It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Craig Whyte would not have expected Champions League football when he worked on the deal to buy Rangers last spring, but, by his own admission, income from the Europa League group stage was in the budget.
Winning the league came as a surprise late in the process and may have fuelled some summer transfer bids but income was about to fall well below expectations. Ally McCoist won only one game in four cup competitions, against Arbroath, season ticket sales didn’t bounce and with no serious income streams open, Rangers were set for a seriously low income season.
In addition, the injury to Steven Naismith robbed Rangers of what I understand would have been a £5m sale in January.
People have tried to assert that Whyte’s plan for Rangers was to liquidate the company all along, this is clearly not the case. Rangers were moribund while the First Tier Tribunal (FTT) was yet to report but Whyte planned to run the company, without reverting to administration until and perhaps beyond then.
As well as having to deal with the income shocks resulting from multiple on-field failures, Rangers were hit with an expenditure shock. The FTT was delayed from November to January. If it had proceeded as planned in November it would have reported in January. The delay was crucial, Rangers were going to spend a lot more money before the verdict was announced.
If the verdict arrived as expected in January, and Rangers won, it was game on. They would have been in a position to borrow like any other club and could have raised fresh share capital. There would have been no administration. This was the preferred outcome, Whyte would have emerged with his reputation intact and with a valuable football franchise for the outlay of exactly £1.
If they lost, Whyte could have presented a fait-accompli to the world.
He could have explained to the Rangers support that the total tax liability was “likely to be around £75m” and that there was no point putting fresh investment into a black hole, which was inevitably going to lead to liquidation – all for misdemeanours that occurred before his time. The support would have been distressed at the death of their history, but, crucially, they would not have blamed Whyte, whose reputation would still be intact.
He would immediately have applied for the 10 day grace period to consider appointing an administrator and used that time to tell the SPL and SFA that he could re-emerge with Newco FC within days and allow the league programme to complete as normal. He had security over the stadium, would be in a position to re-employ the players and would be able to honour financial commitments to other clubs, while securing the television and sponsorship contracts.
Public sympathy would have been behind him, Sir David Murray would have carried the blame (perhaps correctly) and I believe only Celtic would have voted against him. Newco would have been back in the SPL and, if the Daily Record’s reporting of Whyte’s thoughts on penalties are anything to go by, he expected to be docked a comfortable 25 points.
HMRC forcing Rangers into administration this month created enormous problems. Administrators Duff and Phelps are now in control and opened the club’s finances up to scrutiny.
As soon as it became evident that he securitised season ticket money from future years, three days after buying the club, placing the money into his own bank account, not that of the football club, Craig Whyte’s methods were subject to derision and outright disgust from many angles, most importantly from the Rangers support.
As things stand, Whyte cannot slip away. He has to stand with Ticketus, who will hold a security on Ibrox through one of Whyte’s companies, and he stands to gain an enormous amount of money for a year’s hard work. Ticketus are also in for the long haul, they have coughed up over £20m and will need a sizeable commercial return.
Many observers have noted that this has not progressed as a normal administration. It’s not a normal administration. The secured creditors (Craig Whyte and Ticketus) need to sell a lot of tickets beyond administration, either as Rangers, if they are successful in the FTT, or as Newco, if they lose the FTT. Selling a lot of tickets is a really tough challenge right now and will be made considerably more difficult if there are swingeing cuts made to the club staff and infrastructure now. Their interests are considerably best served by keeping Rangers as buoyant as possible.
Even if they manage to feed enough cash to the administrators to keep Rangers playing football until the verdict is delivered, the opportunity to present the league with a fait-accompli has gone. Everyone expects Rangers to fold and will have been busy working on a contingency plan.
Any goodwill that Whyte hoped to harvest has also gone, he is seen as a pariah, without friends within the game, in the political world, the media or the Rangers support. When he looks to build a consensus, there will be no advocates for his position. Quite the opposite, people want rid of him.
The on-going police enquiry and his interesting relationships with the Insolvency Service and HMRC will only cloud matters further. For all the bluster on these subjects, no one has been able to explain to me any illegal activities, in fact, most of the illegal activity he has been accused of are either perfectly legal or simply did not take place as described, but there is enough potential in this mix for many years of civil legal challenge, if not more serious issues.
Whyte and Ticketus now have decisions to make on how much extra skin to invest. Ticketus are in the game for a lot of money already and will be keen to protect their cash. It remains to be seen how much cash Whyte has in the client account at Collyer Bristow, but it’s clear that between them, Ticketus and Whyte were prepared to guarantee the administrators full wages and costs for the club for February.
The fact that the tap has been turned on 100% for the last two weeks suggests they have enough cash to run at a lower percentage for a while yet. Duff and Phelps will know how much money is available and will have an expected date for the verdict. It would be enormously bad judgement if they exhausted cash reserves before the verdict arrived.
As long as Ticketus investors hold their nerve, and the police don’t spike the process, Rangers will survive until the verdict. If they lose the verdict, and all expectations are that they will, what are we looking at?
As I said above, Whyte’s chance of presenting a fait-accompli has gone. He would need to go for a prepack liquidation but there are likely to be legal challenges to him making off with the assets of Rangers. At best, this would delay him for anything between weeks and years. Any police involvement would make matters even more difficult. If a negative verdict is delivered anytime soon, Rangers will cease.
Even if this happens, Whyte will still owe Ticketus a lot of money and will try to phoenix as a Newco. He will have the stadium and will be in pole position to apply for membership to the SPL or Scottish Football League.
A route back into the SPL in these circumstances would be difficult to achieve. The SPL board have the authority to accept a club into the league but I hear it is likely that, due to the importance of the matter, they would refer the decision to a vote of the entire league. Back in October I thought the fait-accompli was certain to be voted into the SPL, now I can’t see a Newco being voted in.
You would expect an application into the Scottish Football League to be accepted but there may be a rival bid. The ‘Blue Knights’ bid would not include Ibrox but have a number of options. They could ask to rent Hampden or Firhill, or could adopt a struggling lower league club, like Clyde. These notions are likely to be progressed but establishing a new club, without players or a stadium, would be an enormous challenge.
All of this would play out against a great deal of uncertainty. Whyte’s ability to sell tickets to Rangers fans must be in doubt. If a rival club wanted back into Ibrox in the future they would need to give the ultimate floating charge holder – Ticketus – the same kind of return Whyte has committed to. There is also the possibility of a lot more to come out about the old regime at Rangers, some of whom are behind the Blue Knights bid.
Even if someone gets a phoenix off the ground at Ibrox, keeping it alive will be difficult. The cost of running football games there every second week is considerable. Doing so, while repaying Ticketus, and competing against lower league (or SPL) opposition, will cut any football budget to levels not known in 30 years.
For now, everyone connected with Rangers needs to make confident noises but even if they die, their ghost is already in enormous peril.
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delahunt stating unconfirmed reports from mordor but should be in papers tomorrow.
players sent home to think over 3 options
1. 11 go and rest take 25% cut
2. 50% cut and some of them saved
3. 75% cut and they are all saved
Liquidate them now
HH
BILLYS BHOY 1354
Anyone wanting rid of Donohoe would be best advised to join the Constituency Labour Party.
He is frequently subject to a deselection process;beforehand,his supporters have rallied round and blocked it.
As things stand,I know for a fact that the main mover behind mobilising this support no longer intends to do so,and he assures me he is not alone in this.
Accordingly ,the rebels in his CLP need a little more backing,and Donohoe is toast!
I’m way way up north today. Took a couple of days off and been doing a bit of re-creating. Somewhat overdue I might add. Mountains, mist and… Stags, hunners of ’em. And not shy either.
Just logged on via a circuitous route (not the first of the day..) and have read Paul’s leader.
A tour de force Sir!
Really, a well presented, well evidenced and well nailed piece of work.
Thanks,
TBB
dont suppose its possible to listen to sportsound online? abroad at the moment
mighty tim on 1 March, 2012 at 19:03 said:
interesting – what would folks on here do at their work?
hilarious
BT
Sorry but I still can’t feel sorry for them.
no likey no listey
weegreenman..
im trying my best…
i hope the orcs crash and burn…
brimmer on 1 March, 2012 at 18:12 said:
Deeeyelll ‘players so commited they’d be happy to play for nothing’
WHAAAAAAAT THEEEEEEEEEEE F##################K
He’s been buzzin glue, there is now nothing, I mean nothing that can make any of our jaws drop ever again. This guys comment won’t be beat.
Someone tell me I heard wrong.
…………………………………………………………….
I heard that too. If the players are made redundant then they are no longer Rangers FC players and can’t play for Rangers – unless of course as free agents they sign for RFC until the end of the season for no wages.
Anyway Dalyell’s a plum.
theweegreenman
I’m with you, can’t feel sorry at all.
It’s not as if they try and hide what they are, still no apologie from them.
Funny that some saying they feel sorry for folks losing their jobs, also want them to be liquidated.
Disny add up to me does that.
ok..
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
their calling for a billionaire to come and rescue them ,will they ever learn
whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
RTC gets a mention on SSB
The blog that is.
Tet
I know they are all orcs but there is a wee bit of a difference from we
Mrs dob getting £6 an hour to thr clowns who earn £30k a week…
those who earn this don’t gibe a flying feck about the wee folks…
and btw that is the same at Celtic park..
Hauffed in quarted for our hero!! a bloody knighthood he deserves at least:)
DontPatmadug
remember all those.. weeks..ago when SSB team looked down their nose at Rangerstaxcase.
Change days indeed!
Some tonk giving Jabba credit for exposing Whyte!!!
These peepil are too stupid deserve a football club!
TeT
why would I feel different to them?
clowns like elbows are made for life…
I expect the offer from the administrators is to put the onus on the players so that they don’t take any flak for picking certain players for the chop.
Clever move and when as I expect the players don’t come to an agreement (75% means different things to different people) the administrators step in and terminate contracts of the players telling us with their hands held up they had no option
Another fait accompli a term Paul 67 used today and basically sums up all of Rangers business these days
BT
They have a choice to work for them or not, if they are good enough to work for the hun, they are good enough to work somewhere else.
I know it’s the same at Celtic Park re wages.
I just can’t feel sorry for anyone who works for an openly sectarian company, and I will make no apologie for saying that.
We are now being told that their players have three options to consider,regarding wages/redundancies,this is a recipe for disaster.
There will be massive infighting between players/staff,it just keeps getting better and better.Slan
Any hun playing on for no money would have to insure himself against injury.If McCulloch tried it, you would hear that big bell in Lloyds fae up here.
mighty tim on 1 March, 2012 at 14:23 said:
Sad that anyone ( not millionaires ) lose their job in these austere times, but I for one will not be sorry for the rank and file at Ibrokes or murray mire. If it is to be believed that most of these people have been there for years, then they will be the same people who would shout abuse at a 13 year old bhoy ( my son ) for wearing the hoops whilst delivering the times for Advocaat who actually treated him with respect
Even the wee prick at the gate of murray mire was at it until I had a word in his repulsive ear. As someone who lives in this area and knows some of the rank and file that work I have no sympathy what so ever. My sympathies lie with the decent Celtic fans who are losing their jobs sometimes only because of who they support.
Let them die the sooner the better in my honest opinion.
HH
Posted this earlier on the other blog. But stand by it no sympathy for any of them.
HH
Just speed-reading the blog-wish I’d seen the deleted KOJO post,it sounds like a beauty.
As for the definition of BIGOT-a hearty congratulations to him for throwing that one back. I think I’ll use that one in future!
Anyway,I was thinking about the Dunfermline situation. As it stands,they only paid 80% of their wage bill.
Now let’s say their wage bill is £100,000. The payment due to employees will be in the region of £70,000.
They paid £56,000.
But in actual fact,including Employer’s NI,the total wage bill will be around £114,000.
The balance of £58,000 is in the main,owed to HMRC.
Anyone else think another Scottish club is due a HECTORING soon?
Surely Sally will work for free? Or has he been for some time…?
All this talk about Rangers “dying”. I nearly spilt my Champagne!!
:-)
JellyAndIceCreamCSC
Thindimebhoy,
The whole affair is.
The ground is prepared for local masons to plop Teddy Bear FC back into the top level with no history come August at the newly named Bearsden park training at
Duffied park. Especially if it goes to a vote to all clubs. Yorkstons turn today.
HH
HH
Awe_Naw
A very quick resume the Hun line from sir skinty to Whyte out Oblivion.
We have lots of Money and access to many lines of credit.
What kinda life you got all you Hun men yer credit lines built on Tim bash Crash.
Feck you ya phony huns.
HH
Guidi talking absolute guff
hamiltontim:
Sorry for the delay, dinner time…
I cannot answer your question. However, if they have the reported money, they will not be liquidated in the near future. They will be in my opinion but until the day comes when they have absolutely no cash they will get a stay of execution. As in my opinion it is inevitable…
I smell liquid…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Paul67
Thanks for
explaining the importance of the delay
explaining his shrewd strategy
summarising the outcomes ahead
emphasising that this is just the start of the doodoo for them
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo
Aye
Thats the end game meanwhile the administrators fiddle with what they can while Rome burns
Hail Hail
HA HA
HAD A LONG AND GOOD DAY
LISTENING TO SNYDE (IN ADMINISTRATION)
Not heard a hun all week and now they appear tonight
Greetin and talkin about CW masterplan to liquidise
HAHAHAHHAHAHAAAHHAHAARG
Need to go empty my Y’s
fanadpatriot on 1 March, 2012 at 19:24:
I would discount any reported options involving wage deferments, in my opinion it will not happen…as posted before mate, where they going to get the money at the end of the season to pay them back money?
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Girl in office’s man just told all RFC(IA) match day staff been asked to work for expenses only!! He asked I don’t get paid expenses, told a technicality but would get paid all in expenses. Any accountancy/legal types explain?
Aw Naw
Sorry had to do work earlier.
Am I on LSD? TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO right buddy
Liquidation Sale Day……… coming soon to a bigotdome near you (well nearer me actually since you’re in Frankfurt!)
Still at least I’m no a bigoted tarrier (sic) like Kojo
HH