It does seem somewhat ironic that as a book project comes to an end, the thing that always excites this writer the most is when the cover design drops into the inbox.
Two nights ago, I got the first sight of what another person, who deals in the visual, thinks of the project.
That she came up with it based on only 200 words of advanced information for the book trade was especially impressive.
After some back and forth, I think we have the winner, and I can’t wait to share it.
For the moment, though, it is under wraps until the publisher gets it out there.
I do not think that I am unique in feeling parental and protective about a completed manuscript and not wanting to let it go into the big bad world of editing.
Indeed, there is an element of waving your five-year-old off to school for the first time.
You are fearful of what the hard knocks of the editorial process will do to your baby.
I suspect that only writers will recognise these feelings.
It is different from journalism, where copy is happily filed to the subs, job done and move on.
That is the difference between trade and art right there.
I recall the first time that I set aside some time to really get into the manuscript. I had a rough idea of the number of words that I wanted to get down.
It was February 2019, and I hoped that nothing untoward would happen on Planet Fitba.
Dear reader, I sat in the chair the very day that this fella who had previously proclaimed that he “was born into Celtic” found the bloody adoption papers.
He was off to Leicester, and my schedule was ripped up!
Unlike battering out 500 words in a busy newsroom, writing a novel takes silence in order to hear your writer’s voice.
Over the past week, as I was finishing off the final scenes, my attention was totally on the task at hand down the Word Mines.
While I was gone, the world did not stop.
The Brits were called out on the world stages as duplicitous over the Northern Ireland Protocol, and Sevco is now out on the open market looking for money.
I sent this image to Rugger Guy, and he replied with this WhatsApp communiqué:
Three things of interest. Court case kicked down the road another year. Directors stepping up again, albeit charging interest lower than King. Government giving financial assistance ( probably COVID related). They need to sell players to take off some pressure.
Last night one well-placed source also reminded me that this is the first time that there has been any serious outside scrutiny of Sevco’s finances since the King takeover in 2015.
Of course, that person was correct.
One of the first effects of the Off License Putsch was that RIFC came off the AIM on the London Stock Exchange.
Now that they are out looking for money on the open market, then potential investors need information.
As I have previously reported, Mr King and his shareholding remain a problem for the Sevco High Command.
They want him gone, but Dave wants the fans to buy him out.
However, the board wanted the same money from the fans to pay off the King loan.
They have been forced to go to market, indicating that the fans have not bought RIFC shares in any meaningful amounts.
This move probably means that the days of debt for equity swaps in the Blue Room are over.
The chaps in the Blue Room did what was needed last season.
They put a team on the field to stop the Ten.
Of course, they had some help on that matter.
The chaps in the Blue Room are still stepping up with much-needed finance, but now it is in the form of loans with interest charged.
Overall, it doesn’t look easy to sustain the Ibrox operation in the long term.
However, they have allies in their quest to keep HMS Sevco afloat.
People in positions of power at Parkhead believe that they need the Ibrox operation as a business partner going forward.
Fortunately for the Sevco High Command across the city, Managed Decline FC still believes in the Old Firm.
On a more hopeful note, it really is a stunning cover design!
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The Rangers* Board put their personal money in and gambled to stop ten. Long term financial stability will be alot easier now they have access to CL money and they do have several sellable assets. Their Board have risked a lot and won. I dislike it but you can’t argue with their strategy. Gamble, win short term and stabilise long term when the team has won. Celtic took the opposite strategy. I think they will sell players and stabilise with ten stopped.
Their strategy certainly was successful in stopping 10IAR.
RIFC has racked up material losses every single year since inception 9 years ago.
Adding anticipated 2020/21 losses, this could take the total, accumulated losses for RIFC to near an incredible £100M.
RIFC could indeed now move towards a more sustainable business model – if they actually choose to start living within their means?
…and maybe CFC is anticipating RIFC’s radical scaling down of expenditure – and are planning to do likewise?
Who knows?
… and maybe RIFC can – somehow – continue to carry their huge losses over the longer term?
I dont think Celtic needs the Old Firm and certainly Scots Football wd be better off without it.The Board obviuosly differs.
Seems to me though they need a viable plan B because obviously if Rangers are actually and admittedly liquidated then the Old Firm is gone for good.
So long term the question for theBoard is what next.Id say partys over and sell up ad as a quaetion of fact were it me and I held significant share Id be doing it now since a liquidation wd devalue my shares.
Dont think there are many good outcomes from the share value point of view so I doesnt surprise me that they are complcit in keeping Rangers afloat.
Doubt very much a new Rangers cd work but we shall see =pretendy Rangers has served well enough.
Even if one thinks Old Firm imperative it was not at all necessary to let them become more com[etive than the other SFA clubs to Celtics position as # 1.
Underfunding recruitment of palyets and more particularly managers is unforgivable
You have to laugh at the line ” the board feel there is significant value in the playing squad that is not reflected in the balance sheet ”
Morelos transfer market value £10m our valuation £30m
Kamara transfer market value £5.4m our value £15m
Try selling that to investors
It will come down to what a club is willing to pay for any of Sevco’s players.
Indeed, that’s true of all players anywhere.
Aye. This is true of anything. Be it a house, a car or a football player. It’s only worth what someone is willing to pay.
Many factors come into play, Market conditions at the time you want to sell being the main one. Prospective buyers sniffing out how badly you want to, or indeed need to sell, being another.
You will occasionally get someone willing to pay over the odds if you are selling something they desperately want or need. Maybe I’m being churlish here but I really struggle to see any sevco player falling into this category.
Just the fact that they are saying that to try and get money out of investors.
You would have a car company saying ” I know the value of our cars are x amount on the books but we thing they are worth a lot more. Any chance of some money ”
Anyone with 2 brain cells to rub together would chase them
If you buy into this charade good luck to you.
Further to that I have a brand spanking new £10 note here for sale for £100
Go on you know it makes sense… 😉👍🏼
Sell players….just at the Coronavirus recession starts in earnest.
If the plug is pulled on furlough then 12 months from now you wont be seeing as many season tickets sold.
Took from the banks collapse in 2007 till 2012 till The actual Rangers we’re relegated to the history books.
Given the economic calamity the UK and the World at large is facing ( despite what the MSM tell the people), I’ll say half that time and say by Mid season 2023/2024 sevco will be dead.
What is criminal in all this is that hard pressed tax payers have been forced to “lend” “rich” football teams millions of £s.
Phil how come there is no mention of the money owed to the taxman?
Does that mean they have repaid the millions they owed?
Money is not owed to HMRC until the bill arrives.
So the government are loaning sevco money when they are failing to pay their taxes.
Not only, that giving them 20 years to pay the money back. If only sevco could get clubs to give them the same payment plan for players
In the interests of financial pedantry…
RIFC will have to currently accrue for the HMRC tax liabilities in its accounts, regardless of when any bill(s) arrive,
i.e. can’t ‘hide’ it.
Actually paying it might be a different story altogether… 🙂