Apparently, time for Rangers fans to step forward to save their club has passed. For the want of £500k any one or collection of them could have bought an exclusive period as preferred bidder and worked on a rescue but no one stepped forward.
It is perhaps worthwhile reflecting on our hour of need 18 years ago. Celtic had exceeded their agreed overdraft limit and the Bank of Scotland informed the club that unless the account was brought back into agreed limits that day, it would go to court to appoint an administrator.
Back then there were no transfer windows, so players could, and would, have been sold by the administrator the next day. Celtic would have been left with an unwanted shell of a squad.
Word of the impending doom spread around the Celtic business community and John Keane decided to act. He withdrew £1m from his account and paid it straight into Celtic’s account at the Bank of Scotland.
John did this in the hope that he could buy time for the Celtic Movement to pull a rescue together. The bank could still have withdrawn the overdraft the same day, which would have made him an unsecured creditor with no chance of a return. There was also no agreement signed to secure the transfer of the club from the old board, each member of whom would later be dealt with on an individual basis, as shares were sold, or in the case of Kevin Kelly, pledged behind Fergus McCann’s consortium.
John kept his money in Celtic and received a seat on the new board, which he retains. He declined to appear in the publicity photos on the steps of Celtic Park when the club was rescued and although he attends the AGM every year, he remains a quiet and largely unknown figure. He has since invested more in Celtic, money he will never see back, but which has ensured his family can block a Glazier-style takeover of Celtic.
I have spoken to him once or twice, although he doesn’t know who I am, but I have often thought he deserves a standing ovation at the AGM for what he did all those years ago. Maybe this year.
We can only wonder why there was not a John Keane across the city.
Very well done to the Daily Record for their excellent story about CQN’er Tony Conway today. Tony, who now lives in the United States, suffers from motor neuron disease and made the trip back to Celtic Park last year with his Dad, John, and brother, Martin. They spent time with Jinky’s son James and met a host of people at the club, including Neil Lennon and Billy McNeill.
Read it, it’s a great story.
Remember to keep an eye on the signed Celtic shirt being auctioned for Wellburn Care Home, it ends Monday.
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good morning everyone
a very beautiful thai tims thursday to you all
thanks for donating
give and you shall receive
haha
so true !
so much we have received !
http://www.goodchildfoundation.com/Donate.aspx
Morning all. Not such a lovely day so far although it is supposed to improve.
Are they still practising their ducking and diving with HMRC?
Good Morning,
Later on today, two men will meet in circumstances that they would both rather avoid.
Yet the meeting is one that I suspect that neither would miss for the world.
Chris Riddle – father of Vanessa- and our own Stevie Knox- dad to Oscar– will both be in the same hospital at the same time somewhere in London while their respective children undergo treatment.
Both kids will undergo what is known as Mibg treatment– aform of Radiotherapy treatment designed to Kill off cancerous cells. It is a treatment that can take weeks, months….. who knows.
The other day, Vanessa was skyping her school pals from her hospital bed, but says she is feeling good. Later she will travel to Germany for further treatment before going to Philadelphia.
We can only pray that Oscar’s treatment means that he will never have to follow her journey.
Meanwhile, two ordinary blokes, who I suspect are very much just like me- or you- wait about in a Hospital like a spare part with nothing to do but pray and hope, read the paper, and then hope and pray a bit more.
Of course they have to keep their spirits up– and the spirits of everyone else for that matter. Same with mums, aunts ,uncles, brothers , sisters and so on. I suspect that going for a meal or a drink might be difficult. Do you leave your wee girl or boy for a while knowing that they are being looked after — or can you just not bear the thought of being away for any length of time?
Down in Kilmarmock, a wee boy called Alfie Sharp suffers a lesser form of Neoroblastoma. Alfie is looking to raise £80,000 to go for his treatment in Germany. His case is not as severe as Vanessa’s but the disease is still there and unless he gets treatment the position will get progressively worse. The worry for Alfie’s family is no less constant than it is for Chris Riddle or Stevie Knox.
Then there is Niamh. Last week the whole Curry family must have been worrie as Niamh took a turn for the worse and was admitted to hospital– again.
Imagine those journeys to a hospital as a parent. I can honestly say I can think of nothing worse and at the risk of shocking my fellow Celtic fans I would happily lose the league Rangers New Co, Old Co, Seb Coe and Koko by a single point every year for the next ten years if it meant an end to those hospital journeys.
Last night, Stvie and Chris joked about there being a bar in the hospital. There isn’t of course but Chris Riddle tweeted that he was armed with a few cans of Tennents. Apparently he has kept his hospital vigil for a month at a time in the past.
It is time for this nonsense to stop and for Neuroblastoma to be treated here and now in the UK and for the rest of us to do something or at least as much as we can to stop this disease ripping the guts out of children———— and their parents!
If you click on the link below you will see the appeals currently being undertaken in connection with this so called rare disease. Remember these are the kids that the NHS say can’t be treated here but there are many many more like Oscar who do not fall into this category ………..yet!
The list is NEVER empty.
I have never met Chris Riddle or Stephen Knox, but I cannot think of anyone I admire more this morning– unless of course it is Vanessa, Niamh, Oscar, Alfie, Aarin, Adam, Corey, Emma, Grace,Jamie, Joshua, Lottie,Lilly, Millie, Olivia, Phoebe, Robyn, Ryan,Sadie, Stella, and Zac.
http://t.co/Xtq2qsmE
Brogan
I cant make it to Tannadice on Sunday now so does anyone need a couple of tickets? Priced at £25 each.
For what its worth, I think all this hun carry-on is nothing more than a, masonic compendium of mind games, designed to take Celtic’s eye off the ball in terms of….what kind of player we bring in, what amount of players we let go/sell and, the master plan is to, delude us fans into this superior, righteous, smug mindset.
All of this to catch us off-guard when….unscathed, unpunished and unproven charges are dropped cue, gnashing and wailing from here and, the rest of Timdom.
I can smell a KING-SIZE RAT in all of this ?
What we must remember is that, IF the hun future depends on an, SPL-vote…..WE have only ONE vote!!!
Put another way….PL will be going into a room where, the votes will be cast and, PL is the ONLY Tim in that room! That is where it will all hinge imo.
Hail Hail
tomthelennytim on 3 May, 2012 at 04:51 said:
A club can’t transfer, assign or sell its share in the SPL without the consent of the SPL. I can’t see the SPL agreeing to this move if it means the huns not being liable for any penalty they wish to impose.
Ticketus won’t accept any deal that leaves them short. Don’t read too much into Lord Hodge’s observation. Their Counsel made it clear that he did not accept the court’s line of reasoning and reserved his right to argue the point before a higher court.
Intellectual property rights don’t include history. Celtic couldn’t sell their history to, say, Burnley or Arbroath, or that nice couple from Largs who won the Euromillions, could they? The idea is nonsense.
Just got a ttweet
Bangura plays tonight.
p
I predict the word Hybrid will appear in the name of any newco team.
The Hybrid Huns has a certain ring to it.
The Inbred Hybrids !!
Not easy after several pints of course!
Leeds did not go into liquidation . I wish the MSM would stop peddling this myth to suit their own position.
ernie lynch on 3 May, 2012 at 08:56 said:
A club can’t transfer, assign or sell its share in the SPL without the consent of the SPL. I can’t see the SPL agreeing to this move if it means the huns not being liable for any penalty they wish to impose.
————————-
Why not? That assumes they WANT to impose penalties and I’m not so sure.
The restrictions on naming post-liquidation companies under Scots Law, does that only apply to directors of the liquidated co, or is Miller also prevented from creating something that looks and feels very close to the original?
If Tony D’s predictions come to be then Celtic better look to reinvent itself.
Can’t see even half of our fans bothering to support Scottish football after that. Our effort and contribution to our football team, following rules and adhering to the Corinthian spirit will be shown to have been in vain.
The SPL, SFA, Scottish government, police, media, every other team in the SPL have shown their hand and that hand is for the preservation of one team in Scotland despite the fraud, violence, intimidation, racism and skullduggerry associated with that team.
I will not know where to go if the predictions come to pass but I am seriously questioning contributing to the farce and fraud that is Scottish football.
sparkleghirl on 3 May, 2012 at 09:04 said:
The members of the SPL want to impose penalties on the huns that will benefit themselves ie debts to member clubs to be paid from any prize money, points deductions to ensure that other teams earn prize money. It’s not about punishing the huns, it’s about rewarding themselves.
Hence they won’t agree to anything that would stop them being able to do that.
ASonOfDan on 3 May, 2012 at 07:45
The expression that sprang to my mind was ‘thieves who just keep taking’, but it seems to work just as well either way!
FF
Here is the “gloomy” post referred to above:
” Gloomy Predictions for the Rangers Endgame – Guest Post by Tony D
Tony D was good enough to make a lengthy comment predicting the finish to the Rangers saga on the blog earlier. I thought it worthy of a billing of its own. Here it is, for your delectation. It is fair to say that, especially in light of Mr Doncaster’s words on Monday, Tony is not happy, and with good cause I feel.
Thanks Tony for the detailed comment.
———————————————-
Regrettably, what will happen in my opinion is this…
1) rangers 1872 will form a new company say rangers 2012 (‘incubator’)and transfer its SPL share (each club has 1 share in the SPL)
2) Duff and Phelps as administrators will sell the ‘Goodwill’ or ‘intellectual property’ of the old club to the new club, probably for a nominal sum. That includes its History of trophy’s leagues etc.
3) The old company will try and exit administration via a CVA (Company Voluntary Agreement) by way of offering its creditors a ‘pennies in the pound’ deal.
4) HMRC will NOT settle for 10-15p/£ they will press for upwards of 50p.
5) If the big tax case goes against rangers HMRC (and Ticketus who are owed £27 Million ) will BLOCK a cva. Result of that will ensure rfc 1872 is liquidated.
6) Rfc 2012 will continue in the SPL as if nothing happened, with minimal sanctions as there is no sanctions available under the current articles of association. The spineless directors who adjourned Monday’s meeting will reconvene next week and pass new rules for clubs getting in a mess in the ‘future’. This against a backdrop of intimidation and fear not to mention nepotism.
7) Rfc 2012 will offer shares to the mass of orcs and buy large!….result will be that they’re still up there competing against Celtic. Meanwhile Dunfermline who have been financially prudent all season (closing stands to save money) will be relegated…hence the uproar about footballing integrity, both moral and sporting.
8) Whyte who has a floating charge over ALL assets as it was assigned to him from Lloyds TSB when he settled the overdraft using Ticketus money. He will either sell to rfc 2012 over a period for many millions or transfer the assets and remain a major shareholder in the new company. Once on their feet he can sell his shareholding…assets restored, whyte walks with Millions…win win.
9) Ticketus may try and block deal, but Lord Hodge has observed that they are a normal creditor and should be treated as such. An observation NOT a ruling as he had insufficient time and information to make a proper judgement. Ticketus will pursue Whyte separately (which will take years)
10) SFA meanwhile will uphold partial sanctions (maybe 6 m ban on transfers suspended to see if they pay the outstanding money on players at present) and the semi-derisory fine of £160,000 will be halved.
11) UEFA will ban rfc 2012 from Europe for 1 (maybe 3) years.
12) SPL will rule that rfc 1872 broke the rules using EBT’s and may or may not strip them of trophies. It won’t matter as rfc 1872 is in liquidation.
13) Domestic and European clubs who were damaged with their cheating will desist from pursuing rfc 1872 for damages as they are in liquidation
Summary
1) The rangers fans will claim a seamless history despite rfc 2012 having a new company number. (You can change names to the cows come home but it is the number which is important. Celtic FC have had the name number registered at companies house since 1887).
2) The creditors will be stiffed big style including HMRC and Ticketus.
3) Business as usual for SPL
4) Business as usual for SFA
5) Duff and Phelps will be lauded as geniuses and can take their seats at Ibrox whenever they want…despite the Police warning them that it was unsafe at a recent league match….our old friend Intimidation again!
6) UEFA may make some noises under financial fair play rules (STILL TO BE INTRODUCED)but will let domestic association deal with it all.
7) Due to intimidation, threats, aggressive posturing rfc have essentially got their way….the authorities have capitulated.
8) David Murray absolved…indeed not even questioned.
9) Whyte seen to be playing ball will be left alone as his actions will have been vindicated…semi heroic status conferred.
10) The establishment club saved.
11) Bigger than usual party in Stirling on July 7th 2012……a real ‘we arra peepil celebration’….confirmed by the actions of all involved.
I personally, will not so much as watch another football match in Scotland let alone spend money to go and see one. There will be many like me…for a short while, then normal service will be resumed.”
Written by Tony D
JJ
Could one of the more business au fait guys on here give me an analogy I can use in the pub to explain the significance of retaining the same company number?
“1) The rangers fans will claim a seamless history despite rfc 2012 having a new company number. (You can change names to the cows come home but it is the number which is important. Celtic FC have had the name number registered at companies house since 1887).”
Thanks,
JJ
PS Althought Tony` D paints a gloomy picture, it is only opinion. I am sure there are many flaws in his Doomsday Scenario. I also disgree with his “normal service resumed” part in the event of Doomsday occuring. I feel that when people get out of a habit, they seldom return.
Good morning from a sunny El Medano, looks like its going to be another day of doom and gloom on here, what Tony C does not include is the Court room dramas still to be played out.
Today I will mostly be having a holiday so will only be looking in much later on when the wailing and gnashing of teeth has subsided.
championees are we.
Hail Hail
Celtic Soul Brother- Supporting Kano 1000 on 2 May, 2012 at 17:47
Re Smokie, you are absolutely right.
Re Glavin, I remember losing in a 5 a side game in a university tournament to a team called Ronnie Glavin’s Fireraisers. (not just me. The rest of my team lost as well). I’m sure you remember the alleged even to which they were alluding. Not sure if they were Celtic fans paying homage…poossibly unforgiving Thistle fans
Tony D as well
Get some Leonard Cohen on and cheer yourselves up.
Personally I think any such outcome as tony d’s will require legal action from The board for loss of earnings also there are business regulations on fair trading, being a plc means we have access to this recourse.
Anyroadup
It’s holiday time mostly
Bill Miller rumbled by RM:
“Boniface Engineering
This is the UK arm of Bill Millers empire?
What’s in a name? Should we be concerned?
9 popes have been called Boniface”
Cadizzy
There was a joke going round at he time that Celtic had signed Arthur Mann from Man City plus a Bundeslig German player called Archie Shopps.
The forward line was going to be…..
Conn Mann Glavin Burn Shopps
Point 2
2) Duff and Phelps as administrators will sell the ‘Goodwill’ or ‘intellectual property’ of the old club to the new club, probably for a nominal sum. That includes its History of trophy’s leagues etc.
——————————————————————————————–
If that’s the case, then surly D&P have to sell it to the highest bidder, would that be in the interests of all the creditors?
So would it not be the case anyone could buy the huns history??
That would be Burns not Burn
Hot under the dollar
By Mark Hateley on May 3, 12 07:15 AM in
THE key to winning over a large group of supporters in the sporting world is clarity, honesty and transparency – basically everything Craig Whyte didn’t do during his disastrous spell in charge at Ibrox.
Bill Miller should take note as he inches towards preferred bidder status in his quest to purchase Rangers.
To get the fans on side it is all about putting your cards on the table and being as up front as possible.
That’s exactly what Fergus McCann did when he assumed control at Parkhead and saved Celtic from going out of business in 1994.
He had a five-year plan and spelled out exactly what he was going to do with the club.
The Bunnet, as McCann become known as during his time in Glasgow, proved as good as his word. He did exactly what it said on the tin.
Fergus was straight-talking and brutally honest – traits which Miller should be accustomed to having made his millions in the United States.
The Celtic fans bought into McCann’s vision straight away and contributed £3million of their own money towards a £13m share issue.
Fergus replaced a previous regime which was despised and will be forever remembered as the man who prevented over a century of history disappearing.
The $64,000 question is whether Miller will do the same for Rangers?
He has only said that he wants to buy the club. So far Miller hasn’t divulged his long-term plan for Rangers and that’s why supporters are treating him with an air of suspicion.
If he wants to get the 50,000 who turn up at Ibrox every fortnight onside then he has to go public with his business plan quickly.
While McCann was an ideal example of how to win over a sceptical support, the situation at Liverpool just a few years ago was the perfect case of how not to do it.
When American businessmen George Gillett and Tom Hicks took over at Anfield they never made it clear what they wanted to do with the club.
They were so vague in everything they did and there were so many broken promises about big-name signings and the possibility of moving to a state-of-the-art stadium.
There was a bad vibe around Anfield from the moment the Yanks arrived in England and they were unable to win over the fans.
They were never taken on board and quickly became dead men walking.
It was a desperate time for everyone connected with the club and I don’t know a single Liverpool supporter who has a decent word to say about Gillett and Hicks.
That was a marriage made in hell and it all went sour because the new owners were not up front with the supporters about their intentions.
If Miller has any hopes of getting the Rangers support onside then he needs to be open and honest. Even if it means telling them certain things they don’t want to hear, he still has to be brutally frank about what lies ahead.
There is absolutely no point in painting a false picture and leading people up the garden path.
The Tennessee tycoon already appears up against it and there are plenty of doubters out there.
That is entirely understandable given what happened under the watch of Whyte – another businessman the punters knew nothing about.
The Rangers supporters made their feelings abundantly clear during the game with Dundee United.
If Miller was listening to the songs or reading the banners then maybe he will now be having second thoughts about buying Rangers.
Given what happened with the previous regime, the new owners need every fan on board. They need everybody buying into their vision.
Unfortunately for Miller at this moment in time, nobody appears to have an inkling of what his strategy is.
Due to the lack of information and communication, the fans are understandably frightened that he could be another Whyte.
Rightly or wrongly, alarm bells are ringing because Miller has not yet shown his face in Glasgow.
I find it more than a little strange that someone seriously contemplating ploughing upwards of £10m into a business venture has not yet been over to have a look at what he is getting for his money.
The fact he hasn’t yet made the effort to come over and get a feel for the club is a major source of concern.
There is a real fear the current doomsday scenario could be replayed all over again just with a different cast of villains.
However, what happened at Celtic almost two decades ago is proof that an unknown entrepreneur can come in against a backdrop of scepticism and be a resounding success.
Fergus transformed the Parkhead club when it was on its knees and teetering on the brink of oblivion.
The secret of his success was honesty, clarity, transparency and the ability to surround himself with people who had background knowledge of the game.
However Fergus Mc Cann cannot be trusted by a Rangers man therefore Miller needs to get on the phone to Sir David Murray and ask him for guidance.
He needs to know how to operate the finances of the club and how to bring in Champion league quality players. The EBT Trust fund now needs to be ran properly.
It is important that Miller takes over the business and political contacts that Sir David Murray developed and maintained for Rangers for the benefit of Scottish football.
It might even help him if he picked up the phone and made contact with someone in the Scottish media. I am sure that an independent journalist like Jim Traynor or a Chick Young could be trusted to relay the correct message.
new article posted.
DBBIA—–
As requested –.
9 piglets . Born under a carob tree. 7 female /2 male . The female runt eaten overnight . . Up and about. . The females are destined to become sausages, the males- high quality salami .[ fed on carob /pistachio]
Romanian courier man delivered a lovely batch of small town Texas thrift store vinyl finds —- [ I gave a mate in Houston a list [ years ago ] —usually the P + P costs more than the vinyl]
The Louvin Brothers – A Tribute To The Delmore Brothers.
Country Got Soul -[ Various Artists].
Hearts and Flowers—-The Complete Hearts and Flowers
Great Speckled Bird -Great Speckled Bird.
Wee Celtic related thing —- bit of a booboo from a shaven headed Boruc last night ——- I never thought he was good with driven crosses and last night added yet more evidence.
Warm and sunny —–it will be hot within a fortnight —the 6 month summer is here.
Morning Bhoys
What are the I can’t believe there not Rangers up to today.
Are they American Truckers yet
or still British ……………
Is it Miller time? Is it hybrid zombie time? What the hell would we call a half zombie grown in an incubator anyway? Sounds a bit like Frankenstein’s monster to me – or maybe Rocky Horror.
The new huns – straight from Transsexual Tennessee??
I was at a Leonard Cohen disco once.
line-up v St Johnstone…
am goin for the recently-deployed successful 3-5-2 formation with the two fullbacks pushing on, as usual
in goals………………………….BERNI
back three of………………YIM-BAM-YING
midfield five of…POM-PONG-BASS-LAY-NENG
up front………………………..BOE-AOM
and a bench full of quality…..
L
GOONG-SU
YING, KAEW, SODA, WA, TEME
PEAR, TAE, JA-O
R.LENNON, NEUY
FILM, TANG, PIM, PANG, JOE
PASH, BILL, NUCH, STEIVE NOI
AOM, JONUT, THAK, BOM
DA, TUTA, KOOK, PLEUM
KATOON, DREAM, TON
P.LENNON, FERN
PASH, PLE, THAK
TEME
an easy 5-0 victory for us, with a hat-trick by BERNI and a couple of goals for AOM, no question
can’t see St J gettin a look-in
ThaiTimsCSC
:)