Press stories yesterday that Newcastle United and newco Rangers would not be able to play in Uefa competitions in the same season have caused Mike Ashley considerable angst. While it would appear few things are untenable for Ashley, having one of his clubs bow out of Europe to allow the other to compete is beyond what even he believes to be acceptable.
Newcastle issued a statement early today challenging the reports, which initially appeared in the Daily Telegraph, a newspaper Newcastle have banned from their premises. The Telegraph reported that Uefa confirmed newco Rangers and Newcastle would be prevented from competing in Europe in the same season due to Article 3 of their competition regulations, which relate to multi-ownership.
I contacted Uefa this morning, who confirmed that the report in the Telegraph is incorrect; Uefa have made no such ruling. However, this is because they have received no complaint and no investigation has taken place. Uefa do not trawl looking for administrative breaches and will not investigate such matters unless asked to do so. This issue, it appears, has not gone beyond the Uefa Media Office, and will only be passed to Compliance if a complaint is made.
I reckon Ashley will be comfortable dealing with the SFA, who he can delay and confuse until after newco’s next funding round, which will take place before Christmas, but he doesn’t want Uefa, or the FA in England, on his case, as either could jeopardise plans.
It’s incredible that months after Ashley bought into newco no one has complained to the one body who have the power to dissuade him.
The scenes outside Glasgow Sheriff Court yesterday were predictable. Craig Whyte stands accused by the court of public opinion of liquidating Rangers Football Club. I know some of the bile directed towards him went well beyond what is acceptable, but you can’t liquidate a football club and not expect some push-back at the fringes.
The court of public opinion, isn’t making sense, though. Rangers fans are angry at Craig Whyte, who, apparently, played hardball with the evil HMRC, then was cheated out of his rightful place in the Premier League by a combination of the SFA, the SPL, Celtic, the BBC and bigotry.
If it wasn’t for these dark forces, Craig would have used the [cough]perfectly legitimate business tactic of liquidation, to carry the same club through the crippling debt Sir David Murray had lumbered it with and back to its rightful place in Scottish football.
So if it’s all someone else’s fault, why are they so angry at Craig? Genuine question. He either released the club from Murray’s excesses, and was victimised, or he brazenly killed the club and tried to flog them a newco as though nothing had changed.
The only reason I can think they are angry at Craig is because our old pal Cognitive Dissonance is gnawing away in the background. Whyte’s plan was to liquidate Rangers, present the SPL and SFA with a fait accompli midseason, and have the newco pick up the vacant league position the following week.
This was a horrible plan. Rangers fans’ ‘No to liquidation’ campaign was correct. Everyone else’s opposition to this aberration was also correct.
The fait accompli didn’t work. The rest of Scottish football chose to step off the cliff into the unknown, although many Rangers fans quickly adopted Whyte’s – liquidation means nothing – logic, however they couldn’t bring themselves to accept the man himself.
The 2015 CQN Annual is churning through the system and will be ready to ship week commencing 8 December. You can order yours here today.
1,127 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
Some fans just love picking on a player & slagging him off. Come on Anto, I’m backing you to shut a few up today.
Bit of justice after that absurd penalty decision for Citeh.
South Of Tunis
14:40 on 30 November, 2014
Italian fitba media claiming that the violence in Madrid was a pre arranged thing between extreme right and extreme left Ultras.
———————————
Spanish media been saying that from the start. This was not an innocent victim.
Blantyretim
Won’t manage to get down the club ,
Just leaving Ibrox where the Gers put in a great shift and destroyed yet another prem team.
Depends on traffic i might get in for second half ;))
Stokes is our forward equivalent of Mr Tebily, both struggled/struggle with their tasks…
Yet one was a much maligned ‘bombscare’, the other remains ‘Stokesy, Anto, Tony’ etc.
Never in the history of human civilisation has one man been bestowed with as many pet names as Stokesy.
Why?
I take it Anto is in the shop window! : < )
The soft feminine heart always finds the reason for condolences sweet iniit
Good to see Bitton getting a start today. I hope he’s up for playing against an aggressive and fast moving Hertz midfield. Would have liked to have seen Griffiths on from the start, but will accept him coming on as an “impact” player. I never try and predict the results of our games, due to superstition, and a crap record in prognostication!
COYBIG
HH
new article posted.
CAPTAIN BEEFHEART
Wow,Tebily.
Good when he didnae have time to think,a disaster when he did.
A sore memory either way.
Is that to me? I’d pen them in and let them fight to the death,
We must start with real bad intentions, with menace,
I want to see this mob blown away early doors.
I see the abstainers Kilmarnock capitulated at ibrokes,
nae surprise there then.
Mrs and bhoy on route to Valencia for Barcelona game. Youngest doing homework,I’m getting stuck into the carryoot and about to start shouting at the pc.
Wish I was there.
Hail Hail
Mon the Hoops.