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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Tell you what…..its just as well old adolf didn’t make it to scoddland, he would have loved it here.
Scoddland, the land where the lies stick like glue, he would have been right at home.
As a matter of fact….I have just decided to call myself, the 19th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, and will now proceed to demolish ibrox with sarcasm and barbed wit alone.
As I speak, im sending out invisible thought pulses which will reduce the circus of horrors to cinders….don’t worry, im on it.
Its all true I tell ya:)
HH
Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy has written to Prime Minister David Cameron asking for Old Firm heroes John Greig, of Rangers, and Billy McNeill, of Celtic, to be put forward for knighthoods, saying the honours are “well-deserved” and “overdue”.
LB
champions route means we play champions from the missle to low ranked nations.
sweden, ireland, slovenia & poland and such.
we avoid the non champion qualifiers form the big nations.
surely we can negotiate a route past slovenian and polish teams ?
whats that you say skip ?
not flippin likely
Wow! Is the truth finally being reported….?
From the BBC website too!
. . . . .
This is a clear reference to King’s criminal record for tax evasion in South Africa.
Now all you MSM out there, repeat after me:
This is a clear reference to King’s criminal record for tax evasion in South Africa.
This is a clear reference to King’s criminal record for tax evasion in South Africa.
This is a clear reference to King’s criminal record for tax evasion in South Africa.
This is a clear reference to King’s criminal record for tax evasion in South Africa.
This is a clear reference to King’s criminal record for tax evasion in South Africa.
This is a clear reference to King’s criminal record for tax evasion in South Africa.
This is a clear reference to King’s criminal record for tax evasion in South Africa.
This is a clear reference to King’s criminal record for tax evasion in South Africa.
This is a clear reference to King’s criminal record for tax evasion in South Africa.
This is a clear reference to King’s criminal record for tax evasion in South Africa.
That’s CRIMINAL RECORD, in case you didn’t quite catch that.
It is yet another example of the selective reporting in the MSM.
When it suits them, they describe King as a Multi-Millionaire Business and no mention whatsoever of the criminal conviction.
But NOW, when there is a board-room stoush happening, they have chosen to report on the criminal record.
If the Scottish press had done their job, the main players in this game would all have been in the dock by now.
GM-SS- I’m pretty sure the coming season’s CLQ’s is our last go at the Champions Route,maybe Bert Kassie will confirm :)
“Businessman”
mea culpa-looks like Ashley’s men are dishing the dirt now,or telling the truth as we would say
I mentioned very recently, that I had listened to Jim Murphy on Off the Ball over the holidays.
He was promoting his book, about football matches that changed the world. It was reasonably interesting, and I was willing to give the guy a break.
Early in the show the subject of Billy McNeill having a knighthood was raised. I think by Cowan, in the context of look at all the english heroes who have one for lesser acheivements than Billy.
I dont know if it was a planted script by Murphy, but he did say its something he himself wanted.
I dont recall Greig being part of the discussion.
I suppose its politics. Look cheeks of the same arse, baubles for both of you.
He could try being a bit more socialist and saying “i want the knighthood from the robber baron sir david taken off him, and given to old rangers greatest ever player and trophy receiving toilet occupier , greggy”.
Where is the award for big Jock.
Bada,
What Bert doesn’t know about coefficients isn’t worth knowing :))
!!Bada Bing!! 10:28 – our co-efficient isn’t lower than last year.
In fact,,,,it was only yesterday, that I was sitting playing a couple of hands of poker with Voltaire, Rosseau, and of course, my old pal Shakespear.
What was interesting, was that they all said the same thing to me…Don’t you know that Rangers do not exist, that they are merely the figment of imagination.
I thought about it for a few minutes, and do you know what, they were right….Rangers do not exist, they are merely a figment of the fevered imagination.
So there you have it, from four of the finest philosophers of all time……how can you argue with that eh:)
HH
Mea Culpa
10:42 on
19 January, 2015
==========================
Why are the press so anti Ashley putting a price of £10 Million on the wreck of a stadium?
David Murray sold it for a Quid with barely a murmer to Craig (MBB at the time) Whyte.
SAINTSTIVS
Jock should have received that honour at the appropriate time. No doubt about that.
But he has the ultimate honour-a place in our hearts and history,and a statue beside Jinky,so he can keep an eye on him!
tom mclaughlin
10:37 on 19 January, 2015
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
>>>>>>>>>>>>
…..and you write down 100 times. ….. “Try telling THEM that”
Would you agree that, with oldco being dead, their stadium should have been sold, with the proceeds going to the creditors …….CHALLENGE THE LIE ..HH
phyllis dietrichson-I think co-efficients are projected a couple of years in advance,and the season after next,we lose our status of the Champions Route,i could be wrong mate …….
Phyllis,
You could be righ. I think the huns run to Manchester was removed last season. 5 years stats thingy.
It’s all by the by imo. More quality in please.
Livibhoy/skyislandfill.
A wrong political move.
Opportunistic as ever.
Stop associating my club the hun
This crank unionist sees votes in it,
Received well by all unionists on squintmeejah/ff etc in between the usual ingrained hillbillyism and reflections on Jock.(why not pursue a posthumous award?)its ok jim we know you wont
HH
HH
When the New Co Rangers win the scottish cup this year, qualifying for Europe.
Will they pick up the co-efficient of the old club for their ranking in the UEFA competion.
answers on a postcard to
Neil Doncaster
Hampden Park
Glasgow
In fact, to be honest, I do have seven multi-coloured fingers on each hand, and very useful they are too…in fact, the very same fingers that inch by inch climbed mount Everest in 1953….I was sorry to have to push Sherpa Tensing out of the way to reach the top first, but there you go…..although he wasn’t very happy.
While I was sitting on top of Mount Everest, I then decided to travel to the moon …on horseback…..and they said it couldn’t be done eh.
Every word of it is true, I swear it.
As for Rangers…..they were liquidated, and consequently do not exist.
HH
https://twitter.com/lindsarchibald/status/557112943008313344
Bawsman
Belter of a point
No comment bout it being sold for a £
No comment bout the valuation of the hyperbowl/floating arena that was sold to challz o normandy in comparison to what it is now.
HH
Bada Bing –
You can’t lose your champions route status if you are Champions.
Did you perhaps mean we lose our seeded status in the champions route?
If you want to reduce chances of CL qualification here is how to go about it.
1. Start season with a new manager.
2. Start season with new central defender (s)
3. Start season at least 6 weeks after most likely opponents have started theirs.
4. Start season with more than 3 new players in the team. ( arguably 2)
Of the above only 3 is outside Celtic’s control but is strong case for summer football.
No 1 is a bit unpredictable and can you afford to change manager in December with half a season to go.
No 2 should be an absolute no no but that’s where we might be come July. So when do we look to replace VVD and Denya or do we up their wage in attempt to retain?
No 4 requires succession planning. An example is to keep or retain KC.
Pimps.
It seems now, that loan players are so good, that you have to pay top dollar to see them.
Wow, those fantastic loan players….please Peter, I insist you accept all my money….im am just not worthy of these wonderful, wonderful loan players.
Champions league my arse.
HH
the glorious balance sheet,
If we lose both VVD and Denayer at the end of the season then it’s two from;
Ambrose,
Mulgrew,
Lustig,
O’Connell
Given that only Lustig, when fit, is currently considered a starter the centre half position does need looked at.
cv
At last they refer to the former club
KevJungleetc
I liked your letter to the ‘bored’ and applaud your change of name to the highly appropriate ‘Simples’.
There are 10 teams in the final qualifying round for the Champions’ Route, the five seeded play the five unseeded.
This year we ranked 4th on that list – top seeded were Red Bull at 46, we have 36 and Ludogorets Razgrad in 6th have 18. So e have a fair bit of leeway for now it seems.
The co-efficient works over 5 seasons, so next year we lose points gained in 2009/10 – 5.5322 of them. We have already gained 6.675 this season.
We were ranked 62nd in Europe by co-efficient this season. Provisionally we are at 51st for next season, but clearly there are a lot of points still to be won.
Whats goin on at the idiotbox.
This mornings notice
http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12218547.html
E.G.M (maybeezno)
http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12218558.html
Eh Dave your a wee bit dodgy.
HH
Auldheid
5. Ensure CEO KPI’s are non football related
Mea culpa @10.42
but remember james easdale also has a criminal conviction.
gordon_j-thanks for posting CL stuff.HH
Bada Bing
as Tom M pointed out you cant lose your Champions route
else teams from Nrn Ireland Faroes Luxembourg would not be in draw with us.
As Tom M also pointed out maybe you mean LHS of the draw
cant access Bert from in here (I think he has a gambling advert)
But this seaon we had co-efficient of approx 35
to go to RHS of draw we would need to typically go below about 20 BUT
i suppose it depends on CO-efficients of the teams who qualify.
PS We are due to lose a very poor year where we gathered approx 2.5 points
whereas average would suggest we get 7.
!!Bada Bing!!,
No worries – Bert Kassies is the man for all co-efficient nerds! This is the link to the provisional rankings for next season::
http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/data/method4/trank2015.html
An Tearmann
I just copied and pasted it from the BBC site for discussion.
LB
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
10:08 on
19 January, 2015
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.
Me neither.I saying that,maybe he has learned ,and it is near enough impossible to get guys signed up early.I am not,and never will ,make excuses for him,but players being what they are,its a nightmare getting their signature on a contract.Look at Guidetti.
They will wait until the last minute and pick the best offer.I think this is the thinking behind,sign more Scots.We can scout all we want,and rack up a list,but the players will be the ones orchestrating the timeline.The same timeline that drives us all crazy.
Its not just us.Look at the mad scramble on deadline day.SSN,even running late to handle it.
Just watched the BBC highlights of the Hamilton game. As much as one can tell from five minutes, we looked reasonable and scored two very good goals. What did surprise me , though,was the unbiased commentary. The guy actually sounded quite impressed by our two goals.
Is it possible that, albeit belatedly, The Establishment is beginning to wash its hands of the Ibrox club and start giving us credit where it is due?
JJ
jc2-thanks for reply mate HH