I hear legendary Sevconian statement issuer, Jim “Rangers are dead” Traynor, is now firmly established in the Dave King camp. You may have found recent statements familiar, including last night’s, which focusses more on interrupting Celtic’s period of domination than building a well-run and sustainable football club.
Or it could be that Dave King is in Traynor’s camp, it’s hard to tell who is the monkey and who is the organ grinder when it comes to that lot and their long and dysfunctional relationships with PR masters.
My suspicions were raised when the Sunday Mail ran a complete non-story on their front page. Someone submitted a frivolous complaint to police – this is your news, Scotland. This was the kind of article which would be found in the same publication when Fergus McCann was in charge at Celtic; an unadulterated attack on the club. Now poor (not actually poor) Graham Wallace has to deal with them.
What price ‘loyalty’ after Traynor had his snout in the trough to a spectacular level too. We actually have a recipient of some of that enormous over-spend criticising the enormous over-spend. After his money was banked, of course. For the life of me I can never understand why the other lot put up with these types.
King’s eight point statement was an absolute hoot and completely inspired by Celtic’s position. There seems to be a pattern here: do wrong, then criticise others for doing as you did.
Point One:
King first addressed the liability for blame, and possible criminal investigations, which he believed should be heading towards the Rangers International board in the wake of comments made by chief executive, Graham Waddell, five months ago. He wrote:
….“It is beyond doubt that the CEO (and other board members) was aware last December that there was insufficient cash to last until the end of the season and the board failed to respond to my previous question in that regard. The CEO is now subject to a criminal complaint on this very issue but I believe that his comments were made with the full knowledge of the board. Certainly no one came out to contradict him. We should therefore expect any criminal investigation to extend to other board members.”
Dave King was a director of now-liquidated Rangers throughout the entire Craig Whyte era, when the club borrowed money from Ticketus to fund the payment of Lloyds debt, failed to pay social taxes and came crashing down. Whyte lied about the Ticketus deal but his non-execs kept their eyes, ears and mouths shut.
King was also a director of Rangers for over a decade, including the period of the David Murray-Campbell Ogilvie EBT shambles, which was proven to be illegal on five counts, the other counts are currently subject to an Upper Tier Tribunal.
Point 2:
“If cash was wasted as a result of mismanagement (presumably Charles Green etc.) then what steps are being taken to hold management accountable for this?”
As a non-executive director of failed Rangers FC PLC King was employed to ensure interests of stakeholders were being looked after. He failed singularly in this regard and has yet to be held to account.
Point Three:
“The board has conceded that it does not plan to effectively compete with Celtic in our first season back in the Premier League.”
This is sanity, not vanity. To suggest Newco throw so much money at the team that the instantly become competitive to Celtic is a sure-fire way of guaranteeing yet another insolvency event. These. People. Never. Learn.
Point Four:
“This is a great review for Celtic fans. It is stated that the board might only raise 20 million over the next 3 years. This paltry amount will guarantee that Celtic will be in a league of its own for the next few years- and possibly permanently thereafter. Celtic will continue to enjoy exclusive access to the Champions League windfalls and will go from financial strength to strength. The gap could become financially irreversible.”
Agree that Celtic will go from strength to strength and be remain a league of their own. Disagree that the review was great for Celtic fans. The review is little more than a laugh for Celtic fans, it changes nothing for us. I like the “permanently thereafter” line, though. It carries a bit more weight than “Generation of Domination”, which sounded ridiculous to some 9 years ago when it was first mooted but now sounds a tad understated.
Point Five:
“The board still does not have a clear plan for raising capital despite knowing for some months that a financial crisis was looming.”
Correct. On a related matter, Mr King has offered unspecified notions that he would encourage other people to buy tens of millions of pounds of shares, no clear plan has been identified, exactly what he accused Newco’s board of.
Point Six:
“It is interesting that the credit card companies agree with me that the season tickets should not be released to the club. However, it is genuinely shocking that this board has, for several months, withheld the knowledge that fans would not have access to credit card facilities when renewing season ticket purchases. The board preferred to blame “external parties” in an attempt to hide this serious non-disclosure. How can this board ask fans to ever trust them again?”
I think Mr King may have composed this comment ‘after a long lunch’. Credit card companies have not suggested season tickets should not be released to (sic.) the club, they simply don’t want anything to do with these transactions.
It is not shocking at all that the decision by credit card companies was not shared by fans for a number of months. Wallace would have spent much of this time looking for an alternative. It would have been inappropriate for a PLC to disclose sensitive financial negotiations to the general public months before that information becomes relevant.
Point Seven:
“The board continues the blame game and takes no responsibility for the current debacle. In truth, it is this board’s stubborn refusal to secure fresh equity that is the cause of the present fragile state of the club’s finances. The board clearly hoped to muddle along by using the season ticket advances from fans. This review should reinforce to fans that this board cannot serve as an appropriate custodian for their season ticket money.”
If fans want to know who to blame for the death of Rangers and the undignified mess Newco are in, they need look no further than the boards headed by Sir David Murray and Craig Whyte, both of which Dave King served on. Blaming Wallace instead is nonsense.
Point Eight:
“The board has admitted that Rangers is not presently a “going concern” and yet offers no plan on how this will be dealt with in the short term. Fans could once again lose their season ticket advances if given to the club at this time. It is unconscionable that this board has done nothing to bolster the finances since the last AGM.”
Fans of Oldco or Newco have never lost their season ticket advances. What is he thinking of? Does he know what club he’s talking about?
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Real are the Bayern of last year. Guardiola’s style has slowed them down and made them much less effective.
I wonder if the scoreline’s bringing back bad memories of Istanbul for Ancelotti? Lightning can’t strike twice, can it?
That’s for you, Rye, incase you think I was gloating about Saturday’s game earlier!
I thought it was only Celtic that fell victim to counter attacking.
Can expect a lot of ruling about byvReal in the second half.
Sorry first half.
Ruling = rolling
Sunday’s game, even!
Eddie, I’ll tell yer Ma when I see her.
LennyBhoy, I’ll be in touch.
Season Tickets now renewed, as I can use a credit card I did it online.
GoogyBhoy, I got texts about that too, every ones a critic!!!!!
:-)
marrakesh express
20:26 on 29 April, 2014
Big Billy will be swapping stories with Alfredo in Lisbon. No doubt the greatest Real player ever will remember Jinky’s wonder show in the Bernabeu.
Too true mate.
100000 Spaniards shouting ole ole at their home park for a wee bhoy from Viewpark.
Spaniards old enough will remember it for sure coz there ain’t many who go there and give them a master class !!
Hamiltontim is praying for Oscar
20:28 on
Is there an reenactment of the Peasant uprising in Transsylvania?
Googy, feckin’ Karma there :-)
googybhoy ♥ we are all neil lennon
20:29 on 29 April, 2014
Incredible result.
Just heard comment about Alonso tackle “he just, he just tries do withdraw and cannot do it”
Think we have all been there.
——————-
Teee-heee :-))
HH
BGFC
Embramike
Yep I could have predicted that too :-)
BB 05
Good answer.
Only chance of a decent CL Final is if Athletico get through against Mourinho’s Bus Parking strategy, which they will do if the get that early goal. Even Liverpool’s attacking team couldn’t dent them.
Oh well, we could vote worst hunnish behavior of the game.
1Schweinsteiger showing the referee “you must add many minutes” when Ronaldo was suffering injury after foul for red card.
2.Bayern Munich player giving slap into face of Real player.
3…..?
2nd half recovery bet!
6/5 over 5.5 cards – can see a few bodies flying in next 45mins.
Eddie
You got a crystall ball too?? :-)
Looks like I will be wanting both teams to lose in UCL final.
Real vs Chelski or Athletico ?
Someone was curious earlier about whether or not the club had a replacement for sammy lined up………….
Robert Snodgrass is hoping Neil Lennon puts on hold any ambitions he has to manage in England to guide his boyhood heroes Celtic to a domestic treble in Scotland.
The Norwich forward is aware that Lennon is reportedly one of four bosses the relegation-threatened Canaries are looking at with a view to replacing the departed Chris Hughton.
The Northern Irishman’s managerial CV includes three successive top-flight titles, two Scottish Cups and a last-16 appearance in the Champions League.
However, so far a clean sweep has evaded the Parkhead manager and Snodgrass, wearing his Celtic hat, is hoping that will be addressed.
The 26-year-old Scotland forward said: ‘The Celtic lads have great things to say about him so if that is what he is wanting (work in England) then good luck to him.
‘But (with) the manager in charge now, even though we are not getting results, we are playing well in certain spells.
‘It will be interesting to see who does get the job. I’m sure Neil Adams will put his name in the hat and push his own claim.
‘I will let the powers-that-be upstairs decide that.
‘But I’m a Celtic fan so I would like to see him trying to do better in the Champions League (group) stage and try to get the treble.’
While there is talk of Lennon moving south, Snodgrass has for a while been linked with a move to Celtic.
However, the Glaswegian, who started his career at Livingston before moving on to Leeds United, is putting everything on hold to try to rescue Norwich from the drop.
The Canaries were beaten 4-0 at Manchester United on Saturday and have now slipped into the Premier League relegation zone on goal difference following Sunderland’s win on Sunday, with their last two fixtures away to Chelsea and at home to Arsenal.
Snodgrass said: ‘There is always going to be lots of talk. Celtic are a massive club but I have a job to do for Norwich and I will focus every bit of my effort trying to keep Norwich in the league.
‘If the worst comes to the worst and you look back with any regret, or if you could have done more, then I won’t be able to live with myself.
‘We have had very tough games over the last few weeks and it doesn’t get any easier with Chelsea and Arsenal coming up.
‘But I am relishing the challenge and hopefully we can do it.
‘You must be doing something right if you are being linked with a club like Celtic.
‘But I have another year left at Norwich and I will give everything I have got in my body for that club because they have been terrific with me.
‘They gave me my chance to play in the Premier League so I will honour that.’
ATLETICO!
Breaking news from Ibrox. Broxy Bear has been sold to Edinburgh Zoo for an undisclosed fee; new mascot is a cheque called bouncy bouncy.
dj67
Would love to see Snodgrass in the hoops.
Some player Ronaldo, broken so many record.
Can see another goal for him in the 2nd half then subbed.
Alonso stupid,Ancelotti the same for keeping Ramos on
Unbelievable. Was sat on the train looking at the odds pre-match. Last few quid in my account – Ramos wincast – 33/1. Thought about it, keyed in 3 quid to clear out account. Changed mind. Didn’t change back again before train got into no-signal area.
Jus tin house and da-daa, you mug.
Still, looks like TET’s pulse will be racing just a little over the odds for the next week or two ;))
Looking like yet another CL winner will fail to defend their title. No team has since the tournament was restructured in the early ’90s. Did Graham Wallace forget to add this to Sevco’s grand 5-year plan?
embramike
Think thank you to you might be in order :o)
Sherlock Holmes CSC
The new Huns are the equivalent of being ‘oot the cup’. I remember being at the cup game against Arbroath? at Parkhead that dull January afternoon. The score came through that Berwick Rangers had already beaten ‘the’ Rangers earlier. So the song started – ‘The Huns are oot the Cup’
RWE
You mean what I know ;-)
Excellent article by James Forrest posted by googbhoy………I think any celtic fans who still had a wee craving for thems getting back…..will now have second thoughts…..nothing changed its a cancer with them,hate and bile…..if celtic had to fold up tomorrow they would find some else to hate…dun utd or hibs…..last night is merely a rehersal if they should ever return.
beatbhoy
20:55 on 29 April, 2014
‘5 year plan’ you miss heard him mate it’s a 5 minute plan over ibrokes way HH
Beatbhoy
Going by their predictions over the next three years with only £20m additional income required
I’d imagine winning the CL and retaining same is a realistic prospect within a few years ….particularly when you consider the extra income from CL. Entry in 2017 and thereafter
It seems all so simple :-))
Hunskelper
Yeah, and the clock’s ticking!
On the recent topic of racism with Danni Alves eating the banana thrown at him on Sunday’s game, I see that incident in the NBA has been dealt with severely and promptly.
The owner of the Los Angeles Clippers professional basketball team has been banned from the National Basketball Association for life after a recording emerged of him making racist remarks.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Donald Sterling would be forced to sell his interest in the team. And the league will fine him $2.5m (£1.5m), the maximum allowed.
Mr Sterling was recorded asking a woman not to associate in public with black people nor bring them to games.
There are a bunch of Bayern ultras behind the goal they are now playing into,constantly waving huge flags throughout the game. Whilst I commend their stamina, if I was seated or standing behind them, I’d go pure mental.
I’m sure ITV will dig out footage of Bale and Modric scoring for Spurs before programme is over.
According to a hun there are 8 stars on a CL ball
to represent the 8 teams that started the CL…now
I’ve never counted the stars,to busy watching the
ball,the hun told me R£££££s were one of the teams,
I told him to fcuk off…………someone please tell me
the hun is talking shit,as usual.
Pfayr
Well, I suppose if they can believe that, despite liquidation, they’re the same club, they can believe anything.
Ron bacardi.
Great memory. I thought they announced it over the tannoy as we left at time up. Loud celebrations but massive ones four months later.