Now that those pesky football matches are out of the way for a while the real stuff can begin again.
By that, I mean the happy times for the Ibrox klanbase.
That’s because there are no football matches to be played for the next two weeks.
When the final whistle was sounded last Sunday the Dunkirk Spirit had largely emptied the stadium John Brown played for.
The sense of dignified deflation was palpable.
Moreover, in the post-match presser, Neil Francis Lennon didn’t miss the assembled media.
His view was that the hype in the lead up to the game had not been evidence-based.
Of course, the Armagh man was spot on.
In a sense, the Stenography Corps had fed the Sevco support the equivalent of a sugar rush.
When Jonny Hayes put the game to bed the Ibrox crowd hit the ground with a thump.
However, the move to lift the mood of Sevco’s co-investors began immediately after the defeat to Celtic.
It started later the same day with the unexpected move for Ryan Kent.
Well, it was certainly it was unexpected by most of the Sevco High Command!
The Fitba Fourth Estate plays a vital role in feeding easily digestible morsels of false hope to the Ibrox crowd.
Of course, their task is made much easier when there are no football matches to contradict the narrative.
The last fixture at Ibrox showed that the team with the better players and the more experienced manager prevailed on the day quite comfortably.
Fraser Forster had two attempts on target to deal with.
The visitors had six shots on goal.
So that’s four fixtures gone and three points behind the reigning champions.
Now the basket of assets is in the ascendancy once more as there are no matches until the 14th of this month.
The output of the Stenography Corps has been on full blast this week.
A cynic might conclude that the utility function of this…ahem…journalism is too soothe Sevco’s customers that everything is going to work out just fine.
I couldn’t possibly comment.
Well, here are some inconvenient facts:
This month the Sevco High Command is back in court facing General Ashley.
Remember him?
At this point, I think it is worth remembering how the new retail deal was welcomed in the local media back in 2017.
My reporting at the time was more measured I think.
I stated that the devil would be in the retail and so it has proved to be.
It would be in the year-end accounts later in 2017 that the Ibrox faithful would find out that King’s great victory over Ashley had actually given Big Mike a payment of £3m.
Indeed, the new deal was so much better for Sports Direct than the old one that Mr King concocted the cunning plan of the Sevco car boot sale with Elite and Hummel.
It was a crazy own goal that General Ashley merely waited to be scored.
Then started the litigation once he had his legal tanks in a row.
Now, the Sports Direct guy has his highly paid lawyers primed and ready to argue the true cost of the Sevco car boot sale.
For the avoidance of doubt, Big Mike’s lawyers will be paid by Sevco.
That has already been established in court.
What is to be decided now is just how much Dave’s cunning plan will end up costing the basket of assets.
Both sides will be in front of Lionel Persey QC in the High Court in London.
The final bill, and there WILL be a bill, is likely to arrive at Ibrox before the end of the year.
Now, I’m sure that Mr David Cunningham King has made prudent contingency plans to deal with any such eventuality.
Ok, ok I’m joking.
That isn’t Dave’s style.
What he does instead is to remain calm while chaos unfolds all around him.
He then waits until one of his boardroom colleagues can’t take it anymore and announces that that emergency action is required.
Someone has to find money from somewhere at the 59th minute of the 11th hour.
If that doesn’t happen, for whatever reason, then it isn’t Dave’s fault.
It never is, even if the crisis was caused in the first place by his cunning plan.
I am increasingly amazed that Mr King’s boardroom colleagues put up with this treatment.
It is clear to me that they are often out of the loop on important decisions.
The move for Ryan Kent is a case in point.
What hasn’t been explored in the local media is why the EPL clubs let such an amazing talent slip from the grasp.
Especially for the equivalent of a petty cash voucher in the richest league in the world.
How many other clubs were vying for Mr Kent’s signature?
Quite…
In fairness, the current management team at Sevco do have a track record in unearthing gems that everyone else somehow missed.
Oh dear…
The SPFL fixture re-commence on the 14th and I’m afraid that Sevco’s customers will have to contend with reality again.
In the meantime, all is well in their Quintessentially British world and Britannia rules the waves.
When it comes to the local media they merely waive the rules.
Meanwhile, the rest of Planet Fitba look on at this shitshow and wonder what it will take for reality to break through to Sevco’s credulous customers.
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were they not also in line for the indiscipline trophy for last season , it seems that it`s still in the ham-den [ a den where pigs have their snouts in the trough ] cabinet, whats happening with that?
It’s a real pity for the Tribute Huns that the Tennents 6s is still not running. Remember how we celebrated like f**k when we won that grand old trophy in the early 90s?. HH FTGB
Couple of questions
1) Did Kent play for Sevco last year
2) Including this world beater how many trophies did Sevco win
3) Why was an available Galactico not snapped up by another EPL club
We NEED their head of recruitment!! The new Eden Hazard for £7m. Eventually. Maybe. The new Delle Alli for £300,000. What a feckin scout that man is!
Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that everyone they sign is the new somebody else?
The new Anton Rogan
Charger, when are THEY gonna sign the new Larsson? Surely that day cannot be far away for the cash-rich Ibrox behemoth. HH
Phil – did they not claim to this judge that they had no money? I seem to remember the term “penniless” but I am not sure if it was in this case (they spend so much time in court after all).
It will be pretty tough to argue they are broke now!
The claim of impecuniosity was made by Mr King’s legal chap in the Takeover Panel case.
Look at the performances of the players on Sunday who have been lauded from the blue facing side and given multi million future sell on values.
Kamara… hooked at half time looking every inch the £50k snip from Dundee.
Arfield…could have been forgiven for asking if he was on the park.
Aribo…ditto, step overs against East Fife do not a player make.
Tavernier…. not for the first time both goals originated from his patch. His crowning career moment was the Cup Final v the Hibees when he made Stokes look like Messi.
Morelos….10 outings against the Champions, still to register a goal. Next time perhaps, Alf?
Davis/Defoe… no sell on value but coining in the cash on a weekly basis.
Julienne had the latter in his pocket whilst the returning Ibrox playmaker wasn’t making the play.
Gerrard has rightly taken stick for his line up at the weekend but his stature in the game has sheltered him from a full media and fan outcry.
One more domestic slip up and his stature will count for nought.
The best thing about all of this of course is the fact that reality ALWAYS tells it like it actually is.
The reality is Kent is overpriced,overhyped and no doubt given the Transfer cost now overpaid.
Big Elhamed will prove an entirely different obstacle to beat than the ageing Lustig.
Just ask “ Now you see it…now you don’t” Defoe for clarification on that.
Ah, bliss. International weekends. Dontcha just love ’em. Well, no actually. I can’t stand them. Surely, you must support Scotland or ‘Ireland’ sez you. I certainly used to support both, but not these days. Hell no. First of all, these particular games wipe out a weekend, where league games COULD have been played. Whatever happened to the ould midweek internationals? Play them then and everyone wins. Instead, we are denied watching the team we love, in the flesh or otherwise.
What’s my PERSONAL objection to supporting these teams? Bit complicated, but here goes. First of all ‘Ireland’. There you have it in a nutshell. The team and the state it represents is not any Ireland that I wish to see. The team on the park, represents the 26 Counties, the republic or the Free State, depending on your political persuasion.It may well be the ‘republic of Ireland’ but it most definitely Not the IRISH REPUBLIC, if you see what I’m saying. I would argue that supporting such a team merely recognises and copper-fastens partition. Ah ha, gotcha now say the apologists. Anyone born on the ISLAND of Ireland can play for that team, and anyway Articles 2 and 3 of the constitution say that…Oh f***k, the GFA. Damn. Foiled again.
Speaking of the good old GFA, The atmosphere at games is terrible, according to mates I ken who still go. Back in the day, pre Big Jack even, Rebel songs were the order of the day. These days you’re risking bed and breakfast in the Bridewell, if you so much as mention Sean South, far less sing the song. The vocal cords of the support have been strangled by the political-correctness of the Dublin 4 West Brits i.e. the type of feckers who score all the expensive seats. When was the last time that anyone heard a reb tune belted out either at the Arena or in the boozers…the National Anthem excepted, of course. That is why I no longer support Ireland and my reason for doing so is strictly political. I have no other agenda. People reading this in Ireland, North OR South may of course disagree strongly with the above, understandably so, perhaps. I say again, this is my own personal opinion. Feel free to slaughter me, if you must.
Now let’s move on to ‘Scotland’. Why the inverted commas, I hear you ask. Well, since the great betrayal of Sept. 2014 I despair for the people of this country. All they had to do for f***k sake, was put a bastard ‘X’ in the box marked ‘yes’ in order to achieve a MEASURE of freedom. Instead the cowards, traitors and quislings who form the majority in this country, voted ‘No’. The only community that can still hold it’s head high, is the people of Scotland’s largest ethnic minority, a despised community who are on the one hand told ‘You’re not ALLOWED to be Irish’ and on the other hand they counter-intuitively tell you to F***K OFF BACK TO IRELAND. Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Bonnie Dundee can all hold their heads high, still. Does ANYTHING re the population graphics of these areas make the stand out from the rest of Scotland?
What’s this got to do with not supporting Scotland, you may wonder. Well, the so-called Tartan Army strongholds in places like Ayrshire, The Lothians and all along the East Coast were THE most likely areas to vote ‘NO’ in 2014. The stats do not lie. The Tartan Huns can talk and sing a good game about independence, but when action was required to achieve this, these quislings could not bring themselves to desert dear old England. SHAME ON THEM.
Anyone unfortunate enough to be stuck in a pub with these eejits, ticketless members of The Tartan Army, will know exactly how they feel about Celtic Supporters and players. Any Tim having a bad game, is routinely subjected to the most bigoted filth by these foot-soldiers of the Empire. It’s all ‘Fenian bastard’ this and ‘Celtic bastard’ that, basically the type of thing that used to happen at the ACTUAL games in the 60s and 70s. I cannot and will not cheer on a team with a support that despises my team and community. There is a line in ‘Braveheart’ where Edward The First addresses his court saying ‘The problem with Scotland is that there’s TOO MANY SCOTS’. I would disagree strongly to with that. My problem with Scotland is that there’s TOO MANY BRITS and I despair for the future of what COULD be a great wee country. Hail Hail. FTGB. Bet you cannae guess what the last bit stands for…it would look good on a big f**k-off banner at CP.
Brilliant, brilliant post Magua. Couldn’t have said that any better myself. Can’t wait until I hear the first of the Great British gullibles moaning when the price of everything goes up when brexit has gone through. I’m not one for “I told you so’s” but on this occasion I will take great delight.
Thanks for that, Henricks golden boot. Ah Henrick. My joint 2nd favourite Celtic player of all time, along with wee Lubo. First of course has to be Jinky. Although, if I had seen Bobby Murdoch in his prime…if only. HH FTGB
With attitudes like yours it’s a wonder we got 45% in the referendum . I think you need to open your blinkered eyes and see that it is YOUR biased views that are wrong and not the rest of us .
Mind you , I will still welcome your support when we vote again , shortly , for Independence . And even your highly objectionable views will still be allowed in a free Scotland .
Millsy, as I previously said, I welcome constructive criticism, yet you don’t say which parts of the post you object to. I’m willing to listen to, and debate with a fellow Tim. If only I knew which parts you disagree with. I guess it’s not my support for an independent Alba, but rather my bashing of the Tartan Army you object to.
Well now, lets look at the behaviour of these p****s. Their idea of fun of an away day, is to drink themselves into a stupor and expose themselves to the local population. A criminal Act in anybody’s book. These Tartan Heroes make themselves look like total morons…a great advert for the best wee country in the world. OPEN your eyes and ears. These Huns hate us. If they’re so ‘Scottish’ and are proud of the fact, why do most of them wear bastard British Army hats. Yours in Celtic, and no offence intended mo chara. HH
Millsy, I fear that a 2nd Indyref would be a total waste of time and money. The Brits will NOT allow this 2nd ref to happen. Even if they did, my view is that the ‘no’ vote would be even greater than before. In common with their counterparts in England, most ‘Scots’ have become even more imperialistc/jingoistic than they were before Brexit.
At the end of the day, Salmond and his independence-light brigade f****d-up big time regarding the wording on the ballot paper. It should have included the following 2 options in the form of a statement, rather than a question i.e 1. Scotland SHOULD be an independent nation and 2. Scotland should REMAIN part of Btitain/The British State. That would have avoided all the YES/NO/AYE/NAW CRAP, with everybody myself included, behaving like friggin’ 5 year olds in the playground.HH
As an English Bhoy, I think that’s a fantastic post. As you say, you may get pelters, but it’s the nail hit firmly on the head.
Thanks Richard, you know it makes sense. HH
Now, if they ever win the Break-Even Cup, then that’ll be some story!
……we’ve been waiting and waiting for the ‘jelly and icecream’ moment but time after time they seem to avoid it. After 40 years in the financial world I’m fully aware of the accounting issues / risks in view here but still ‘Pretendy Rangers’ continue to trade. Is the next court case mentioned above the straw that will break the camel’s back?!
I think the Kent Transfer might just be that straw just like the Jelavić Transfer was previously.
Yes indeed, the SMSM coverage in the run up to the derby game was ‘rather one sided’ with one sports ‘journo’ predicting a 4-0 win for TRFC. 4-0!
But, could we even imagine just how the SMSM would have followed up this game – if TRFC had actually won?
I think that old old photo of a ‘snarling Lennon’ would once again become the obligatory photo attached to every article about him or Celtic.
[And which would frequently be accompanied by a photo of a relaxed, smiling McCoist!]
And the SMSM criticism of ‘everything anything’ Celtic would reach ever new lows of bias and BS.
We shouldn’t gloat…too much…but that result was a really sore one to the goolies for the SMSM on Sunday.
Never mind. 🙂
The Close Season Cup and now the International Break Cup. One more trophy and it will be the very first Treble in their 7 year history
Welcome back Ted, old son. Never doubted for a New York minute that you were one of us. You even got the Ryan Kent thingy spot on. The greatest player since…since the last superstar they signed, I suppose. HH and FTGB.
The winter break cup
Don’t forget about the Training Camp Cup!!!
#TREBLE
What about the Daily Rangords Instagram Trophy?
Surely you aren’t going to strip Slippy G of his Pre Season award 😧
While a player that Laughalot describes as better than Eden Hazard that same player is gleefully described as ”deadwood”by Liverpool supporters who are pleased to have him off the books .
Rarely can a player of limited ability have been so over-hyped by the Scottish media , purely based on having scored a goal against the Champions .
Just imagine , if More-or-less had manged the same feat and scored against the perennial winners then the Scottish press would be suggesting that he would be worth tens of millions in the transfer market ….oh, wait !
But, Manchild is worth a squillion-billion quid (or is it Dembelé dollars?), and some of the world’s biggest clubs all wanted him during the summer transfer window! It’s true – the SMSM told us all so!! 😂
If only he had been in the sevco team last season they could have swept up every trophy……..oh, wait! HH
Lafferty is not the brightest by a long chalk and that is obvious with his Hazard/Kent comparisons.
If the headline had ended with ha, ha, ha attached we could all have laughed at the joke.
The MSSM is wheeling former players out one by one to make headlines which are laughable at best and ridiculous in their content.
Whoever is writing the cheques will have been delighted that the Italian midfielder decided that Govan was not for him.
The Europa monies are being spent on Kent, the very monies that were needed to get them through till next May.
Morelos’s umpteenth outing against the Champions produced the usual blank return.
When he skipped past Bitton in the second half, instead of looking for a colleague in a better position, he chose to shoot for goal from an improbable angle with the ball ending up in Row Z.
That’s not going to generate a £20m offer, or even half of that from watching clubs and his sly stamp on Julienne won’t have gone unnoticed.
The Ibrox club’s season is in the hands of Sports Direct and the courts.
The legal costs will be bad enough but a few million going to SDI as compensation for loss of profit will be a sore one.
Can’t imagine that their partners in the supply chain are over the moon about getting into bed with Kingco.
As far as I’m aware no one has resigned, or been resigned, as a result of putting their name to the most recent contract with SDI.
That in itself, given the gravity of the situation, beggars belief.
Joseph, you are being slightly unfair on senor ‘better than Pele’ Morelos. A friend in India texted me to say that his local club had offered the Huns 100 Rupees for the Colombian Superstar. The Huns however were holding out for 200. Go figure, as they say. HH
Phil, I am in no doubt whatsoever that the zombie club had the back up plan of signing Kent for that “just in case” moment if the result didn’t go their way. They were either going to do it then or if they failed to qualify for the group stages of the EUL. It’s the shot of adrenaline they needed to keep them alive!