The problem with succulent lamb is that it isn’t for export.
Although it is consumed locally with the frenzied eagerness of the addict it is a highly acquired taste.
That is the only possible explanation for the toe-curling manoeuvrings yesterday as Ciaran Jenkins of Channel 4 News waited and waited in Mr Gerrard.
I was expecting some high-Level firefighting and I wasn’t disappointed.
However, it didn’t work with the chap from CH4 News.
Of course, this would not have happened had the broadcast organisation been local.
Quite simply they know the rules.
Of course, the Ibrox klanbase cling to the comforting fiction that Rangers (est. 1873) did not die in 2012.
They are helped in this denial by the local media.
Journalism did briefly break out when the CVA was refused in the summer of 2012.
However, since then the Fitba Fourth Estate has been in the denial business to sooth the klan.
It is not a coincidence that it was an award-winning journalist at Channel 4 News who happily agreed to write the foreword for Downfall.
Alex Thomson very kindly stated that my book was “a tale of our times. Brilliantly told”.
One theory for Mr Gerrard’s no-show yesterday was that he might not have kept to the Sevco approved script on the racist abuse of Neil Lennon.
The response by the Fitba Fourth Estate to Neil Lennon calling out the racism aimed at him has largely been craven, venal and shameful.
The Irishman had opened the door for the local media to explore the term “anti-Irish racism” with the context of Scottish football.
Of course, they can’t go there without calling out the core beliefs of the Ibrox klan.
Therefore, what could not be allowed was a real reporter from a genuine news organisation asking the current Sevco manager what he thought of the Irishman’s analysis of his beleaguered life in Fair Caledonia.
Since I started to report on matters Ibrox over a decade ago, with one or two honourable exceptions, it has been journalists furth of Scotland that have supported my work.
There are still great stories to be unearthed by following the money around Ibrox way.
For the avoidance of doubt, do not expect the local media to go near any of that.
Moreover, it should not fall to journalists who are outside Scotland to hold power to account in Planet Fitba.
However, the last ten years has told me that is precisely what has to happen.
Yesterday Ciaran Jenkins was the troublesome outsider who didn’t know the local conventions.
In simply being there he has done the state some service…
The last 6 years has just highlighted the imbalance in the Scottish media with regards to reporting on football matters.
Some of the ass licking crap that is presented as journalism is beyond the pale.
Apart from the odd jokey comment on the Rangers Annual Report, King claimed the result as some sort of triumph in the press with barely a difficult question put towards him.
Start with, where’s the money coming from?
Losses are already being forecast for the next two years and it was made clear in the notes to the accounts that the forecasts included optimistic outcomes in player trading and European competitions.
It’s unclear what view has been taken on the SDI clusterfuck and it appears that no provision has been made for the legal fees and likely damages heading in their direction.
Ditto Close Brothers who have managed to escape any mention whatsoever in the notes( reputational damage perhaps?) and what the state of play is with their loan and securities being held.
The full cost of hiring Gerrard, his management team and an expensive set of players will only be reflected in next year’s accounts
The likes of Pena and Herrera are due back on the wage bill in January as things stand with others still out on loan likely having a proportion of wages paid by their parent club.
Despite a huge debt for equity swop for the soft loan providers the loans outstanding are still north of 8 figures whilst there is still £8m in instalments to be paid on players currently on the books.
Gerrard wants to add quality players in the window which Robertson says is not a problem and there is a kitty available.
Works being carried out at Ibrox and Murray Park, with the latest announcement of a hybrid pitch being laid at Ibrox fot next season, a la Celtic.
What next, disco lights to dazzle and confuse the journos and stop then asking where the money is coming from?
Revenue is currently maxed out with fortnightly sell outs the norm. There are no announcements of new sponsor deals nor increases in existing contracts, so the potential upside in revenue is minimal without CL group stage qualification.
Merchandising, the elephant in the room, triumph or disaster? We just don’t know and as sure as hell no one at Ibrox knows what the eventual outcome will be.
The ‘soft’ loanees have taken a severe haircut on their cash investment with many now owning a large amount of equity in the club/company which in it’s 6 years existence has lost £40m in total.
All of the above removes the Court of Session/Takeover Panel order from the media eye, as if, but there is no financial up side in it for the club and again King’s legal fees must be astronomical.
Even moving on Tavernier and Morelos in January won’t fill the cash void. Presumably the potential windfall from their sales is built into the £4m loss forecast for next year as will be the cost of any recruits.
Would be interesting to see what the expected fees are. Optimistic £13m for Morelos, £8m for Tavernier.
No doubt the latter is a threat going forward and takes a good penalty but he can’t defend…made Stokes look like Messi in the Hibs Cup Final.
The Great Sulk? Is an EPL club going to lay out 8 figures for someone who gets booked every other game?
Ah yes… there’s just something about that James Traynor portrait that reminds me of the Douglas Adams quip –
“Loathe him or ignore him, you can’t like him.”
Slippy is turning into the dummy’s dummy. It must be difficult to work with someone’s hand up your back so I wonder how long he’s prepared to be treated like an idiot. Jabba is the puppetmaster but it’s not his lips we see moving. HH
Obviously the interview with the Ch4 guy was cancelled because he would have seen Jabba’s hand up the back of Gerrard working his lips , a situation that the SMSM is oblivious to .
Seemed to be symptomatic of not being prepared by Mr Traynor for exactly who was visiting. Mainstream media’s loss in Scotland has been alternative content driven media’s gain.
BBC Scotland have steadfastly refused to open a Have Your Say (HYS) on any of the recent semi-finals, games around their beloved newco dropping points at Killie and they are actively removing any and all references to the abuse and coin throwing Lenny was subjected to on the basis they are ‘off topic’. They have, however, regaled us with some mind blowing stats – complete with pretty little charts and diagrams – who has the tallest, shortest, fattest,wankiest players in all of Scotland. That has a HYS but any attempts to question why we cannot comment on slightly weightier matters are removed immediately.