I have two significant concerns about Walter Smith’s comments yesterday. He spoke about the events which followed Rangers liquidation in 2012:
“There was no necessity for Rangers to be put down into the Third Division.
“That will always stay in Scottish football. There will be a bitterness in the Rangers ranks. It will be a massive motivation for the club. It would certainly be for me.
“How can they forget what happened to them? Nobody could forget that.”
I’ve spoken to people at Celtic about security concerns ahead of the weekend. The game itself will almost certainly pass off without incident, but what happens on the streets of Glasgow and surrounding towns is anyone’s guess.
You will hear nothing even close to inflammatory from Celtic, senior fans groups, or anyone who cares about the club’s fans and wellbeing. Justifying bitterness due to (mis)perceived persecution ahead of this fixture is inciteful. I’m astonished Smith said this.
On his subject matter, let me give you an alternative scenario:
Newco Rangers are parachuted straight into the Premier League, hundreds of creditors are abandoned, they have a full squad of players and are not a penny in debt. They would have been out signing players within minutes of registration (they even tried to sign a player while still in administration).
With Oldco having won the league accumulating debts they would never pay in 2009, 2010 and 2011, Newco, free of legacy financial commitments, would have an excellent chance of winning again in 2013 and beyond.
This plan was one strand of Craig Whyte’s lunacy and it would have killed Scottish football. Celtic, and others, would have been left to consider, do we pay these millions of debts, or liquidate and spend the money on players instead? I had this very conversation with a senior figure in the game in October 2011, when the realisation of what Whyte was planning became evident. Utter mayhem would have ensued.
The damage done to the Rangers brand of clubs by allowing Newco access only to the bottom tier was huge. It’s consequences are yet to be appreciated by most fans. Newco may never win a top flight league.
But the question was not whether to impose a trauma on ‘Rangers’ or allow everyone to carry on as we had before, this was not an option. It was whether to allow the existing rules and processes to stand, allow responsibility for the enormous mismanagement of Rangers to be carried primarily by Newco, and have other clubs deal with the fallout, with or without a ‘Rangers’ club in the league.
Whyte’s plan replicated what he’d done in other industries, but it would have devastated Celtic in particular. We were beaten for years on the field by a team who could not pay their bills or correctly register their players, then we would be beaten again as they walked away from debts without consequence, which is why I wrote this article in October 2011 on the Prepack route for Rangers Newco.
Pretty much all of what I wrote about in that article came to pass, it had to be stopped (and you’ll never know the key movers in doing so). Smith should consider if the boot was on the other foot, if he would be happy to allow his club to be subverted in the manner he suggests would be good enough for others. It was simply never an option.
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DD
Sorry for yer loss
R.I.P. Tommy.
Good night all
I have not been on much lately, with all the preperations,but i have missed yeez,thank you for being here.
Geordie munro:))))))))))
Thank you for making me laugh out loud.
LEFTCLICKTIC on 14TH APRIL 2016 8:54 PM
This Saturday, thought it was the following week? What time is the Mass?
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
TBJ
Kilts are diablo’s creation. :)
Lennybhoy
1pm because of the 4:15 vigil mass
I wish the game on Sunday felt like just another Cup semi-final but it doesn`t. It does not feel like a game against the pre-liquidation Rangers but there is still something about it that makes it different from a game against any other team. Were we to be up against Aberdeen, Hearts or even Motherwell, I would be more nervous but I would understand my feelings. Sunday`s opposition is less about the team we are playing and more about the possibility of denting The Big Lie. I am not sure how that works but I think a good hiding would maybe force some of the Dark Side into a realisation that maybe all is not quite as rosy as they are being made to believe.That, along with the hoped for Supreme Court ruling, might just see the truth about this whole sorry story come to light.
Anyway, what should our team be?
Part of me wants a really solid selection whereas another part wants both Robert and GMS on the wings.
Gordon
Lustig Svietchenko/Mulgrew Boyata Tierney
………………………Bitton
Roberts Brown Joe Hansen GMS
Griffiths.
Got a foursome @19/1 running – BD/Vill/Shak all well up only Sevilla (currently 1-1) causing problemos!
LEFTCLICKTIC on 14TH APRIL 2016 9:25 PM
I’ll take a walk over, St. Bernard’s I take it. Gal wearing the Kilt?
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Previous for !!BADA BING!!
Some gemme at Annfield likes.
Lefty
Tell Lennybhoy to stay away from the scramble
Enjoy big chap
Anfield even
HH
Lennybhoy aye and naw :)))))))))))))))
JJHS
Asked my son what he was doing on Sunday for the match on Sunday. He said he would be earning double time trying to repair Oxgangs school Edinburgh from the cowboys who through it up. Said he was treating the semi like a game against Raith Rovers or Dunfermline tribute acts. :))
Geordie
Or he’s a big Bhoy?!?!
;-)
HH jamesgang
JJ,
For me Sundays game is worse than a game against oldco.
It’s not quite a hiding to nothing as a proper gubbing of them will give me some joy.
Gms and Roberts if fit.
HH
Jg,
Oh err matron. :))
Game on now in scouseland.
Dortmund look slightly rattled but by goodness they don’t half work hard.
HH
Delaneys Dunky on 14th April 2016 9:31 pm
JJHS
Asked my son what he was doing on Sunday for the match on Sunday. He said he would be earning double time trying to repair Oxgangs school Edinburgh from the cowboys who through it up. Said he was treating the semi like a game against Raith Rovers or Dunfermline tribute acts. :))
—————–
Surely that’s them earning double time on top of their original fee ;O)
JJ
I agree completely.
HH jamesgang
JJ
I agree with you, not looking forward to the game at all, as Geordie nearly says we are on a hiding to nothing.
Humping them would please me greatly, losing to them would make me sad, it would be like winning or losing as per, but with the added hate and bile.
I want them spanked good and proper, put them in their place as the pretenders they always have been and will be.
HH
DD & GM
Know what you mean ( or in DD`s case, what his son means! ).
Cheerio for now,
JJ
Geordie
You always create smiles on here neebs.
That’s a precious talent indeed!
HH jamesgang
P
Hope you cashed out :-(
HH
JG & TET
Yes. It is a strange one.
`night.
JJ
DD
Yeah it was brilliant. Spent too much time in the pubs with my mate and missed seeing most of what i hoped to.
Felt a bit disrespectful for that and even more so because of the efforts the Irish lads put into it all for us.
It probably meant they missed out on a lot that they might have done, so it was brilliant of them to do so.
Planning to go again to see what i missed later this year, or early next year and it will also be a bit quieter.
Not made it to Paradise yet since the turn of the year sadly, due to the way my shifts fall, the scheduling of games and on a few occasions just bein too busy.
Had my fingers crossed that the post split fixtures would be kind, especially as the games looked to be having more meaning this year and it worked out almost as good as i hoped and can definitely get to the Aberdeen game and perhaps Ross County, but im working til 12 on that day, but barring any unforeseen circumstances……i should be able to get back in time to make that game as well.
Hoping to get a few beers in as well after those games to toast The Champions so hopefully you will be up for that!?
Jg,
Shucks
X
TET
Nope! :-(
Got same line with Liverpool (for BD) @25/1 – however Sevilla now losing 2-1 at home and it looks like its blown both lines! :-(
What a comeback!!!
Jeez dominated and blew it
The Huddle
Dinnae ken neebs. :)
Dortmund still no finished.
Some energy
Hate Liverpool
But great game,great comeback
wooft, Dortmund just hibsed it…
A cracking game, never say die attitude, that’s what it’s all about…well done Liverpool.
Some game ato Anfield.. how animated was Klopp . Drove his team on from 1-3 to win 4-3
TR
Was good being with my Ryan, he like me likes a bit of education on tours. Thankfully we had Almore as guide. Great local and historical knowledge that we both lapped up. See you soon for a match and beers pal.
HH
What is the Stars on 14th April 2016 9:57 pm
Hate Liverpool
But great game,great comeback
*don’t mind l’pool but usually mute them with their bastardised version of the Fields and pathetic rendition of when you walk through a storm
Great game Liverpool v Dortmund.
GM
Big JG is correct you do have the ability to make me smile on here.
I’m still looking for a definition for neebs though! :-)