Former chairman of Oldco Rangers, now director of Newco, Alastair Johnston, took aim in the media at Celtic supporters yesterday, saying “I always wondered about the mentality of certain Celtic supporters, not by any means most of them, who basically said our club died in February, 2012.”
Why do they do this to themselves? If it is an attempt to convince people that liquidation did not happen, it will fail. All that will be achieved is the re-telling of the facts. Rangers entered administration on 14 February 2012. It failed to come out of administration and a liquidator was appointed to dispose of the remaining assets.
Secvo Scotland Ltd bought a “bundle of assets”, including the stadium. The administrators, Duff and Phelps, changed Rangers name to RFC 2012 Ltd and gave permission to Sevco Scotland to use the word “Rangers” in their name. Without this permission, Newco would have gone through a similar naming process as Clydebank – Airdrie United – Airdrieonians, who were only permitted to use the word “Airdrieonians” 11 years after the liquidation of oldco Airdrieonians.
If I’m honest, if we were in those circumstances, I would tell myself every day that the Celtic I grew up with was the same as Newco Celtic. I would have no incentive to do otherwise, so Johnston and anyone else who cares, can think what they want about Newco.
He is welcome to his thoughts, if it helps him through the trauma of what he did as chairman of Oldco during the EBT years, and the club’s failure to prepare over many years for HMRC’s legal challenge. Johnston’s board made no provision to retain enough money to trade through HMRC’s challenge, despite that legal challenge being underway years before it got to the crunch.
What he tells himself does not change the facts. Oldco is in liquidation. All player contracts ceased. Assets were sold off, a deal to use the name had to be agreed. Sevco Scotland became an associate member of the SFA while Oldco was still a member. Oldco voted on whether to admit Sevco Scotland to the SPL. Sevco changes its name and were granted entry to the SFL Third Division.
Johnston played a role in the demise of Rangers. He was chairman and had a responsibility to direct the club away from dangers. He failed and now presents an alternative reality, which is easier on the mind.
He also said, “it will be 120 years or so before you can tie with us.” For each of those 120 years, Celtic fans and others will say, “But Rangers died in 2012”. Just as Rangers fans are content to believe their club continues, belligerent denial is not going to change how others regard liquidation. It’s over, Mr Johnston, you let your club die.
There was other guff about “thriving” not “surviving”. They think they are going to win the league and that their circa £11m annual deficit is an indication of thriving. Again, I disagree.
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ST 12.58am
I wonder what the Maestro would say, the double act I watched home and away complemented each other many times…. we all look out the same window and see a different landscape, I would consider Paul McStays opinion before people posting on a blog … unless you think some people knew better than Billy McNeill … pretty sure Billy appreciated Peter Grant, Neil appreciates Jamesy F … anyhow it’s the internet and anything goes … Neil knows nothing, big Billy knew nothing …. maybe others know better
GFTB. I asked that very question in
A q and a session about 10 years ago in a pub here. lol
He smirked. Looked the other way and said great partner. We all laughed. So did he.
A bit of a joke
ST 1.16am
???
The mighty Airdrie ?
His level ?
Am pretty sure that was a massive trophy for some of us at that time, in fact Tommy Burns first and only trophy but you batter in with running it down, you mentioned you were “there” if you you were am pretty sure you didn’t have the blaise attitude your posts reeks off… am pretty sure Raith Rovers the year before would have been in your mind against the “mighty Airdrie”
Ahh…. time is a great healer it makes some forget the really difficult times
ST 1.27am
So ten years ago your question was about a Celtic servant from 15yrs previous …
sometimes there are no words
At least wee Jamesy knows it’s not just him ….
Mikey J … in 15yrs time don’t go to Sydney
Fellow Celts good night n god bless
Neil Lennon CSC
Tumeric
GFTB. Peter grant admitted he would not have been a 1st team regular if it was not for the old board. Everyone was saying imagine Paul playing in a midfield of Petrov , Lambert , Thompson etc instead of Fulton , grant , McGinlay etc
Indeed grateful I these days i I followed home and away every game in earlier nineties and of course our club struggled on a 3rd of their income
Now they have a 3rd of our income , but we don’t make it count. If both our incomes were equal we would not stand a chance as our club is run too slow and only for the balance sheet
Melbourne Mick. Saw your comments praising the fire fighters. 100%. They are working in extreme danger
Saw yesterday NSW had 137 major fires and 3000 fire personal out there , just over 20 per fire , mostly volunteers. Shows up our low tax society , not nearly enough and should be paid
6 months ago we were all given 1200 dollars tax refund to bribe us to vote liberal ( Tory). It worked. But money should have been spent on fire services
Sydney – one of the most decorated and long serving players defies your logic by being first on the teamsheet under 4/5 managers for 10 years and you know better?
Your blinkers must be massive.
When he is on the park he is following orders, that’s why manager’s trust him. To do the job they want him to do.
He has won us millions,particularly in Europe. Which meant us going to later stages. Which gives us supporters more to look forward to and enjoy.
Except you.
Yes he was gash against Sevco, but who wasn’t? Broony maybe.
The continual one man assault against Jamesie does you no credit and it has no substance.
I would urge you to desist from this negative stance and instead post something positive about him, and the team.that you purport to love.
Art of war. Think you have been on the sauce
Indeed over ten years. But only regular since PR was injured 4 years ago. 1st 6 years mostly I hustled with hamstring
Indeed as someone said BR got the best out of him and 1st manger to make him 1st team regular
Under NL he has gone backwards in last 12 months to point of being invisible in most games
Art of war. He was gash against them last December
He was gash for most of start of 2019. He was man marked by a 16 year old boy in the cup final against Hertz
This season awfull. Absent v hibs at Easter road
Absent v Livingston.
Substituted 20 times this year and it’s only January
I watched him with interest from Lisbon lions v hibs and jock Stein v Aberdeen In December. Both Awefull. Taken off in both
League cup final Awefull again
Then no surprise he was Awefull v them
This has not just happened He has been Awefull for 12 months now and NL keeps starting him and then taking him off ?
Should not start at IPox or he will be a man down again. No heart. Lazy
Told anyone who would listen, match them in the middle and we win, simple as that.
Play two in the middle and it’s a lottery.
Ntcham and Bitton came on and demonstrated exactly what I was taking about
Canamalar. Said the same a few days before
Was worried that NL would play Johnston wide left and Forrest wide right
When the the team was announced i said we have handed midfield to Sevco
Basics
A comment on the main article. There is a certain irony in criticising the statements of rangers directors, whilst our own custodians are conspicuous by their silence- and always have been.
Liquidations
Secret agreements
Racist chants
Sectarian chants
Players pelted with gold balls and batteries
Opposing fans entering the field of play
Refereeing decisions
On field assaults resulting in no action
Genuine q – other than occasional utterances of ‘surprise’ or the criticism of our own support, are there any notable instances of Celtic directors saying *anything* ? Ever?
SYDNEYTIM on 5TH JANUARY 2020 2:33 AM
6 months ago we were all given 1200 dollars tax refund to bribe us to vote liberal ( Tory). It worked. But money should have been spent on fire services
====================================================================
Sorry Syd.
But , that`s just not true.
https://www.news.com.au/finance/money/tax/aussie-taxpayers-confused-by-scott-morrisons-1080-promised-offset/news-story/f1445c353ee26396d25c305e3bd46122
Syd.
If you wanted to do a piece on Australian ” Tories ” and the current disastrous fires in OZ , perhaps you may have considered this about our former P.M.
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/tony-abbott-blew-off-cabinet-meetings-to-fight-fires-by-telling-then-pm-john-howard-he-was-busy-before-leaving-his-phone-in-a-fire-truck/ar-BBYlleO
Macjay. Everyone under 126k Pa , got a one off tax offset(bribe) which led to people getting over 1000 dollars in their pocket or over a 1000 dollars off their tax bill Just as article says and I made the statement :))
Saying about abbot ( horrible scum bag of a man who praised thatcher polices ) fighting fires is a bit like praising Boris Johnson for donating a can of beans to a food bank
Syd
You said ” tax refund ” .
That was not true.
A tax refund is not same as a tax offset.
Did you actually read the reference I posted ?
Meanwhile , Labor leader Albanese enjoys his day at the cricket.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/albo-turns-up-at-scg-as-scott-morrison-faces-bushfire-victims/news-story/6b7eb46d7c20cc70ca67cbeaa540bc22
Macjay. Ffs. I got a tax refund in my bank account of over 1000 dollars because of the tax bribe offset. So did my mates. !!!!
The tax offset/bribe/refund was done at the time when rural firefighters were being told no extra funds
Poor emergency services here due to low tax
I pay about 14% less tax here than i did in uk and about 25% less tax than I did when I lived in Germany. Low tax , poor funding for emergency services and it shows. 147 fires in nsw with less than 20 fire fighters for each fire
Syd
” 6 months ago we were all given 1200 dollars tax refund ”
No need for the ” ffs ” bluster to cover your inaccurate statement .
That was not true when you wrote it . It remains untrue.
Did you actually read this from 7.40 am , Syd ?
” Taxpayers around the country have rushed to lodge their tax returns in record time this year, thanks largely to Scott Morrison’s tantalising promise of an extra $1080.
But excitement over that tax sweetener is quickly turning to confusion and anger as many Aussies wait for a handout that will never arrive.
According to Mark Chapman, H & R Block’s director of tax communications, many Australians mistakenly believe the tax cut will come in the form of a separate cash refund.
But it is actually a tax offset — which is automatically calculated when you lodge your tax return.
That means the refund or bill you’re left with after lodging your tax return this year is the final figure, with no magical extra cash destined for your bank account afterwards. “
Macjay. Once again 6months ago. We ( most people ) got over $1000 dollars from the ATO in either hard cash or a reduction in tax bill In most cases hard cash ffs. It was a $1000 bribe when the money could of been spent on emergency services
If it was Scotland then the tax free threshold would have risen by £600 pounds in a one off bribe
There are legitimate reasons to criticise the govt`s handling of the bush fire crisis .
Distorting of the facts is not one of them.
Macjay. I got $1080 in my bank account as a refund It was a one off bribe
Many of my mates also got it
If you were loaded and had a bill of $1080 due to interest. Or you did not have medical insurance and due to pay Medicare levy surcharge Then your bill was zero
Everyone got the $1080 if you earned under 126k in the form of cash ( Like me ) or a reduction of $1080
It was a bribe of $1080 to about 90% of Aussie’s
Ok , Syd.
So ” all ” has now become ” We ( most people ) “.
The govt. reduced the tax burden for ALL by introducing a tax offset.
Further to your condemnation of this initiative , can we take it that you refused to accept this ” bribe ” for humanitarian reasons ?
Alternatively , you can make a contribution to the Fire services of the amount of the ” bribe ”
aka putting your money where your mouth is.
Macjay. I do contribute to charities regularly
Time taxes were raised here to pay for essential services We are well below the Rates in Europe , although they tend to have paid emergencies services and tend not to rely on volunteers
WHY don’t the pair of you go and help put the fires out.
Good morning CQN from a very cold Garngad
Interesting read back.
Have our custodians said anything yet about anything? Even happy new year…. 😂 can they even speak, or does it take 4 weeks to get together and have a meeting.
How many boards do we have and how many are on them out of curiosity?
HH
D. :)
FAVOURITE UNCLE on 5TH JANUARY 2020 8:56 AM
WHY don’t the pair of you go and help put the fires out.
:-)
I`d be more of an ” Andy Capp ” than an asset .
Fires are better off in capitalist countries, greater freedom and all the toilet paper it needs
Canamalar 9.07am
Imo you would be better off not making flippant comments on something so serious for people in Oz.
Fires that are taking peoples homes and lives in some cases. Experts are expecting these fires to continue for some months.
Jeez Louise whit a post.
I see we are being linked with a loan move for a 35 year old striker Glen Whelan ???
And has FtSFA decided yet on any action against
Kent – and his imaginary shooting in the head of Celtic fans ?
Morales – and throats slitting of Celtic fans ?
Sevco coach – and his threats to Celtic coaching staff ?
Gerrard – and his assault of a cameraman on our pitch ?
What about the unanswered Sevco player attempt to get to the Sevco goalie during the match ?
Or
As usual do they have their head in sand with all things Sevco
Wonder would would be said if a Celtic fan ran around the pitch to behind the goals ??
Just a thought
Glenn Whelan, the midfielder that occasional plays for Hearts?? Which wonderful paper/website is linking us?
At a time when focus should be on bringing in experienced 1st players , we are linked with teenagers
https://thecelticstar.com/the-bank-of-celtic-the-multi-millions-that-keep-the-boardroom-lights-on-and-peter-lawwell-spitting-out-his-cornflakes/#.XhGxqOu_rck.facebook
Glenn Whelan once described a ‘ terrible player’ by RTE pundit Eamon Dunphy,back in 2014.
Glenn Whelan ?? Somebody’s taking the p?ss
BURNLEY78 on 4TH JANUARY 2020 10:33 PM
51 years ago today I visited Celtic Park for the first time to see a first team match. Celtic 3-1 Dunfermline. A goo Dunfermline team which had won the cup a year earlier.
It’s not always appreciated that that was the only trophy which escaped us and prevented us winning a trinity of trebles from 66/7 to 68/9.
But that first game was special. We have beaten Clyde and lost to Rangers in the previous 3 days. They were hot on our heals and under the great Davie White they were spending big to stop their rot of not having won the league in 5 seasons. A time when Celtic has won the big cup.
They had in fact ‘played us off the park’ according to the worthies outside the Celtic Supporters Club wheee I stood waiting for my dad and uncle Paul and uncle Billy Broon.
It was going to be tough for Celtic to compete this season. We were relying on other clubs taking points from them realistically….And we had to play AC Milan in the European Cup.
Of course Jock had lost a wee bit of his magic powers too. Sticking with his old favourites and not backing big Yogi, a few others were not so fit as they should be according to the wise old guys. Someone even said the players were being greedy I remember.
This was a season before I discovered ‘the system’ and the referees such as Bobby Davidson and Ian Foote and Mr Gordon of Newport on Tay. So I wasn’t reall concerned on that score at that time.
7 year old me was only worried about all the clever old men around me convinced Celtic had no chance of getting 4 in a row never mind another treble.
My dad who was a plumber and not necessarily a big football expert did explain (in his words) how Celtic were a reason for many working folk to look forward to their weekend and Celtic gave many disenfranchised folk a voice and even a glimmer of vicarious success. Because of this sense of underdog and ‘feeling hard done to’ the faithful supporters were always seeing problems and potential disasters rather than the great things we were achieving.
On the back of decades of despair we were in some kind of fantasy dreamworld on January 4th 1969, yet still our support knew better and feared the PR machine output about David Whites bluenoses.
A year later Celtic were robbed of an incredible 3rd treble in 4 years by Mr Davidson of Airdrie. We were beaten in the final of European Cup Final having beaten the mighty Leeds.
Great Celtic times and some parallels with today. In my Celtic supporting lifetime, despite the ‘clever old men who knew better’ my Celtic has won 27 league titles out of 51 ( Aberdeen winning 3 and Dundee Utd 1). This is an incredible record. The club has its own functionable stadium with plans to enhance. It’s finances are transparent and in the public domain. It has nearly 2 x the crowd which attended my first match turning up each week.
Given Celtic had won just 6 leagues in the previous 45 years this has been a simply incredible achievement.
My dad and uncle Paul and Billy would be ‘blown away’ by what Celtic has achieved in this time.
Even my dad, who was no pr expert, would have seen through the efforts of Alistair Johnston ( a guy I have had first hand dealings with ) to drive wedges in between the the Celtic faithful. Dear old dad knew what their game was.
Hopefully most Celtic supporters can see it too. Right now we need unity and alignment as a club. I think the next 3 weeks will make things more clear as the ‘fall out’ from 29th becomes more apparent, the reasons for Sevco statement overdrive and their obfuscation become more clear and Celtic flex their muscle to ensure we deliver.
HH.