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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Lets all feel sorry for poor picked-on TD who could start a fight in an empty room.
I dont think TD is too worried whether he’s popular or not. He is what he is.
Re. summer signings.
Assuming Samaras, Mouyokolo and Kayal leave, hope we sign Snodgrass, Armstrong, a centre half to challenge Efe and a left back to challenge Izzy.
Hope we get these signing in early, before pre-season begins.
Other than that it should be replacements for those leaving.
Wouldn’t be overly upset if Balde, Pukki and Boerrigter were punted.
minx1888 praying for Wee Oscar
08:35 on
30 April, 2014
Absolutely agree re.Eddie.
Petty insults are par for the course on CQN.
Cretin is a regular insult.
Not hard to find if you care to look.Try the last 24 hours.
Why pick on Tony?
Based on “reports”.
Undoubtedly from those who disagree with his point of view.
aka Censorship.
Justafan
Morning, yeah I agree with those ( I did say Lustig ( Mikael), but I was thinking more in recent years. On izzy, definitely, but my crap memory told me he’d been here a long time, and a check just revelled he signed in 2010!
Naka, Majic were a wee while ago now……I think:-)
The most important new signing is NL’s number 2.
Nearly all the big games lost have been down in some part to fairly obvious tactical mistakes.
Revelled = revealed!
Bamboo
Peter Houston?
Morning all.
I see the hootsman has a quote from Mikel regarding his wanting to play in an ‘old f*rm’ game.
Makes my skin crawl
HH
medtim Good Morning everybody.
Looking for a bit of clarity around the whole points deduction for an insolvency event.
IF Zombie FC go into administration after the end of this season and a points deduction is applied for season 2014/15, then they come out of administration before the start of next season,does the points deduction still apply?
the points deduction once applied is not reversible, however many posters on this site are of the opinion that they will go into admin this week take the points deduction this season, and start afresh next season, the reason that this is unlikely and why rangers will avoid it at all costs is if thewy went into administration tomorrow and the administrators dragged their feet, and they were still in admin at the start of next season there may(someone can clarify I hope) be a further penalty . I think this is why hearts are pushing to come out of admin before next season starts. also if they cant get credit for season tickets , imagine what it would be like if they go in to admin ?
tnt…
Understood. (I missed Lustig!)
I mentioned the others only because you quoted Joos, who isn’t exactly recent!!!
Your point’s interesting though.
We’ve signed a few UK based players who maybe didn’t work out too well as well!
But its a good point nonetheless.
HH
Please not Peter Houston. I could do a better job than him.
beatbhoy and charliebhoy,
thanks for the responses.
I’ve c&p’d what I think is the relevant rule.
E3 Where an Insolvency Event occurs during the Close Season the 15 points deduction
shall apply in respect of the immediately following Season, such that the relevant
Club starts that immediately following Season in the relevant Division on minus 15
points.
IF I have got the right one then it isn’t clear the the deduction is irreversible.
I sincerely hope that it isn’t but,as beatbhoy alluded to,if there is a way the rules can be bent or broken to accommodate them then they will be.
Is there anywhere which states specifically that,once applied,the deduction stays irrespective of whether you go into and out of admin in a close season?
skyisland…
I hope you excuse Mikel…not here long…unlikely to have any perception of them except as a football team previously involved in a supremely famous rivalry.
I’m sure the journo would ask ” how would you like to experience an Old Firm game?”
There’s only going to be one answer to that!
Celtic FC and it’s fans will, like they always have been,
the occupants of the back seat of the bus.
There will be the select few who will be easily hoodwinked
into thinking that – we’re all on the same page.
The Holy-Willies, Rory Bremner, cheap attempts at a decoy
have worked, on some of you but, the comments from the
Sun newspapers chief sports writer – Bill Leckie – after the
minutes silence for the Ibrox disaster victims when, BL opined,
that….”…the Celtic fans, coughed their way through the mins
silence.”
The above comment was, on it’s own – grounds for that newspaper
to be banned – persona non grata.
But, typically….Celtic’s PLC-board, or whoever is charged with dealing
in that specific field, went missing. Not good enough.
The banning of the DR reporter / journalist, Hugh Keevins was no more
than a, cheap attempt by the Celtic chiefs to, curry favor with a certain
section of fans. A smoke screen ?
When Rob Maclean and, Pat Nevin rubbished the reputation of Celtic’s
customers during a world wide beaming of the SCF in 2011, again the
Celtic ‘guardians’…..lokked the other way.
When will Celtic’s ‘miffed’ fans, realize that….to get the desired combatitive
reaction, from the ‘guardians’….a severe dent in the pocket will make them
do what they are there to do ?
The above slurs from the media – with out reaction – have sent out the message
that, Celtic’s fans don’t mind being took for chookys.
Over and over to you.
medtim…
Relax bud. Not reverseable. It would need to say so in the rules!
justafan
I know……..but I still cringe every time I see or hear reference to it, even if engineered by the succulent spam eaters.
HH
eddieinkirkm…
Is that really the question you would ask Yogi?
justafan….
Good advice.I am going to relax on my lounger in the sun and read my books!
(Still think they will try every trick in the book to bend or break rules though….they do have plenty of previous after all!)
HH
medtim
bamboo….
“Fairly obvious tactical mistakes”
I think NLs number two should be….
bamboo!
it is not reversible, they will fight tooth and nail to stay afloat, it is not in their long term strategy to go into admin although they have no history to protect, in a footballing sense , the still have to build up a credit/banking/business history for a viable company to progress ……its not going to happen, sit back take notes and enjoy the ride (the notes are only for verification purposes, when the movie comes out ) any suggestions for the title, and actors………………….carry on zombie.. starring zombie cyril smith as al moist
Wed do not need to buy any players. IF we do , I would hope that he is not just a squad member. We have an excellent squad. Virgil would be a much lesser player without Efe to guide him. Efe does not make eye-catching gestures of instruction to Virgil but instruct him he does.
I am perfectly happy with our GK and our settled back four;
I am happy with Matthews, Brown,Biton,Commons,Mulgrew,Johansen and Forrest.
I am very happy with Griffiths and believe Stokes is beginning to show the kind of maturity which improves his game tremendously.
I don`t know what to think of Boerigter and Balde whilst Pukki remains an enigma.
Henderson and Fisher have shown themselves capable when needed.
I am sure I have left some out but, my general point is that if we don`t buy anyone, I am happy with what we have. If Snodgrass arrives, who do we leave out?
JJ
Justafan
Loads of footy questions I would want to ask but thought I’d ask something different as I’ve always found ex footballers non footy stories to be the most interesting and amusing.
TLOS-R`A`G`
09:19 on
30 April, 2014
Celtic FC and it’s fans
“it`s”.
Not “our”.
Significant?
Seems lamb is off the menu at Andrew Smith’s place.
As strong a piece as I’ve read on the topic: http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/latest/ally-mccoist-accountability-gap-at-rangers-1-3392216
Fair play if you’re looking in Andrew.
minx1888 praying for Wee Oscar
08:35 on 30 April, 2014
john o’neil
22:39 on 29 April, 2014
Evening all.
TD gets more abuse than Rangers supporters, such as Edward U, get on here. Odd.
—-
Not Odd at all, Ed is an absolute gentleman both on and off the blog. He has been a welcome poster to this blog over the years. He has never entered into petty insults when he disagrees with another poster, and disagree he did often!
——————————————–
I agree with you there – I’ve been on the blog since the very early days and EU was always a gent, despite having to put up with plenty of petty insults himself. But there’s the thing – there have always been those on the blog whose MO is insult rather than reasoned argument. That’s not something to be encouraged but TD is hardly the worst offender. And there are others who post some quote repugnant comments at time – all of which goes without mention. So it is curious that TD has been selected on the basis of he has. Perhaps, as they say in Scottish Football he “brings it on himself”?
Ole Ed Ursus made one decent post on ere……………………that picture with his two
gorgeous grand daughters wearing their Celtic tops was a cracker :O)
tonydonnelly67
G`day, mate.
Jungle Jim
It’s a squad game these days. If Snodgrass signs for Celtic then we have an adaptable player who can play up front on his own or as part of a front two and can play both wings and midfield. A very nice asset to have on your hands. Of all the players you have mentioned I would say around 40% are regularly injured at least 25% of each season. I would also wager that Snodgrass can play centre midfield if required. He is great value for money if the £3.5m price tag is true. he is also a Celtic supporter. He will bring passion to the team for the jersey. As a supporter of the club there is nothing better than seeing a fellow fan play in that jersey and live out your dream. He will give everything in that shirt. Snodgrass is a proven internationalist and reaching the peak of his career. £3.5m for a player of Snodgrass experience, ability and flexabilty appears to be an absolute snip. If Celtic pull this off it is the best signing the club have made from an EPL club for some years.
I would be happy to sign a player who will cost around £1m more than Boerritger and who will hit the ground running and make an impact in the first team squad. I assume he will pick up the wages that Joe Ledley declined. It’s a superb signing for Celtic IF it happens and wee Strachan will be delighted too. It will be another of his Scotland team members playing CL football and that will only make the national side better.
Delighted with the news Snodgrass could be signed this summer for £3.5m. The type of signing that will get people through the turnstyles. Great business if Celtic can pull this off.
LB
LiviBhoy – God bless wee Oscar
09:44 on
30 April, 2014
Yes,mate.
Fitba` talk at last.
Don`t know much about the guy,but you`ve sold me on him.
Hail Hail
“I want as many people to watch Rangers as humanely possible, if I could change it, [the uptake] I would change it, but we just have to play the cards we’re dealt and get on with it. We’ve got to remain half full rather than half empty. We’ve got a great game to look forward to [away to Dunfermline] and then, what a league we could be in next year, so that keeps us going.”
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/latest/ally-mccoist-accountability-gap-at-rangers-1-3392216
Humanely?
That a typo? That’s a belter!
LB
Livibhoy
Agree wholeheartedly. You can never have too many good footballers at your club, and he is certainly a good footballer. IF, he signs, and IF he costs £3.5m, it would be , in my opinion, a fantastic piece of business.
macjay1
And G’Day to you to mate ;)
Morning all. £3.5 million for Snodgrass? Sounds too good to be true.
So McCoist had no idea that his new club was as bad at financial management as his own club? Really?
Has anyone asked hi the obvious follow up question: “Are you a liar or just incredibly stupid?”
Serious question. Sorry it’s kind of referendum related which I don’t normally do, but there are people on both sides of the debate who clearly know a lot more than I, and I don’t have time to research, so I like to read them all.
If Scotland were to gain independence, what would our national debt be? Is it like administration where we agree a CVA with the “UK” for x pennies in the pound? Or is it like liquidation where we start off with zero debt?
Or is the UK debt already split by country and we would cop the full amount already apportioned to Scotland.
tonydonnelly67
09:51 on
30 April, 2014
Stoater,son.
:-)
Word on the street is this guys looking for me?
http://youtu.be/i-3cuCEt9k8
Livibhoy
I’ve known of Snodgrass since he was at primary school. A good friend of mine coached, mentored and acted as his agent for many years.
I know a couple of people who are still very friendly with him and I met him a couple of years ago at a party.
I had concerns about his maturity and professionalism but I won’t go into details on that.
Having said that I was really impressed with his interview recently when talking about Celtic, his future and his (current) commitment to the Norwich cause.
As a footballer I think that he’d excel up here and I do think that he has the ability to make a difference at European level also and his adaptability means that he could play in 4 or 5 different positions.