A Swede dream

A decade ago, the original Rangers failed to get past Malmo in a Champions League qualifier.

Sadly, it was Super Salary’s only contact with this competition as a manager.

Only one year later, this was one of a few football matches that I would reference in my book Downfall.

Without the Champions League revenue, Mr Whyte’s cunning plan fell off a cliff, and I reported that at the time.

However, the chaps on the sports desk were hostile to the analysis being championed by your humble correspondent.

They still thought that he was a billionaire.

For the avoidance of doubt, if Jon Dahl Tomasson’s lads prevail tonight, then history will NOT be repeated.

The Sevco High Command have proved that they will step up and keep the lights on.

Of course, their wealth is not off the radar or anything like it.

If Mr Gerrard’s charges can cope with playing in front of the Ibrox klanbase and get past the Swedes, then there is still the prospect of Group Stage riches.

Yesterday, I asked a very well-placed source if such a bounty would solve Sevco’s current cash worries.

My guy, who has eyes on intelligence into the cash concerns at Ibrox, was dismissive.

This surprised me as the putative figures for participation in Europe’s premier club competitions are in the tens of millions.

He took me through what would happen almost immediately to, say, a £30m windfall.

HMRC are owed (approx.) £10m, and Hector wants it sharpish as the Covid toleration period is definitely over.

Dave defiantly wants his money, with interest that is, ballpark, another £10m.

Then tranches are owed on players who were signed last year.

His summation was that Group Stage revenues for the next THREE years would be required to steady HMS Sevco.

That is something for the leadership of Managed Decline FC to consider.

The Malmo manager certainly caused more than a frisson at the pre-match presser by mentioning Sevco’s money troubles.

As you well know, such a subject is verboten among the Stenography Corps.

Only fabricated good news and softball questions are allowed.

As ever on here, my promise to you, dear reader, is that the reportage here is guaranteed to be free of contaminated lamb and harmful PR additives.

My only minor grumble is that you should not be relying on an NUJ member in another country to report the truth to you on matters Ibrox.

Dear reader, I have other things I would rather be doing.

With the manuscript of Native Shore now with the publisher, my creative itch is already conspiring to create another scenario to drop on the main characters.

When Malmo beat the original Rangers in 2011, the early draft of The Squad was put aside, and I didn’t look at it again until 2016.

It would take another two years before it was launched.

If I had not been charting the imminent death of Rangers in 2012 and the creation of the bizarre monstrosity that is Sevco, then my debut novel would have been out much earlier.

Everything has a cost.

Three years to get out the sequel is, I’m told, a respectable timescale.

Stay safe, and if you haven’t then, please get the vaccine.

This is not a drill.