In response to some of the more excitable comments from yesterday it might be worthwhile painting the possible scenarios for Rangers.
No Sale
If Bill Miller is unable to complete the sale (remember, he’s not even paid the deposit and has no intention of doing so), the club will reach the end of the season and run out of money. It will then either expire completely or Duff and Phelps will try to cut a deal with Ticketus to allow Rangers to sell season tickets and retain more of the money than they are currently due.
Rangers could continue to operate in administration for a while to come; Motherwell were in administration for one week short of two years. The club would be unable to afford player wages after they return to normal in 1 June so would be forced to pare the squad back, whether the ban on player registration remains or not.
Miller completes purchase and the SPL vote him into the league
If Miller completes his purchase, as it stands, the SPL board will have discretion to transfer an insolvent club’s share in the league to a Newco. Neil Doncaster has pinned his colours to the mast on this issue, Steve Lomas explained St Johnstone’s willingness to also vote Newco in. Celtic will vote against which means if either Motherwell or Dundee United vote in favour of Newco, they will be allowed into the league.
I have no doubt that both Motherwell and Dundee United will vote in favour of Newco. The SPL will vote to introduce a new procedure for dealing with Newco on Monday but it’s far from clear this proposal will get enough support.
For Miller, there are complications with this issue. He would inherit all football and financial penalties due for Rangers and would also be expected to pay Rangers football debts – around £3.5m.
You can largely ignore the £160k Fit and Proper fines from the SFA but the SPL inquiry into Improper Registration of Players for over a decade will be the biggest charge in the history of British sport. We should be looking at fines commensurate with the financial benefits accrued and multi-year sporting punishments.
If the SPL rule amendments Newco are rejected on Monday (as I expect), there are some who are concerned SPL board will impose lighter penalties than those suggested by Neil Doncaster’s new rules.
Alternatively, Miller could tell the SPL to stuff it and apply to the Scottish Football League. Ally McCoist has already threatened this in response to the already-imposed fines and the notion is popular among Rangers fans I know. If the did this, Newco would not have to pay Rangers football debts and would be subject to no penalties or player registration bans. They could budget for three years of lower-league football and then tool up for the summer of 2015.
You can expect some though talking from Rangers on going to the Third Division in an attempt to spook the SPL into offering limited, single-season penalties.
Among the many unknowns, we can be sure of a few things:
Rangers Football Club, established in 1872, is finished.
Some form of phoenix will happen, if not for next season, then probably by 2013.
The SPL will complete the inquiry into Improper Registration of players, whether Rangers exist or not. If a Newco is granted Rangers SPL share, penalties will be punitive.
Notions that ‘Rangers’ are going to emerge debt-free, strong and able to compete as though nothing has happened is simply nonsense. Their club is dead. They will start a new club, it will either be back in the SPL unhindered in 2015 (or 16) or will be in the SPL next season, heavily burdened for many years to come.
My prediction is for the latter.
You can buy a hard copy of the new issue of CQN Magazine via Magcloud here.
The graphic below is just for a flick through, to read the magazine go here to it’s dedicated site.
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Traditionalist, the league trophy is very rarely given out on the day the league is won. Unless it’s won in the last day if the season
CRC – if you’re still about – you’ve got (e)mail.
Bhoys4ever
kitalba:
The people I’ve spoken to asked him directly. I’ve heard the same story from more than one person, with the only variation the number of expletives the person telling me used. We have accepted it as virtually a done deal and the only discussion left to be had is what sanctions will be imposed.
For the record, he also thinks it will be at least ten years before Rangers recovers enough to be a credible threat, but I think that’s hyperbole. If they are in the SPL, debt free, with those crowds, they will be a threat.
There are two choices facing fans. We either hold our noses and pretend the playing field is level, the game is straight, we buy our tickets and go to games, and try not to be sick when the Huns inevitably win their next league title (within the next five years, I guarantee it, once they’ve allowed things to calm down and then embarked on another unaffordable spending spree – who’s going to stop them?), or we accept it for what it is; a corrupt, stitched up disgrace, solely for the benefit of one team, who, regardless of what they can put on the park are the acknowledged most powerful club in the country, anointed by the football authorities themselves. I want no part in it.
The fiscal strategy we have pursued over ten or more years now has to be seen exactly for what it is; madness. Because all this time, we could have been spending money, buying players, going for glory. Instead, we watched our rivals win three titles in a row, and a goodly number in the last 15 years. Our entire strategy has been a gigantic inside joke, and the joke was on us.
The Hun will laugh their asses off. And they should. They have won.
Auldheid,
If you read JF’s post at the top of the page, it looks like they’ve already found a way.
Remember that meeting they had with Taylor ?
Zbyszek
:)) A good point. Not to be compared with marching season, where they drag their families and young kids along with them.
Ive just told ma big pal allys going to Tenesee to meet his new boss!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Foahtz9xnw8
Fortunes Favour Mibbes on 5 May, 2012 at 13:23 said:
Agreed.
I will continue to read your posts and highlight any concerns if they do indeed manifest themselves.
Obviously a 12 point deficit but what else
It would a massive spanner in the works
the whole financial argument that the huns are needed for tv deals etc
are only feasible if Celtic acquiesce.
If we don’t play ball they need a different argument
Just switched the Huns game on, 2 cheating offside decisions in 2 mins by nearside linesman, not even remotely close.
SffS
In Scotland, anyway…
HH
theweegreenman
I appreciate that. If it happens, don’t tell me. Just take me to the vets and let me pass with quiet dignity (before it becomes unsurpassed).
I wonder why Lawwell wouldn’t tell the csa and cst at their last meeting ?
Fortunes Favour Mibbes on 5 May, 2012 at 13:33 said:
Of course. Anything for a fellow Tim!
theweegreenman on 5 May, 2012 at 13:22 said:
I’m not acquainted with the SPL rules on a club refusing to play but there will be financial penalties and if Sky/ESPN have 4 Celtic V Rangers games in their contract (and they should not, they should take their friggin chances rather than “protect Rangers from relegation because the SPL fears their demotion. Unlikely as that might be, there cannot be an assumption that it will not happen and so it cannot be allowed to happen. Such a clause should be inadmissable and supporters of the usual suspect clubs who are fighting relegation should be fighting against it, it disadvantages them.
But because of the TV deal whatever it says, I think Celtic would face additional penalties. What I imagine they could do is refuse to be party to the new TV contract and let the SPL fight them in court.
But refusal to have their games televised is a possible bargaining chip.Play the game but no TV.
Does TFOD not know they can’t play in the SPL next year? Has anyone told them and the MSM?
Sack the board
For all hun lurkers: “Windmills of your Mind”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcFTjWOdg8M&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Auldhied,
They will get away with it, if what JFK says is true they will be playing at Ibrokes, in a Blue jersey with that stinking crest singing the same stinking songs.
The baw is well and truly burst, roll back them tanks, hoist that red white and blue or orange flag high they have got away with it, they have defrauded this country and the footballing public of all clubs of sporting integrity and the game is finished in this country.
The Celtic board may have accepted it, the SFA and SPL may have accepted it hell welcomed newco’s re-admittance, but the footballing public of all the other clubs have not.
Its time the fans of all the other clubs to make their voice heard, if they want the hun pound they can have it, they will get feck all more out of me.
gebhoy
You do hear a lot of nonsense spoken by pundits.
Earlier Fraser Wishart is saying clubs have to follow the raise your own and sell business model (the one Celtic have adopted) then you have him and Dalzeil saying that clubs could go out of business without Rangers income.
Hello?
If you are raising your own, your wage bill drops, if you are selling them on to England you more than compensate for Rangers absence.
The very idea of players wages dropping to compensate never enters the head of pundits who are ex players.
I wonder why.
We always come back to the old club v new club argument.
If the Newco is really Rangers then, as Auldheid has talked about, it clearly falls foul of UEFA criteria for a license.
If it is a brand new club it still doesn’t qualify because it hasn’t been around for three years.
So to get some form of Rangers into the SPL next season requires either the SFA to stick two fingers up to UEFA and do it regardless of the rules, or for UEFA to throw Financial Fair Play out of the window and grant them an exception to the rules.
Now in Scotland we all know that they get special treatment. But would UEFA want to create a precedent that says it will not always apply its FFP rules?
Kitalba
Following on from your concerns, what about a season of high profile ‘friendlies’ or ‘fund raisers’ with all proceeds going to those various good causes that we support? One game = one wean going to US for life saving treatment? etc etc
I’d be happy to buy my season ticket for that. Much preferable to funding a corrupt SPL.
But, if we pull the plug there will be NO SPL. The SPL will be dead in the water, so nobody’s playing, including any newco. We can then spend the spare time sorting out proper governance before the commencement of a new uncorrupt competition with well run teams. In fact, I’m convinced we could find another 9 teams prepared to play in a Scottish Charity League for a season. Other clubs could embrace this too.
Entry would be based on charitable commitment and meeting certain fiscal standards.
I’d rather pay twice for this rather than a corrupt SPL.
shapeyourdreamscfc
HH
So the board sat with information that showed corruption leading to lost revenue for the Plc and done nothing about it, unfit for purpose and coluded to defraud our club, but we should trust they have the clubs best interests at heart. Aye right.
This is it Mr Lawwell
Carpe Diem
or shame on you for ever more
Mr Lawwell
Do you really think so lowly of Celtic as to seek the bigot pound above sporting integrity?
Not playing newco?
The current SPL rulebook says failure to fulfill your fixtures (all) then it’s automatic relegation.
HH
At Ibrokes
Crossmaglen have they bast****ed that aswell now.
CRL will be upset.
James Forrest, I will wait and see and in the interim once again buy my season tickets.
I would hope if the huns are allowed straight back into the SPL (A league we dream of leaving) then Celticwould call an emergency AGM and act on the majority wish on the basis that each share holder (regardless ofthe number of shares he/she own) has but one vote. Then I would fall into line and be as most as active as I could.
The offer of excluding old firm games on your Season tickets should have been all the evidence needed
Sack the board
I hope now that we have the lynch mob out for Peter Lawwell that what James Forrest posted is more than mere hearsay.
If James Forrest statements are true then I also am out. I have 4 season tickets in Jock Stein upper and will not renew.
If the newco reenters the SPL without a peep from Lawwell and Celtic that is a disgrace.
There is a huge streak of yellow running through Lawwell and it does not surprise me one bit.
Probably the simplest and most effective thing that Celtic could do would be to refuse to participate in any TV deal if we have the will to flex our muscles.
I am sure that this probably violates the terms of collective SPL membership – but then again, how does that violation stack up against the multitude of violations incurred by Rangers. What would the SPL do – vote to expel us???
I suspect that Celtic are resigned to (and probably prefer) Newco in SPL – but Newco must be seen to be wearing sackcloth and ashes (loss of history and tainted titles) otherwise it will be Celtic who will lose out big time.
An awful lot of empty seats at Ibrox.
From bitter hun Leggat on FF..not a fan of miller time
__________________________________________________
HOW WILL MILLER FUND 3-YEAR EURO EXILES, RANGERS?
ONE of the many problems Bill Miller will face, IF – and it is still a BIG if – he buys Rangers, is just how to fund his pipe dreams.
For the one thing this Yank has not told anyone is just where he expects to get the cash from.
His own pocket?
For that’s just about the only place he will be able to find the money needed. Providing his pockets are deep enough, which we are assured they are. And his arms long enough, which is another matter altogether.
A swift check on Miller reveals that he is a businessman with substantially more provable funds than Craig Whyte.
Which, given the fact that conman Whyte lives like a millionaire, but has no visible means of support, wouldn’t be hard.
But let us examine some of the figures which Bill Miller will discover now that the Duff and Phelps Two, Paul Clark and David Whitehouse, have got what they and many others appeared to want from day one of the administration process – a preferred bidder other than Paul Murray and the True Blue Knights.
Brian Kennedy was one of the many, some favoured when he was flying solo. But they soon went off Kennedy when he signed up for the True Blue Knights.
Funny that!
However, let’s get back to the scale of the financial mountain Bill Miller will have to climb, even if he manages to get away with his hybrid scheme and a Newco, without liquidation, get a CVA and move Rangers out of administration in time for the new season.
First, with no European football for the next THREE seasons – thanks to Miller’s hybrid scheme – the £10M as season which Euro absence costs Rangers, will become £30M.
Starting at the beginning and staying with that £10M loss next season, here’s a question. How much will Bill Miller give to Alastair McCoist as the manager’s budget for wages for his playing squad?
Not transfer fees to buy new players, you understand, just the wage bill for the handful of players who will be left.
Right now Celtic’s 26-man squad costs them £26M a year. They are top heavy and will make cuts. Especially when they know there will be no big spending from Rangers, who will in fact almost certainly lose Allan McGregor and Steve Davies if Bill Miller buys Rangers, though they would have been more likely to have stayed under a True Blue Knights regime.
As the terms of their wage cuts’ deals decree, they, along with Stevie Naismith, who can’t wait to quit anyway, plus Kyle Lafferty, will leave for a song. The four will not fetch a combined total to match that £10M season’s loss for the new campaign.
There will be no money to buy new players, so Bill Miller’s wage bill will be maybe £6m. TOPS! That is despite any private assurances he may have whispered in McCoist’s ear about anything up to a £20M wages war chest.
That sort of babble carries about as much credibility as Craig Whyte’s front loaded £25M investment in players.
That is, unlesss Bill Miller is going to peel off the dollar bills from the roll in his hip pocket and personally give Alastair the dough.
So, what about season tickets, I hear some ask. Well, my info is that had the True Blue Knights won, the renewal forms would be in the post as you read this and the £14M-£16M income from close to 40,000 supporters would be assured.
Not so now.
The three biggest organised Rangers groups account for 26,000 people, with more than 20,000 of them season ticket holders. Will they all renew?
Some groups, notably Andy Kerr and the Assembly, seem happy to have their tummies tickled and are already falling the Jim hannah led party line and making cooing noises in Bill Miler’s direction But there is still wide scepticism among the fans after the Craig Whyte fiasco.
My bet is that instead of a low of £14M from season ticket sales, a Bill Miller Rangers will be looking at £10M. Top whack! Further increasing the gap between income and basic expenditure. Leaving Rangers unable to meet day-to-day commitments before next season is very old.
Assuming of course that unlike Craig Whyte, Bill Miller has no PAYE and VAT scam up his sleeve. Do you think he has? Of course not. Neither do I.
So it is not yet the halfway point in season 2012-2013, it’s the run up to Christmas and how’s this for a Christmas Cracker! Rangers are skint again.
And back in administration!
Ah, I can even as I type, hear wee wheels whirling away inside the heads of some. What about the share issue? What about all the money that’s already been pledged, which we were told would be close to – if not more than – £20M if Paul Murray and the True Blue Knights got control?
That’ll save the day. Well, for a season at least. Eh? Gotcha! Or words to that effect from the Millermen.
Well, err, no. Sorry!
Bill Miller – even if he tried a share issue – wouldn’t get a bean. Not one thin dime, as somebody who really knew about football finances used to say.
Oh sure, there will be the odd small time investor prepared to give a hundred quid or so to buy Rangers shares. Maybe even a thousand or so. But not the real players. Not the Glasgow businessmen. Not the wealthy builders, publicans, entertainment entrepreneurs, managing directors and other assorted high fliers who were ready to chip in anything from £10,000 to £500,000 a go to buy shares and back Paul Murray and the True Blue Knights.
Many of these guys as self made men. They grew up on the cobbles and ain’t goanna hand over their hard earned cash to Mr Bill Miller. Not a snowball’s ect….
So there we are. Back where we started.
Asking, just how, IF he buys Rangers, Bill Miller is going to fund his pipedream.
…….
AND……
THE men behind the Bill Miller and Duff and Phelps and their CELTIC connection.
Tomorrow!
Here!
There he is! It’s Dwayne Dibley!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwyanSMayf4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
JAMES FORREST . your on the ball my bhoy . i totally agree with you . . We have all watched this outfit being taken by the hand. thats why they engaged in their rule breaking exercise , they knew no one would touch them . i posted this piece a few weeks ago .
.
jimtim on 2 April, 2012 at 20:35 said:
No matter the outcome of the rangers saga. Scottish football will forever be the laughing stock of sport. Scottish football will be as far as im concerned dead . This pitiful country and its bigoted organisations ,have aided and supported a football club who have been proven to have broken the rules of the game in this country and many other countries governed by EUFA . Every loophole has been sought to help this football club to continue to survive , when in any other sport on the planet , cheats and rule breakers would be dealt with according to the prescribed penalty for said crimes and wrong doing . Never again will the governing body of scottish football ,be looked at as a fair and honourable organisation . They will do the three monkeys . hear no evil, see no evil , and speak no evil . They will allow them back in to the top league . they will impose menial sanctions on them so as not to hinder them too much . And their phoenix type rise will be helped along by the honest mistake. Never again can we celts feel that we have a chance of an even playing field , what has gone on here is not about scottish football its about ONE clubs survival , their club . We have all witnessed the uneven hand of the governors of scottish football when dealing with our club . We all witnessed our manager being the ONLY one punished at the infamous shame game , we all witnessed farrygate, dougiegate , dallasgate . bougherra,s hands on to a ref ., spit the dogs assualt on our physio . And thats just last season, we can recall events many many years before that, as some of the old yins on here will testify too . Scottish football has been allowed to become a joke .In no other sport would this saga been allowed to go on. But every sanctioned delay breathes new hope into them , allow,s them more time to cover their work . and in the meantime the hacks continue to tell us its all to do about nothing . Its a pity we have no option than to stay in this cesspit ,but its a bigger pity we have to do it under the governance of the sfa . im also going to stick my head above the parapet here and say . BEWARE OF CRAIG WHYTE THE STING HAS YET TO COME .
hail hail
jimtim.
ps , many thanks to jonnybhoy for getting back to me in response to my request on thursday night for a wee bit info from the blogg . you were the only one from this great celtic family who took the bother to do so .
Auldheid
Cheers, understand the process, iPhone brevity requirements. Part of the Mexican standoff is between the SPL and SFA. How can the SFA vote on license without the SPL contracts enquiry? And in turn how can the SPL vote to transfer a share without the SFA license question resolved. As I stated previously, they are all waiting for the cash to run out…..
… just flicked back and apparently some ghuys are advocating that CFC obtain a winding up order on Dignoty based on the cash they owe us, perhaps this would be the one act of utter stupidity which would galvanise the Dignity business community to dig in to their pockets and save them… an even more inept option than the protest move to Sfl3 by CFC
Still unsettling times tend to result in illogical solutions , they have no cash they are knackered,
Chillpillcfc
What if JF is correct? What if the custodians of OUR club have done absolutely to meet the aspirations and wishes of the support? Do they expect the support to pay to watch a pointless league? Aren’t they supposed to represent the club of which a huge part is the support? I can’t understand why they would ever contemplate doing such a thing without at least consulting the shareholders. Can they do this – befuddled of mind at the moment?
Seems that there has been a slow diluting of our expectations for the past couple of weeks – 1st it was no more Rangers – no Newco nada, then it was a Newco in the 3rd division no history a busted flush, now it seems it’s a slightly chastened Rangers (in disguise) in the SPL complete with history along with a points and financial deductions to match the 3 season UEFA ban. Basically a debt free Hun Bhoys that is what is being dished up by OUR board not the hoped for jelly and ice cream if JF is indeed correct and PL is already flying the white flag.
Calling Fegus McCann – come home Fergus your club needs you.
This was taken from the Club 9 Sports statement when they withdrew their interest in RFCIA. It is remarkably similar to the Miller model for “saving” the club. Transfer the good bits into a new business and leave the old and bad stuff in the old business.
” Club 9 Sports will not be bidding for control of Rangers Football Club, plc. We understand that it has been strongly rumored that our group planned to “liquidate” the club. It should be made clear that any party that attempts to acquire the club, eliminate the debts, affect a turnaround, invest monies and put the club back on solid ground is in fact “saving” the club from liquidation and preserving its past and its future. In an asset purchase, all of the good and valuable assets (records, marks, names, trophies, players, staff, history) are preserved and separated from the bad and harmful liabilities (tax bills, bad contracts, creditors), which have put the club into administration and which act to force the entirety into liquidation. By putting all of the assets into a different corporate structure, the assets are in fact rescued from liquidation. Such a transaction would be very similar to the one that occurred at Leeds United in 2007, which simultaneously rescued that club, maintained its proud history and allowed the club to shed its debt burdens so that it could have the opportunity for future success.”
Wasn’t it Kojo who suggested that Miller’s old partner in the failed Stock Car Racing League moved on to Club 9 Sports?
Kojo?
HH