In the Ibrox story, a lack of self-awareness appears to be a handmaiden of the Herrenvolk Hubris.
Enter one Alastair James Johnston.
He was the chairman of the original Rangers when he gave the famous nod of the head to the question:
“Could Rangers go bust?”
It led to this wonderfully dignified spat on live radio.
In fairness, Mr Johnston did warn his Blue Room colleagues that Mr Craig Whyte might not be a billionaire.
At the time of the Craig Whyte trial, he gave this famous interview to BBC reporter Mark Daly.
Scroll to 07.32.
Murder Mr Johnston?
Murder?
Well, that must mean that there was a death.
Ah yes.
Moreover, he was quite clear who was to blame.
What Mr Johnston was warning about in 2011 came to pass in 2012.
With the club in administration, the Rangers support were quite clear of the dangers of not getting a CVA.
One definite constant between Rangers and Sevco is the fact that anyone who controls the home dressing room at Ibrox usually has the slavish support of the sports desks in Glasgow.
We can call this “ the first rule of succulent stenography”.
Of course, the exception to this dignified ordinance was the period from October 2014 to March 2015.
General Ashley’s men were in the Blue Room and propelling the basket of assets to breakeven point.
Mr David Cunningham King and his Concert Party colleagues were agitating for boardroom change.
Crucially they had the Ibrox klanbase onside.
At this point, the Stenography Corps sniffed the air and detected the unmistakable aroma of succulent impala.
When the Off Licence Putsch succeeded the intellectuals on the sports desk apparently took Mr King at his word.
I know, I know…
Mr Johnston, in fairness, saw through the Convict Chairman’s glib and shameless lies quicker than most in the Blue Room.
At the end of the day, he is a genuine Rainjurrzz man.
Consequently, the idea of Celtic strolling to Ten In A Row is an appalling vista for him.
So, I was not surprised to see him clutching at any available balm for his wounds.
However, acknowledging his pain should not be an excuse for journalistic scrutiny to take a sabbatical.
Graham Spiers, never a member of the Stenography Corps, didn’t miss.
Mr Johnson was in the Blue Room throughout the cheating years at Ibrox.
The titles and cups won during the EBT decade are truly tainted.
Scamming the taxman and having…ahem… “imperfectly registered players” was cheating on an industrial scale.
Of course, this should have opened the door to campaigning journalism in Fair Caledonia to have these fraudulent titles stripped from the dead club.
That Mr Johnson could safely put his head above the parapet on the issue of this currently interrupted campaign says far more about the local media than his own flame resistant neck.
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Please let’s not forget sevcos illegitimate cousin over in Edinburgh .. couldn’t happen to a nicer team
Hi Phil. I have visited your page a number of times before the penny finally dropped on “Asterisk? The gall!”. It made me groan. One of your best.
Aye a cracker
LODGE meetings normally have nine in the meetings. Or am a wrong is it six or seven.
Good memories Phil Brilliant stuff
He’s playing to the gallery. Deep down he knows, they know and we know it’s 9 in a row again🍀🍀
So if I eat 7pieces of pizza and not the 8th and last piece I am basically entitled to a full refund as I never finished it.Over to the accounting genius who deals in fractions.
Oh dear, with null and void becoming less likely by the day the blue hordes are having a fit at the average points proposal.
They are demanding that Rangers leave the SPFL and go elsewhere if this comes to pass, anywhere where they will be welcomed…..NI?
If that is impossible then take the blue pound away from every other SPFL team by refusing any future away ticket allocation.
One bright spark said that there is no way the SFA/SPFL will go to war with the biggest club in Scotland.
Come on mate, leave Celtic out of it.
I wonder what Stevie G’s thinking if he’s been made fully aware of the impending shit storm heading their way.
Even without the Pandemic there was trouble a plenty ahead. Who is going to step up to the plate and fight Rangers corner. No offence but it ain’t Park Senior.
Park Junior…wasn’t he part of the brains trust that hired Pedro?
Just think when we win the league if it’s 30 games played or 38 the Klan will be pig sick . For it to be won on 30 games would be brilliant as this is the thing that would send them over the edge . Either way they know the game is up and admin for the new club is only round the corner .
As better informed, Internet Bampots we should show some compassion for those afflicted with zero self-awareness, and with a foot permanently stuck in their mouth.
So, a reasonable suggestion;
Following on from all our clapping for Boris last night,
at 8pm tonight we should all stand at our front doors and clap for ‘Mr’ Johnston. Praying for him afterwards is optional.
It’s the least we can do for this poor man.
He also suffers from a lack of humility or shame at Ibrox: like a dog returning to its vomit.
He needs help.
And, he is a d!ck. 🙂
TRFC’s latest statement contains the following paragraph:
“Any attempts to railroad changes to existing rules or run roughshod over corporate governance will be opposed in the strongest possible terms. We must allow decisions to be made in a rational, fair and balanced manner.”
Only last week the same club called for the current season to be declared null and void which, of course, would deny Celtic their 9 in a row titles. Which part of this suggestion could be classified as rational, fair or balanced.
Balanced, to them, means any set of scales rigged in their favour.
Those pesky worms won’t slither back into the can once it’s been opened but just you carry on Mr Johnston. HH
As better informed, Internet Bampots we should show some compassion for those afflicted with zero self-awareness, and with a foot permanently stuck in their mouth.
So, a reasonable suggestion;
Following on from all our clapping for Boris last night,
at 8pm tonight we should all stand at our front doors and clap for ‘Mr’ Johnston. Praying for him afterwards is optional.
It’s the least we can do for this poor man.
He also suffers from a lack of humility or shame at Ibrox: like a dog returning to its vomit.
He needs help.
And, he is a d!ck. 🙂
The Rankers are like a duck, above water calm, underneath paddling furiously to keep afloat. Johnston and the rest are in deflection mode, they know that if this continues for a month they are dead in the water. All the millions that bus man and company have poured in will stop as their own fortunes shrink due to the economic climate. The SMSM detest all things Celtic and Irish, why our board accept this crap God only knows.
I would take an asterisk if it meant title stripping for all the EBT years. That would be the trade off Mr. Johnston.
My thoughts entirely Rob….would anyone take that suggestion to the SFA/SPFL ?
Ah! That was a nice wee stroll doon memory lane and aw topped up wae the auld schadenfreude anaw.
Their anguish is like nectar and the picture of serenity itself,Chic Young,still cracking the one liners…
‘There were six or seven professional Scottish sports journalists witnessed it too’
He must have had a team of crack detectives on that,I mean finding 6/7 professional sports journalists would be a miracle in itself.Well;any that actually did what their job title declares,ie,true investigative sports journalism.
Thanks Phil🍀
Another good article Phil and on this great holiday in Scotland , April 8th 2013 will forever be a day of celebration when Maggie died I remember as a kid when she ripped the hearts out of the many mining communities and stole our Milk before she became leader of the Tory Party ,tested her New “Fair poll Tax ” on our population only to repeal it when the masses decided to revolt down in england when it was deployed there , Our city was one of the worst hit by her anti Union tactics Timex ,Ford and many more businesses shut there doors to our workers as we resisted the tactics of the capitalist’s
so i will sup a wee dram tonight after the SWP meeting via zoom and celebrate her death
So 30/38 (30 games played out of a scheduled 38) = one half. No wonder RFC went bust with accountants like Johnston on board!
Mibbees he deducted the vat!! 😂
Hello, hello!!…
8½ in a row!! 😂😂😂
I reckon if John Sullivan was still alive, he could turn that lot into the nation’s favourite comedy show. As it is, we have Only Fools and Horses, instead of Only Fools and a Man on a Big White Horse. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
It wasn’t Whyte who drove the hearse straight to the cemetery it was Murray, disgraced knight of the realm whose empire collapsed owing HBOS £800m to be written off.
At the Whyte trial it was made crystal clear in evidence that HBOS dangled the opportunity to Murray to buy back part of Murray International Metals, the black knight’s first lovechild.
All Murray had to do was dump Rangers, simple as, done and dusted in a minute as a £1 changed hands.
Due diligence done, aye right.
Amazing how the Scottish media remain in thrall to Murray. It’s as if he’s a no go zone for the press.
Why that is the case is anyone’s guess but it’s all a little bit strange.
If the methodology that has been suggested for the leagues below, average points gained so far in the season then Celtic with aan average of 2.67 per game will collect another 21 points finishing on 101 points over the 38 games.
Rangers with an average of 2.31 per game will finish on 88 points, also picking up 21 points from their remaining 9 games.
The gap therefore will remain at 13 points. I believe a 75% consensus is required amongst the clubs.
With every club desperate for the SFA/SPFL season hand out of place monies only those in the relegation spots are likely to object, apart from one notable exception in the top league.
I wonder who?