Rangers FC not feasible, an unlikely bampot explains

Forbes Magazine’s article on the demise of Rangers and prospects for its successor club are notable only as they do not emanate from the Celtic online community.  Jon Pritchett, an advisor to one-time preferred bidder, Bill Miller, explains why he believes a commercial turnaround of “Rangers FC” isn’t feasible.  This assessment was based on season ticket revenue for the new club being 20% less than what the old club earned last season, an ambition that is far from being achieved.

Forbes article brought protest from Sevconian chairman, Malcolm Murray, who retorted that all sorts of positive developments have happened to the project since Pritchett made his assessment in May, including “significant investment in the club from the individuals and organisations”, although he didn’t name investors or provide specific details.

There is something familiar about this process.  Harbingers of doom are rubbished by a club who insist they are in perfect financial health.

Murray claims his club have sold 36,000 season tickets, the adult price of which is £268, inc vat, or a total of £8.04m ex vat.  He also has money from Sports Division and consortium members, at least some of which will have gone towards paying Rangers administrators’ for the club’s assets, but he makes no secret of the fact that his new company needs to raise money through a share issue, which he hopes will “generate many millions in additional revenue”.

Bill Miller, like Blue Knight bidder Paul Murray, could not see how a Newco would be viable without access to European, never mind SPL, income.  The most interesting aspect of the prospectus Newco hope to publish will be the cash shortfall, not only for this season, but for each of the three subsequent years they will be ineligible for European football.

The prospectus will also have to detail how this gap will be bridged, and will have to recognise the impact of potential financial and sporting penalties from the SPL Commission looking into improper registration of players at Rangers, whose SFA membership the new club acquired.  These are the huge questions Newco has to address before it asks investors for cash, the stripping of titles is merely window dressing.

Malcolm Murray is correct, a lot of water has passed under the bridge in the five months since Jon Pritchett looked at the books, but a lot of that water is choppy.

The new issue of CQN Magazine is out today, 80 pages of fantastic Celtic content.  Click here to read for free online, or strain your eyes squinting below.

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