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 The bank could still have withdrawn the overdraft the same day, which would have made him an unsecured creditor with no chance of a return.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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Heard the eejits who wrecked the toilets on Sunday doing the
£50 half time draw tonight.
Playing like Barca contd.
The Onlooker
7. The “one-second rule”
No other football team plays the Barcelona way. That’s a strength, but it’s also a weakness. It makes it very hard for Barça to integrate outsiders into the team, because the outsiders struggle to learn the system. Barcelona had a policy of buying only “Top Ten” players – men who arguably rank among the ten best footballers on earth – yet many of them have failed in the Nou Camp. Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic did, while even David Villa, who knew Barcelona’s game from playing it with Spain, ended up on the bench before breaking his leg.
Joan Oliver, Barcelona’s previous chief executive, explained the risk of transfers by what he called the “one-second rule”. The success of a move on the pitch is decided in less than a second. If a player needs a few extra fractions of a second to work out where his teammate is going, because he doesn’t know the other guy’s game well, the move will usually break down. A new player can therefore lose you a match in under a second.
Pedro isn’t a great footballer, but because he was raised in the Masia he can play Barcelona’s game better than stars from outside. The boys in the Masia spend much of their childhood playing passing games, especially Cruijff’s favorite, six against three. Football, Cruijff once said, is choreography.
Nobody else thinks like that. That’s why most of the Barcelona side is homegrown. It’s more a necessity than a choice. Still, most of the time it works pretty well
Rugby is a pretty fast game.
Wearing black doesn’t seem to hinder that sports best team.
Just saying.
I made that last post up …………..just in case anyone takes a maddie.
see if all black strips are so hard to see and pick out a pass to…
why are new zealand so successful at rugby???
Oglach
dont even go there, what a kit. Ahh the memories!
Great article Paul67.
I think it’s time I researched my family tree!
mmmm
How thick is Mark Dingwall.
He honestly believes that David Murray made no money out of Rangers FC in 20 years.
Raploch is just down the road from my daughter’s house beneath the Wallace Monument.I know there’s a pub called “Back O the Hill” justbehind Sainsbury’s,but I don’t recall seeing “Vinnie’s”.I assumed the game to be on TV.If it was the Orcs it would have been.I never checked Celtic TV as I know I can get a commentary usually.Not possible to make Parkhead I’m afraid.I’ll just have to make do with ripping the pish out of the trolls in the Wallace,which is actually a decent pub.Very Orc minded about 6/7 years ago.Different pub altogether now,although Robert who has just bought it, is a Bear,but lightly toasted if you know what I mean.
jock tamson
Because when you have 18 team mates on the pitch flinging a ba’ 3 yards to the next yin isnt too complicated;)
HH
Jock…. because they are 7ft tall and 4ft wide!
Not hard to spot a black clothed brick s**thouse! :o)
I’m a fan of the new strip. Black is slimming on your average fan.
Here in Dubai I’m forced to wear a canary yellow team shirt at golf… now that’s not flattering on any middle aged guy!!
On Liquidation. I think there is too much confusion, bluster and inuendo.
Liquidity, flow, above water. money is spoken about as a liquid, it has to flow, or economies don’t work (take the BofE pumping money into the economy right now creating new money, it’s not having a great effect because the banks are sitting on it). Anyway to my opint liqudation in terms of assets means to turn that item into cash (to make it liquid). So statements saying what is owned by Bill Miller, a NewCo or an OldCo mean nothing upon liquidation. All the oldco assets are to be turned into cash (the cerditors then argue over who gets what), you canot simply transfer these to a new co, they would have to buy them. This means they would have to be the highest bidder for every asset (the players would not be assets as their licences woudl revert to teh SFA, and nor do I see how season tickets can be assets in this scenario).
So if Asda, Milne, Persimmon or anyone else thinks they can make more money off this than Bill Miller or the Blue Knights can afford they may well bid higher (or at least push up the price).
The order in which the cerditors get a return depends on whether or not they are a secured creditor (after the administrators are paid of course).
Any newco wishing to be a pheonix club have no gaurantees that they will have secured a training ground, a football ground, a car park, a trophey room, a treatment table, cones, coloured bibs, a club pendant, or a box of straws with all the green ones removed. It has all to be made cash.
Everthing else is just fluff and bluster (or is that puff and bluster), maybe more like p!sh and wishful thinking.
The CVA is the only way out where there is any continuity for Angers.
Like I said, as far as I know.
GM
Good point Paul.
I know of John’s generous and courageous decision to back Celtic with £1million, not from the man himself as he is not that type of person, but from a mutual friend who told me that John was advised by his financial adviser that there was no certainty that he would not lose his £1million, but the big quiet Mayo man went ahead with his life-saving help anyhow.
Then Fergus came along, John melted into the background letting others take the limelight.
The share issue was floated, which again we were all told had little chance of success. Many thousands like John Keane put in their money because their heart was in Celtic. Love not money was the motivation.
The difference between the two Glasgow clubs can’t be measured.
Such examples demonstrate to me why we must treasure our ethos and history which is truly unique.
Rangers? They are history.
A funny shaped ba’ at that…
HH
I remember manure played Southampton, wearing a dark gray strip and were getting pumped 4-0, or something similar, at half time.
I’m sure they changed into a blue(?) strip for the second have, but canny remember the final score.
I still think they they lost.
Emdy got a better memory than me?
RogueLeader.
The sport of egg chasing is quite different.
All team mates are ( or should be) on one side of the ball , so the colour of strip should have little bearing in your ability to pick them out.
Its also very slow to develop a move.
Of course I have never played the game so am guessing from my extensive knowledge watching of one or two internationals a year.
The Onlooker
Reports on SSN that a strange looking man in a Rangers strip has been arrested in a children’s playground for throwing children off the swings and roundabouts and climbing frames.
Police have restored calm and explained that a man called Declan had been reading FF where it said, “Go to the park and stop the play.”
I’ll get ma ba.
Italian Tele’s news item re Roy Hodgson getting the England gig .-
The couldn’t resist mentioning his win records at –
Inter 44.9 %
Udinese 41.18 %
and then showing .-
film of irate Inter fans pelting him with lighters and coins after the red hot favorites had lost the 1997 UEFA Cup final to Shalke
Philbhoy – It’s just the beginning! on 2 May, 2012 at 14:50 said:
they were 3-0 down at half time and lost 3-1
Philbhoy
3-0 down and lost 6-3 I think
HH
voguepunter on 2 May, 2012 at 14:45 said: I made that last post up …………..just in case anyone takes a maddie share on
I know 50 quid!!!! somebody would have rumbled that one :>
Kayal
you might be right actually
HH
Any Manager or Player who blames the colour of their strip for them playing badly is just looking for excuses.
Orr Aiden is on the TV at 15.30 Moscow derby
Kayal and traditionalist88
Make yer minds up, wull, ye!
:0)
alex thomson@alextomo
UEFA just called – licensing Rangers to play in SPL is solely for SFA and its licensing rules.
Paul 67
Another impressive post. Thanks for outing John Keane. When you first mentioned it I told a few acquintances but when I couldn’t name him my story was not believed. That’s exactly the sort of information every supporter should know.
It also saves Sally the bother of demanding transparency!
Just got my season ticket blurb in from Dundee Utd. An annual event ever since I bought a ticket for their end when we won the league there four years ago. Had to give my name and address when I bought the ticket. Happy daze…
Man Utd were 3-0 down at half time and changed their strip, but still lost 6-3. It was in 1996. They lost four and drew one of their five (or four and a half) games in the notorious grey kit. It was officially retired two days after this game, and they proceeded to win every remaining fixture to take the title.
RobinBhoy
jock tamson on 2 May, 2012 at 14:46 said:
see if all black strips are so hard to see and pick out a pass to…
why are new zealand so successful at rugby???
The All Blacks get used to finding each other in black. This gives them the advantage in the last 15 mins.
The other teams in white,blue, and yellow struggle in this final period as their strips are now covered in mud. They cannot find each other and even give the ball away.
See Rugby Science by Gary Owen.
Philbhoy
Yes they were definitely getting gubbed 3-0 at H/T!
HH
Googy
Why are Scotland crap then as the strip is almost black?
RobinBhoy on 2 May, 2012 at 15:00 said:
6-3 defeat was the following season, a certain Eyal Berkovic running riot
We have not had an away game on a Saturday with a 15:00 kick off since 7 years.
Is this true ?
Hail HAil
Mark Ding-Dong spits the dummy oot on FF
If David Murray couldn’t make money out of Rangers in 20 years what chance has an American who knows little about Scotland and even less about Rangers?
If someone wants to “invest” in Rangers the simple question to ask is “what sort of return on your investment do you expect to make?” If they are making an emotional investment that is fine – if they are expecting a financial return then there is only one way they can do that and it is by asset-stripping – by selling off the land, other assets and doing a lease-back on the stadium. There’s no other way.
If the investor wants to enjoy the thrill of owning a big club – Old Firm games, the undoubted profile etc, then fine. But the historic shortfall has been around £5milllion a year over the last 20 years and that has been filled by share issues to David Murray, Joe Lewis and Dave King.
We know nothing of Mr Miller’s plan – he has refused, as is his right, to engage with fans representatives. After all that we have been through with David Murray and Craig Whyte is that credible? Are Rangers fans really saying that they will back someone with no track-record and no visible plan? If he wouldn’t engage before purchase what is that telling you?
I am very wary because I reckon it’ll be promises of jam tomorrow but in actual fact it will be the fans stumping up again, paying for the mistakes of David Murray and Craig Whyte while all the time boosting up the value of a business bought for a pittance while the family silver is flogged off in the background. Call me naive – but I’m not for taking that chance.
Then we have the question of associated – Sport 9 Club and Andrew Ellis are in the background somewhere of that I have no doubt. Sport 9 people have definitely been advising Miller since after they claimed to have no links with him – they have been in on phone calls with the administrators. That is a fact. The Andrew Ellis stuff you just have to check out the newspapers for. We could be literally mad as a support to have anything to do with a deal which involves Ellis after his association with Whyte.
The administrators told us on Monday that Miller had plans to market Rangers to the 30 million American who claim Scottish ancestry. I think that’s moonshine and if that’s part of his business plan then we should be worried. The idea that we are a worldwide unexploited brand is of course a nice thought but to exploit it needs ten of millions poured into marketing and if we aren’t in the Premiership or regularly competing and winning in the Champions League then that is simply window-dressing.
The we have the form of his deal. We’ve no examples of an “incubator company” working the way he proposes – I suspect that if he buys the club he’ll “discover” how difficult it all is and be left with “no option” but to liquidate.
Lastly, I might be being very unkind and paranoid but I’d rather be safe than sorry. I’ve always suspected that Craig Whyte needed to have a buyer lined up for his scheme to work and for him to ride away with a pay-off. I’m simply ultra-suspicious of anyone who isn’t a Rangers fan who would take on the club once they had a look at the books.
My core objection is as simple as that.
The least that you can do as a fan is to ask awkward questions
greenjedi on 2 May, 2012 at 15:02 said:
Googy
Why are Scotland crap then as the strip is almost black?
I was anticipating that question.
Because they are all middle class tos…. from Edinburgh?
greenjedi on 2 May, 2012 at 15:02 said:
Googy
Why are Scotland crap then as the strip is almost black?
====
Cause they suck at just about everything – ohhhhhh – controversial :-)
Re posted from prev thread;
From FF….. This mob never cease to amaze me. Moronic doesn’t even cut it……
How much of your money goes to Lawell?
——————————————————————————–
Bears, we are the overwelming majority in this country and whilst we are spending our hard earned pounds with a little more discretion to hit the SFA I think that we should be further extending our funding boycott.
Is your paperboy, or milkman a tarrier? Is the guy who washes your windows or services your car a season ticket holder at the brendanbau? Is your local landlord of the wrong persuasion?
Make it your business to find out and if so dump them. In these hard economic times we need to look after our own and ensure that we are not indirectly funding paedo fc. There are plenty of hard-up bears out there who would be glad of your business and will ensure that part of your money finds it’s way back to OUR club.
There is more than one way to skin a cat and in the current climate small businesses can’t afford even a small shift in income.