Assuming Dave King has more than 50% of the shareholding in newco Rangers, what does Mike Ashley do knowing he will not be in charge of the club after an EGM in March?
Take the defeat on one of his chins, let King’s lawyers loose on the merchandising and other deals he’s paid for and put the whole thing down to experience?
Well, possibly, but he has other options.
Ashley has yet to loan the club the money required to pay this month’s wages. He could simply not transfer the cash, but in this event he will expect King to step in.
King with his accomplices, and others, have recently offered to loan the club money, albeit with strings attached. If King truly has the enough votes in the bag to secure a majority, it’s likely they will loan the club enough cash to get beyond the EMG, without conditions attached. The directors would have no option but to accept this cash, pay the bills and cede control in due course. Ashley is owed £3m, repayable in April, for loans made late last year, so King et al will need to find cash to cover that in their ‘warchest’.
This is likely to be close to King’s narrative. He will not have called the EGM unless the cash is available to get the club over the line this season. I’m not prepared to countenance the possibility that he’s called it certain in the knowledge he will fall short.
I’ve always thought some kind of Grand Coalition, between Ashley and a collection of local legitimate businessmen would be the most effective forward plan, but Ashley has been so maligned by PR ‘close to King’ that this doesn’t seem to happening. Ashley will either have to take his chance of retaining merchandising, stadium advertising and future shirt sponsorship rights, or make his play now.
It’s worth noting that the reign of the Easdales, and chairman Somers, will end in the event King gains control; they are a busted flush unless they can manoeuver Ashley into an unassailable position.
So will Ashley pack his trunk and run away to join another circus? Don’t bet on it. Between now and the morning of the EGM, instead of loaning an already highly-levereged club, he could buy and leaseback its properties. This would give him enough leverage to look after his medium-term commercial interests, and exercise complete control in the long-term.
None of this even needs to happen under the current board. He can loan the club the £10m as expected, with covenants which are, to say the least, difficult to achieve. The cost of failure to meet one of these covenants would allow the Ashley to call-in his securities (the stadium).
Ashley can afford to lose all the cash he’s invested already, and all the his newco-related commercial contracts, but he cannot and will not lose his reputation as an uncompromising operator. Last week I said ‘Never play poker with a billionaire’. Whether you are a shopping centre owner, a sports goods giant, or an aspiring football club owner. These idiots should know thier opponent.
Tickets are now on sale for CQN11, our St Patrick’s Day dinner event on Friday 13 March at the Kerrydale Suite, Celtic Park. We’re hoping to raise money for Mary’s Meals to build a kitchen at Chibwata Primary School for their 909 pupils. As well as the dinner there will be singers and dancing, it’ll be a great night.
Email me if you want tickets reserved, celticquicknews@gmail.com , or you can book tickets or tables directly at the bottom of this page.
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It seems increasingly likely that none of the 5 loan players who joined the club in summer 2014 will be here in summer 2015. That shows the loan policy up for the short sighted sticking plaster approach that it is.
It is certain that van Dijk will be gone by the summer at the latest.
We also have Commons, Kayal and Zaluska going out of contract in the summer.
In other words at least a third of the first team squad due or more likely than not to move on this summer and need replaced.
Ahead of the CL qualifiers in a year where CL qualification brings with it the highest cash pot ever thanks to BT’s broadcasting cash.
I think it is possible to manage both to be solvent and have a squad that is well prepared with CL qualifiers in mind. But it seems to be something we may again not manage this year.
Contrast the zombie fish riot at ipox on Friday…..with the joyful celebrations of a great wee fan of ours, wee jay.
That bhoy is a wee superstar, loved by his fellow supporters.
This encapsulates the humanity of Celtic and Hamilton supporters, I was proud of every single one of those supporters.
That is what football is all about.
Feck sevco…..they will burn in hell:)
HH
Motherwell and Ross County on the agenda this week – six points will keep the title race on track. Cups are all very god but the league is always top priority for me.
tgbs,
Can you imagine how you’d feel if we’d signed any of them without a trial, I’m happy taking players on loan and there’s quite a few in the squad I wish we’d tried first.
Monday morning Radio Serie A review .
Inter ?
” A mystery.They should be so much better than they are.Frightened of responsibility , frightened of making a mistake. The Mazzarri nightmare seems to have robbed them of their self belief.”
It is for me clear that Celtic are not the draw for players we the supporters think we are.I say that because the likes of VVD, Denayer ,Ambrose, Guidetti Comons all will leave the club if and when EPL clubs come in for them.I suppose it has always been thus but it means our team will always be a work in progress and a happy development ground for bigger clubs.Now all that is bad enough but the pace that we try to bring in younger replacements is done at snails pace and I feel often in desperation on the last day of the transfer window why this should be is maybe because we are not in a league players really want to play in and we also cannot guarantee them Champions league football.Now having said all that I feel it is time for a change at Parkhead and we should concentrate in the main in bringing our own youngsters through the ranks and into the first team with an odd transfer. H.H.
alfie noakes
09:23 on 19 January, 2015
Why don’t you just admit you are looking forward to all the hatred raising it’s ugly head again…. The SFA / BDO etc should have acted with dignity / pride / confidence / consistency, and treated oldco in the same way as Gretna etc …….. anyway, I am so glad their corruption has been exposed and I certainly won’t be living / promoting the lie ….HH
tbgs
Spot on….that is the reality.
We are being run by people who know nothing about football.
It becomes more obvious by the day.
And BTW…Knowledge of corruption with a refusal to condemn it…IMO, is complicity.
It wont go away if you ignore it….it will only get worse.
HH
TGBS,
did PL notat one time state, that Celtic had to be in the Champions League groups in 3 out of 5 years ?
this coming year is the big one .
we cannot afford to miss out this time, and , hopefully league champions this year, we get beyond prepared for the qualifying challenge.
if we repeat any of this seasons mistakes , PL should go.
For once the guy shoiuld be accountable for a football target, that is the biggest financil target.
NO TO DOWNSIZING
…..meant to add…….they won’t be back…..they are now having their carcass ‘eaten’, and there will soon be nothing left.
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon,
Spot on. We need to keep our focus and avoid being distracted by the two other games in February.
Eyes on the Prize CSC.
Árd Macha
flippin fat fingers on the fone
spilling mastakes a plenty
Canamalar
I’d much rather we never signed the likes of Wakaso and Tonev in the first place.
If the loan policy is being justified on the grounds of “at least we didn’t sign those guys permanently” then it’s clear urgent attention is needed in out player recruitment system. Do we have the right scouts/ people in place? Are they working to the right brief/ remit?
Clearly some signings won’t work out, not every signing can, but we have been top heavy on failed signings in recent years.
Going deep into the loan market is no way to properly deal with that issue.
This cracks me up every time….certain people don’t seem to understand that…Rangers were LIQUIDATED, they do not EXIST.
Now repeat after me….Rangers died, they do not exist, there is no old firm.
Hee, Hee…..and im wallowing in their demise, ya beauty.
HH
SAINT STIVS
Lawwell’s strategy nearly got us bombed out in the qualifiers in 2013. I,like many others,assumed he would learn from that.
Instead,he turned a poor strategy into a disaster. So,no,I’m not confident that he will learn from the past.
67Heaven .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I am wee Oscar / Neil Lennon.. Ipox belongs to the creditors
08:56 on
19 January, 2015
tricoloured ribbon
02:04 on 19 January, 2015
67,
From the day I was born these animals have been the same.
Hardmen ffs wise up.
Of course our fans have to be alert.People have been on about not playing them.
Do you think we should just concede the game and roll over?
>>>>>>>>
I am one of the people who don’t want this game to go ahead …… They were liquidated….they are no more……..they are living a lie, and shouldn’t be in any competition …..and, as witnessed on Friday night, they wallow in violent. ….Society / sport doesn’t need this violence and should not be promoting it……..People like you and I are ‘hardened’ to them, from experience, and, in my view, the Police should not allow this violence to go ahead or, at least, instruct our gutter media to stop glorifying it……HH
I’m with you on that mate.
hh
Kikinthenakas
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family on the loss of your mum..
HH
I am as guilty as the next man in enjoying the goings on over at Ibrokes but sometimes I think we should be looking nearer home as our own club seems to be on the wrong track.We should at least taking into account the money we spend qualifying for the CL each season.However,our CEO does not seem to see that as a priority now given his love of money you would think it would be his number one priority. H.H.
the glorious balance sheet-the loan system we overly use,lack of judgement,and ability to spot a player from John Park IMO.We cannot build a squad with 6 loan players.
Looks like old Adolf was right about the “Big Lie”.
Tell it often enough, and it will stick.
And that exactly, is whats happening right now.
You know they are gone…but you wont accept it, yet you know fine well…..RANGERS WERE LIQUIDATED….but carry on with your fantasy.
There is no santa claus, and there is no old firm…..sorry to upset the weans, but there you go.
HH
Saint stivs
This year’s CL qualification is vital. 2014’s shambles could be defended up to a point due to a new manager being appointed and the team being in transition.
The new manager issue will not apply this year but I worry that the team will still be in transition due to the short termist over-exposure to loans and temporary fixes to the squad that we have seen this year.
Saint Stivs
10:01 on 19 January, 2015
______________________
The – “only” – way that PL and the ‘bored’ will be accountable is, when the Celtic supporters – SB-based – unite as one – issue a statement of intent and – “make” – them be accountable.
The Statement form, Kev’s Jungle…..
“Dear custodians of Celtic Football Club – We, the main financial contributers to the club, charge you with the task of putting a product onto the pitch that is worthy of, Celtic supporters. No more – trialists / projects / loanees / DD’s pals(the Keanes, Freddie etc…) as, this is just a badly executed drain on resources. In short…..put a product onto the pitch and, we’ll buy it. That is all – thanks.”
Simples – Hail Hail
facepalm
The Green Man 10.07
For you.deid!:-)
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4vuW6tQ0218
HH
Tgbs,
I’m sure you could rhyme off about five players in the current squad you wish we’d never signed.
Worked properly I think the loan is the best way to go, many of the flatter to deceive would be found out.
67Heaven
_________
As long as your well fella, thats all that matters.
Hail Hail
Oh, and when yer fully fit…consider getting a taxi to the real world and, maybe then you’ll see exactly – “who” – isny challenging the lie :)
‘instruct our gutter media to stop glorifying it’……
Correct, last Monday, SSB (I know I know)kicked off their show with the FABRICATED LIE about Guidetti’s ‘hat-trick’. They decided to stir it up at any cost, but watch them go to town about ‘old firm shame’ if there is serious trouble. or worse.
This match is a powderkeg like nothing before, and our msm will still stoke it up further, just to sell papers. The word irresponsible doesnt cover it.
My only observation on “loanees” is, they are the players who cant hold down a position in a first team elsewhere.
They are the discounted goods rack.
Marked down , in the hope of moving some stock.
Same for us, moving our fringe players on.
Is so simple isn’t it…..I could quite easily say, that im the most wonderful person on this planet, and make Hendrix look like an amateur when I play guitar…..but it isn’t true really…is it?
See how it works, easy.
Now repeat after me….The Green Man is fantastic, and Rangers don’t exist:)
HH
I think this is our last year of CLQ’s Champions Route,due to falling co-efficient.Which means next season instead of playing the likes of Elfsborg and Karagandy,it will be teams who finish 5th in EPL,Serie A,Bundesliga etc.
The Green Man is fantastic, and Rangers don’t exist:)
The Green Man is fantastic, and Rangers don’t exist:)
The Green Man is fantastic, and Rangers don’t exist:)
The Green Man is fantastic, and Rangers don’t exist:)
The Green Man is fantastic, and Rangers don’t exist:)
The Green Man is fantastic, and Rangers don’t exist:)
The Green Man is fantastic, and Rangers don’t exist:)
Hi, Hoooooo……Off oot.
If, and it’s a big if, the glib and shameless liar and his cohorts manage to oust Ashley there will surely not be a problem for King to pass the fit and proper person scenario.
We already have a convicted VAT fraudster sitting on the Sevco board as it is.
I see the Board over at that new club are trying to get the EGM request withdrawn – apparently they’ve just heard about something called “fit and proper person test”.
Now here’s something novel – they are arguing that SFA rules should apply to them!
Bada,
Are you sure?
Champions route means exactly that. We play champions from other countries.
HH
Bada…,
And I believe that is the target for our exec, downsize complete.
Celtic move for John Sutton!!!!!!!
Oh, its on PS4 – sorry:)
Off oot.
67 Heaven –
The team we are playing on 1st Feb is a new club, founded in 2012. The previous club died.
Write it down a hundred times until it sinks in.