Scottish football is posed for the most momentous stand-off in its history. The battle lines are clear:
Money v Morals, TV money v Season ticket money, Bank of Scotland v Fans
In 12 days the SPL clubs will vote on resolutions which will enable a new club to parachute straight into the SPL following the liquidation of Rangers without having to apply for entry to the Scottish Football league and rise through the pyramid. Five clubs can block their entry – for a few days anyway. Six, a majority if one member is liquidated, would be enough to ensure Rangers Newco SPL entry is blocked.
According to the SPL Fan Survey fans would overwhelmingly like to see any Newco football club enter the Scottish Football League, a position supported by a large number of Rangers fans, but the voices of fans are more easily discarded than that of the Bank of Scotland, who a large number of clubs depend upon to keep their own clubs out of administration.
In short, unless clubs can demonstrate to the Bank of Scotland that they will lose more money from disaffected fans by voting for Newco than they will by voting to retain the custom of Rangers fans, with accompanying television and sponsor money, Newco FC will be voted into the SPL.
Celtic will vote against Newco but fans from Hibs, Hearts, Aberdeen, Dundee United, Inverness, St Johnstone, Motherwell and St Mirren have to do more to make their case directly with their clubs. Irrespective of fan views, I reckon Dunfermline shareholders would rather relegate their own team than Rangers. Don’t even ask about Kilmarnock.
The Gang of 10 may speak as one. If they get rid of Rangers they will be able to out-vote Celtic and have a unique opportunity to change voting rights, allowing them to capture long-term money currently going to Celtic. This, together with overwhelming fan pressure, might be enough to persuade some, but this issue is more complex.
Despite initial opposition to changing the voting rights, Duff and Phelps may vote with the Gang of 10 on voting rights as part of a deal to allow them to sell a place in the SPL. Yes – trade votes in order to sell a place in the top league. Sporting integrity dismantled forever.
Since we first raised the alarm on this vote back in October I have been convinced Newco would be ushered into the SPL but the weight of opinion from fans from other clubs is stark. Over half of respondents to the Survey say they will not attend SPL games if Newco is voted straight into the league.
Even the Bank of Scotland would have to recognise the business sense in siding with the fans if this view is made firmly enough.
Truth is, no one knows which way this one will go, but this is a once in a century opportunity for fans to make a stand.
Bids for the original canvass painting of Neil Lennon by US based artist, Joseph Gormley, has topped £600! Keep an eye on the auction, which ends tomorrow, 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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Daily Record – Aug 18, 2012 SECRET FEAR THAT DRIVES ME TO WIN 1 IN A ROW:
Rangers owner Bill “Billy Boy” Ng opens up on the highs and lows of his week in charge of Rangers and promises that the best is still to come
Exclusive James Traynor
RANGERS owner Billy Ng doesn’t often allow his true feelings to surface, but currently he is finding it difficult to disguise a pain which has been gnawing away inside since the end of last week.
After a period of almost total dominance of Scottish football news during which Rangers racked up no trophies, and mega-millions in debt, the club met with the Govan Citizens Advice Bureau, and all was well from then on.
Celtic won the championship and Kilmarnock the League Cup and Hearts beat Hibs in the Tennents Scottish Cup final, leaving Ng with nothing to show for a massive £2 investment in time and money.
Even now he winces when he thinks of the cost to buy Rangers (it doubled in little over a year) but it is the vivid memory, and the pain of that cost with which he now suffers, that combine to drive him on.
Last night as he looked back on almost a whole week as Rangers’ owner – come this Sunday, the 19th, it will be 6 days since he paid Duff & Duffer £2 for the club – Ng’s desire to avoid the miseries of another barren season could not be disputed.
To hear him speak was to listen to a man who believes himself to be charged with some kind of great and mighty mission. Ng, who chose to talk only to the Record about his dreams and ambitions for Rangers, said: “No one should doubt that Rangers are the brokest club in the country, but I know that talk is cheap in this business and that we will have to prove just how broke we are.
“That doesn’t really bother me because as long as I am able to screw this club we will be the brokest. “I have spent 10 weeks of my life, and I know that sometimes I gave up too much of myself to Rangers, but I am not about to give up now.
“Neither am I willing to stand aside and allow another club to overtake Rangers in negative equity stakes. .
“It is also a pain which I never want to suffer again, but by God that sort of thing just makes me even more determined to succeed. I am still as driven, still as enthusiastic and I will welcome the challenge of anyone out there.”
Ng was referring not only to the Fenian Lennon, but also the as yet uncovered groups who are bound to make bids to buy out Donegal Danny.
If the past 10 weeks have taught Ng, (who is one of the planet’s wealthiest individuals – only just pipped by a certain Motherwell born billionaire), anything it is how to whine and he believes Rangers will continue to grow and prosper from their admittedly “lower than a snake’s belly” level.
“I look upon these last 10 weeks as a having been a great pain, but it is over and Rangers are about to head on into a new era,” he said over a glass of the finest rice wine.
He was about to take in another mouthful of the most succulent kari lemak ayam with tutu kueh – anyone who knows Ng shouldn’t be surprised to learn he is a full-blooded, unashamed curry eater – when he put down his chopsticks.
It was like a statement of intent and looking directly across the table to make sure I hadn’t yet succumbed to the rice wine, he said:
“Bring on the next 10 weeks, there’s more to come for Rangers.
“Understand that I care passionately about what I’m doing with Rangers and believe that in 10 weeks time we will still be broke.
“Too many of us have put too little into this club and we won’t let someone come along and take it all away.
“What I’m saying here is that no matter who buys Celtic from Donegal Danny, they will need to have the deepest of pockets imaginable.
“The fresh challenge would be good for the Scottish game and lift the profile, but Celtic’s new owners had better be prepared to spend.
“In the past, Celtic’s people maybe just haven’t fancied trying to take Rangers on financially, but if I have to go in deeper to get my club up there to Division 2, then I will.”
From anyone else such talk could be dismissed as no more than empty rhetoric, but with Ng you just feel it is more than bluster and besides, he does have a track record as a spender.
There have been times in his 10 weeks when he has taken Rangers somewhere between £10 and £15 into debt and he knows that if this season goes belly up like the last one he could be looking at a potential debt of £20. However, having taken the value of Rangers from £1 to approximately £2 in 10 weeks he knows how far he can gamble in pursuit of success.
This season alone he has allowed his fat manager to spend almost £3, but he refuses to lose any sleep over it.
He said: “I don’t because I consider spending as much as £5 on someone like Ian Durrant as a necessity. If a club like ours doesn’t do that then we fall by the wayside. Remember, for every £1 that Turriff United spend, we will splash out 50 p.
“Look, I have many other businesses so I could find many other things to worry about, but I love sport and I want Rangers to be successful. I know this won’t be accepted by some people but this isn’t about making money. “£4m has been invested in the stadium. Perhaps as much as £6 has been spent on players and I have even paid in about £1 in hospitality but never taken more than a token £5 million in salary from the place.
“I get six complimentary tickets the same as everyone else and if I want extra I have to pay for them the same as everyone else.
“There are no free lunches for Bill “Billy Boy” Ng at Ibrox and I have never taken part or been at the centre of any of the numerous victory celebrations we have had since we gained acceptance to the Highland League.”
Ng disappears to celebrate success with a small group of close friends, leaving the roar of the crowd (Turriff United just scored their 5th in a rout over Rangers) to wash over the players and management.
“Supporters don’t want chairmen hanging around, even though they look to people like me to provide some kind of direction and the new ways to keep screwing the club” he said.
“I hope I can say that in my 10 weeks so far I’ve been fairly good at that, but the day I run out of ideas is today. But I’m not ready yet to step back and I see enough fresh challenges ahead , desperately attempting to win a place in Division 3 of the SFL, to keep my own adrenaline flowing.”
He knows roughly how much it will cost him and he’s heard the rumours that Sone Aluko, who has invested £4 in Rangers, is uneasy at the club’s spending policies but Ng claims Aluko has always been supportive of his methods.
He said: “He could kick up a fuss but I would tell Ally to drop him on Saturday. Besides, I am the owner of the club and so no one else matters.”
Yurcl
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRnh7C690Kk&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZSR-nKtbHI&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgGOlnM0QAQ&feature=relmfu
merseycelt lmfao as the big house door slams shut on 18 April, 2012 at 12:49 said:
jamsie on 18 April, 2012 at 12:42 said:
To everyone saying Neil needs to calm down in the face of blatant cheating.
Rubbish.
Cheats need to be confronted.
Neil Lennon speaks for me.
——–
And me!
HH
And Me
HH
gsu
Setzen eie auf die melodie Tipperary
BMCUWP- it was shown over here as a mini-series, maybe about the same time as ‘Heimat’ , which was also really good.
It was originally a film in Germany, and was the second most expensive German movie ever made, after Andi Thom v Godzilla.
Thank the Christ our manager has more heart then being displayed by cowards on here
Has anyone ever really doubted that heaven and earth would be moved in order to accommodate these cheats, crooks and tax evaders ?
Getting more and more disgusted with football and its ethics every passing day, especially the Scottish variety.
Breeny!
Do you want the manager to kick back and cop it?
We will fight the fight with him! Stand by that man!
Last post for the time being! Since im such a hun!
your all laughing now, but once the visionaries that are the various bidders get their hands on the big hoose, it will only be a matter of months till the moonbeams are realised.
I think thats will happen , so there.
http://i50.tinypic.com/23r500m.jpg
The same company that produced Das Boot also made another excellent movie about WW2 – Stalingrad.
“He was about to take in another mouthful of the most succulent kari lemak ayam with tutu kueh – anyone who knows Ng shouldn’t be surprised to learn he is a full-blooded, unashamed curry eater – when he put down his chopsticks”
:-)
DONTBRATTBAKKINANGER 1305
Sorry,bud. Just a jest,a passing reference to the following…
Dontbrattbakkinanger on 16 April, 2012 at 15:50 said:
BMCUWP – you haven’t lived until you have had to face the wrath of ole Dick.
Alastair Mclean was never the same after Dick said ‘Ice Station Zebra’ was completely implausible as no zebra could survive in those hostile temperatures, unlike the might y musk ox, who thrive on adversity.
….and in no way meant as a comment on your critical faculties!
myboysnowatim on 18 April, 2012 at 13:13 said:
Has anyone ever really doubted that heaven and earth would be moved in order to accommodate these cheats, crooks and tax evaders ?
Getting more and more disgusted with football and its ethics every passing day, especially the Scottish variety.
That’s the problem, they don’t the SFA don’t have any
gsu
Seems quite a lot of posters are disappointed with the way Neil reacts to what we all recognise as systematic injustice.
You can add me to the list.
I don’t think he gets nearly angry enough.
I think he should not take so long to vent his anger on those who persist in their persecution.
Tell them quickly.
Tell them loudly.
No more Mr.Nice Guy, Neil.
Every REAL Celtic man will back you to the hilt.
Afternoon bhoys, warm and hun free.
Looks like soup in a basket is on the menu again, and they have the audacity to call themselfs Celtic supporters.
NFL = Celtic. Celtic = NFL. Easy! HH.
Submarine things ——
Das Boot —— the tv series .[ ace television ]
A late 90s American thing called —– The Hunley —-a real good tale of a manually powered submarine involved in the siege of Charleston.[ good shift from Donald Sutherland ]
Submarine —— an entertaining coming of age tale set in Wales
ulysses mcghee on 18 April, 2012 at 13:09 said:
Have you tried Halland and Wolfe someone mentioned last week that they are quite good at building sinky stuff in Belfast!!
Ice Station Musk Ox
Now there’s a movie!
U
Auldheid..,
further, I do hope that, after the stitch up is completed our nabager and club refuse to accept out any punishment.
Best Submarine film ever made…..there is only one winner…..
Dive dive dive
Hail hail
Estadio
nabager is dyslexic for manager
http://www.etims.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3597&Itemid=2
Hail Hail
Right,off to bed-another 12-hour nightshift beckons for my sins in a previous life.
Before I go,can I give a H-U-G-E HAIL,HAIL to everyone who has been on these pages in the last few days to stick the boot in to Neil.
They have united the rest of us to an extent I doubt we would otherwise have achieved.
Thanks,lads. Your work here is done.
http://www.etims.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3597&Itemid=2
Paul67,
Celtic should make a counter-offer on voting rights. The current system is terrible and prevents any change.
In my opinion, the following should be suggested.
Each team gets a number of votes equal to their average attendance in 1000’s (rounded to nearest 1000 for simplicities sake).
This would currently equate to:
Celtic 50
Rangers (IA) 47
Hearts 14
Hibernian 10
Aberdeen 9
Dundee Utd 7
Kilmarnock 6
Motherwell 6
Dunfermline 5
St Mirren 5
Inverness CT 4
St Johnstone 4
It recognises relative importance to the league.
Of course, this would mean Celtic and Rangers would have too much power… so as a check and balance any motion would also require 6 teams support.
This would in a stroke stop the stagnation that the current setup causes where 2 teams can veto any decision and also recognises the importance that larger teams have to the SPL.
I’m sure this would allow the SPL to move forward and prevent the ‘Them’ and ‘Us’ of the current setup.
B
Martin O’Neill giving his 100% backing to Neil in the Evening Times today.
The way it should be…
nabager is phonetic for when you have been texted by your mother and she asks ” have you found that stoats and the badgers I sent you for?” and you answer
“Got two stoats but sadly nabager”
Right off to enjoy my treatment.
Hail Hail
Estadio
falkirkbhoy
sure, not many care any more, i understand
maybe its all too late
but one last effort and you never know…
correspondence as per
No To Rangers NewCo campaign link above….
“I would like to express grave concern over the possibilty of a Rangers NewCo entering straight into the SPL.
Rangers owe millions of pounds to creditors.
Please reject any Rangers NewCo attempt to enter straight into the SPL.
Rangers NewCo should, in fairness, start in the lowest division and work up on sporting merit.
Trusting your good nature.
Looking forward to the flourishing of our beautiful game in Scotland, including an honourable RFC, I hope, in time to come.
Kind regards and THANKS in these testing times…”
TC
Just keep on doing what you are doing Lenny its good enough for me.
Only one Neil Lennon
btw
when i say “honourable”, i mean totally unrecognisable from the sewage effluent of a club that operates (granted, on a shaky nail) currently
:)
HH.. I think Neil behave calmly , given the hostility and provocation and aggression he s faced as player and manager.. I defy anyone to put up with all that at your work!
In Neil we trust and support..
Dundee United striker Jon Daly is bidding to become the first player from outwith Celtic or Rangers to win the SPL Golden Boot.
With five games remaining, the Irishman is on 18 league goals for the season, the same number as Celtic frontman Gary Hooper. St Johnstone’s Fran Sandaza is four behind on 14.
Neil Lennon speaks for me also. Cheating cannot be tolerated or excused by slightly offside goals (allegedly- havent seen replay) or missed opportunities which are irrelevant to the main issue.
Oscar is doing pretty well at the minute. We went to London recently to see the top doc in the UK for Oscars cancer and he wants us over next week for some super dooper treatment over there, so looks like we will be spending most of May over there.
Anyone know of any good pubs in the Euston/UCLH area where I could watch the last ever Celtiv v Rangers game?
Ulysses, I may be able to help you out but I cant promise. I barely have time to scratch my arse these days!! Mail me at yahoo dot com
(easy to work that one out)
knoxy2000
(and if I cant find the Celtiv game the Celtic game will do)
;-)
Thank heavens for Martin O’Neill.
That’s how you stand up for Celtic.
A three-year study undertaken in Siena by a cardiology clinic suggests that professional footballers have different characteristics in the shape of their hearts.
The study which began in August 2009 in the Santa Maria alle Scotte hospital came to the conclusion that the heart has different cardiovascular characteristics that are peculiar to athletes and adapts in a dynamic manner during the season based on the type of training.
“In footballers, the cardiac chambers and muscular mass of the heart are enlarged, with ulterior incremental improvements in the functional capacity of the organ,” explained Doctor Andrea Causarano.
It involved monitoring the cardiac function of the players over the past three seasons, “allowing excellent results in the area of scientific research.
“This is important when optimizing training to improve performance with great focus on health. These observations were presented at various Italian and European cardiology seminars.’ clarified Professor Sergio Mondillo.
“With further tests on stem cells in the youth team players, we also noted how intense training or a sedentary lifestyle provides a different stimulus to the production of stem cells and therefore probably different mechanisms for self-repair.”
The heart problems in football players have been much concerned issue in recent weeks with the death of Livorno’s Piermario Morosini and collapse of Fabrice Muamba.
My Dear Husband,I am sending you this letter via this email communications thing, so that you will be sure to read it. Please forgive the deception, but I thought you should know what has been going on at home since your CQN computer entered our lives TWO YEARS AGO. The children are doing well. Tommy is seven now and is a bright, handsome boy. He has developed quite an interest in the arts. He drew a family portrait for a school project, all the figures were good, and the back of your head is very realistic. You should be very proud of him. Little Jennifer turned three in September. She looks a lot like you did at that age. She is an attractive child and quite smart. She still remembers that you spent the whole afternoon with us on her birthday. What a grand day for Jenny, despite the fact that it was stormy and the electricity was out. I am doing well. I went blonde about a year ago, and discovered that it really is more fun! George, I mean, Mr. Wilson, the department head, has taken an interest in my career and has become a good friend to us all. I discovered that the household chores are much easier since I realized that you didn’t mind being vacuumed but that feather dusting made you sneeze. The house is in good shape. I had the living room painted last spring; I’m sure you noticed it. I made sure that the painters cut holes in the drop sheet so you wouldn’t be disturbed.Well, my dear, I must be going. Uncle George–err–Mr. Wilson, I mean, is taking us all on a ski trip and there is packing to do. I have hired a housekeeper to take care of things while we are away, she’ll keep things in order, fill your coffee cup and bring your meals to your desk, just the way you like it. I hope you and the CQN computer will have a lovely time while we are gone. Tommy, Jenny and I will think of you often. Try to remember us while your disks are booting.
Love,Your Wife