Over the past few days, Planet Fitba has had a wee chuckle at the omnishambles of the attempt to have a *cough* glamour friendly in Canada.
I feel for the organisers, Elite Soccer Entertainment because they had clearly miscalculated.
I know from a trip to Ontario in the year 2000 that there is a large Portuguese community there.
Therefore, picking Benfica for a match there made a lot of commercial sense.
Sadly the people putting this jamboree together believed that there was still such a club as Rangers.
I’m told be a reliable source that only 400 tickets were sold locally for the Sevco end.
That I haven’t seen in the media is that this was meant to be the first of four or five such matches to plug the financial hole left by FC Progrès Niederkorn.
Of course, regular readers here will be well aware that the Sevco High Command gambled in the summer on achieving Europa League group stage football this season.
As you know the Engine Room Subsidiary failed to Progrès on that one…
If the Sevco brand could have delivered 15,000 tickets for the planned match against Benfica then they would have netted around £300k.
As well as selling tickets the Holding Company Vehicle were to assist the organisers in drawing in sponsors for the event.
There were then extra payments would be earned if more tickets were bought.
Essentially the Ibrox brand couldn’t deliver.
Perhaps, free from the daily deluge of high-Level pish these Scottish ex-pats know that this isn’t the real Rangers.
Meanwhile, the money troubles of the Sevco High Command continues.
They have recently approached a Scottish billionaire to ask for investment.
For the avoidance of doubt, this chap has genuine wealth that exists in the real world not in an off the reader press release.
Indeed they approached him twice and the most recent move was only last week.
It is with great regret that I have to relate that the Blue Room chaps were rebuffed each time.
The only thing keeping the basket of assets on the road is the generosity of several directors.
I’m sure that the year-end accounts will make for interesting reading.
Of course, it is a given is that there will be little journalistic scrutiny of those numbers in the Off The Radar press…
For the avoidance of doubt, Rugger Guy contacted me yesterday to say that he was locked and loaded to fillet the figures and tell us what they really mean.
You will read his analysis here.
As ever, I’m grateful to him.
I believe that this Fitba Samizdat does a public service as so many of you keep returning to read the content.
That is why your support is greatly appreciated.
Míle buíochas.
Barcelona and Atletico in the Florida cup Timmy.
Glamour beyond belief.
Wait….what do you mean ?
Not the real teams ?
Then again this is not the real Rangers, that cub is in a filing cabinet.
Rangers 3rd kit – going for £55
Surely the tax win at the Supreme Court was against RFC 1872 (run by BDO) not the EBT beneficiaries.
BDO must sue SDM as the EBT tax adviser to RFC 1872. SDM was paid £6m for giving tax advice to RFC 1872 which was ultimately unlawful. Its SDM that owes RFC £58.8m to pay back HMRC.
Benfica had upwards of twelve players on international duty this weekend ,surprised the Scottish media did not report this , well not really
I’m sure everything will turn out fine in time for the Mickey Mouse Cup in January.
If not, then I sincerely hope a less belligerent presser comes from the Crumbledome. They really could use a proper journalist to handle their PR. Would you fancy the job Phil?
Canadians don’t want to be a soft touch cash grab for Sevco. For that’s all it is. Desperately trying to milk somebody somewhere.
There’s not too many Scottish Billionaires. Sdm isn’t one these days.
I recall one is named similarly to the Beachgrove Garden guy.
Knowing Sevco, they’ve called the gardener and received advice on manure.
But they “are the Peeple” and everything will be just fine – yeah good luck with that one
“They have recently approached a Scottish billionaire to ask for investment.”
Indeed… If it’s the same Scottish billionaire I’m thinking of, I believe there may be a couple of reasons for his ongoing reticence…
1) While formerly a supporter of Rangers Old Club, this person’s life has since taken a more idealist, philanthropic turn – and he now finds himself somewhat put off by the increasingly belligerent social xenophobia of the newclub’s followers. “No-one likes us, and we care enough to dox them and actively solicit violence on social media” is an unappealing tag-line for any brand.
2) He can see clearly that, barring fundamental change in the economic structure of the European game, the Scottish football pond can for the foreseeable future support only one Big Fish – and everyone & their granny’s dog knows who that is.
And by the age-old principle of putting (2) and (1) together and making (3)…
(3) He realises that any investment he might make could not be of the one-off variety. He would quickly find himself in the position currently occupied by the Park family, of repeatedly having to contribute further funds to protect his previous investment. And when the inevitable moment came, for the new club finally to go the way of the old, anyone owed significant funds by the club – far from being hailed as a benefactor – would be in prime position to be tagged “The **** that killed the Rangers.”
The Peepul are known for many things, but benevolent bonhomie in the face of liquidation is not one of them. Oh dear.
Is that the takeover panel v Dave king in front of lord tyre on Friday phil do you know is someone else.
Phil; just curious about the deficit situation there at newco. Do you have any update on the 4-5 million that was needed and one of the main benefactor Directors had said 1 mill was most he would contribute?
I am assuming that since they made the September wages bill that somebody kicked in enough to keep the caravan rolling for another wee while but was interested if there was anything new on the barking dugs?
Cheers!
Bears all up in arms that the re-stocked tops are going to be retailing for £55 versus the £20 for Ashley’s old stock. I feel another article coming on, Phil?
The Zombies should take solace in finally getting 55.
Phil I live in the Toronto area and knew nothing of this Eusebio Cup match until I read about it in the Scottish Media. The promoters don’t even appear to have a Website. The final irony of the whole mess is that the company hired to lay down the grass at the gridiron field in Hamilton is called “GreenHorizons”
Agree with the above-no media splash at all here (I live in Toronto)
Not likely theres much support for Rangers in this area anymore -we left the orangemen behind a generation ago. This is very much a multicultural and diverse area now.
On the other hand there is a large Portuguese community in the GTA -something in the area of 250,000 Ive read before and Benfica is well supported.
Seems to me if the tickets werent outrageously priced Benfica support alone wdve filled that stadium.
Granted there appears to have been no promotion in the mainsteam press and Im guessing likely none in the Portguese local press ,thats the answer Id expect.
At any rate over here the draw wd be Benfica not the glasgow group sevco or Rangers.
They should have approached St Vincent de Paul last Wednesday he might have been in a generous mood on his anniversary ?