A decade ago, the death warrant of a football club was signed in a short meeting at Ibrox Stadium.
Quite simple, Rangers FC (Est 1872) could not pay their 276 creditors in full.
Consequently, they needed the agreement for those who were owed many millions of pounds to accept less than what they were owed.
For Rangers to emerge intact from administration, it would be necessary to have a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA).
The local media had been soothing the Ibrox klanbase for months that this would happen and everything would be ok.
Dear reader, your humble correspondent was something of a contrarian back then.
I stated here that the day after Rangers was placed in administration, the liquidation of that football club was a certainty.
The Ibrox klanbase was certainly alarmed about what the rejection of a CVA would entail, for their club.
Clearly, they didn’t like the idea of liquidation because, correctly, they believed it was the end of the original Rangers.
This young chap, peace be upon him, certainly got the gravity of the situation at the time.
When the CVA was rejected, the news desks immediately got the significance of what happened.
The Herald front page, which is the featured image of this piece, tells an inconvenient truth for the succulent suspects in the Stenography Corps.
A decade on, the local media pretends that it didn’t happen.
They cannot offer analysis, so instead, they peddle amnesia.
If pressed, they will reach for a locally constructed Orwellian lexicon that includes “engine room subsidiary”.
Indeed it is a strict requirement for a front-of-camera gig to pretend that Sevco Scotland Limited (trading as The Rangers Football Club) is the same club that John Greig and Jim Baxter once played for.
I have yet to hear any convincing, evidence-based explanation from the Stenography Corps why briefly, in 2012, there were TWO Rangers!
One of the things that the Gallant Profiteers benefited from the start was that the succulent suspects were all in for the Orwellian fiction that Rangers survived that meeting of creditors a decade ago today.
Both Craig Whyte and the Gallant Profiteers could rely on the obedience of the sports desks to churn out feel-good pish to the Ibrox klanbase.
There WAS a need for the raw, unvarnished truth and the digital revolution was the hinge factor.
An essential part of how the downfall of Rangers was told was the role of the Fitba Fifth estate.
Bloggers like RTC attracted a dedicated conclave of commenters who would analyse and parse each new development.
As a named NUJ member, your humble correspondent straddled both worlds, as was acknowledged on Twitter last night.
Ultimately my work on the Rangers story was exclusively on this platform which I and I alone controlled.
Ten years on, and the pretence that Sevco is the original Rangers is a clear indicator on Planet Fitba as to whether or not you’re dealing with a bona fide journalist who is faithful to the truth or a succulent stenographer.
That is why my work here isn’t over, even though I’m on Moleskine number three for the sequel to Native Shore.
It’s starting to look like something.
Early days though.
Never stop…
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Phil, you’re gonnae have tae stop using “Orwellian fiction” for the Sevco Stenographer corps’ output. God bless him, but every word George wrote about the establishment way back then has turned out to be true. Who knew 1984 was prophesy?
It is the genius of Orwell that he was able to unpick the DNA of the totalitarian mindset.
Brian please don’t try tell us it’s the same club, follow follow would hail you for that but PHIL tore you a new one . Same flies different cow shit remember
The issue you have on this theory is that no professional anywhere has backed the theory or explained it. Each time the issue has arisen in a court case, whilst not being asked to rule directly on the issue, the courts have stated the club was sold to Sevco. Its a matter of record that their employees were all subject to TUPE and its a legal fact that TUPE does not apply when a business is liquidated. TUPE only ever applies when a business is sold in administration which is clearly what happened in this case. Please note that a business being sold in administration is wholly different from a company being sold in administration. I do hope you allow the comment to be shown.
Oh dear, Brian.
I’m in a rather generous and forgiving mood today so here goes:
Here is the UK Government’s advice on the matter.
When TUPE applies:
The employees’ jobs usually transfer over to the new company – exceptions could be if they’re made redundant or in some cases where the business is insolvent
their employment terms and conditions transfer continuity of employment is maintained
To find out if TUPE applies to your transfer, talk to ACAS(the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service), Citizens Advice or, if you’re an employee, your trade union representative.
So TUPE did not apply as the business was insolvent.
The key here is that because the business with whom players had contracts WAS insolvent and could not continue to ply its trade of playing football, players became free of the insolvent club contract to sign elsewhere.
Had Rangers not been insolvent TUPE would have protected the contracts players had with Rangers from being changed to the players’ detriment. So nothing to do with court rulings or absence of them, all to do with Rangers ceasing to exist as an employer and then being subject to liquidation procedures to recoup some of the debt owed.
Brian, you have missed the key point in that though TUPE didn’t apply, the reason it didn’t was Rangers ceased to be a solvent club.
The club couldn’t pay their 276 creditors in full and they would not agree to a CVA.
For the avoidance of doubt, I’m rarely this patient with the hard of thinking.
Oh dear Brian…
Fortunately, I’m in a (rare enough) forgiving and generous mood today so here goes:
Here is the UK Government’s advice on the matter.
When TUPE applies:
The employees’ jobs usually transfer over to the new company – exceptions could be if they’re made redundant or in some cases where the business is insolvent
their employment terms and conditions transfer continuity of employment is maintained
To find out if TUPE applies to your transfer, talk to ACAS(the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service), Citizens Advice or, if you’re an employee, your trade union representative.
So TUPE did not apply as the business was insolvent.
The key here is that because the business with whom players had contracts WAS insolvent and could not continue to ply its trade of playing football, players became free of the insolvent club contract to sign elsewhere.
Had Rangers not been insolvent TUPE would have protected the contracts players had with Rangers from being changed to the players detriment. So nothing to do with court rulings or absence of them, all to do with Rangers ceasing to exist as an employer and then being subject to liquidation procedures to recoup some of the debt owed.
Brian, you have missed the key point in that though TUPE didn’t apply, the reason it didn’t was Rangers ceased to be a solvent club.
The club couldn’t pay their 276 creditors in full and they would not agree to a CVA.
For the avoidance of doubt, I’m rarely this patient with the hard of thinking.
Your further clue is “basket of assets”.
Brian Christopher
What you should do is look into the Charles Green court case.
James Dolman’s twitter account covered it comprehensively.
During the proceedings even the lawyer for Sevco confirmed that the club didn’t survive as his only defence regarding the club miraculously surviving liquidation ‘…was something that the law of the land had still to catch up to…’
When your own club’s lawyer can’t make a case in court for the survival lie then you have to face the truth, and you can see from the tosh you wrote how badly the death of your old club has affected you.
Charles Green, your current club’s founding father, has repeatedly said that he tried to buy the club but he failed to do so when the CVA was rejected. He swore an oath to this in court.
He bid 8.5 million to do so. It was rejected.
Club was put forward for liquidation.
His bid of 5.5 million for the assets and was successful.
Phil had to explain to you everything regarding TUPE.
it’s unusual to see someone try to make relevant points but every part of their point making is fantasy.
Everything you have said is laughable.
I often ask Sevconians like yourself who make up complete nonsense and try to present it as fact, do you genuinely believe what you are saying or is it something that was such a hammer blow that you couldn’t handle it and instead created an imaginary world where what actually happened was all an illusiion?
That’s unusual Brian, because if it’s a matter of record that their employees were all subject to TUPE, please explain just how Naismith, McGregor, Whittaker, Lafferty and the then club captain, Davis, managed to do walking away? (Hint ~ they weren’t subject to TUPE).
Hi Phil really enjoy your books top class reads all of them Downfall being my slight favourite. Thank you for your endless work on The Rangers story and exposing this mob for what they really are-Liars & Cheats. Your a true Fenian.
“Never Stop” Love it
Hi Phil where can I get a copy of Downfall ?
Direct from my publisher.
frontlinenoirbooks.com
If they are the same then they are £160 million in dept !!!
Keep fighting the good fight Phil. BTW my signed copy of Native Shore arrived in the post last week. Thank you. Don’t know whether to read it right away or order The Squad and then read them both in the correct order. Any thoughts? 🇮🇪
Cheers Bill.
Native Shore is Godfather 2.
It’s a sequel but also works as a stand alone.
If Charles Green bought the history as claimed (claims accepted by the media and the klan), subsequently gifted it to the newcomers, it seems to me 54 previous titles were never won in a sporting environment. They have been merely gifted as in a ” babyshower”, welcoming a newborn.
Titles should also have been stripped with FC Dignity losing 5 or 6 of them.(minimum).
They died; but are getting away with murder.
The basket of assets Sevco bought from Rangers FC (in liquidation) are a matter of public record. These did not include the dead club’s history.
Phil, I’m not too clever on the Internet, only got a mobile. Anyway I ordered your book, and all l can say thank you so much for your years of standing up for the truth.
Incidently, I’m a reasonably fittish 72 on the beer just now. I’m born and bred in Govan, grandparents from Co Sligo and Fermanagh.
I joined the SNP way back in 1967 thinking that a majority of SNP MP’s would gain us indy. Three times l stood as a losing local council candidate… 79 and 1990.
Now l understand why SF refuse to attend the Westminster sham… swearing ro kiss the feet of ‘Windor’s
Today, SNP MPs toe the Westminster line, achieving basically nothing.’
Sorry Phil, if you read this but it’s now obvious that the London establishment views Scotland as a colony, like the 6 occupied counties.
Anyway, if we get a few weeks sun I’ll look forward to your book.
Many regards, Jimmy.
Cheers Jimmy
Was the term “engine room subsidiary” made up in Scotland for sevco?
Type the term into Google and nothing comes up apart from sevco stories
Yes.
Martin Williams will have it on his headstone.
Hi Phil:
Just finished Native Shore. Read it on holiday in Malaga and now Cádiz. Wonderful stuff, great ending. One or two points I would raise with you over a beer if you’re ever over in Cushendun, but nothing of great import.
Definitely not Jilly Cooper even though I was reading it on the beach!
I’m glad that you enjoyed Native Shore Gerry.
Top respect as always. But one voice against the choir of angers. I hope there is a change and journos who want to make a name for themselves join the truth bus.
Aye. But DON’T hold your breath while you wait for that particular bus.
Just read re, Government invite Rangers to Dover house to celebrate 150 years old. In which the club paid for it themselves, nothing to do with the Government. Pinocchio moment there.
you should consider a sequel to Downfall Phil. ten years of Sevco and not a lot has changed in scottish football.