Rangers and Newco both look marooned without clarification

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So what do we know?

Need for clarification

Rangers’ potential new owner has asked for clarification on what he is buying, a franchise with a place in the SPL or the middle of a doughnut, with the ability to apply for membership to the Scottish Football League.

That clarification has not been delivered, which must undermine Rangers sale.

Rangers want an extension

Despite needing clarification, Rangers administrators, Duff and Phelps, failed to attend the meeting and asked for a further extension (it’s like the 2007-08 league season all over again).  Curious, to say the least. Clearly they were not in a position to offer the SPL information that would assist their case.

To be revealed before 30 May

The next meeting is on 30 May, by then the First Tier Tribunal on Rangers Employee Benefit Trust will have reported.  There will also be a considerable amount of information in the public domain on how Rangers operated under Sir David Murray.  With all this information available, it will be impossible for the SPL to further delay publishing the findings of their inquiry into Improper Registration of Players by Rangers.  In disciplinary terms, this is the big one.

What about Craig Whyte?

Bill Miller was appointed preferred bidder on Thursday but, as floating charge holder, Craig Whyte can ask the court to block stop Duff and Phelps disposing of Ibrox.  We don’t know Craig Whyte’s mind, or if he has a deal with Miller, but if they are not working in partnership, you can expect a late and effective legal block put in place to stop the disposal of Ibrox.

So what does it mean?

The chance of a Newco being in place, in the SPL or SFL, for the start of next season has never been more remote.  On 7 May they don’t have a buyer, after 10 weeks they don’t have the stadium and the moral outrage over what looked likely to be voted through today is beginning to gain traction.

Today was the best chance Rangers had to cut a quick deal with the SPL.  Further delay only means more time for the other clubs to work on contingency plans and to be lobbied by their own supporters.

We are six days away from the end of the season and Duff and Phelps have to put enough of a confirmed deal in place to convince someone to part with £11.2m.  They don’t have passage into the league and they don’t have a stadium to sell.

If Bill Miller stays in the game until the end of the week and submits a formal offer for the stadium and other assets, we can expect Craig Whyte to go to court to halt the process.  I cannot see how or why Miller, who doesn’t even have a passport and has made no moved to come over and negotiate in person, would put £11.2m on the table when he doesn’t know what he is buying, or what sporting and financial penalties are coming his way.

Rangers will have to overcome all these obstacles long before 30 May if they are to stay in the game long enough for Newco to inherit their place in the SPL but their chances of surviving that long is dependent on a positive outcome from the meeting that has now been postponed.

They look marooned; I don’t think they are going to make it.

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872 Comments

  1. ITALIA BHOY

     

    do you think we could play in england seriously???????? how long have you heardd about us coming to england??? it always pops up every 2/3yrs but noyhing ever materialises

  2. MattE

     

     

    In laymens terms….

     

     

    If he(or she) who doth not want, yet wants for not, doth want, then he(or she) may or may not need what he(or she) may or may not hath wanted initially…

  3. LENNYBHOY

     

    i havnt recieved any txts of VMHAN yet what were they do u know??????

  4. I am Neil Lennon - LTPS on

    I have faith in our Board. I am sure they are working behind the scenes and have been doing so for some time.

     

     

    It was no coincidence that Platini was at Paradise some 18 months ago.

     

     

    They will have been feeding him with all the ammunition he needs to ensure that his FFP rules are imposed. I imagine that they even told him what was going to happen long before it did.

     

     

    With regards to season ticket renewals. If you are definitely going to renew, there is still no harm saying that you won’t. It gives our board more ammunition against Them.

     

     

    p.s. “sinking faster than a whale’s jobby”. Genius.

  5. ˙sʇɹɐʍ ǝɥʇ ǝɹoubı ˙suoıdɯɐɥɔ ǝɥʇ ǝɹɐ ǝʍ ˙ɔɟ ɔıʇןǝɔ ןıǝu /o\ ouɐʞ ˙pʍ sɯɐǝquooɯ on 7 May, 2012 at 22:40 said:

     

     

    I really don’t understand why you should misrepresent everything I said!

  6. sparkleghirl on 7 May, 2012 at 21:54 said:

     

    Skutanoust on 7 May, 2012 at 21:51 said:

     

     

    Excellent. Can it go as an open letter somewhere for publication?

     

     

    ———————————————————————————–

     

     

    Sure, any suggestions on where?

  7. Yorkston quoted today as stating that there is “insufficient information” to make a decision.

     

     

    A little birdie tells me that those individuals charged with making the biggest decision in Scottish football history want to have the decision taken out of their hands. In other words, if the FTT rules against RFC, there is no decision to be made. The punishment will be severe and not attributable to club chairmen.

     

     

    Getting out of a sticky situation by simply waiting, and waiting. Makes perfect sense, given the hysteria surrounding this sorry episode. The downfall of RFC will not be decided by football men, it will be from the courts that their demise is finalised.

  8. The Scottish Premier League met for six

     

    hours at Hampden on Monday, only to

     

    announce that voting on financial fair play

     

    would be adjourned until May 30.

     

    It emerged that Rangers, through their

     

    administrators, Duff and Phelps, requested

     

    that any decision be postponed until the

     

    club’s new owner could be involved in

     

    discussions.

     

    There is, of course, some irony in a club

     

    who owe money throughout Europe for

     

    players they have signed but could not

     

    afford and who are being pursued by Her

     

    Majesty’s Revenue & Customs for unpaid tax

     

    in the region of £90 million postponing a

     

    vote on this issue, especially when Rangers

     

    (alone among the 12 members) deigned not

     

    to attend yesterday’s summit.

     

    The SPL’s chief executive, Neil Doncaster,

     

    admitted afterwards that the delay in

     

    deciding new rules and sanctions to deal

     

    with newcos means that, theoretically,

     

    Rangers could be allowed to transfer their

     

    membership share in the elite division to a

     

    new entity (the “incubator” option favoured

     

    by preferred bidder Bill Miller) before the

     

    end of the month without suffering

     

    immediate sanctions. An 8-4 majority would

     

    be required for any such application to

     

    succeed.

     

    “We are in a situation where we might get

     

    an application for a transfer of a share,”

     

    said Doncaster. “If we do, then we will deal

     

    with it in accordance with the current rules.

     

    Ultimately, the clubs set the rules and it is

     

    for the centre to apply them.

     

    “The rules cannot change for three weeks

     

    because of the 21-day notice period. So if

     

    we get an application in that period it will

     

    be dealt with under the current rules.

     

    “If it comes after, and the new rules are

     

    passed, then it would be dealt with under

     

    the new rules. In the ordinary course of

     

    events, a newco would come in without

     

    penalties unless any are agreed to come

     

    with it.”

     

    Doncaster refused to deny reports that the

     

    SPL had taken legal advice which stated that

     

    any such sanctions would be unlawful. “That

     

    was a report that was talking about alleged

     

    advice given to the SPL board but I don’t

     

    think it is appropriate to comment on any

     

    legal advice that may or may not have been

     

    received,” he said. “It is a very serious

     

    issue. But the rules cover clubs going into

     

    administration and they punish them.

     

    “You can argue all day that might not be as

     

    serious a punishment as it should be and

     

    the clubs are considering new rules that will

     

    increase the punishment.”

     

    This may give succour to Miller, who is so

     

    excited by his potential purchase that he has

     

    never visited Scotland. His reasons for

     

    wishing to own Rangers are unclear and it is

     

    not yet known whether or not he has any

     

    connection with the club’s discredited

     

    owner, Craig Whyte, the man who holds the

     

    floating charge over Ibrox Stadium and the

     

    training complex.

     

    Doncaster, though, claimed that it was unfair

     

    to criticise chairmen like Kilmarnock’s

     

    Michael Johnston, who may prioritise

     

    financial expediency ahead of fair play when

     

    it came to voting on any future application

     

    to transfer Rangers’ share.

     

    “I think that is entirely unfair on the owners

     

    who are concerned with the survival of their

     

    clubs,” he said. “Clubs have been able to

     

    write off debts over the history of football.

     

    It has gone on for many years and many,

     

    many, many clubs have written off an awful

     

    lot of debt.

     

    “Our clubs, as a result of the view that was

     

    expressed, are keen to take on the burden

     

    of making a big decision. Ultimately, they

     

    have to deal with the consequences of that

     

    and it is a very weighty matter. Sporting

     

    integrity is very, very important.”

     

    Meanwhile, Sale Sharks owner Brian

     

    Kennedy was last night reportedly in talks

     

    with Whyte in an attempt to gain control of

     

    the venture capitalist’s shareholding.

     

    The SPL’s investigation into whether

     

    Rangers, as required, registered

     

    comprehensive details of payments to

     

    players continues and a negative verdict on

     

    both counts could yet see sanctions

     

    imposed on any newco, a possibility which

     

    may provide Miller with food for thought.

  9. Neil Lennon Abbot of Clonmacnois on

    I was relieved to hear that today’s meeting concluded nothing. The more time that passes, the more the people in authority will be clear that the idea of a new football club being allowed to start in the top league is just plain and simple daft.

  10. sparkleghirl on

    Skutanoust on 7 May, 2012 at 22:48 said:

     

     

    Don’t know, but I’m sure someone will be able to suggest something. It’s just that an individual letter to UEFA could easily be ignored, but published and widely read it becomes an embarrassment.

  11. BABASONICOS71 on

    If it’s Richard Wilson that’s tweeting these rumours the I.Don’t.Believe.It. ;o)

  12. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    celticrollercoaster says In Neil we trust on 7 May, 2012 at 22:35 said:

     

    Clashcitybhoy on 7 May, 2012 at 22:31 said:

     

    “Very well, my friend, I think I want to see how this plays out.”

     

     

    Dead right i.m.o.Wait and see.

     

     

    ” If we just fold and allow Zombie Rangers to take a newco entry without sufficient punishment then I would struggle to accept this.”

     

     

    Re. “allow”

     

    Do you know that Celtic are in any position to prevent entry?

     

     

    As the football authorities in Scotland dither,we speculate.

     

    Does this help Celtic`s situation ? I sincerely believe that it has the opposite effect.

     

    It`s the hun`s problem.Why do we wish to make it ours?

  13. Doncaster is an absolute spiv!

     

     

    Bhoycott the lot of them next season.

     

     

    HH

  14. ˙sʇɹɐʍ ǝɥʇ ǝɹoubı ˙suoıdɯɐɥɔ ǝɥʇ ǝɹɐ ǝʍ ˙ɔɟ ɔıʇןǝɔ ןıǝu /o\ ouɐʞ ˙pʍ sɯɐǝquooɯ on 7 May, 2012 at 22:53 said

     

     

    Im happy for you.

  15. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon..!!..Truth and Justice will always prevail on

    Sporting integrity doesn’t come easy to them at all does it …poor wee souls ……. To be fair, it must be difficult to take a decision you know is the wrong decision……..or…..is it just a case of delaying the wrong decision, until you don’t have to take it..? ……cowards….

     

     

    If it was ANY other Club in Scotland, they would be HISTORY …… Shame on all of them….

  16. jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ on

    Timabhuoy

     

    I hope thats a term of endearment for mrs Tim??

  17. moonbeams wd. kano \o/ neiן ceןtic fc. we are the champions. iqnore the warts.

     

     

    ˙ǝɯɐu ɹnoʎ pɐǝɹ oʇ ƃuıʎɹʇ ʞɔǝu ǝɹos ɐ ǝɯ sǝʌıƃ ʇı

  18. sʇɹɐʍ ǝɥʇ ǝɹoubı ˙suoıdɯɐɥɔ ǝɥʇ ǝɹɐ ǝʍ ˙ɔɟ ɔıʇןǝɔ ןıǝu /o\ ouɐʞ ˙pʍ sɯɐǝquooɯ on 7 May, 2012 at 23:03

     

     

    Two happy bhoys then :)

  19. Snake Plissken on

    If the MSM and the powers that be are forcing through a save Bigots Fc at all costs while bullying and threatening other sides by scaremongering then the only thing to do for Celtic is to form a breakaway league.

     

     

    It seems likely that Hibs, Aberdeen and a few others would come along AND should the apologists like Kilmarnock and St Johnstone wish to throw in their lot with the other mob then let them.

     

     

    No TV deal without Celtic as well as we have all been told so often – test the waters and force Sky to say what the position really is.

     

     

    If Celtic cannot go to England or any other league by UEFA/FIFA rules the only way forward is to make SPL for Financial Fair play and leave Rangers to it with other debt ridden spend beyond their means clubs.

     

     

    Kilmarnock a club with a big debt and a support of 3-5 thousand should not be calling any shots and Johnston should have been hounded for that craven statement the other day.

     

     

    If and it is a big IF Celtic are going to resign from the SPL and form a breakaway league perhaps the silence as some posters have suggested was a vote in support of a newco was actually a clever play.

     

     

    The tweets sent out suggest today was the straw that broke the camel’s back and Celtic must now make their play.

     

     

    We could have an interesting week ahead.

     

     

    Never forget we are Celtic supporters and if and I stress IF this is true then Celtic should have all our support. We may need to take a year of Newco getting off Scot – free but with the resignation in the post we can dismiss them.

     

     

    Stand up for Celtic.

     

     

    HH