It’s always encouraging to read positive comment on your club, so the positivity from a sports brand consultant at Brand Finance was welcome. Apparently we are something of a commercial miracle, reaching parts no one else from a small country can come close to.
It’s also delightful hearing about glamour preseason friendlies (not quite announced yet, but coming). We are a club with more than just history, we have a team the best in the world want to play. We also have a future.
We have the league championship trophy in the boardroom, Champions League qualifiers to look forward to, and the sun is shining on Glasgow!
These are great times for Celtic.
You can buy a hard copy of the new issue of CQN Magazine via Magcloud here.
The graphic below is just for a flick through, to read the magazine go here to it’s dedicated site.
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After a quick trawl through the Herald, the Scotsman and the Record I’d say there is a shift towards more realistic reporting this morning. Not a seismic shift, but a shift nonetheless.
Driving home from work yesterday, the M77 was backed up so I decided to go along the m74 cut through cambaslang and over the cathkin brae’s this is the irony part of the story, the weahter was amazing I had my windows down and James Brown playing on the radio, guess what song was playing ?????
PAYBACK!! who was I driving by at this point a orange walk, I laughed as I drove by, but the volume up as loud as I could and windows down, I had a chessy grin on my face as I saw the irony of this but I dont think any of the knuckly draggers did.
HAIL HAIL
Lads check this out, disgusting.
@celticrumours: http://t.co/DNxdqIKm you have to ask what followfollow has to do to be shut down.
Grier: we were not ‘in on’ the Whyte dealBy Graham Spiers
David Grier was in New York City on Wednesday night when a BBC documentary on Rangers was aired in Scotland.
It wasn’t long before his phone started ringing, because Grier and his insolvency firm, Duff & Phelps, had just been roundly trashed.
Daly’s documentary cast doubt on the integrity of the Rangers administrators, and in particular on Grier himself, a senior partner of Duff & Phelps. The BBC’s central allegation, citing documentation, was that Grier knew all along about Craig Whyte’s dodgy plan to use funding provided by investment firm Ticketus to finance his Rangers takeover.
It is an allegation Grier has denied, and never more vehemently than yesterday when he ventured to explain to the Sunday Herald why the BBC claims are untrue.
“I can tell you categorically – at the start of all this neither I nor Duff & Phelps had any knowledge of the way Craig Whyte intended to use Ticketus funding to take over Rangers,” said Grier. “Craig Whyte created an illusion – which was that he had his own money. That is what all of us believed.”
Those who watched Wednesday night’s airing of Rangers: The Men Who Sold The Jerseys may have real trouble believing in Grier’s innocence. The BBC’s Mark Daly uncovered emails which appeared to show Grier having very early knowledge of Whyte’s involvement with Ticketus – a deal which has subsequently been seen to be ruinous for Rangers.
Yesterday, however, Grier robustly defended himself. He also claimed the old Rangers board under chairman Alastair Johnston positively egged Whyte on to get involved with Ticketus.
“What we do at Duff & Phelps is, we provide advice and assistance to people in the corporate world,” Grier said. “Craig Whyte first came to our attention round about December 2010 when we read in the press that he was interested in buying Rangers. So I phoned Craig Whyte speculatively. I basically said to him: ‘I don’t know you, but I see you want to buy Rangers – can we help you?’
“He replied, ‘yes, possibly you can’, and he asked us if we knew Lloyds Bank at all, which we did. We had a relationship with Lloyds due to various jobs we’d done. So we met Craig Whyte.”
Grier then says Whyte was very keen to buy Rangers – but that there were various sticking points. “Whyte made it clear to me that he didn’t want to pay the full value of the debt at Rangers to Lloyds, which was then around £24 million,” said Grier. “He said to us: ‘Anything under £20m and I’ll do it.’ So we acted for him in terms of speaking to Lloyds and – we got agreement on a debt reduction from £24m to £18m, on condition of the lease for the Albion car park being continued [by Rangers].
“It was at this point that we conducted discussions with Whyte and the old Rangers board. And there were tensions.
“At that time the outcome of the big tax case was still awaited. Basically, Rangers were saying that, if the big tax case went against them, there is no way the club could survive.
“So our plan [Duff & Phelps on behalf of Whyte] was to go to HMRC and reach a time-to-pay arrangement. So if the bill was, say, £30m, then we’d hope Rangers could pay it back over a set number of years.”
Grier claims that at the crucial meeting of April 24 last year – when Grier, Whyte and the Rangers board met – a new, key factor was introduced.
“Craig Whyte already knew that Rangers used Ticketus for revenue streams – it was an established procedure at the club. Indeed, the old board actually encouraged Whyte to go down the Ticketus route.
“At the meeting of April 24 [2011] – the Rangers board were asking Whyte about his means and his wealth. One of them said to him, ‘have you thought about going with Ticketus?’
“I can stress to you: we had provided Craig Whyte with advice on Lloyds, on HMRC, and on the rights of the lender in any purchase of future season-tickets – we just saw Ticketus as part of Whyte’s back-up financial support.
“Everyone back then believed that Whyte had the money. We’d had confirmation from Whyte’s lawyers [Collyer-Bristow] about his own funding. In our eyes no vast upfront Ticketus money would be required.”
So, then what happened? By Grier’s version of events, he and his Duff & Phelps staff only became aware of the true extent of the Ticketus scenario in late July 2011 – which contradicts the BBC’s allegation that Grier knew what was happening all along.
The so-called “raising of invoices” for Ticketus money in June – which the BBC says nails Grier – is also disputed.
“It was late July, early August when things started to not look right to us,” says Grier. “The club had received a tranche of money from Ticketus, of around £9m, in June. Remember, money from Ticketus was quite natural at Rangers. If someone had said, ‘here’s an invoice for £25m’ then that would have been very different. But Ticketus were well established as a funder of Rangers. Then, in about late July, Phil Betts [then a Rangers director] panicked and said: ‘We are due Ticketus £7m.’.”
Crucially, Grier maintains that Duff & Phelps only at this point became alarmed at Whyte’s antics in regard to Ticketus.
“We’d had no knowledge of what Craig Whyte had done,” says Grier.
Grier claimed the illusion was created by Craig Whyte that he had the money for the purchase when he clearly didn’t.
“We have legally gone after Ticketus, because we believe their Rangers arrangement does not hold up under Scots law. – They are not coming after us, because they know we were not in on the deal.
“Similarly, we are legally pursuing Collyer-Bristow for £25m. Why are Collyer-Bristow not saying to us, ‘but you knew about this’? – it is because they know that we didn’t know about the deal.”
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/grier-we-were-not-in-on-
the-whyte-deal.17702168
######
Does the phrase “At that time the outcome of the big tax case was still awaited” strike anyone else as a bit odd?
To me it suggests the outcome is no longer awaited, that it’s known.
Good morning friends from the Club Tropicana that is East Kilbride
funandsunshineCSC
If there has ever been a bigger bunch of morons in the one place at the one time than the Scottish Football Media (and I use the term loosely) then I have yet to see it.
Guys who are getting paid well I imagine to comment on a subject that none of them can really seem to grasp the basics.
Billy Dodds jeez oh my two year old would give him a run for his money.
Jail the lotta them…
Morning all from the Costa North Ayrshire. Once again a beautiful day.
I have only cursorily read back and I see a couple of articles basically trying to make things better for them. Murray, e.g., didn’t start using EBT’s because of Fergus. He was at it long before. The SFA could have punished thems much more seriously: they could have expelled them.
I was in the Lisbon Lion stand the day Fergus was booed. It wasn’t the fabled “small minority”. It was a large section, who also unfurled a huge banner condemning the RUC. (I think they were complaining about Fergus’ Bhoys against Bigotry campaign.) Fergus has played an irreplaceable part in our history and he should be honoured for that.
Don’t be influenced by the MSM, as many of our support were back then. Let thems die.
Scotland’s current problem is the result of decades of not choosing players for their ability ONLY
starry
I have to listen to folk who read papers and listen to news when I go for a pint.
You are well to be away from it.
whitedoghunch on 27 May, 2012 at 09:33 said:
Aye there is something to be said for living in an orc free environment.
I fell out with my Brother in Law last time I was home as he regurgitated the MSM’s view of Neil and him a Celtic man too…
I was just reading back and read Chico’s comments, speechless disnae come in to it!!
Starry
I renewed my season ticket last week purely for the reason that I love going to watch Celtic.
However, that love doesn’t stretch to funding organisations that sanction corruption. If Martin Hannan’s article in this morning’s Scotsman is true and Newco are allowed back into the SPL with no sanctions, my days of travelling to away games are over. I am sure I won’t be alone in that
Celtic’s stance at this meeting on Wednesday should be “who do you want at your ground, the champs or the cheats?” They sure as hell can’t have both!
Stewart M. Regan @StewartRegan
Completely outplayed by an impressive, organised USA team. We must pick ourselves up and do better. V disappointed. #li
Oh dear…
Stewart M. Regan @StewartRegan
Completely outplayed by an impressive, organised USA team. We must pick ourselves up and do better. V disappointed. #li
Go on, you know what to do
b2k @ 8.00
I was in North stand lower. Maybe there more was booing there! Lol maybe a slight exageration on my part? Anyway couldn’t agree more with what you were saying about about getting Fergus back. The fans would love it and especially after what’s going on across the clyde!
Hail hail my friend
The number 1 reason Fergus got booed was the MSM. don’t forget they had him compared to Saddam at one point ( I think that was Traynor), the vitriol was second only to how Neil is currently portrayed.
In those days there was no alternative media so people’s views were hugely influenced by these guys. I gasp at the gall of Traynor and Shug when they have a go at Celtic fans for booig, they were the architects of that opinion.
The media is a dangerous machine, one of the internet’s greatest assets is the liberty is gives us from it’s grasp. They can dictate no more.
starry enjoy
Danny Bhoy @dannybhoy170
@StewartRegan Plenty of time to improve whilst the national team are banned by FIFA due to SFA’s tolerance of #RFC civil action.
View conversation
Correct answer, I wonder why Regan bothers to tweet, he’s get’s a verbal tanking every day..
Why has the plug on the life support machine not been pulled?
Are we stockpiling morphine or making sure all A&E’s can be open.
I don’t believe that for one moment and the few Rangers supporters I have contact with are now accepting their fate.
We were told they would be lucky to last till the season end, so who is paying the electric bill now?
wee shaun
Memories….
Celtic v Spartak Moscow – Penalty Shootout
What’s the chances of Huns getting CVA?
Really worried they get away with i
If they do every Celtic fan should protest that to make a level planning field Celtic must not pay taxes for next few years
It would be a total joke
When you see what they spent to try and secure ten in a row it really was a Celtic miracle that we stopped it. They had everything in their favour in this country so that league title for me is one of our greatest triumphs.
After the farce in Florida, enjoy your well deserved holiday Scott and Charlie.
So called small tax case:
(Flo and De boer, I think it was)
Where these are EBTs?
Where these contracts declared to the SFA?
celtic v athletico madrid 1974
Kit
some good players in that game.
Probably was at it.
Rabuswad 09.44….
How true is EVERY WORD of your post ……… And how well you have put it (The whole truth in a nutshell) ……… Well done, that man…!!!
Our impartial MSM are paying for it now though…….
I didn’t even know that Scotland had a international match on.
USA 5 Scotland 1
Jeezo.
The USA may have improved over the years,but Scotland has slipped way down .
Bannan,Maloney,Brown in the midfield.
Same height as Xavi n Iniesta,but that’s where the comparison ends.
More progress from Craig Levein.
What’s worse is that i really don’t care.
The SFA and SPL favouritism for RFCIA ,and the bias of MSM against Celtic,has almost killed of any support that i had for the international team.
TT
Kitalba
Great memory, what a night!
Always mind the iconic pic TB jumping on the celebrating players.
Hopefully we can do it again in August
Hail Hail
Any bets that after last night’s result some idiot in the MSM will suggest Levein’s time is up and remind us the Myth is available. After which we can close international football completely in Scotland,
Way ahead,boys!
Shape of things to come
Roy Croppie ……. 09.50
As a result of my paranoia, I was stilling roaring an hour after the game……my friends were getting a little bit worried…….my paranoia has now been confirmed as very justified…… If I had time I would the bar stewards for the cost of my season tickets over the past 15 years ……LOL
The strangest part of this saga is Ticketus.
Why did they lend the money in the first place?
Why do Rangers think they don’t have to pay them back?
Why do the MSM imply that Rangers have evry right not to pay them back?
Stupid iPad…….”Sue the barstewards….” ……….ldon’t think I’ll ever get used to this iPad………LOL
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon..!!..Truth and Justice will always prevail
I know the feeling lol
The emotion was unbelieveable. Relief, ecstasy. ..I’ve never seen so many people so happy and somehow it feels even better now.
We always knew it but the world will now see what a disgrace they are or were!
Having once watched them in Seattle the USA is the international team I follow in world cups. They are fit, strong and quick, well organised, have a huge pool of players and always give 100%.
Andrew Young @Hullbhoy
David Grier – “Indeed, the old board actually encouraged Whyte to go down the Ticketus route.” Boom!!
Oooops loose lips sink ships…
Embdy seen Paul Murray..
TinyTim on 27 May, 2012 at 10:03 said:
“The SFA and SPL favouritism for RFCIA ,and the bias of MSM against Celtic,has almost killed of any support that i had for the international team.”
Spot on, and fully justified…..I feel exactly the same way
Tokentim
Yes they were and they gave admitted it
Rangers won the Scottish cup which is an SFA tourment with unregistered players
Nothing being done about it