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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Serge
NOW now what did we say about this sizest stuff Off line yesterday.
Plenty of us heavy boned bhoys need XXL to cover our muscles.
Found another 4 strips for you from the kids.
Still in negotiation for the present shirt with JUAREZ on the back to compliment amongst others the N’Guemmo and Donnati classics your good lady should already have in her possesion.
heavybonedandthickskinnedCSC
Breeny on 18 April, 2012 at 11:39 said:
Thanks for the confirmation, the inability to answer a straight question before indulging in a whole load of unrelated sophistry is always a dead giveaway.
Hai Hai
Lennon n Mc….Mjallby on 18 April, 2012 at 11:44
The Old Firm defines their behaviour first and foremost not Celtic
Hail Hail
Breeny on 18 April, 2012 at 11:39 said:
‘Do Not Underestimate the danger that man is in because he has overstepped the mark too many times’
Brought it on himself has he ? So bombs, assaults, death threats are all because Neil Lennon has ‘overstepped the mark’.
Absolute nonsense. He’s in the danger he is in because of naked sectarian hatred. If Neil Lennon sneezes at a game some want him strung up.
Which mark is it that he’s overstepped ? The ‘dignified’ one ?
D&P get the ticket money for Celtic Park from the Huns they sell the tickets to.
pedrocaravanachio67
When the admins took over, RFC had circa £3.4m in the bank. In 6 weeks (up to 30 March) this had been reduced to £900k. The admins spent £2.5m more than they brought in.
They should still have some of that £900k left, maybe just enough to buy the Celtic tickets but pretty soon they will be completely out of money.
Mort
Awe Naw
There’s another term,4 letters,starts with B,ends in S.
Cardiffbhoy
N.L. MUST act differently because he is the Celtic manager and particularly because of the threat his behaviour brings. He is not the Inverness manager , the Celtic manager brings additional responsibilities/risks and his behaviour must be fitting of a Celtic manager. Don’t think for one minute I am saying he should not challenge or be passionate but he obviously does not know where the line is.
Cardiffbhoy,
Where have Billy McNeill and Davie Hay publicly criticised our manager? Would it be in the Sun and DR, by any chance? Sad to hear it, especially as they know better than most the cheating our team is subjected to.
Lennon n Mc….Mjallby on 18 April, 2012 at 11:47 said:
A lack of them ….. but I promised Paul67 I wont venture towards that area ever again.
Hail Hail
Henriks Sombrero
look at his track record of confrontation. How can you dispute that he has not overstepped the mark?
Noticed some saying Neil should have waited and challenged the ref in the tunnel. he did that at Ibrox and unclear exactly what was said as one says something and the other contradicts it.
Perhaps by going on the pitch it can be clear what he said if accused ofsaying something untoward when he didn’t.
Mort
Anyone read Bertie Auld last week saying he hopes Neil doesn’t lose his passion but he might want to rein it in a bit? He reckoned it was time for Thommo and Dolph to step in a bit more.
Lennon n Mc….Mjallby on 18 April, 2012 at 11:44 said:
”Why are Celtic fans even talking about Neil Lennons behaviour?”
Because there’s an element of the Celtic support who, above all else, crave acceptance and respectability and they find it hard to conceal their contempt for what they regard as the corner boys and loafers among us.
It’s been like that since the Club was founded.
It’s an element that’s not slow in voicing its opinion. They tend to be sharp nosed and sharp elbowed.
as I said yesterday, theres too many cowards and lock tuggers decrying our manager for standing up to cheating.
Navanbhoy / Tinytim
In oldcastle there are tombs similiar to newgrange and much easier to get to – Loughcrew. Been up there and it’s a great view as well.
What’s bringing you to Kells anyway if you don’t mind me asking?
Breeny
Who sets this mythical ‘mark’ ?
He’s certainly nowhere near overstepping any Mark I would set for a Celtic Manager.
The ones who have overstepped any mark you want to define are the cheats, liars, bullies, and bigots.
Certainly not the man who is taking them on.
tomthelennytim
that is exactly what I am saying
Breeny on 18 April, 2012 at 11:50 said:
look at his track record of confrontation. How can you dispute that he has not overstepped the mark?
+++++
As Henriks Sombrero asked: what mark?
and dim witted
jc2
….so you are saying it’s your Burley top for sale??? haha.
Thanks alot very kind of you. I’ll be honest my good lady is starting to freak out ;-) she’s doing a good job for me. When i get home i’ll take a photo of them all and get it on here. I think im at around the 100 mark, hoping for another 50. hint hint bhoys.
Thanks again jc2. HH
Breeny,
There is no line where our manager is concerned. The MSM will simply move the goalposts to suit themselves. They won’t end their campaign against him til they’ve run him out of Scotland. He is their worst nightmare: a very gifted Irish Catholic, who is prepared to stand up for what he knows is right. They hate him and all he stands for. We, as a Club and support, should be doing our utmost to protest at the constant “honest mistakes” the refereeing fraternity inflict upon us.
Don’t feed the monkey…
Mort on 18 April, 2012 at 11:51 said:
Mort – exactly my point. He was very clearly mouthing two questions at the cheat in black. No doubt or ambiguity for anyone watching, And no lie can be made up.
Somebody should tell Bertie that Dolph and Thommo are not Nothern Irish Catholics
Hail Hail
Anthony Stokes banned for one match by the Sectarian Football Association for comments made to the Mason In Black Norris after the cup semi final apparently.
RobinBhoy
TheOriginalSadiesBoy
I refuse to accept that we need to play under a handicap that others do not and that is that we have to be way better. It is great when we are but unrealistic to expect that level of performance every game and it is on occasions we fall short (mainly as you say by not taking good chances) that we are handicapped more than the opposition by the refereeing.
We must strive to put this right by removing the idea that refs are acting unfairly and what feeds that idea is lack of accountability and in Scotland an over reliance on discipline to put complainers in their place. How about we actually make referees more accountable and see if that helps?
On providing the enemy with ammo to fire back at you I agree it is not the way to go and Celtic need to address this with Neil on that basis. What gets me is folk apparently annoyed enough to phone in or attack the manager on line. If they feel that strongly about it write to Celtic, otherwise they are keeping up the supply of ammo to fire at Neil and do much more harm than good.
You would think our manager gets enough grief and abuse from the huns and MSM and then you get nuggets on here who are supposedly Celtic fans.
Lets just take it on the chin like Mowbray did. Is that the answer?
ffs…
So called Celtic fans questioning Lenny’s behaviour……..
Whit kinda soup being served today?
I remember breeny’s first post was a pop at the manager too, when confronted and called out as a hun he tried to deny being a hun by asking people to look at his name and asked how many huns did we know would have a name like that, well now we have the answer 1
“Overstepping the mark” ??
Ah get it now…must be from a.. “GooseStepping Nomark”
Hail Hail Neil Lennon
Two pieces of movie advice for all the Neil Lennon detracting morons:
“Never stop fighting until the fight is done”
“Nobody gives it to you, you have to take it”
Remember those two lines and retaliate first.
Hail Hail
Afternoon,all.
So let me get this right.
After Sunday,Stokes gets aban for an unsubsantiated comment.
Black gets off scot-free for repeated thuggery
Neil Lennon likely to be publicly crucified for his reaction-literally,if the b…..ds thought they could get away with it.
Unbelievable.
What is even more unbelievable is all the “happy-at-the-back-of-the-bus” Uncle Tims giving Neil stick.
Walk a mile in his shoes.
And when you’ve done so,hand them back and just keep walking…
11.54
I agrre with all of that but I don’t think, for example, he should be having wee digs at people on twitter, I think a Celtic manager should be above that.
From RTC poster
deary deary me
exiledclet says:
18/04/2012 at 11:39 am
2 0 i Rate This
Please see my comments yesterday where I said that Singapore football was not exactly SPL standard
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spl/rangers-takeover-rangers-fans-can-have-faith-in-bill-ng-regime-1-2239961?commentspage=1
The MSM have now added more rubbish
“What matters is the depth of his wealth, which can be traced back to the Chinese clans who emigrated to Singapore in the 19th century and established themselves as business leaders, and his ability to manage his investment in Rangers to the club’s benefit”
This is woeful reporting – all the Chinese who migrated here came to better themselves – if they were rich they stayed in China. Bill Ng’s wealth cannot be traced back to 19th C – unreal!!! Millionaire migrant with off the radar historical wealth anyone?
japans football S league table
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 18 April, 2012 at 12:01 said:
Could not have put it Any better ;))))))))
Jam67
Breeny – there is an element on here that regards any questioning of Lenny as sacrilege – yet you can look back to around the early Killie game and see who was supporting him and who was wanting him gone.
I don’t want Lenny to do anything other than get cuter. These scandalous decisions must be challenged by the club as a whole. When was the last time PL talked about these decisions. It seems Lenny is left to handle everything himself and the fella has enough to cope with.
I want the whole corrupt system torn apart and the huns gone, not Lenny. I sometimes think he is falling into their traps and I don’t want it to happen. The last thing “they” want is for Lenny to stay around and build himself a large piece of history for the club – we presumably all want him to do exactly that. We sometimes have different opinions of how that would be best achieved but I’ll tell you this, I wouldn’t come on here slagging Celtic fans for having a different opinion on the subject. Having said all that, I wouldn’t go on the radio slagging Lenny either – that’s undermining him.
Who said life was straightforward eh?
Stand beside the man that stands on the Frontline for his fight is our fight and it’s the same fight we have always been in, the same fight our Fathers and Grandfathers fought and it won’t be over until we’ve won…
Hail Hail Neil Lennon the Bravest Man in Celtic History..