Jim McIntyre must wonder if accepting the Dundee job was his wisest move. Losing 0-5 to Celtic does not get anyone sacked, but the ease with which the champions unpicked his team was alarming.
It was a sublime performance by Celtic, but in truth, it was so easy, you could not name a player who needed to deliver a top performance. Rogic (fabulous goal), Forrest, McGregor, Sinclair and Christie dictated issues between them. By halftime, all that mattered was to complete the game without injury, a hope which was unfulfilled.
I liked what I saw of Daniel Arzani. He is reminiscent of a stockier Patrick Roberts. We will get goals from him. While Lewis Morgan treated us to the rare spectacle of taking corner kicks with both feet. The first Celtic player to do this since Lubo? This is an indicator of a deep innate ability.
While Celtic were strolling around Dens in second gear, Saturday’s opponents Hearts, were required to put a shift in to earn a point against Hibs. Neil Lennon was assaulted by a missile at Tynecastle, days after a Hearts fan brought widespread condemnation for striking a pensioner with a thrown bottle on Sunday. Although the uproar was not widespread enough to encompass the usually verbose Ann Budge. Maybe if such matters were faced full on by Hearts they would be less frequent. Neil’s former team-mate, Gary Caldwell, should consider the man has endured the most violent and persistent racist and sectarian abuse than anyone in Scotland for decades. The good humour Neil maintains is miraculous.
As we hoped in yesterday’s blog, both teams above Celtic dropped points, meaning we moved above Kilmarnock and within four points of Hearts, with a game in hand. The title push is well underway.
Releasing annual accounts on the evening of a game, that old trick! If it was me announcing a £14m loss I might do the same. Maybe pick up on this later.
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Auldheid,
Aye it matters, do you think for one minute if the CSA had not wanted the meeting he would have turned up if we’d requested it?
The original point was in 5 years he’s turned up to only one of our meetings. D17 offered to have a bash at explaining that, then deferred to us, I simply said he was welcome to express his opinion as it will most likely be as accurate as any of ours as to why Res12 is such a low priority for him.
DD, You still up? Just heard a lovely song on the radio there.
Love will tear us apart again.
Joy Division CSC
JTT53
All ears my friend
YNWA
Auldheid,
Sorry for coming across snappy, just read back and don’t like my tone, it’s a gift?
Maybe time for baw baws
DD, I’m getting predictable! It’s George Ezra. Hold my girl. Never heard it before maybe its his new single.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xlo2abddXU
Oh and going on what is happening with Naymar and his transfer to Barca in Spain, it looks like when it comes o fraud and corruption UEFA don’t have a leg to stand on regarding reporting to the appropriate authorities.
Auldheid
I can fully understand any resistance, be it our board or any board, why would they want to give up their powers and be answerable to us, they have their gravy train and they sure don’t want anyone else supping from it.
I have said from the onset of Res 12 that I can only see a favorable outcome if there is court action, or the threat of it, be it against our board or the sfa, I think the threat against our board will be what transpires cos I honestly can’t see them actually going for it, all it will take is a couple of shareholders who have a few bob to support this, I’m sure there a fair few out there who arny happy about what is happening with all the prevarication and the like, the PLC have responsibilities to their shareholders first and foremost, the fact that the sfa are corrupt scum really shouldn’t have any bearing on things, but we know it does sadly.
HH
DD, Sorry, didn’t realise how the video was so sad. I wont be playing that one much. Too sad.
Sleep well Timland
HH
JTT53
Loved the song and video.
George Ezra is one of the best artists this country has produced ever. Genius
YNWA
NORRIEM on 1ST NOVEMBER 2018 11:05 PM
Canamalar
Thanks for response, I do understand that
His preferred communication is with CSA ( associations or/and affiliation) which he can control
Not sure he can handle a challenge as being delivered by your team ( Res12) – although I do also understand this is legal matters- he should though be engaging with you, and the Trust, both of whom are representing me and many thousand small shareholders
=================
A bit of background might be useful here.
PL used to engage with all supporter representative groups as well as individuals but on a separate basis.
It created what called it silos of information that had weaknesses as what was said at one meeting could change by the next if new factors emerged between, sending out mixed messages. Nor was there a follow up mechanism to see required action taken.
The introduction of The Supporters Liaison Officer provided an opportunity to change that and a Supporters Forum was created following a CST Resolution a couple of AGM’s back.
This forum mechanism was an improvement but still has weaknesses imo and my understanding is it was not what the CST were looking for.
Now I’m not sure if they have absented themselves from the Supporters Forum, not being in a position to attend myself, but it might be the Supporters Forum has become Celtic’s cross reaching communication channel for taking issues forward although issues specific to a group are still dealt with individually and the CST are happy to support good individual causes if help required.
THE EXILED TIM on 1ST NOVEMBER 2018 11:25 PM
Auldheid
I can fully understand any resistance, be it our board or any board, why would they want to give up their powers and be answerable to us, they have their gravy train and they sure don’t want anyone else supping from it.
I have said from the onset of Res 12 that I can only see a favorable outcome if there is court action, or the threat of it, be it against our board or the sfa, I think the threat against our board will be what transpires cos I honestly can’t see them actually going for it, all it will take is a couple of shareholders who have a few bob to support this, I’m sure there a fair few out there who arny happy about what is happening with all the prevarication and the like, the PLC have responsibilities to their shareholders first and foremost, the fact that the sfa are corrupt scum really shouldn’t have any bearing on things, but we know it does sadly.
===================
It may well come to that, a point that has been made to Celtic.
Court action or threatened court action against our board may “ curry favour” with some on here, but to the vast majority of our support it will be viewed dimly, to put it mildly.
It should be noted : We have circa 29000 individual shareholders who have seen their holding dramatically rise over the last decade. Although only circa 2000 actually participate in voting .
The intentions of Res 12 remain sound, but I fear they are in danger of being sidetracked by those who want a stick to attack the Celtic board. The enemy remains the SFA. No own goals please.
HH.
Somebody said, ‘Without MON there would have been no Seville’. Seville was a great gathering of the Celtic clan but we got beat. Same as Milan in 1970.
Fritzsong
Do you think you will see another Seville before you die?
I don’t. Sadly
YNWA
Canalamar, Auldheid , – you Bhoys and others have my eternal thanks for your amazing efforts for the truth and justice. I have detected a wee bit of angst on here recently, and I totally understand why, I could be wrong of course. A united front to go into this battle is vital,for us all.IMO the Club have tried to bury and defer Res 12,as long as they can.Perseverance was the word,keep on fighting please, the Board will have to front it up eventually. HH
https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/socceroos/report-swelling-around-daniel-arzanis-knee-is-so-bad-its-made-diagnosis-impossible/news-story/0a4da851f15bcae3a75d5428f5ad5272
https://www.watoday.com.au/sport/soccer/swelling-delays-scan-on-arzani-s-injured-knee-20181102-p50dnm.html
Good morning fellow Tims from a dark, cold but dry Garngad
Happy Hoopy belated birthday BT
D. :)
So the testie squeezer receives a 2 game ban, doesn’t play against Hibs but can play against us.
Then serves the other game of his 2 game ban.
I think I heard this the other night, if true another laughing stock shambles.
Why would this be able to happen, SFA/SPL utter joke
D. :)
Good morning, friends and a Big Happy Friday from a cold (but not freezing) clear skied (and therefore not surprisingly, dry) East Kilbride. And as Sober October is now behind me I might mostly be drinking anything at all this evening ;-). But first, to work to catch more of the bad guys….
good morning bhoys from a very cold Cheshire.hh.
Thanks for the birthday wishes yesterday
Quiet night and in bed at 7.30, old age doesn’t come easily ?
Talking about old age
Oldtim67 and others should be in BV from about 4pm this afternoon
All welcome as usual..
Hope to see u there..
Canamalar,
Gordon Smith was Chief Executive of the SFA, which is a professional (!) appointment, rather than an association official. HH
Belated Happy birthday to BTt
Won’t make today but hope Old Tim enjoys the day.
Remind D that it’s only a trial run for next Saturday ?
Before Gordon smith was appointed CEO at the SFA, there was a recruitment advert for the role placed in a number of newspapers.
The advert included a list of the skills,knowledge,experience and qualifications candidates should possess.
After Smith was appointed,a check was done against these criteria.
Smith had precisely NONE of them and yet he got the job. If I remember correctly,Smith himself admitted this in a subsequent interview.
Answers on a postcard as to why this happened.
Good morning all from the Benidorm breakfast buffet.
Medium, precisely…! HH
Medtim even, darned predictive text.
Friesdorfer,
Medium???
I wish I was!!
It was a George Peat appointment. Nuff said
Medtim, what a surprise. HH
Friesdorfer,
I have tried to source that advert from archives but so far unsuccessfully.
At the time it appeared,I was surprised that a) it happened and b) how professional the advert was,particularly in how tight the “Person Specification” was.
I checked it out again after Smith’s appointment and he wasn’t a match for any of the criteria stipulated.
If someone more skilled than myself could find that advert it would be fascinating to revisit it.
Have a full english for me BIGRAILROADBLUES
DR alert – journalism by proxy – get someone else to say it and quote king’s nonsense (I know nothing about business and even I can smell horseship). Why can’t they investigate the figures and the performance themselves and rport on what is clearly a complete mess;
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/gordon-smith-reckons-rangers-fans-13520593
This excellent Forbes article was linked last night but worth reproducing in full. Any Zombie reading this will be spitting feathers!
Steven Gerrard’s Rangers Announce £14m Loss – As They Were Playing A Match
Mike Meehall Wood9:54 am
SportsMoney
I write about sports, politics, money and the points where they meet.
Rangers coach Steven Gerrard gestures during the Europa League soccer match between Villarreal and Rangers at the Ceramica stadium in Villarreal, Spain, Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Last night was a showpiece night for Scottish football. In the capital, league leaders Hearts faced their rivals, Hibernian in one of the most hotly anticipated Edinburgh derbies in years. In Glasgow, Steven Gerrard’s Rangers faced third-placed Kilmarnock while on Tayside, perennial champions Celtic were in action against struggling Dundee.
It was the first time this season in which all 12 Scottish Premiership teams had played simultaneously, and on a night when in England, only the lowly League Cup was on offer. TV eyeballs were focussed north of the border, with BT Sport dedicating two channels to show both Hearts-Hibs and Dundee-Celtic. The games kicked off at 7-45pm and everyone sat down to enjoy the action.
If you were in the boardroom at Rangers, however, something else was on the agenda. The Ibrox club decided that 15 minutes into their game with Kilmarnock was the ideal time to release their financial results for last season, and with good reason: the figures showed that Rangers lost £14.3m, more than the rest of the league combined. For a club such as Rangers, who went bust and were liquidated in 2012 before being refounded in Scotland’s fourth division, the perils of poor balance sheets are well known.
Turnover was up to £32m, but losses doubled in 2017/18, a season in which the club won nothing and went through two managers. The club borrowed more money to fund the losses, which in turn have seen the club’s debt rise to £12.6m. Some of this debt was absorbed by converting the cash into shares, a move which generated just £1.5m of new cash for the club.
Rangers have spent around £20m on players since returning to Scotland’s top flight, but have recouped just 2.5m in player sales, resulting in a net spend of £17.5. In the same time, Celtic, who have won six consecutive trophies and seven consecutive league titles, spend more but sold far more, with a net spend of £9.7m. Aberdeen, who finished above Rangers last season and are a more appropriate comparison, have spent less than £1m on their squad.
The club is heavily dependent on matchday revenue, as is the case for most Scottish clubs, with fans through the turnstiles contributing 70% of the club’s income. (For comparison, Bournemouth, the club with the lowest turnover in the English Premier League, derive just 4% of their income from matchday revenue, due to the TV money present in England). This cash is consistent – fans continued to come to games in the fourth tier – and can be supplemented by new revenue streams from merchandise in 2018/19 – although Rangers only managed to get replica strips onto the shelves long after the season had started thanks to a dispute with Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley.
The bottom line of the bottom line is that Rangers have consistently lost money since their reconstitution after liquidation in 2012, and while they have taken steps to improve the stadium and the team, they are some distance away from turning a profit, let alone a profit that would see the club make any impact on their debts. A further £4.6 million will need to be raised by the end of this season in order for the club to continue to meet its debt obligations.
“It was inevitable, given our dire starting position, that vast amounts of money would have to be spent on rebuilding our facilities and the various departments within them,” said Rangers chairman Dave King in the statement released during the Kilmarnock game. “These costs are reflected in the figures but it is important to highlight that the last financial year saw us normalize our financial affairs to the extent we no longer face questions about our financial strength when dealing with suppliers, other clubs and financial institutions.”
The bad news in the accounts is something that might worry fans, but more worrying still might be the obfuscatory nature of their announcement. Rarely is good news released in such a manner. Supporters of the Ibrox club will get a chance to question Dave King and the directors at the club’s AGM on Tuesday, November 27.
Naturally, given the time at which the accounts were released, few media outlets in Scotland have run big on the news that the country’s second most important club is hemorrhaging money. The bread and butter of football journalism in Scotland is, of course, football, and with a full programme of league fixtures including an eventful Edinburgh derby to cover, the dry business of sifting through Rangers’ accounts was never likely to feature on the back pages. The story did appear low down on the websites of the Daily Record and The Scottish Sun, but one had to seek it out and it was presented with no analysis beyond the quotes from Dave King that appeared in the club statement. On Rangers fan media, the losses were hardly discussed: which was, of course, exactly the intention of Rangers when they released it at the time they did.
The recent slump in performances, the bells and whistles of day-to-day life as a football fan and the ongoing media circus around celebrity manager Steven Gerrard are all topics that occupy both media and fans more than the admittedly dry details of profit and loss. But as the Annual Report goes basically unmentioned, so the same conditions that created the club’s problems in 2012 are reincarnated. Back then, there was a culture among many in the Scottish media that was known as “succulent lambism” – a sycophancy towards Rangers that stemmed from a knowledge that positive stories about the club sold papers better than anything else.
The “succulent lamb” refers to a column by Jim Traynor, then a Daily Record journalist, who was invited to dinner with the then Rangers owner, Sir David Murray. Traynor was lampooned for producing content that appeased the Rangers owners and deflected attention from the fact that then, as now, the club was losing money hand over fist. When the club went bust in 2012, many journalists held their hands up and admitted that they had not done their jobs regarding accurate reporting of financial issues at Rangers. Jim Traynor, however, was made Director of Communications at the new Rangers in December 2012, a position he still holds.
“I think the Scottish mainstream media admits that in 2012 it was woefully ill-prepared,” says Roger Mitchell, who ran the Scottish Premiership between 1998 and 2002. “Now there is no excuse. Do your homework guys. Or don’t dare complain your industry is dying. The Rangers financial position is worthy of transparent debate. Their fans deserve it. How many of them say they didn’t know what was going on under Murray?”
“I think that line is actually disingenuous and people in life see what they want to see. Well, someone needs to educate them really well this time because it is going the same way. Back then there were so many compliant and malleable hacks fighting for favor via sycophancy in the court of Sir David. Surely we are better now.”
In happier news for Gers supporters, the club can expect their numbers to improve slightly for this season: they are in the Europa League Group Stages, which brings in increased television money and matchday revenue from additional home games. Celtic are also in the same stage of the same competition, so competitively they will gain nothing, but that £14m might not be so large next year. So long as their backers are willing to sustain such losses, a repeat of 2012 will not be on the cards.
The principal problem remains a gap between the expectations of their supporters – to compete with Celtic and win the Scottish Premiership – and the reality, which is that in the vast majority of football leagues, most of the time the team with the most money wins and Celtic are simply on a different financial plane. A simple, gradual increase in profitability could see the club return to former glories, but based on these accounts, that is a long way off for Rangers.
I see our old friend Les Gray has come out from under that pub table in York, to condemn Neil Lennon . …..who would be interested in his opinion? Level 5 of course. Embarrassing………