Despite Walter Smith urging “Rangers fans to get fully behind the resolutions which last week were presented to the Board and shareholders”, which include sacking chief executive, Craig Mather, he added, “Craig Mather, as I have said before is doing a good job. It is unfortunate that this has happened but when change does come I hope he’ll be allowed to continue the job he has started”.
Smith is clearly close to, but not in tandem with, those who requested an Emergency General Meeting.
As well as support for the chief exec, on the manager, Smith says, “As for Alistair McCoist, it is important that we all appreciate that no other Rangers manager has had to work with poorer or more trying circumstances. It is my fervent hope that when the dust settles and Rangers have a clearer path and future he is given the chance to manage under conditions similar to those which were afforded his predecessors.”
Here we get to the crux of the problem. Rangers International face enormous financial challenges. With a half decent football manager, they would be able to win promotion from the third tier of Scottish football with a football budget of around £1m, or several times that of their nearest rivals. If, as the Herald suggested this week, there is not enough money to finish the season, the most immediate responsibility of the directors is to cut costs accordingly.
Cutting costs is not the reason anyone gets into football, and it is certainly not what Walter Smith knew in his time at the Rangers group of clubs, but at times it is absolutely necessary. The non-executive directors of Rangers International would serve their fans interests best by telling this unpalatable truth.
Failure to do this will pale in comparison to some other potential consequences. In setting his stall behind McCoist, Mather’s team building exercise and the EGM protagonists, Smith has almost ensured collapse if those demanding change cannot command the support of 51% of shareholders. To succeed, Paul Murray will need to demonstrate the leadership and deal management skills which were lacking a year ago.
Meanwhile, John Brown’s warning about Green turning Ibrox to dust hangs over the place, a bit like dust.
There is one overarching concern, however. Green is critical to fending off any impending action by Craig Whyte. His evidence will be necessary to explain how Sevco Scotland Ltd assumed the irrevocable entitlement of Sevco 5088 Ltd. Even with Green on-side, this looks like a challenge, but if the main protagonists in this action are separated from those who will have to defend any action, you suspect Whyte will be enormously encouraged.
When Whyte believed he was double-crossed he went nuclear. All Green would need to do is corroborate a sliver of Whyte’s evidence to bring Whyte’s legal challenge into sharp focus. For this reason, Green has to be part of the picture going forward. Demonising him is tempting, and may be deserved, but it’s self-defeating – and these people know all about self-defeating.
Section 111
Two weeks ago I said “place your bets” on what would happen after Celtic issued their “final warning” over a number ongoing issues in section 111. No one was in control of the situation, not Celtic, and not members the Green Brigade, who I believe had nothing to do with several of the issues.
Since then I’ve watched the debate. Some, like Phil Mac Giolla Bhain, attempted to inform on the debate, interviewing handicapped supporters and independent safety experts. Anticipating this day would come, I thought about interviewing the Council, but decided against, not wanting to draw them into making a public stance they would be unable to back down from.
Yesterday felt as inevitable as what’s going to happen next in Govan. Can the situation be rescued? Of course. Will it? Place your bets, people…
I’m not a regular newspaper buyer but the front page of one of today’s is a keeper. Celtic have a lateral movement issue, which dominates the front page, when the utter implosion at Ibrox is relegated to a side column. It’s a testament to our age. We will survive. I can’t say that with any certainty about the other lot.
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Glen
Auld enough? I seen em at some crappy holiday camp many moons ago,
…and if memory serves me correctly, Jimmy James and the vagabonds were on the same bill :-)
Weefratim
What’s the chance of some eggs this week? Are the chucks still on strike ?
HH
Brnobhoy
Weefra
5 duck eggs laid outside my front door. Neighbour has hens so we put the eggs in with them. 5 healthy wee ducks born. Beautiful they are. 5 weeks old tomorrow so they’re being released into the pond tomorrow evening. The hens have raised em a treat, but the young springer spaniel has needed some watching! She’s desperate to get at them:-)
having a `mare with the worlds slowest superfast free wi-fi , courtesy of The Holiday Inn. However at least the game will be on i-player tomorrow night.
Glad to see the debate has moved on , I have nothing to add on the GB , suffice to say that a compromise must be reached to unify the support and keep the feelgood factor going. The mid summer pantomime across the river just gets better….they are all lining up to defend Ally and Walter…methinks they doth protest too much….I smell sh*te!
Now is the time for us to get aligned and watch the end game unfold.
Firstly, let`s get the match over with tomorrow, it will not be easy. We are nowhere near where we should be but Elfsborg are limited, we can only lose this game through our own misdemeanours.
The cries for us to “kill off the Hun” are very justified bearing in mind what we have put up with over the years. However as the game goes global and images have to be maintained we cannot be seen to be the club who kill them off, not off the park anyway. We will play our part, hopefully, but there are b igger games and battles to be played and won.
My feeling is that we will never play them again in a league game for many seasons, we will be playing in another league outwith our own borders.
Remember , I am a dreamer and love to think of these things , but as I get older (not wiser) I get a wee feeling I might be right.
Good luck to the Celts tomorrow night and long live the Celtic family.
Hail! Hail!
Glendalystonsils likes a mr whippy with his lime green jelly
20:38 on
6 August, 2013
blantyretim
19:07 on
6 August, 2013
I wondered if anybody else on the blog would be auld enough to remember them!
“Where are you all coming from?”,
“We’re from Ibrox on the run”
…etc…
Twists,
Wee job for ya – monitor your mails in 5 mins :)
Who was it that played the fiddle while Rome burned??
Chris
Ok will have a look.
jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/
Charlie Daniels
Arthur grande
jude2005 is neil lennon \o/
20:51 on 6 August, 2013
Who was it that played the fiddle while Rome burned??
———
No one, it hadn’t been invented.
Pedanticcsc:-)
Sorry I missed a few Q’a earlier, was off oot.
Speaking of which-
Seeds in the play offs-
Basel
Shakhtar Karagandy
Steaua Bucharest
Seeds oot-
APOEL (Maribor)
Watching Morecambe v Wolves.
Commentators saying Wolves Areca huge club. Taken 500 fans to the match.
Looking at the ground it is half empty.
Could you imagine if we joined at that level of English football?
The ground would be full.
I am in Manchester and would be there in about an hour.
Sorry- Shakhtar will be unseeded- possible opponent.
Thats Nero nuff
Is this the start of a Barron Knights songs debate?
Swedish manager is still droning on about his pitch. It isn’t about his players but the pitch! Felt sorry for Bangura last week. Celtic will dispose of them.
Jude
Did you get my email from P67?
***** the BHOY <:0)
APOEL go out.
If Dinamo Zagreb go through tomorrow, they will replace them in the seeded half of the draw meaning we cannot play them.
Partizan 45mins away from also exiting the competiton.
Chris
Hmmmmm kinda complicated!! Gimme some time to think about it. Might save myself a job though… Calling CQN……any travel agents or tour operators on here??
Nero was obviously a hun. He liked to play the Lyre.
I’ll close the door on my way oot.
There’s a dentist in Birmingham, he fixed my crown And as I slept, he filled my mouth with iron He said “Rinse out your mouth, with the medication spit it out In the receptacle by your side
Googy
Backed more amble at 5/1 for a bit of fun. No great hopes, but 5/1 seemed too big.
B R
Not so far. Will check just now.
Backed Morecambe!
I thought it was interesting watching the second half of Maribor-Apoel.
Apoel were clearly the better team on the night, but completely lost their discipline. Esmael Gonçalves (aye, that wan) got a straight red on 85 minutes. Paulo Sergio (aye, that wan) was sent to the stand for complaining. They played the seven minutes’ stoppage time with a backy-in (no kidding) and were clearly harbouring a big grievance against the ref (who I think was the ref we had for the Cliftonville game in Ireland).
Apoel had three shouts for penalties in the second half. To my eyes, none of them looked like even 50% of the shout we had on Saturday when Stokes was fouled. On two of the three occasions, though, the ref booked the Apoel players for going down. They completely lost it. Maribor’s players looked a wee bit intimidated by it all. Paulo Sergio came back on to the field at the end to remonstrate with the ref who had four security men (arms linked) forming a human shield around him.
Final score: 0-0.
twists, was that Wise?
twists n turns
21:00 on 6 August, 2013
Googy
Backed more amble at 5/1 for a bit of fun. No great hopes, but 5/1 seemed too big.
Looking good.
Unless Doyle comes on?
brnobhoy
Hens are laying well again. You are welcome for 1 doz hen and as many duck as you like. Let me know when you are coming as you may well get more. Geeza fone. :))
Weefra HH
Twists,
Didn’t think it would be straight forward unfortunately. Will see if feedback is received from CQNland :)
I guess this may be a sensitive topic for some of our Belfast/Irish bhoys so I hope not to cause any controversy. Can I find a balanced book about the Forces Research Unit activities in the North of Ireland? Not looking for propaganda but the facts about their activities. Help would be very much appreciated. Sorry for non football point but I know we have many Irish contributors who could help.
Interesting case Steua Bucarest is.
If they go through play offs, they will be first club in the Champions League fully managed by the owner who is in jail. George Becali still controls everything that is happening in his club.
jude2005 is neil lennon \o/
20:51 on 6 August, 2013
Who was it that played the fiddle while Rome burned??
It was the cardihun, until he released he wasn’t getting paid.
So Guidi says on the radio that Sally will be gone in 48 hours….
….at the same time as this news breaks?
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/aug/06/bradford-city-mascot-not-fat-enough
He’s got the girth and the brogues….
mrs j on Chuckles. “does that man never smile”? Me “give it time dear, give it time”
Chris
Oh it can be done. Will sort it tomorrow.