gestures, is a recipe for misunderstanding and argument. That is magnified further on a blog where you cannot even hear tone of voice and people have an aversion to using smilies or emoticons.
The other factors that makes pub discourse less prone to squabbling are that you are usually there with friends and the threat of a physical reaction is more realistic.
I’m told canamalar is a pussycat when he’s in a pub :-)
Richie
Thank you.
SFTB
I wouldn’t go that far…
Joanie’s on Sky Atlantic, I can but dream.
stairheed….
Definitely one of us.