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.
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MWD shared on twitter, Excellent post
100% SUPPORT NEIL FRANCIS LENNON
I find it completely unacceptable that the MSM continue to incite hatred against Neil and I am at a loss as to why Strathclyde Police do not intervene and remind them of what has happened to Neil and his family and insist they back off…………. Oh wait !!
Hail Hail
Stephen with a “ph”
shady – Plus all that portrayal of benefits claimants as normal humans and lovable rogues ;-)
Aye.
Benefits claimants are just following their own interests, as is normal for human beings.
When I was a kid in Coatbridge, a lot of my friends came from families where the Dad didn’t/couldn’t find work.
When I was at St Augustine’s Primary, there were certain kids who were desperate to eat your leftovers from lunch.
Another thing I remember vividly from the early 80’s was the amount of rubbish on the streets. It seemed like the place was constantly swirling with empty chip pokes and sweetie wrappers when I was a nipper.
Scotland has changed for the better. (thumbsup)
Moonbeams WD. Kano \o/ Neil Celtic FC. We are the Champions. Ignore the WARTS. on 17 April, 2012 at 23:10 said:
Glad I logged on before I went to bed…
Stand behind the Man that stands behind the line..
Neil Lennon Manager of Celtic..
SP
Sorry to interrupt but I am a wee bit pished off that another day has passed and the masters of the universe have failed to see my latent talent and offer me a job.
So I thought |I would just tell them to hack off; however if I am going to do that I also feel that I shoud come on here and explain that their problem is that they cannot empathise with my culture of happiness. So here is what I think life is all about (I have had a couple of drinks)
**************************************
At some time in our brief foray across God’s sod I’m sure that we all try and rank our top ten brilliant feelings; times, moments and emotions that we would like to put in a bottle and say “this does not need the opposite side of a coin to make it special. This is not good because there is bad, right because wrong lurks in the shadows , warm because cold is an enemy or laughter’s rock around the clock because tears on the dance floor is against health and safety..
There are some moments in life when ying stands proud on the mountain top, not because of that cowardly yang still sitting at basecamp complaining of the bitter cold, but because until that mountain top swelled in our souls we didn’t even know that yang existed.
My own top ten are banal, nostalgic, sentimental and the same as yours.
Yer mammy’s smile, yer dad’s cuddle, yer sister battering feck out of the street bully; they all sit there at equal number 2 in the chart.
At number one, up there with the pop pickers moments that will live forever when Mother Nature said “here’s yer platinum discs” stand that first (and every one since) kiss from the girl you really love, and beside it the time you held your new born baby in your arms, the one that you and the girl you kissed for one thousand and one times, pulled from the conjuror’s hat and said together ‘now that’s magic’.
So Celtic isn’t everything but then just one afternoon………………..
“The black and grey clad keeper’s right over arm throw down the left side of the field, the ball being taken with back to the opposition, a pretend drag towards the touchline and in one move a clip with the inside of the right foot square and found the man who knew that was where he had to be. A clattering tackle which the ref played advantage to as the ball was moved twenty yards across and ten yards forward with each pass.
The defence back-pedalling, ceding ground, but confident and in control .
The ball coming back again across the field, while little thrusts forward as holes appeared and then were filled forcing the ball backwards on pain of lost possession.
The crowd eager and anxious, wanting action, wanting a full frontal assault, they wanting something, anything…
And then in a trice the tense changed and the ball came back again.
The support grew, the guttural call of the team started and with each thrust the volume increased , and this time when the attack was repelled, the volume searched for decibels to match the hope,. The ball came back to the half way line, but the crowd knew, and the team knew, and the opposition knew, and then everyone knew,
The ball was speared with that cultured left foot 55 yards diagonally to the right and knee high to the far touchline, the winger pulled it down in an instant and that speed was what gave him the advantage, as the ball stuck equally to ground and foot under his unerring control, he didn’t so much feint as transferred his thought of taking himself and the ball inside to the right into the mind of the jockeying defender. The defender almost smiled with satisfaction as he read the thought and began the natural movement that he knew would result in a casual, and classy interception.
But the thought was a lie, it was a ruse, and the attacking winger didn’t wait to see if the defender bought it, he assumed he would and he was right, as he flicked the ball with the outside of the right foot past the slightly unbalanced defender’s left and in parallel made a wishbone with a left body swerve around the him.
The blue clad defender couldn’t go anywhere because his mind had followed where he thought the ball was going, but the ball didn’t and now his psyche wanted to go in the other direction, but his whole body was confused and rooted.
All he could do was fall backwards. He was stranded, Celtic were gone !
In a beeline for by-line, with a wicked last second bullet of a right instep cross cutting behind the back chasing defenders, whipping and homing on the converging diving bullet of a header, we knew it was there, he knew it was there, the defenders desperately trying to change direction like Tom or Jerry knew it was there, and we all watched as in single frame the ball crossed the line and then it happened in an instant, the net bulged, the crowd roared, the arm was raised, the stands heaved and what had been 60,000 fans watching a game of football became a single mass movement for the advancement of whatever had seized their minds……………Goal!!!! 1-0.
Aye It may be number ten in my chart, but there again everything else was equal number one.
Right back to the job search.
Hail hail
Estadio
Neil Francis Lennon,the enemy of our enemies.Some bhoys and ghirls need to think that over.
“If you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.”
El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz
It is now obvious that the SFA, SPL, Rangers and even The Bank of Scotland and others have been in cahoots for at least 15 years to the active detriment of Celtic. Now that Celtic are financially independent (supposedly) and with the facts being laid “bear” daily why dont Celtic start suing in the courts beginning with monies owed? The Facts are out.
English courts preferably.
I’m starting a list of indictments.
MWD
A fantastic gesture, typical of you.
Hail Hail
MWD,
Agree 100%. No-one would put up with the verbal and physical abuse that Neil has had to face, and yet he keeps going, getting stronger and getting better at his job. MSM and the hoards are terrified that he’ll stay put to lead us to our Generation of Domination (particularly now that they’re in the grubber) so they’re making a concerted effort to drive Neil out.
It won’t work – the more they throw at him the stronger he’ll get and true Celtic Supporters will stand side by side with him.
socrates mulligan on 17 April, 2012 at 20:43 said:
A bit off topic I know but are we any further down the line with the plans for the proposed safe standing area ?socrates mulligan on 17 April, 2012 at 20:43 said:
A bit off topic I know but are we any further down the line with the plans for the proposed safe standing area ?
Socrates – Building Warrant application has been submitted so it could be built this close season.
Hail! Hail!
DavieL
Estadio, good luck with the job-hunting!
philvisreturns on 17 April, 2012 at 23:31 said:
I did put a smiley on.
Certainly, when I look at my kids and the opportunities they have, Scotland certainly looks better now. Sometimes, though, I think this might only be cos I moved up the chain. In my family circumstances of the time, not sure that I’d have been going to Uni without the benefit of fees being paid, grants etc. How much better things are may depend on where you are in the economic scale.
I think also that the current treatment of Neil Lennon and Celtic does not cast a good light on this country.
S
Estadio – What sort of job are you looking for?
My own field is quite narrow and specialised so the chances are I wouldn’t be able to help, but I thought it was worth asking on the off chance… (thumbsup)
Enough of this silly talk about having to win the SPL title by more than the 10 points deduction.
Absolute NONSENSE.
As it so happens, Celtic WILL win the title by comfortably more than that margin.
That, however, is incidental.
Rangers were not deducted points by a vindictive, vengeful or bitter administration which sought to take away their rights.
They were punished for GROSS MISCONDUCT…
For CHEATING.
If Celtic were to win this year’s title on goal difference, by a single goal, they would still be worthy champions.
Don’t allow the CHEATS to dictate the terms on which honest clubs can celebrate being CHAMPIONS.
Celtic are winning this title strictly on merit.
Ah well the pain has passed and I’m now looking forward to us doing ML1 and stepping lightly towards a Trophy celebration.
I pray for no injuries and a great title party.
I doubt Neil is listening to Radio Clyde – and we shouldn’t either. After BRTHs post I foolishly tuned into Clyde. And listened to Celtic supporters aid the myth. No matter what our pub or living room conversations might be – Can we stop phoning Radio Stations and putting the boot into Neil Lennon?
U
Totally unrelated to football.
Look at the camera
http://eye-contact.tumblr.com/
Night all.
S
shady – I did put a smiley on.
You did, my friend in Celtic. :)
Certainly, when I look at my kids and the opportunities they have, Scotland certainly looks better now. Sometimes, though, I think this might only be cos I moved up the chain. In my family circumstances of the time, not sure that I’d have been going to Uni without the benefit of fees being paid, grants etc. How much better things are may depend on where you are in the economic scale.
I think things are better in general.
When I was a kid, my parents were proud of owning a 14 inch colour television and driving a Montego and being able to go on holiday to Spain once a year. Changed days indeed.
Re: grants and fees, etc. University is more open than it was in my day, and my day wasn’t that long ago. Sure, if your favourite subject is 19th century feminist poetry, you may want to consider whether Engineering or Medicine or Teaching is a better subject instead, from the point of view of being able to repay your low-interest student loans, but so be it.
I think also that the current treatment of Neil Lennon and Celtic does not cast a good light on this country.
That’s one of the reasons why I am hesitant to move back to Scotland. If we tolerate this, our children will be next. (thumbsup)
Did emdae read G G yesterday? I know he’s not everybodys pal but it was good.
A wee story abt Lord Foulkes. Erstwhile factotum of the Romanovs H of M, father of the convicted religious bigot guilty, according to Lothian Police of, “the longest and the most vile tirade of anti – Catholic hatred” the force had ever encountered.
Maybe Neil should take G G to his meetings on Thurday??
Philvis
Thankyou, but but my search for gainful employment is like “a quest for fire” (great film)! One day I will here them whisper to each other in shameful embarrassment…”He truly was the best overnight petrol station attendant in the world”.
Kilbowie Kelt, can I be so bold as to disagree with your final statement…”Celtic are winning this title strictly on merit.”
This should really read “Celtic have won this title strictly on merit.”.
BTW When are you in Sharkey’s next. I will start saving up! :-)
Hail hail
Estadio
If an example is required to show the imbalance in how our bhoys are treated in this country all you need to do is take our Artur and Andy Gollum then compare and contrast the coverage afforded each.When you consider their actions only one stands out as being a wrong un yet he gets a job and the other gets police involvement as a result of upsetting a stadium of bigots by making the sign of the cross.Go figure.
This country stinks of hunnery and all that encapsulates.
Welcom to Scotland,17th Century Presbytarian theme park.
Well said MWD
Neil Lennon is a normal human being
Doing his job well in abnormal circumstances
Ive never seen such abuse inflicted on anyone such as Neil has had to endure
All due to the fact he is a Norther Ireland Catholic & manager of Celtic
The very thing that a certain group of Scots find hard to come to terms with this ordinary fact
Phil
Catholics need not apply was quiet common on the jobs vacancies page in the C & A tizer!!
crushed nuts?’ ‘Naw, Layringitis!’ on 17 April, 2012 at 22:38 said:
Remember precisely what NLF protested – Cha dismissed for an ‘offence’ concocted in Murray’s febrile imagination (never seen an ordering off for anything like that before), Collum’s failure to award a stick-on penalty and Norris’s (who he?) award of a penalty when no infringement occurred.
that these happened within a few weeks was the refs’ way of evening things up over the season.
Was annoyed to hear K & Dal discuss how dirty a player black is. We know that ah pair of fudds!! You should have discussed how anti-Celtic the mib was!
Quite not Quiet
Shady
Breaking the fourth wall.
Done beautifully in that masterpiece ‘Hot Tub Time Machine.’
“This must be some kind of hot tub time machine”
…turns and looks straight faced into the camera…
Stephen with a PH.
First time I’ve been shared.
Appreciated. Always hoped it would be with 2 of the finer of our spieces but hey ho! Being shared is being shared. :-)))
MWD doing the \o/ in celebration
THINK OF THIS , If the mibs were getting pulled up regards the honest mistakes or if the SFA were getting pulled up over the crazy way they were running scottish football in this country . OR If the whole truth was being told regards rangers state of affairs ,duel contracts and all . Or if the hatred for neil lennon was rightly challenged, Or if the sectarian songs were being exposed for what they are , WE WOULD HAVE A HALF DECENT MEDIA IN THIS COUNTRY .
JIMTIM.
jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ – Catholics need not apply was quiet common on the jobs vacancies page in the C & A tizer!!
No it wasn’t. (thumbsup)
Rascar Capac – Hot Tub Time Machine is the Citizen Kane of time travel films.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-1UTqxgzDE (thumbsup)
Moonbeams WD. Kano \o/ Neil Celtic FC. We are the Champions. Ignore the WARTS. on 18 April, 2012 at 00:04 said:
Just seen your previous post, BRILLIANT mate
As you know I didnt believe for a wee while (only to be brought back into the light by good pals tellin me to KEEP THE FAITH!!! ) but Neil has earned my respect and im so glad hes our manager
HAIL HAIL n GOD BLESS NEIL LENNON!!!!!!!!!!!!
Playing ineligible players while winning these trophies:
Huns Tainted Titles
1997
1999
2000
2003
2005
2009
2010
2011
Huns Tainted Scottish Cups
1999
2000
2002
2003
2008
2009
Huns Tainted Scottish League Cups
1997
1999
2002
2003
2005
2008
2010
2011
Good chunka money there I think
Supporting Neil all the way.
G’night fholks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3BGa-MxxSs
FOREVERANDEVER!!!
Margaret……
Class line up of fact there!!!!!!
:-)
Just looking at the thuggs tackle on Ledley again. He actually tried to do Mulgrew first!!
Singapore Born Billionaire Billy Ng….eh..huh…. born w/a billion and now only got 20 million left.. whits he been daein?
Phils
Yes it was!! A B Brown bakerys was one. FACT!!!
Labertons, Murray & Patersons. The Northburn??
Estadio on 17 April, 2012 at 23:52 said: ………………
My God, you are a hard man to please. :¬))))
OK, you are correct that the deed is indeed already done.
Only the margin of that win has still to be established.
ME ?
I could not care less.
I will indeed try to enjoy your company at some time soon.
I just would not be an enthusiast for a hostelry which insults my Celtic appetite with a demeaning 25 mil. allocation of God’s greatest gift.
Get your ass across the river to where they serve a ‘manly’ quarter gill & I’m yer man.
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon..!!..Truth and Justice will always prevail on 17 April, 2012 at 22:06 said:
macjay1 for Neil Lennon on 17 April, 2012 at 21:55
I have been waiting all my life for Celtic to REALLY take them on….
Thanks,mate.
And no doubt, like me, the lives of our forefathers.
This is a watershed moment.
Carpe the bloody diem.
I mourn the loss of Mr.McBride.This was made for him.
R.I.P.
jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ on 18 April, 2012 at 00:15 said:
Just looking at the thuggs tackle on Ledley again. He actually tried to do Mulgrew first!!
Exactly…. missed his first assault, so tried a second. Made a right mess of the ghuy’s shin. Thuggery. Nothing less.
HH
Phils
Monklands District Council wiznae wan BTW. lol