Super Ally and the secret ballot

One of the central tenets of a democracy is the secret ballot.

The reasons for this are easy to understand.

If your voting preference is not known to the world, then you can vote without fear of intimidation.

I understand that there was a feisty exchange this morning within the upper echelons of the Sevco High Command.

Some of the directors of the Holding Company Vehicle were seriously unimpressed with the fact that Mr McCoist’s alleged voting preferences had been leaked to the media.

I understand that the conduit to the Scottish tabloid came from a very high Level within the Sevco High Command.

This is particularly serious given the lynch mob vibe last night on the dignified message boards once the news was leaked.

I understand that Mr David Cunningham King is concerned that perhaps not all of the directors vote for their beloved chairman?

I’m also told that there is also now a high-Level probe into who in the Sevco High Command is not loyal to the dear leader.

The chairman has reason to suspect that not all of his colleagues  on the board voted for him.

This follows on from an immaculately coiffed functionary telling the South African based entrepreneur only yesterday that his reputation was toxic in the Square Mile.

That reality was hammered home to the magnificently maned factotum when he recently went door to door in the City looking for distressed finance.

The Square Mile chaps told him that the RIFC Chairman wasn’t their main selling point.

The existential threat to the Holding Company Vehicle will not be an unpayable debt like the Big Tax Case for Rangers.

What threatens the existence of the Engine Room Subsidiary is simple cash flow.

My information is that even General Ashley is now concerned at what type of insolvency event the High Command might be planning.

Now he does care a great deal about his retail deal, and he wants that to survive, but it is linked to Sevco.

The Holding Company Vehicle needs to live so that he can get the millions in pure profit from the Rangers Retail Limited agreement.

For the avoidance of doubt dear reader, whatever happens, it is never Dave’s fault.

I think the chaps in the High Command have now finally realised that important fact.

168 thoughts on “Super Ally and the secret ballot”

  1. Another scenario popped into my mind. It’s very far fetched but hear me out. It all hinges on just how pissed off MA is.

    If through financial pressure etc, he forced another liquidation event, he could then outbid everyone for the remnants of Sevco (administrators would have to accept best value for creditors) and then just refuse to do anything with it. Effectively killing the club. It’d be money down the drain but by heck it’d send a message! And going on how much Mr White paid, he could certainly afford it.

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  2. 4-3 this result will destroy the confidence of every team in the Prem Div. Even with s two goal lead no one can be sure that the bhoys won’t go on and still win.
    Well done the lhe the lhads.
    Brother Clancy did his best. McLean tackle on Lustig identical to the one he booked Izzy for, he kicks Lustigs foot with a sliding tackle and studs showning, both of MWell goals in first half were really well taken. Sevco will be after Moult now.
    Btw I see Brother Thompson didn’t see Millers two handed catch, clear foul and booking. No wonder Brother Thompson and the rest of the SFA brethern are sponsored by Specsavers,
    Oh the irony.

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  3. “It might seem like a long time ago I was at Rangers. Thirty years ago may seem like that but it’s not a long time in the history of the game for a club who could outbid Man United and everyone else in England, pay the same wages as Arsenal to where they are today….G.Souness 1/12/16….Deary Me ..I rest my case your honour…when is somebody going call him out ..EBTs /transfers/boumsong/…

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  4. The Evening Times (yes, I know!) is full too many gems to keep to myself in its interview with Mr Sounesss.

    http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/14941757.Graeme_Souness_on_Warburton__Dave_King_and_the_future_for_Rangers

    For those who can only stomach small morsels, I hope your gastric band can stomach such gems as…

    “It might seem like a long time ago I was at Rangers. Thirty years ago may seem like that but it’s not a long time in the history of the game for a club who could outbid Man United and everyone else in England, pay the same wages as Arsenal to where they are today.”

    Oh dear!

    But even Mr Souness is topped by some crackers by Mr Warburton, doing his best to keep the fans away from his front door with a tease re an overseas player in his sight….

    “He has got an outstanding pedigree and we are trying to get hold of him. He is an overseas player, playing at a very high level. We hope we can get him”…topped off by the classic….

    “it would be a loan deal….”

    Bless!

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  5. I listened and watched the sevco chairman’s speech at the recent agm at the spam factory down govan way on you tube, If ever someone was not convinced that they, the sons of sevco are not in deep S**t then watch this and read between the lines, Not once did Dave King smile, or crack a wee funny quip to get a chuckle from his audience, a more dreary and somber performance this could not have been, with mention of competing ( or not competing) financially with Celtic of course, with a face that could have sunk a thousand battleships (love it) and of course squealing a number of times about being bullied by Mike Ashley and sports direct, and all the problems he and his board did not know about when they took over the good (sinking) ship sevco.No more talk of investing his childrens inheritance or him putting in millions of his own cash instead he talks about the comeing years and financial prudence and deficit funding, and getting sevco to the summit of scottish football being a medium to long term project, WOW! a big change in his views from last season
    So instead of spouting the same old pish about winning the SPL he is now getting the hun support ready for a long period of not investing in the playing side, not something the ordinary bear in the street will want to hear or will understand,
    In a separate interview he also said its critical we get into Europe next season, something that will not be happening no matter what happens because of their financial situation.
    Also listened to the magic hat for 30 seconds , that was enough.

    Hail Hail
    Happy happy happy days

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  6. Scottish Cup draws since Sevco’s inception (with thanks to Maureen Luby)

    Celtic: Home – 3, Away – 19

    Aberdeen: H -10, A – 12.

    Hearts: H -15, A -7.

    Sevco: Home – 16, A – 6.

    I’d say the Celtic shareholders have a strong case for taking the SFA to court for lost, or deliberately deprived, revenue.

    In fact, they could even use the Offensive Behaviour at Football (Scotland) Act in their favour for once and claim a clear sectarian bias against CFC in favour of the perpetually failing Ibrox outfit.

    Because those bigots’ balls must be roasting.

    Preferably over a public flame.

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    • Really? I hadn’t seen these statistics presented like this before.

      It’s not quite like tossing a coin (each event independent with a 50% chance of heads or tails; over 20+ events you would expect – roughly – 10 heads 10 tails).

      Football draws are slightly different in that they are multi-variant events – in each case a number of teams are in play – with diminishing numbers each round.

      However, the home and away matter IS binary, and again, in cases of over 20 events, you would expect ‘Home’ to occur more or less equally to ‘Away’ – this would appear to be the case with Aberdeen, for instance (10-12)

      If the stats above are true (no reason to doubt) then a P-test (P for ‘probability’) could readily be done.

      At first glance, I would say that the chances of the numbers above, for both Celtic and Sevco being generated randomly (as one would expect if each individual draw was fair and an independent event) are remote in the extreme.

      Indeed, I would go further – since Celtic and Sevco are almost mirror images of each other, I would strongly suggest that they were co-dependent events – i.e. statistically linked.

      I would reckon probability of random independence in the order of 1 in several millions. In other words, whilst it is possible that the outcome above could be the result of pure chance, the present data suggest that this is NOT the case.

      A T-test on all relevant data could show within a considerable degree of confidence whether this were the case. If the results were statistically significant, then there would be a strong scientific case to say that they had been fixed (or pochled, as we say in the scientific community).

      If a T-test within relavent confidence limits were indeed to show this, I believe with appropriate expert witnesses to support this (a professor of mathematical statistics from a reputable Institution – then I believe a very strong case could be made in an impartial court of law that foul play was in operation.

      Unfortunately, given the er – fraternal – relationships that exist between the Scottish Bench and Sevco/SFA – the probability that such a court could be found in Scotland, is in my humble opinion, vanishingly small.

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      • That’s why we have to expand our horizons beyond the shaking hands and baring nips of bonnie connie Scotland.

        Oddly enough, I intended to close with the phrase

        ‘The statistics do not lie but the SFA does.’

        What are the chances, eh ..?

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      • Like all good gangster stories, and pyramid scams, one company owns the lot of them, and all the money flows upwards so that the ‘capo’ gets his cut.

        Now, who can tell me who it is that has created, and is now destroying, Scottish football, having milked it for all that it’s worth?

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      • Dear Statistcion – can you calculate the probability of this outcome
        Between 1970/71 to 1988/89 season Rangers and Celtic were never drawn together in the Cup.This inculded:
        8 occassions in semi – finals
        10 occassions in quarter finals
        15 occasions in last 16
        19 occassions in last 32
        I seem to recall reading somewhere that a Unit Stats student had calculated this outcome as being statistically impossibile -was he correct?

        by comparison in this period their main 2 rivals Aberdeen & Dundee Utd were drawn together on 6 different occassions as follows:
        2 times in semi final (84/85 & 87/88)
        1 times in quarter finals (83/84)
        2 times in last 16 (70/71 & 88/89)
        1 time in last 32 (71/72)

        I also note that from early 90’s the draw started being made live on tv and Rangers & Celtic started being drawn against each other.

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        • The result you cite above is improbable to the point of absurdity. The chances that these are part of an open, random procedure, are as remote as the nearest black hole is to the solar system.

          I cannot make a full statistical analysis since, I do not have all of the data in the whole multivariate procedure – and in any case, it would take quite a while to complete the pre-calculation assignment of values.

          The calculations themselves would be relatively easy however – just a simple laptop equipped with XL with stats functions would be required. The student you mention seems plausible.

          The outcome described above – along with the matter I commented on earlier – is entirely consistent with a process that allows whoever is making the draw to be able to identify BOTH Celtic and Sevco and its Rangers predecessor (before its deserved demise).

          This would allow these teams a) to be kept apart in any draw required and b) for one of them to be selected first (home) or second (Away) in each case.

          The important thing is that both teams’ tokens need to be distinctive and identifiable in each draw. And the drawer need got be briefed appropriately.

          I have seen speculation that balls were either heated or frozen prior to the draw – but this could not account for the two independent processes described (a &b) above.

          However if one ball – say the Celtic ball – was kept in a freezer prior to the draw – and the other – the Rangers/Sevco ball were to be kept in a modest oven, then the above could readily be achieved.

          A simple way to prevent this would be for club representatives to insist that all balls be kept at room temperature for 2 hours prior to the draw, and that club representative(s) be there to witness that this is the case. The balls should also be examined for tangible physical markings (e.g like Braille markings) and be perfectly smooth and of the same size.

          I have no doubt at all this will never be allowed, since the SFA business model relies on giving Sevco an unfair advantage so that the (ahem) correct level of competition be accomplished for the good of Regan/Doncaster bank accounts.

          (You mean “For the good of the game”, surely -Ed)

          Sorry, for the good of the game.

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          • Many thanks for your comprehensive reply – I am sure your conclusion is correct though I may take your advice re spreadsheet.
            Am I correct in thinking that the following are the odds of avoiding a specific team in each round:
            semi final 2/3
            quarter final 6/7
            second round 14/15
            first round 30/31
            I understand that year on year for each round the odds would be multiplied but how do the odds for each round relate to each other?

            I have checked these details and am sure they are correct – happy for anyone to recheck.
            You will appreciate how supporters outside Rangers & Celtic would view the Cup draw in 70’s & 80’s with a degree of scepticism! Especially when my team Dundee drew Celtic in semi-finals 4 times between 1973 & 77. Even though Dundee had a pretty good team in early 70’s we were up against Jock Stein teams with amongst other players a certain Mr Dalglish!

            I do not recall this bizarre sequennce of draws was ever highlighted by MSM either during this period or since.

          • Hi JP 56 – at first pass your conclusions seem sound – you have a 1/3 chance of meeting a given team in quarter final – hence a 2/3 chance of avoiding etc as you cite.

            But the question here is not odds of any given independent event – but cumulative odds in multiple events of many years. This is a much more complicated comparison, and an exhaustive treatment would require, if the hypothesis is that the system is fixed, then we would need to know such things as the number of rounds; the order of a team’s selection in each round, in each competition in each year etc. As you can imagine, this would be time-consuming and complicated. So the odds aren’t simply multiplied in each year – each round in each year is a stand-alone event, and any multiplier would need to take account of the stage in each event, in each year, a given team was pulled out (or not pulled) out of the hat

            However, there is a way around this, that looks at the global results, such as have been presented here and asking what are the odds of these arising by chance. A statistical test of ‘Significance’ could then be carried out based on what is called the Null Hypothesis:

            This states that no statistical significance exists in a set any given observations for any given hypothesis – e.g. that a draw has not been rigged.

            The null hypothesis attempts to show that no variation exists between variables or that a single variable is no different than its mean. It is presumed to be true until statistical evidence nullifies it for an alternative hypothesis. The alternative hypothesis in this case, is that a draw has been rigged.

            Remember that in an independent process, last year’s (or last round’s) event has no bearing on this year’s – just as if the last toss of a coin were heads, the chances of the next toss being heads remain 50%.

            The evidence as to whether a draw has been rigged would be stronger over time. For example, if all of the other teams (for example Aberdeen cited as home/away 10/12) follow a random pattern whilst just two teams (Celtic/Sevco) deviate from what would be expected by chance, then the evidence accumulates that the matter dis not arise by chance, and was indeed the result of a non-random event, which in this case we may infer as cheating.

            So the quickest way to do this is to look at the Home/Away draws for all the other teams in the competition, over as many years as possible and determine whether they follow roughly the pattern of 50:50 as would be expected in a fair draw.

            If the only outliers are Celtic and Sevco, and if as seemed to me that mirror each other (Home-Away 16-4 Sevco: 4:16 Celtic) or thereabouts, whilst the others follow a direct pattern, then the null hypothesis in my view would be disproved – the matter did not arise by random draws.

            Hope this helps.

          • Thanks for your last reply – I am beginning to realise my SYS Stats (Grade B) can only take me so far and I accept this is a complicated matter beyond my ken.

            My premise that the draws look dodgy during this period does however still stand I think and can be further backed up by fact that Rangers reached 12 semi finals between 71-89 and only once drew highest ranked other team left.(Motherwell in 1976)
            From 1977 to 1989 they reached 8 semis and played weakest team (according to league position when drawn) on 6 occasions and 2nd weakest team on other 2 occassions – any thoughts on probability of this outcome?

            PS – you should charge for advice!

    • Any reasonable observer would make the reasonable conclusion that over five years this tournament is rigged against Celtic and rigged for Sevco.

      As supporting evidence I offer the Referee and goalmouth official’s performance during the Scottish cup semi, deliberate hand ball save robbing Celtic.

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    • Not too sure about these figures, but for clarity, since the inception of TRFC in 2012, Hearts have only been included in five Scottish Cup draws, only getting past Aberdeen in the process and losing to Hibs in a replay last season. So, despite getting the advantage of four out of five home draws, they faced Celtic twice, Hibs once and Aberdeen once at home and Hibs away once. Nice money-spinning matches, but not the type that make progress easy/likely.

      Home draws are one thing, and one home draw per season at entry to a competition might not be unusual, but multiple home draws in each of four seasons, often against unfancied clubs, might just seem a tad suspicious!

      For the record, I am using Hearts as an example because they are the club whose cup record I am most familiar with. I think the comparison table used was created in terms of the last 22 matches each club played, rather than the period since TRFC came into existence.

      Basically, TRFC have had a lot of draws against less fancied clubs that just happen to have been played at Ibrox where maximum income would be forthcoming (for both clubs, of course 😉 ).

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      • Since you ask….
        Since Sevco formation (5 competitions)

        Sevco 10H 4A
        Celtic 8H 1A
        Hearts 4H 7A
        Aberdeen 5H 6A

        And for comparison, the last 5 competitions contested by Rangers

        Rangers 2H 7A
        Celtic 4H 6A
        Hearts 4H 5A
        Aberdeen 5H 4A

        Anybody got a conspiracy theory to fit?

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    • I knew the Sevco ‘homers’ figure was skewed… But hadn’t realised that Celtic had such an imbalance in favour of the reverse.

      Is it just the ‘cup draw gods will’? Pure coincidence ? Football lottery?

      Or is there a ‘controlling power’ guiding these draws?

      Might be the same one that has made sure there is a significantly longer cumulative period of extra time in Sevco matches this season ! SIGNIFICANTLY LONGER!!!

      Particularly in games where Sevco are either losing or drawing as full-time approaches.

      May I draw the readers to –

      Sevco v Dundee 19/11-16

      Score at 90 minutes 0-0

      5 minutes added time declared ( and recorded by post match stats) despite very little to justify such added time during the game.

      More importantly… Forester scores for Sevco on 92 minutes… Whistle blown seconds later before 93 minutes reached.

      Maybe a statistician needs to have a look at more than just the cup draws!

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    • These figures are incorrect. More than that, they are complete rubbish.
      Firstly, Sevco haven’t existed long enough to have been in the pot for 22 Scottish Cup draws. Also, how likely is it that all 4 clubs cited would have been in precisely the same number of draws in the one KO tournament?

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      • Theese top teem mostly get to semi. So same number.

        Semi and final are not home or away but Hamden. So not in stats.

        If semi and final home or away Celtic would have more games/ draws.

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      • Sorry, the figures are correct but my timescale was off.

        They’re NOT from Sevco’s inception but are the last 22 matches for each team listed in the Scottish Cup.

        You can take off your Mr Angry hat now and check them online yourself.

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  7. There is no good news on the horizon for the Ibrox club/company/thingy.

    As Celtic disappear over the hill financially and on the park how many Bears ST holders will renew next season to watch the same dire crap being served up?
    The ‘Going For 55’ slogan can only be punted so often, even the most gullible can only be fooled so many times.
    It’s a downward spiral, lower clouds, reduced revenue and so on.
    On the other hand, despite domestic domination, Celtic Park will be bursting at the seams as fans queue up to witness history in 7, 8, 9 and 10 IAR……a ST will be the only guarantee.
    Can you imagine the demand as 9 IAR looms up?
    With two of the most saleable assets in UK football, Dembele and Tierney, on the books the future looks assured.
    When either of them go then I doubt very much if Celtic will be accepting the £12m that we did for Virgil……about to be punted for anything between £40 and £50m.
    No siree………straight to EPL silly money this time around!

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    • The utter desperation by Sevco to avert TIAR is what will ultimately tip the balance and finish them off…

      Even if they limp on a few years more with ‘soft loans’ and ginger bottle deposits … They and their SFA sponsor will do anything to try and stop it! (They conveniently forget that we did Nine-in-a-row first anyway ! No prizes for doing something second except in ‘the peepuls kingdom of Sevconia ‘.

      Absolutely anything could and will be possible in their futile attempts to bring in world class players (not a world class manager mind!) to eat that ‘world class breakfast ‘ so much lauded .

      The inevitable financial and other implications will be their own metaphorical end to a 2 horse race they will never win … as the curtain is drawn round them , the vet reaches into his bag and administers the shot to end it all!

      I think it is likely that they will not get to witness TIAR … Although I’d prefer that they did and had their blue noses properly rubbed in it. To see what can be done by honesty, dedication and fair play.

      For now they will do as their motto says… “Follow. Follow” .. But only at a distance .. Well for a while anyway..

      After all… You have to be able to see something to follow it! Very soon Celtic will be ‘out of sight’

      Roll on Hogmanay !

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  8. Despite The Hat knowing exactly how Hearts would play he had no answer to a Hearts manager who was on his way out the door.
    The Hat is a fraud, perpetuated by the Scottish media, bless them!
    Next year he will be plying his trade in the lower English leagues where he and McParland in particular wil have a hard job in sustaining a relegation campaign.
    Those media characters who tipped the Hat’s team to put Celtic in their place seem to have disappeared from the face of the Earth.
    Despite all the crap about Scotland needing a strong Rangers, the likely outcome will show the biggest margin in SPL/SPFL history this year.
    We are looking at a 30 points plus margin, in fact by New Year we wil be 2/3 rds there what a reflection on Sevco and the rest.
    There are special things happening around CFC this season, 50th Lisbon anniversary, 60th anniversary of Hampden In The Sun, the good news keeps on coming.
    There will ne no forgive and forget till someone at Sevco apologises for the 10 years, and more, where Rangers cheated the rest of Scottish football using illegal DOS and EBT tax evasion schemes, both hidden from HMRC and the SFA.
    Never forgive, never forget soft loans now, then, forever!

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    • ‘What a reflection on sevco and the rest’

      Celtic and Sevco suck the financial lifeblood out of the rest of Scottish football. Their supports are are almost entirely drawn from the religious divide in Scotland. Sevco’s problems are self inflicted leaving Celtic virtually unchallenged on the road to further euro competition riches. If it wasn’t for all the other teams in Scotland attempting to get bye on a non religious support there would be no financial riches open for Celtic and (no laughing) sevco.
      With their massive financial advantage Celtic should be winning every domestic game, especially against the teams who do not rely on a religion based support.
      Rather than a sneer have some appreciation of the efforts the other teams go to in making up the numbers for Celtics forays into Europe.

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      • I have no religion.
        Please appreciate on your part that the ghetto-isation of the celtic support in its formative years was almost entirely due to the antipathy towards the catholic/irish displayed in wider scottish society and its football environs.
        Celtic as a club have always pursued inclusiveness within the restraints imposed upon it by a religiously bigoted environment . The club does not exist in a vacuum.
        I do take issue with those who categorize celtic as faith family and fitba . . I am not personally marooned in that time-warp and just the latter two “f”s are plenty for me and most of my celtic supporting peers.

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        • Ditto for me.

          Well said that man.

          We resist attempts to tarnish us with the Sevco/ Rangers/ Old Firm brush of sectarianism.

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      • Excellent point. For many years commercial interests have fed this religious and cultural divide. Both sides were willing participants in it.

        Now that Sevco are dying Celtic are opening up a huge gap apparently spurred on by their owner taking some lip from the Sevco crew after last seasons cup Semi. Ego and vanity is again ascendent.

        As Celtic soar away into the distance the rest of Scottish football suffers but so do Celtic because for them to reach the next stage they need to play against stronger opposition.

        Of course the plan might actually be to create such an enormous gap that the only solution is to find a more competitive environment. After years of winning nothing and getting pumped regularly the Diddy teams may not object too strongly if Celtic leave.

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      • Celtic have never had a sectarian signing policy and draw their support from all sections of the community, despite what you have been conditioned to think.BTW, I have been called a f£nian B4st4rd at most football grounds in Scotland , most recently as I walked through a group of Aberdeen “fans” on Sunday at Hampdump.

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      • You haven’t a clue about Celtic, chief.

        Take yourself up to Parkhead and sit, or stand, amongst the supporters and see how many Catholic hymns they sing …

        Nor do they sing about ‘terrorists’, as the biased Scottish media try to claim, for the Celtic support’s songs are about remembering the oppressed, largely from the terrible crimes of the British empire inflicted upon the Irish & Scottish people, which is a worthy thing to remember, as the bigoted remnants of that empire now keep shoving down our throats with their myriad shows about Hitler, who the US funded in his rise to power and coerced into war, let’s not forget

        Celtic is a club open to all religions, all creeds, all colours and all types of people.

        Rangers* is a vipers nest of secret societies, bias, hubris and sectarian hatred.

        See the difference?

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        • Mr M J S

          You’re only a terrorist when it suits the oppressors.

          The Hunger Strikers died because Thatcher refused
          them political prisoners’ status and yet the murderer of Jo Cox has managed that status without even missing out on a fish supper and they don’t half emphasise it on
          their news programmes.

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        • At no point in my article did I say or accuse CFC of any religious type impropriety, the point is that the Celtic support is made up very largely from a catholic support just as Rangers are with their protestant support and that is what puts many bums on seats. Of course both teams will have supporters of other or no beliefs. Anyone thinking anything else is deluding themselves.
          CFC may not have encouraged it but the fact is religion influences very many supporters in which team they follow, to the financial detriment of other clubs.
          Also at no point did I accuse the Celtic support of singing Sectarian type songs.
          As a matter of interest I do not think that one side is as bad as the other neither do I need to do any research, I have lived a long lifetime amongst it and giving me full and firsthand experience of what religion means to the Scottish football supporter.
          Getting back to my original point, I would ask people to stop and think before passing comment on other teams being unable to seriously challenge Celtic considering the vast difference in income.

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          • still think you are failing to accommodate that when fitba fans whose heritage is “celtic orientated” are encouraged to “support their local team . .they are being asked to spend time in a environment historically and sadly often presently hostile to their community..
            Fans in various grounds have what they claim is their own version (ffs !) of the sectarian/racist “billy boys”anthem for example . .hardly a welcoming environment for people simply wishing to watch a game of fitba with their friends and/or family.
            An inevitable consequence of this hostility and the ,common to all countries, propensity for fans to want to watch the biggest and best teams .. .means Celtic end up with the biggest stadium/crowds and biggest worldwide audience due to often forced migration setting up communities around the globe who share/shared a similiar experience to the catholic irish in scotland.

      • M1903. Celtic are non sectarian. I am a season ticket holder and I do not practice any organised religion. But I respect people who do. You probably think one side is as bad as the other.way off the mark there too mate. Do a wee bit more research before posting an MSM generalisation aimed at people like yourself who don’t know any better.

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      • Complete balderdash. Get your head out of the sand.As a Celtic fan I’ve witnessed and experienced sectarian bile from the vast majority of so called non religious based supporters all over Scotland. This denial of anti catholic hatred is part of the root cause of the issue. You really need to wake up and open yours eyes then maybe we can move forward and address the issues.

        Reply
        • I seem to have unwittingly touched some raw nerves. To repeat my point, celtic and rangers support are largely made up from Catholic and protestants, much to the financial detriment of the other teams. A simple straightforward point
          Somehow, sectarian bile, feinians, Billy boys, terrorists, Adolf Hitler etc has been mentioned
          Absolutely nowhere did I mention or allude to such things.
          To agree or disagree with me is everyone perogative, however to come out with with some of the above as if it was what I was getting at is completely wrong.
          We should be able to discuss things in a sensible manner without imagined slights been taken.

          Reply
      • As a card carrying athiest I find this comment ill-judged and the two people I most commonly watch games with, a Muslim and a Protestant, might be inclined to agree with me. Please don’t swallow the nonsense of the Scottish media.

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  9. The gap will soon be of Grand Canyon proportions.

    There is no reason going forward that Celtic and Sevco should be mentioned in the same sentence.

    They are slowly dying on their feet, Res 11 and the UEFA licence is the last thing King needed.
    If administration is announced next week who would really be surprised?
    Certainly not the internet bampots, just the majority of Sevco fans who get their info from Jackson and his crew who up till now have filled the media with lies, untruths and fairytales concerning their favourite team all thanks to Level 5 and King support.
    Campbell Dallas must be wondering why they signed off on the accounts, though with a big going concern notice, then find themselves looking down the barrel of a gun with Res 11 failing and the chances of the critical UEFA licence in severe doubt.

    Reply
    • This is the measure you’ll need….

      The astronomical unit (symbol au, or ua) is a unit of length, roughly the distance from Earth to the Sun. However, that distance varies as Earth orbits the Sun, from a maximum (aphelion) to a minimum (perihelion) and back again once a year.

      Reply
      • So an au, or ua, is 93 million miles in length?

        Did they invent this unit to match the distance to the sun and have they explained why the heat and light from the sun doesn’t radiate uniformly around the surrounding area?

        For example, they claim that some planets are very cold and others very hot irrespective of their distance to the sun.

        Both heat and light should spread evenly in all directions from the sun itself, as it’s a sphere, right?

        So why does Earth get so much heat off it yet other planets also around, or within, the 93 million mile mark, do not?

        Dose the heat dissipate, and if so, why?

        Also, why does the light from such a distance hit Earth at various angles?

        I was overlooking the sea at Largs last week and the sun was like a lightbulb in the clouds, the light radiating outwards in a clean circular spread onto the water, rather than uniformly, as should happen over such a distance?

        Any help in such a conundrum would be greatly appreciated, as my eyes appear to be completely contradicting what science tells us.

        Reply
        • How does the heat from the sun manage to travel 93 million miles through the absolute zero temperatures of the ‘vacuum of space’ wholly intact enough to even reach Earth?

          Shouldn’t it be heating absolutely everything around it, or freezing uniformly, in roughly the same manner, if space really is as cold as they say it is?

          Oh, and how can these rockets they ‘send up’ not themselves freeze in this ‘vacuum’ and how can their ‘boosters’ work at all if they are truly in the vacuum they’re claimed to be and have ‘nothing’ against which they can push to actually boost the rocket ..?

          Add to this that Obama just last month said that humanity/NASA hopes to ‘get past Low Earth Orbit, and the notoriously lethal Van Allen Radiation Belt, by 2030.

          Haven’t they been claiming to have achieved that on numerous occasions since the early 1960’s, with not a single astronaut showing any kind of radiation sickness ..?

          And isn’t it amazing how the media’s lies about a Scottish fitba club can lead someone into doubting everything the media ever comes out with and does some proper investigation for themselves, only to discover that it’s not called ‘programming’ for nothing ..?

          Reply
  10. Why do you keep on talking about the holding company vehicle and the engine room subsidiary. Why don’t you call it the club as that what the holding company is

    Reply
    • No it’s not. That’s how it WAS structured, but not how it’s legally structured now.

      The “holding company” is called RIFC, who has CCK as the chairman and is where all the money / shares are located.

      The “engine room subsidiary” is called TRFC, which is the football club and the entity which holds the licence from the SFA and employs the players, coaches, staff etc. It has its own board, who crucially doesn’t contain CCK, hence the SFA did not have to approve him as a chairman or director of a “football club”.

      The entire share capital of TRFC ( probably 100 nominal £1 shares) is owned 100% by RIFC.

      In reality therefore the two entities operate as one because RIFC only have one company / operation (TRFC), hence the accounts are for the entire operation. Also CCK, as chairman of the holding company acts as though he is chairman of the football club, but he isn’t…

      In theory therefore the holding company (RIFC remember) could sell their 100 shares in TRFC to another company who would take over the running of the club and RIFC would then collapse into liquidation. If RIFC call in the administrators this is probably how it would work i.e. the new holding company, lets call it SEVCO2, would buy TRFC for some sort of fraction of the debts of RIFC and thus the cycle would start again.

      It does rather look as though the failure to get resolution 11 passed has put a major spanner I the works and those who have “loaned” or rather donated money to RIFC now really do have to look at their existing loans as donations they are never going to see again, or 10% of them at best.

      Reply
      • The problem is that TRFC owes RIFC 13 million of their majesty’s pounds. So both their clumpanies are in the Dodoo!

        Reply
  11. Loved the Warblers greetin face in the after match interviews. The usual contradictory BS from a man who has read the coach’s cliche handbook.

    Moaning at a decision he agrees was right wtf.! The linesman and ref were in dialog on the Offside and came to the correct decision, surprisingly. They didn’t for the Hearts pen or for Miller kick ball into stand then his double handed catch (both booking offences), I am sure the Hearts manager wanted to discuss those incidents too.

    On the Euro competition debate not only do they not qualify season 2017 but the next couple of seasons after that at least. The faux reliance on Euro competition cash cannot be sustained if they survive this season. Lead by the King they have truly got themselves in a hole.

    Wonder if the court case moves allows them to see the season out.

    Who would they get money for in January? Tavernier is p!ss poor. Miller too old, Garner wouldn’t go for close to what they still owe PNE. Waghorn is hardly setting the heather on fire this term. Wallace has been crap too. They are a team of players who don’t seem to want game time, that tells it’s own story.

    Reply
  12. I saw a comment elsewhere referring to opening doors on the Ibrox Admin Calendar – could be a money spinner – wish I’d thought of that 🙂

    Reply
  13. If Rangers get into Europe next season, quiet at the back, and are dumped out immediately and go into administration soon after, will we need a new word for deja vu?

    Reply
  14. I really feel sorry for all those cash strapped TRFC fans who queued up and bought season tickets to see Joey Barton deliver a masterclass of dominating Premiership midfields all season. Particularly his stated intention to dominate The Broony.

    Yes, those gullible mad impetuous fools were conned again. Just like the first three years of Sevco and believing they could play in Europe. Fools.

    Broony wiped the floor with him and Le monseur lasted a quarter of a season.

    Not value for money? Gullibillies need to ask for their half season ticket refunds. Just as the Rogue Board encouraged with the Easdales.

    Reply
    • The ‘Joey Barton Project’ ( say in Dr Evil voice with pinky by corner of mouth) was for the circumstances you mention – a success !

      Even if his ‘on pitch’ contributions were worthless and if he’s been fully paid up…. The gullibillies bought season tickets by the thousands on the strength of his predicted superiority in our league.

      Maybe those words about being “the best player in Scotland” were a ‘level’ more orchestrated than just an off-the-cuff comment translated from Mssr Barton’s native French .

      Reply
  15. Congratulations to Hearts on a well deserved Premiership second place.

    Sevco players know a lot of them are being punted in January, so why bother with effort.

    They know Sevco is skint and no Euro football on FFP, due to stupid directors overspending, so why try hard for second spot.

    They know the res11 was defeated.

    Reply
    • Quick piece of arithmetic.

      They lost around £3 million in their last audited accounts.

      They could have cut their player budget from £10 million to £5 million and still have outspent Hearts, who humiliated them last night, by a country mile.

      That saving of £5 million in expenditure would then have translated into a profitt of around £2 million.

      Simples.

      Reply
  16. Any truth to the sinking ship FC boardrooms wall that bears a plaque with the slogan etched upon it in red text…..
    ! Never ever piss off a REAL BILLIONAIRE EVER !

    Reply
    • Guys am i missing something here, all this talk about ashley taking sevco on from the glib n shameless, …….??????mash cant hold more than 9% and cant run the two clubs either

      Reply
      • cfc1973,

        The rule of a maximum 9% holding only exists in Scotland. If, and we still have to say if, the Sevco ship looks like it will be lost with all hands, then the SFA have a difficult decision to make.

        Stick with their rule, thus KO’ing any assistance from Big Mike

        or

        Allow an existing shareholder with genuine “wealth off the radar” and a business tie up via merchandising to come in and provide the much needed liquidity and in doing so “SAVE” Scottish fitba.

        Remember, keeping Sevco going, does amazing things for these guys and the KPI’s

        Reply
    • Hi SucculentLambStinks,

      I do believe that your bang on the money,however,that should be BILLIONAIRES plural,DD as well as MASH.

      And yes it was particularly enjoyable to watch the wibblemeister in full contradictory flow,agreeing with the offside decision,only to berate it in the next sentence.FANTASTIC post match entertainment.I would also like to state,for the record(not that one)that I was NOT WATCHING them play I keep up to date with their matches on a sports betting site,recorded the post match stuff as I knew it would be PRICELESS.

      Ta Phil,your place on the team sheet is nearing certainty…. HH.Continued thanks as ever.

      Sure it’s a grand ole team to play for,……✅

      Reply
  17. Although Super Swally has a film credit which GASL will never have (“A Shot at Glory “) both share a reluctance to feature in the potential crash hit “Hunny, I Shrunk the Kids’ Inheritance “

    Reply
    • Because Celtic has it and Sevco don’t.

      However, FFP is there to stop money ruining the game. Salary hardly thinking it through.

      Reply
    • Hi Phil,
      More symphonic material for my spoiled ears.

      Also just noticing that the wee huns have defeated their Glasgow big cousins 2-0.

      I’m hoping that their cousin has learned from this evenings footballing lesson.

      Thank you for ALL your work,fantastic

      HH

      Reply
      • Sorry lots of hearts fans hate sevco and are not religious in anyway wish Glasgar could step up tae the present day but highly doubt it 😉 windaes panned in tonight?

        Reply
        • Hi Braveheart1874,
          You do have a point in saying there are numbers in your support that ‘hate sevco,’ There is much to dislike about them though.

          I used to ‘hate sevco,’but it takes too much time and effort.These days,I much prefer to [email protected],there is plenty to laugh at.

          I do take your point,but on many occasions,once personally,I have witnessed jambo fans taunting Celtic FC fans with red,white and blue union jacks.I’ve NEVER seen them waving those same flags when playing le merde,but that is probably just me ‘being a religious bigot’.Even though I DO NOT believe in ANY god.

          I was brought up in a Catholic household,and religion was there for all to see.I have never,even from a very young age,ever believed in religion.I see religions of all types across the World cause war,suffering and misery aplenty,and always thought ‘surly that CANNOT be the way it is meant to be’
          Well according to their preachings and bibles,Koran anyway.

          I should have worded that comment more appropriately,I shall endeavour to do so from here on in.So sorry if I offended you,I WILL change my ways.PROMISE.

          Thanks Phil.HH✅

          Reply
  18. Nice to see the SMSM, STV in particular, acknowledging the UEFA head of licensing letter stating the three year UEFA club ban for TRFC.

    Gradually getting there.

    Sevco fans were conned.

    Reply
  19. “When Rangers went into liquidation in 2012, their assets and memberships to play football were (conditionally) transferred to a new company.

    This automatically triggered a three-year period where the Rangers newco could not participate in European competition. This applied to the 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons.”

    http://stv.tv/sport/football/1374309-explained-will-rangers-need-approval-to-play-in-europe/?utm_content=buffer2431e&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

    Rangers FC went into LIQUIDATION in 2012. Charles Green’s consortium bought the old club’s assets in a liquidation sale to benefit creditors. Green started a new club. Only New Clubs are not allowed into UEFA competitions for their first three years. Why can’t STV clearly state that? Green started a new club.

    TRFC are aspiring to enter European football for the first time. They have never played European football before.

    I find this STV take on the issue as a ridiculously pro Sevco puff piece, stating with authority what UEFA will or will not do.

    A quick question: Why were Sevco allowed into the Scottish cup for those three seasons and knocked out eligible teams for Europe when they were not eligible? Is compensation due?

    Why were TRFC fans misled to buy tickets for Scottish cup games for three years in the belief victory equalled Europa League football? Was this a con?

    STV appears to propose teams can financially dope success, win titles and further benefit with European football and simply promise to dope less in future to steamroll on. All of that would be really most convenient for The Rangers.

    Reply
    • I understand your frustration, but chill. You are seeing every branch of the establishment straining every sinew to re-create their superiority complex football club. But the harder they try, the more obvious it becomes that it isn’t working and won’t work. This is not a self-sustaining enterprise. It spends much, much more than Aberdeen and Hearts and gets less in return. Doh!

      The club/company/clumpany – call it whatever you like – is structured to lose money in order to support the myth – and it will continue to lose money until it goes into administration – from which there will be no CVA – so liquidation will follow soon after.

      It is an 8mpg yank gas guzzler in the age of the 100mpg hybrid – it is slow, it is unreliable, it handles like a giraffe on roller skates, it accelerates like an iceberg and corrodes before your eyes.

      The idea that the establishment can transform this chiimera into a successful football business by facilitating European football is the script for Carry on Downfalling.

      Relax and enjoy the show

      Reply
      • Very good input
        BTW Just watching Rangers live for first time this year . Dearie me ! They are a mid table club regardless of the outcome tonite . Unless CFC totally screw up decades of dominance are in front of us all . Quite depressing actually !

        Reply
      • Excellent advice,which I have realised for quite sometime.Sit back,feet up,and enjoy this car-crash of a bastardised fiasco run itself into the history books,because THIS MUST all come out to the light.There’s no turning back now………

        Do you think the wibblemeister will attempt to appeal the result from last night??? I’m sure he thought/is thinking about it.

        Reply
    • If you read that full article it’s funny what might happen to the Rangers.” For example, earlier this year Kazakh side Astana were placed under a three-year settlement agreement. They were instructed to reach a break-even position by 2019, ordered to reduce their deficit in each year until then and limit their playing budget to meet those targets”
      How funny would it be if UEFA made rangers cut the playing budget. They have a budget 4x that of hearts , could you imagine how poor they would be with a budget the same as hearts , Aberdeen ET al.
      They would be bottom of the table. They have only won 1 game from 8 against teams who finished in the top 6 last season.

      Reply
  20. Is it possible that the jolly Gardener got wind of what King was going to be up to with an Insolvency once he got the free rein to print shares? Or did somebody “get” to him (like MA)? The plot is thickening and it would appear the prospect of some internecine director on director aggro is increasing!

    Also, anyone got any updates on our own Res12? I thought there was supposed to be a meeting last week between club and Requisitioners but hadn’t seen or heard anything. This has to be pursued by club or I will lose all trust in them and the game, and will be out!

    Reply
      • Four and a half years without a single public utterance is unbelievably patient, Bawsman.

        The Celtic board know they have to get this right but they’re stuck between the SFA walls and yer proverbial hard place.

        They’ve done enough to distract the fans so far but let’s see how they actually respond to this without landing themselves right in it, cos it’s obvious now that they are somehow trapped in the SFA web one way or another.

        I hope I’m wrong, for the sake of Celtic and Scottish fitba, but I’m 99% certain that I’m not, or they would have spoken out sooner.

        Can it be, as someone mentioned on The Celtic Blog earlier, that the SFA & Rangers/Sevco are, indeed, one and the same entity, and have been from the off ..?

        Let’s patiently wait and see.

        Reply
  21. Phil, very interesting timing that the Daily Radar has chosen today to air the wee problem that Rangers and the SFA have with FFP criteria for a UEFA licence.
    As things stand they fail on cumulative losses and the going concern note in the accounts.
    I wonder who the SFA insider, not named, is who is quoted as saying that UEFA will give them a special dispensation as they have with teams in the past if provided with future forecast financials that paint a brighter picture.
    Oh boy, would love to be a fly on the wall as the Rangers collective of CA’S, plus the one falsely claiming to be a member of that fine body, go into spreadsheet overdrive.
    Very strange timing indeed.

    Reply
    • This may be true but the special dispensation probably applies to reputable clubs with a history, sevco dont really fill that bracket, also its a huge assumption they will be in an european spot come the end of the season!

      Reply
    • Totally agreed, Joe, the truth is leaking out slowly and it’s NOT by accident.

      I can only guess that these are discreet pleas for help in saving the fledgling club, or DK has informed Jabba that liquidation is inevitable.

      So either King wants Ashley to step in and guarantee the funds that will allow the ‘special dispensation’, as European participation guarantees greater retail income for SD, or the inevitable truth is too parlous to spin and the club’s demise is imminent.

      Either way, this line stood out as a shocker for the Rancid, even when we know it already:

      ‘Club licensing rules state that losses over the most recent three-year period shouldn’t exceed £4,265,000 – and Gers have lost £18.9million since 2014.’

      A 20 million loss in 2 years …

      They really ought to be echoing Derek Lambias’ parting shot:

      ‘Where is the money, Mr King?’

      Reply
  22. The DR has finally caught up with another “small” problem for the Ibrox outfit……

    Rangers will have to ask UEFA for special dispensation to play in Europe next season due to their failure to meet Financial Fair Play regulations.

    Club licensing rules state that losses over the most recent three-year period shouldn’t exceed £4,265,000 – and Gers have lost £18.9million since 2014.

    UEFA do allow a deficit during that time frame to reach £25.9million but only “if such excess is entirely covered by contributions from equity participants and/or related parties”.

    Entirely, being the operative word in this instance.

    Reply
  23. with a good administrator the rangers will eventually exit admin,,team wiped out ,,,points deduction…..moral at an all time low on the park and in the stands….crowds falling as the top team full of bairns take the stage… regular pumpings to look forward to….and ashley still sooking up millions whether they buy strips or not ..carlsberg maybe really do administration

    Reply
  24. Quite a few posts tonight with the words ‘surely not.’…’surely can’t.’
    In this toxic wee country there are no limits to the lengths the ludge in the SFA and the media will go to preserve the existence of some kind of klan based club playing at the bigotdome.
    Celtic seeing their attendances up and the cash rolling in, will happily go along with it.
    Any Celtic fan hoping for something better from the board is deluding themselves.

    Reply
  25. They would have restricted Ashley and Esdale increasing their shares but would have increased theirs.Makes the seven year or 10 year contract whatever it is perfectly legal if this is the case. What are the board complaining about do they want it all?

    Reply
  26. It was totally irresponsible of the Daily Record to print a story alleging how McCoist voted knowing full well that it places McCoist and his family’s personal safety on the line. I hope he takes the appropriate démarche against this despicable rag that tries to pass itself off as a newspaper. This goes beyond gutter journalism. It has the stench of the sewer emanating from it from all the c**p it prints.

    Reply
    • Are you suggesting Ally and his family should live in fear and from whom? Is it Rangers fans who would harm them over his voting right? Is the threat of violence something that is accepted or used by a few to influence democratic processes? Your statement though simple is vile and these reason why this club with its bigotry needs to die again and not reinvent itself. For too long their fans have used voilence as a form of keeping things quiet or influence.

      Reply
    • Cast your mind back. The “victim” here had absolutely no qualms about placing the families of other men in danger. Just remember the famous, or rather infamous, “Who are these people? I want them named.” This statement made when he KNEW exactly who they were since sevco were represented when the decision that sparked his anger was made. He wanted them named so that the klan could send out a very clear message, “Don’t make a decision against us again or suffer the same consequences.”

      Reply
  27. Ally has 1 million shares, He doesn’t want them diluted, Fair play, me in the same position, Respect,
    SMSM leak,
    As Joey Barton’s psychological mental condition was leaked,
    Ally’s voting position leaked.
    Titanic.Sinking Ship.
    Men and woman first after directors.

    Reply
    • SFA / SPFL should now take action against the club as there appears to be a clear breach of confidentiality in both the Barton case and in McCoist’s voting intentions. Both of these leaks are PR disasters, Paper’s need to be sanctioned as well as there is clearly a risk to peoples health and safety as a result of these leaks.

      Reply
  28. So many if’s, but’s and maybe’s. Also so many good posts following a right good article. Ma friggen heid’s burstin’. Ahm goin’ tae bed!!!!!

    Reply
  29. So RRM versus RRM.
    Fighting amongst themselves. Nothing new there.

    As for Super. The one who wanted people to be named for the klan to pursue. Sweet Karma.
    Did Jabba throw him to the wolves (bears) to deflect from the wake that was the AGM.

    Great to see this toxic entity in meltdown.

    Reply
  30. I believe that a rule change at SPFL level means that a Rangers III would be stick on to stay in the top league. Instead of a 12 team vote decisions such as the admittance of the bears would be a board level vote. There are either 3 or 5 votes. Fans dictated that teams voted to upkeep some form of sporting integrity last time. Wouldn’t/won’t happen this time.

    Reply
  31. Could ‘The Stockbroker’ have had his eyes opened to ‘real picture’ over the last couple of weeks?

    Are Paddypower doing odds on him heading Rotherhamwards???

    Reply
  32. Is it possible that the urgent need for resolution 11 to get passed was so that King could amass a huge share holding that could be sold to someone to take over? Wasn’t there talk of Kennedy coming in but only if King were gone? What if SDM rode back in to save the day? Maybe King viewed holding a large chunk of stock as his ace card to be bought out.

    Similarly, if King held a huge block of shares, wouldn’t he get to choose the Admin company and then also the “preferred buyer” if he tanked the whole thing in a Liquidation play? Maybe he had someone lined up to come in and buy the assets again and then try to play off the new newco as RFC Mark III. Of course, it would now be “clean” meaning no onerous contracts (except his?) and no longer tied to the Ashley retail deal. Might make the sale a bit more attractive in that scenario.

    I keep trying to think how King can possibly cash out and these were about the only 2 ways I could think of. I know they are tenuous and there are more questions than answers but we all know King wants a payoff. It’s only a matter of figuring out how best to do that and you’ll get the answer to how.

    By the way, loved your use of “magnificently maned factotum”. pmsl 🙂

    Reply
  33. I would prefer not to see Big Mike’s influence increase. King is a convicted criminal, who appears not to be worth what he claims. Big Mike is a bona fide multi-millionaire. Sevco absolutely need money. King appears to have none. Big Mike undoubtedly does have some.

    Be careful what you wish for!

    Reply
    • Mike Ashley has put a grand total of £20M of his own money into Newcastle United, to survive, we’ve had to cut the cloth accordingly, hence our eventual relegation last season through a series of incompetent appointments in positions of power by incompetent staff (yes Lee Charnley, I’m looking at you)
      Every penny spent by NUFC in the last 8 years has been from what the club generated be it from player sales, tv money, commercial income and match day income.
      Ashley will not risk his fortune on this lot

      Reply
  34. The abstainer with hoe in hand will be chased to the gulag by the pitch fork wielding hordes. How they can’t see that the career criminal is a con man is way beyond me. It seems that a cult of personality is in place when it’s to do with the GASL. I can’t stop laughing at the happenings over at the stadium that wurz the deeds played for. I hope it continues for a very long time.

    Reply
  35. It appears that Mr McCoist is not quite the expert horticulturalist that his gardening leave permitted him, otherwise he would at least be aware of “as ye sow, so shall ye reap”. Perhaps gardening leave down Govan direction is of the “fallow, fallow” type? He should be mindful of unanticipated visits from members of the Edmiston Drive branch of the National Farmers Union now?

    Reply
    • Wessex, In theory you are absolutely right and if another liquidation happens they should be punted off to the Lowland league as Rangers 2017 a la Gretna 2008 but we all know realpolitik will take over .

      My post on the previous blog outlines what I think should and may well happen IE SFA leaders will do a deal with CFC and others to keep their jobs and keep their fans happy by stripping trophies and upholding FFP but in return TRFC will get the soft landing .
      I may well be wrong but I think this is the compromise that may well unfold.
      CFC , and their fans ,won’t get its way 100% nor for sure will TRFC and the SFA
      I don’t think the CFC board will ever go publiclŷ to war on this subject particularly to demand everything ..I think this would be a reasonable outcome and would be supported by all fans in Scotland outwith Ibrox ..but to be frank although they think that they are /or WATP and will resist everything ….in reality we all know they aren’t and not by a long way and as per 2012 they will have no vote in what happens and where they end up

      That all said ..don’t write off the possibility that Ashley might still ride to the rescue and have his team run that club properly and slowly but surely get them back on a sound footing

      Reply
      • Veritable

        A soft landing for stripping trophies? That’s more of a reward than a punishment. Obliteration is the only answer.

        Whether the trophies were stripped or not they would never acknowledge it so it would be a complete waste of time.

        Anyway, it ‘s the SFA who should be punished and a claim made by Celtic, and the fans, for the CL money that was denied them. I and my son bought STs during the thieving years but would never have wasted our time and cash visiting
        Parkhead if I had known it was all a fix and I ‘m not fully convinced that Celtic were not in on the act.

        Reply
      • A soft landing?!? If that happens, then Scottish football is down the dumper, and that’s in a very real financial sense, not just the moral sense!

        Scottish football clubs have been locked into a cycle of ‘season ticket money/overdraft(or loan) when that runs out/next season ticket used to pay off overdraft and fund season until next loan’ – imagine if a club (in the old, tangible sense, not the new fangled ethereal sense) was able to ostensibly drop its debts by liquidating, but carry on as if nothing has happened. What bank in their right mind is going to lend money to a club in those circumstances, knowing that they might never see their money again, with, apparently, no repercussions for the transgressors?

        That’s the reality, and what most of the regular visitors to the-stadium-that-John-Brown-played-for don’t quite get. When they moan about how they were kicked out in 2012, sly kicks, hidden fenian hand etc., had Scottish football decided to pretend that nothing had happened and it was ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’, rather than a football competition, banks would have stopped lending to our clubs, and that would have been it, end of story.

        Fortunately, more than a few of our clubs have weaned themselves off the supposed blue pound, and more importantly, off bank debt, and are self sustaining, so the impact might not be so cataclysmic as 2012 would have been, but there would still be a large number who would go under as things stand.

        Reply
      • FFP is in the news, apparently special dispensation is available for certain “staunch” clubs who can’t balance the books. Looks like the press have been following the bampots FFP discussions and are letting us know that everything will be fine. Move along nothing to see here……!

        The stench of corruption in Scottish football is overpowering and silence over multiple misdemeanours is deafening. I can’t see anything changing though, it’s shameful.

        Reply
    • Wessex

      The clubs are all sitting back to allow them a clear route to second place at present so I don’t think they’ll bother too much as to how many “incarnations” they have. Not one other club has given them a decent game all season. Their mottos seem to be …Je suis Sevco.

      Last week Hartley said they would be “better prepared” for them second time around and still got beat. Does this mean that they weren’t giving a damn the first time?

      They’ll probably get a result against Hearts tomorrow night.

      Reply
  36. Great work as always Phil. Does anyone know what the points deduction would be should an insolvency event occur mid season for the newco?

    Reply
  37. King won’t do walking away but I reckon Ashley would come back in to save the day if King was shown the door.

    Ashley is a businessman after all and a desperate company with out of pocket RRM that he can ride horse and carriage over for his gain seems like a good opportunity, just needs a little PR, not much, it never takes much to get the Gullibillies onside. SFA glad to see back of King.

    Retail deal extended to 15 years, slightly better terms for sevco and much heralded, some Newcastle loanees, Loans to fix the roofs for all the IP and hold over assets, Couple of his men on the board, Nomad, fresh share issue to pay off Ashley. Club continues under the iron grip of Ashley until he sells to RRM in a few years. Great investment.

    Wouldn’t be surprised if some of the directors have approached him already.

    Reply
    • Just don’t think this is a runner.

      For some time, Mr Ashley has been pilloried yet his funding has kept the electricity meter ticking over with only a boot in the baws by way of thanks.

      Mr Ashley will walk away; this time, it’s personal.

      Reply
    • Can’t see it myself, Newcastle look like they’re on the way back to the sunny, cash-rich uplands of the EPL, Big Mike can’t increase his shareholding in TRFC without breaching dual club ownership rules. The cash required to refurb the stadium etc is pretty onerous as well. On top of that you have possibly the most rabid, psychotic fans in Western Europe. They’re not going to warm to big Mike because he’s not one of the peepul.

      If TRFC was a dog you’d do the humane thing and put it out of it’s misery. The SFA / SPFL haven’t even tried to muzzle it yet and it’s turning on them now. Wouldn’t it be awful if the SFA and the SPFL ended up being destroyed by their own monstrous creation…….. #ToBigToFail #Armageddon

      Reply
      • A dog with no Pall (s)….and even its chums aren’t exactly Pedigree. …. and it looks like it will be put away with Mange this Christmas…

        Bow Wow…….Mr Ashley…..or do you prefer turkeys……???

        Reply
  38. If Sevco face a administration and subsequent liquidation event, a la Rangers, I wonder how the SFA/SPFL would react. Clearly it would show their cheer leading for the new club in the farcical light that it deserves and therefore would highlight the governing bodies complicity and incompetence and would surely draw extreme scrutiny of any future decisions regarding Rangers III. So surely if that were the case, any new newco would have to toe the line and abide by the rules. As they seem incapable of doing that, would any new “event horizon” secure a final ending for these blood suckers?

    Reply
    • Didn’t the spfl introduce new rules that will benefit them if they need to phoenix again? Last time it was split and sfl rules that were ignored. Next time I feel they have dixed it already…

      Reply
    • Great vid, Clumps..

      I hear they were doing a mimed personification of the word ‘Funereal’ for The Fast Show, leading to a song and dance routine expounding the glories of Sevco, but Dave King couldn’t stop his lies moving …

      Running a football club, hardest game in the world, that is.

      Reply
  39. Mini Murray had to tell the Glib and Shameless one that he is toxic. What a classic comedic moment that will make in Downfall II, the Movie.

    btw can’t agree about insolvency. I beleive Ashley’s retail deal is Admin and Liquid proof. There’s no real money to be made from a company like Sevco which is structured to lose money hand over fist. At insolvency Ashley will gain full IP rights in perpetuity and lease them to the next Rangers iiteration – be it ever so small – run by honest men who care more about football and balanced books than asset stripping and rabble-rousing.

    The only serious money Ashley will get out of Rangers is in the long, long term.He may even try to do it himself if he has not already had a gut full of corrupt governance.

    Reply
    • I bet Dave was shocked at the revelation that he is toxic, especially after all his good work helping SARS collect unpaid tax. Let’s also not forget all the sterling work done helping out the pensioners at the Umgeni Water Company.
      Surely it’s just a big misunderstanding….

      Reply
  40. It looks to me Phil, and I am as dumb as they come, so please keep me right that an insolvency event, might just be the golden ticket for King and his cronies. The retail deal with Ashley as you say is bombproof, the leaking of news about Sally will no doubt bring more trouble, and a cva looks to me like the only way forward for the crooks on board the pirate ship sevco.

    Reply
      • Yes, but I am sure that in the myriad of clauses between SD, RRL and the holding company that the Rangers brand and IP reverts to Ashley should such an event be triggered. If they liquidate there is no coming back as The Rangers without dealing with Ashley,

        In that regard it is bombproof ….

        Reply
      • Yes… But maybe Sevco are!

        Doesn’t their very existence prove that there is no such thing as liquidation ? … At least in the eyes of their disciples and the Scottish media. Some minor financial troubles in 2012, nothing major. All ok now.

        It would be very interesting to watch a rerun knowing how it all went before.
        We’d make sure there was no ‘ put down’ , ‘demoted’ , ‘relegated’ talk like before. Jeezuz … This time with some luck the clubs won’t even let them in again, even at the bottom.

        I ask myself if the SFA and spfl can surely have the brass neck to let it happen again? Let a ‘Ranjurz mk iii’ start a new ‘journey’ ?

        I think we all know the answer!

        Reply
      • I wonder if this time round liquidation might truly mean dead or is last times precedent truly set as a path to follow. Previous precedents for other clubs were ignored to smooth the way. I just wonder if they can take that risk this time.

        Then there’s the question of points reduction and the chances of getting into Europa League Qualifying round 2 or gamble on round 1’via cup. Or actually is it pretty likely there’s limited chance to progress anyway so missing out is not a big deal financially.

        So many considerations…

        Reply
  41. But “Who are these People” McCoist cried in 2012, as days later he was still unrepentant as the lynch mob he called out onto the streets tried to burn down Raith Rover’s stadium and threatened a QC Gary Allan. Salary McCoist knew exactly what audience he was pitching to, just they are about to turn on him now!!

    Reply
  42. Confused by the whole business can a board vote to exclude some shareholders buying shares while allowing others to increase their holding? Sounds unfair and a bit like insider trading

    Reply
    • If Res 11 had been passed then they would have been allowed to do this.
      In short, they need permission from the existing shareholders to do this, and they narrowly failed to get it.

      Reply

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