Celtic are in Transylvania today on overseas business.
That particular part of Romania does seem more apt for a sojourn by Nosferatu FC of Ibrox.
Of course, the idea of Sevco being on Champions league duty is rather fanciful.
However, if the Ibrox chaps ever get there then the faithful adherents of the House of Saxe-Coburg would find that their dear young queen has local family connections there.
In fairness, it isn’t everyone who can proudly claim Vlad the Impaler as an ancestor.
On the subject of human blood being something that you drink rather than wade in, next week General Ashley will require £444,846.60 by 4.00 pm on 16 August 2019 from Sevco.
That is 40% of his final legal bill for the car boot sale litigation.
Sevco’s own lawyers, I’m told, will cost them approximately £500k-£600k.
So the global legal bill for this shit show is likely to be just south of £2m.
Then next month (23rd September) there will be a one day hearing in the High Court to determine the final bill for Dave’s cunning plan with Elite Sports.
Many on Planet Fitba hope that the putative bill for damages will be the stake through the heart of Sevco.
For the avoidance of doubt, I’m making no such claim.
However, it is undoubtedly a self-inflicted wound on the basket of assets.
If Ashley does win big on damages front then it could help to send Sevco to the crypt where Rangers FC waits for them.
That isn’t certain, but the seven-year-old club would struggle to pay such a big bill without accessing more external finance.
It is worth remembering that Sevco are already in the hole to Close Brothers for a substantial amount.
Big Mike was very happy with the deal he had struck with the Gallant Profiteers in 2012.
However, General Ashley got an even better one from the current Sevco High Command in June 2017.
I reported these facts at the time, but it was largely drowned out by the noise of the Stenography Corps gushing about King’s “finest hour”.
The reality is that the new retail suited Ashley just fine and I wrote that here when it happened.
However, the Stenography Corps accepted at face value everything they were told in the King presser on June 2017.
Once the Sevco High Command realised just how tightly General Ashley has them tied up with the matching rights Dave needed a cunning plan.
Regular readers have been well informed throughout this unfolding shambles.
I repeatedly said that the devil would be in the retail and so it has proved to be.
The Ashley retail saga has a few more episodes to run yet.
The chaps on the sports desk want their dwindling readership to buy into an “Old Firm” narrative.
Of course, this fantasy falls to pieces rather immediately when you have to suspend your critical faculties and believe that rangers did not die in 2012.
Even if you ignore that inconvenient fact they ask to buy into their view that Glasgow has two equally matched titans who will slug it out over the course of this season.
That fable really falls to pieces when the finances of both clubs are analysed.
Whatever happens tonight in the match against CFR Cluj Celtic are financially sound and will continue to be.
That is the result of a long term project that was started when the rebels won in March 1994.
Conversely, Sevco really does need European revenues this season more desperately than at any time in their seven-year existence.
Even if they get past FC Midtjylland the club currently playing their home games at Ibrox will remain among the financially undead.
Meanwhile, the visitors to Dracula’s manor tonight are full of life.
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Phil, it would be great to know how Hummel are taking this. Is there any chance you could reach out to your Danish colleagues to see what they think of all this.
West Brom better get the finger out if they are to beat AC Milan and Eintracht Frankfurt, plus any number of Chinese clubs, to the signing of the Colombian man/child.
The Baggies are stuck in the Championship and could be there for years to come.
Morelos might see it as a transit stop to the EPL in time?
Bit of a debate as to whether the headline figure includes add ons or not.
No matter, it’s clear that no one will offer the much hoped for, and needed, £20/25m, previously being punted.
The usual vitriol from the blue side as KT completes his move to Arsenal.
They appear confounded that he could go for a Scottish record of £25m whilst not a single bid has come in for Morelos or Tavernier.
No doubt retaining the players will be sold as a triumph by the media and Gerrard whilst whoever is in charge of the cheque book will be pouring himself a very,very, stiff drink.
The Europa cup game tomorrow night is taking on the importance of those games with McCoist in charge prior to liquidation, so no pressure.
Celtic should finish the job against Cluj next week but Slavia Prague is a big step up in the play off round.
A repeat of tonight’s performance won’t cut it.
Take an away draw in Europe any day of the week but the reality was that we were awful, especially in the second half.
The passing was terrible, as were Cluj, and Slavia Prague will be licking their lips at the prospect of meeting Celtic in the play off round.
As for the performance of the left bag……it was there for all to see. We have wasted £3m, he should have been hooked after his booking and Hayes should have been brought on.
All the best to KT and with that money plus the £9m for Rodgers departure we better bring in a couple of quality players pronto.
When the inevitable happens and the current Ibrox club succumb to financial burdens there will surely be another attempt at resurrection. The current behaviour of both the club and supporters are not exactly endearing them to other members of the leagues. As 9 and 10 approach it is only going to get worse. Given that and the share of the spoils between clubs when an Ibrox club was absent from the premiership how could anyone justify approving an application to join the leagues from another Ibrox based club?
Maybe the next death will be final.
The SFA changed the rules after rangers went bust and the other teams never let sevco into the big league. If it happens again it goes to an SFA committee to decide if the third incarnation is allowed back in
🤯
Actually that rings a bell now you have said it. Just no words for the SFA
I’m sure Her majesty’s customers and revenues will be watching all car boot transactions.
Mike, the new CEO is a figure head, no more no less. He’s said, and done, so little since his Coronation that you could easily forget he’s there.
The antics at Killie over the weekend will multiply by 10 as the season progresses and Celtic move towards 9 IAR.
If that’s a reaction from the fan base on the first day of the new season then wow!
Frankly part of me wants them to be still avoiding administration as we complete the 10 but can you imagine the reaction? Probably best if it happens quietly midweek, mid season when we have a sizeable lead over them sometime this year.
Need article on daily record fakenews coverage on crowd issues!!!
The best thing about this whole affair is next season Ashley can offer them a deal worth £100 for sponsorship and give them 1p from every £1 out of the profit.
That is how badly they have made it for themselves. No other sponsors are going to come anywhere near them after this shambles.
King has out played right into Ashley’s hands.
The funniest thing is the fans either cant get this onto their heads or dont want to think about it.
To be honest I do hope it wont sink them as I believe the SPFL have put new rules in place so they can fast track any new club back into the top flight. I would much prefer seeing them living on handouts for many a season to come.
King still has an ace up his sleeve if the Sports Direct bill, legal fees and Close Brothers loan empty the Ibrox coffers.
Just a tad over 24 hours to the window close and no sign of the much anticipated bidding war for the Colombian man/child nor Tavernier.
So what’s left to hock or use as security for another large chunk of cash from Close Bros…….the stadium?
Still the SFA continues to live up to their name and do Sweet F A.
Sweet F A about last Seasons card count.
Sweet F A about every Seasons Financial losses
Sweet F A about their players leaving the field of play resulting in a pitch invasion
Sweet F A about the continuous Sectarian singing
Sweet F A about the slurs being directed towards Celtic Fc by the cheeky young upstarts
Sweet F A about the fact a roof collapsed onto disabled Supporters due to said pitch Invasion and loonies dancing on it
It is almost as if they could not care less or dare not care more.
I think your last four words nail it.
How does The Rangers get a licence to play European football when under financial fair play a club has to break even over a 3 year period? This entity have never broken even in its 7 year history.
There is a level of losses that us within the FFP rules.
The debt for equity swap dealt with that issue.
Has this latest share issue provided more funds or has it covered existing “soft loans”?
The soft loans were converted into shares. So instead of the investors being owed money, they just own more of the entity. It’s like if I loaned you half the money for a car, you owe me that money. But if you can’t pay it back, you can say instead (if I agree) that I “bought” half the car instead. I now own half a car, and you owe me nothing. Debts cleared. But I don’t get my money back either.
Watch out for Close bothers going for their cash next month also.
Maybe they could get Phil to drive the team bus!
I’m a Jags’ supporter. What’s a ‘team bus’ ?
I’m a St Johnstone supporter. What’s a team?
Those last two posts were two of the funniest I’ve read on this or any other site. Good luck to both of you and your respective teams. Or buses!!