Rangers FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2012/2013

Pompey Magnus · 10-02-2012 06:17AM

Saw a comment from Ian Durrant about the Dundee Utd game:

"Any team we put out on Sunday should have been good enough to beat Dundee United"

Is the man living 5 years in the past or something? Rangers finished the game with Kerkar and Little up front, the worst striking partnership I have witnessed from any top half SPL side in a long long time, Celick might as well have sat by the corner flag counting the studs on his boots for all the good he did with the time he was on the pitch, and no-one, apart from Aluko, looked to have any spark of creativity, and yet Durrant still thought Rangers had a God given right to beat Dundee Utd?

Sometimes a little bit of arrogance can be a good thing, but only when it is appropriate, the way Rangers have played this season makes it bizarre for this man to think that Rangers can just expect to win any game, regardless of who they put out.

KeithAFC · 10-02-2012 06:48AM

[QUOTE]ASSEMBLY AND CRAIG WHYTE ON SUNDAY 5 FEBRUARY 2012
Present: Craig Whyte (RFC Chairman), Jim Hannah (RFC Supporters Liaison), Andy Kerr (President, RSA), Ross Blyth (Vice-President, RSA), Mark Dingwall (RSA Delegate for Rangers Supporters Trust, Tam Green (RSA Delegate for Scottish Delegates)

The Assembly delegates thanked the Chairman for arranging to meet at such short notice and then set out the level of anxiety and concern among supporters following the recent media coverage of the Club’s financial affairs. The Chairman said he was well aware of the concern and recognised how important it is to keep the fans informed and united – he stressed we must all stick together. The delegates went on to explain that there had been a unanimous mandate from all the fans’ representative groups to seek clarification on a timetable for publication of the Club’s accounts. They explained that the accounts would place on record all the financial details and would remove the rumour and speculation.

The Chairman explained that the accounts had been held up for two reasons – one was the auditors requesting further papers and information from the Club and the other was awaiting legal opinion on the outcome of the Big Tax Case. He confirmed that the audit is now complete and he was meeting the auditors on Monday 6 February 2012 to hopefully finalise the process. He promised to feed back the outcome of that meeting and provide a timetable for publication (see update below). He clarified that, in any event, the accounts had to be made available to the SPL and UEFA by 31 March 2012. He confirmed that after the accounts are published and, subject to the statutory notice period, an AGM will be called.

There was then some discussion about the financial transactions around the borrowings from Ticketus against season ticket revenue. The Chairman confirmed the borrowing was over a three-year period and was secured against one of his companies and not Rangers Football Club. He stated that all monies were lodged and transacted through the Club’s bank accounts – that included the £18m from him to clear the previous Bank debt, the Ticketus borrowings and the working capital available as part of the Takeover Agreement. In response to questions about the level of borrowing from Ticketus, the Chairman explained that it would be extremely difficult to borrow from any Bank at present and it was necessary to meet the running costs of around £3.5m per month.

Questions were then posed about the Big Tax Case. If the case goes in the Club’s favour, the Chairman stated that HMRC would appeal and that would mean a further lengthy period of the same uncertainty and would discourage investors, sponsors, etc. If we lose the tax case, we can appeal but there would then arise the issue of managing any accruing debt. He couldn’t speculate on the outcome but made it clear this is a vital period in the Club’s history.

He explained that all the shareholders and season ticket holders are the lifeblood of the Club and their interests would be looked after, no matter the outcome.

In summary, the Chairman stated we are in very difficult times and we need to be able to reach the point where we can run the Club on a self–sustaining basis. He is fully committed to that goal and will do all in his powers to achieve it.

ADDENDUM - As promised, the Chairman provided an update following the meeting with the Auditors on 6 February 2012. He stated that he met with the auditors and they confirmed that they now have the majority of the documentation that they require to complete the accounts. Anything else that they require will be provided this week. They are confident that the accounts will be produced well in advance of March 31st. An AGM will be held as soon as possible after the accounts are signed. [/QUOTE]

PauloMN · 10-02-2012 09:15AM

Pompey Magnus wrote: »

Saw a comment from Ian Durrant about the Dundee Utd game:

"Any team we put out on Sunday should have been good enough to beat Dundee United"

That's where it all went wrong tbh. Very disrespectful thing to say. If you don't have a healthy respect for teams like Dundee United, there's a chance you'll get beaten as the players become complacent.

PauloMN · 10-02-2012 09:28AM

McKay being a complete twat:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16967931

KeithAFC · 10-02-2012 09:33AM

"I'm waiting for a call from Craig Whyte. It's very slow," he said.
"I feel sorry for Ally [McCoist] because when [former owner] David Murray was in charge things happened. Five minutes later, you were there."

What a clown. David Murray should never be welcomed at Ibrox again. A traitor!

PauloMN · 10-02-2012 09:46AM

KeithAFC wrote: »

What a clown. David Murray should never be welcomed at Ibrox again. A traitor!

Well when I read the bit about him being flown places on a private jet, I thought how far that chap is from reality.

Agents do such a good job of messing up deals. Half the problem with inflated wages and player valuations are down to greedy agents.

Jelle1880 · 10-02-2012 10:34AM

The guy's a tit.
I hope he doesn't kill off the deal.

Pompey Magnus · 10-02-2012 10:51AM

Does Cousin still have to serve a suspension in the SPL?

Jelle1880 · 10-02-2012 11:14AM

I don't think so, cross-border suspensions are in place i think and I read somewhere that he served that ban with Hull.

premierstone · 10-02-2012 11:15AM

KeithAFC wrote: »

Well like I said, we need rational thinking in this discussion and that post is not rational. Rangers and Celtic are the oxygen for Scottish football. Without one of them, the league is non existent and will not get the support from Sky or ESPN.

You need to be realistic about it. The interest in the league would drop and without any Old Firm games, you would struggle to get any good TV deal into the league.

So for me, it is a non starter. You call it justice, I call it insane. You have to look at the overall picture and what is good for Scottish football in the long run. You have to keep people interested. Sky don't subscribe to the SPL because of Dundee Utd or Hearts. Its because of Rangers and Celtic.

The SPL was there long before SKY and ESPN and will be there long after them too, as has already been pointed out the TV deals in place at the momnet are rubbish anyway and it equates to something like 3% of Celtics annual income. Celtic will survive without Rnagers of that I have no doubt, and it will be an apportunity for the likes of Hearts, Aberdeen, Motherwell, Dundee or whoever to step up to the plate and establish themselves as the number two club in Scotland that ye will be vacating

You can call it insane all you want I call not paying any taxes to ''your'' Queen, and willfully spending monet you didnt have for years, insane

Eirebear · 10-02-2012 11:43AM

premierstone wrote: »

The SPL was there long before SKY and ESPN and will be there long after them too, as has already been pointed out the TV deals in place at the momnet are rubbish anyway and it equates to something like 3% of Celtics annual income. Celtic will survive without Rnagers of that I have no doubt, and it will be an apportunity for the likes of Hearts, Aberdeen, Motherwell, Dundee or whoever to step up to the plate and establish themselves as the number two club in Scotland that ye will be vacating

No it wasnt.

Sky were there for the inception of the SPL in 98.

premierstone · 10-02-2012 12:01PM

Eirebear wrote: »

No it wasnt.

Sky were there for the inception of the SPL in 98.

You know what I mean, but if you want to be pedantic about it fine, wouldnt you agree that Scottish top flight soccer was infact much stronger and more competitive in Europe prior to the inception of the SPL and the great Sky Sports??

Jelle1880 · 10-02-2012 12:09PM

Yes, but times were simpler then.

Scottish football in general has failed to keep up with the constant changes in global football, and Sky or no Sky won't change that.

Eirebear · 10-02-2012 12:30PM

premierstone wrote: »

You know what I mean, but if you want to be pedantic about it fine, wouldnt you agree that Scottish top flight soccer was infact much stronger and more competitive in Europe prior to the inception of the SPL and the great Sky Sports??

Yes, but as said above - times have changed, big time.
Without a solid TV deal, which not only generates direct income but also through exposure and marketing the SPL will die.

I entirely agree that the situation needs changed, but at the moment i cannot see a way around it.

KeithAFC · 10-02-2012 12:32PM

TV is huge for football now. Sky will NOT pump anything at all into Scottish football without the Old Firm games. That is the only reason they have a TV deal in place. Small or not.

premierstone · 10-02-2012 12:58PM

KeithAFC wrote: »

TV is huge for football now. Sky will NOT pump anything at all into Scottish football without the Old Firm games. That is the only reason they have a TV deal in place. Small or not.

Which is it?? As I have stated TV money is in the region of 3% of Celtics annual income so hardly huge, and anyway the current deal runs untill 2015, plenty of time for one of the other clubs in the SPL to have established themselves as the No.2 in Scotland.

Perhaps without the constant bickering and hatred that surrounds the Glasgow derby the SPL will become a more attractive proposition for the TV companies, and of course we will have re-estyablished ourselves as a European superpower by then and they will be throwing monet at us

KeithAFC · 10-02-2012 01:06PM

premierstone wrote: »

Which is it?? As I have stated TV money is in the region of 3% of Celtics annual income so hardly huge, and anyway the current deal runs untill 2015, plenty of time for one of the other clubs in the SPL to have established themselves as the No.2 in Scotland.

Perhaps without the constant bickering and hatred that surrounds the Glasgow derby the SPL will become a more attractive proposition for the TV companies, and of course we will have re-estyablished ourselves as a European superpower by then and they will be throwing monet at us

When I said huge, I didn't just mean money. I meant actual publicity and interest. Of course celtic fans will be interested in celtic but what would encourage Sky to keep an interest on the Scottish Premier League when it will be just like the League of Ireland? That is the way it would be. No big matches and very little interest.

Dempsey · 10-02-2012 01:12PM

KeithAFC wrote: »

You can say that the league needs reconstruction but I still think you are missing the vital point here. Rangers and Celtic are the two huge clubs in Scotland. Without one of them, the interest outside Scotland (even more so than it already is) is gone.

People tune in to watch the Old Firm games and it is a oxygen to keep the Scottish game going. I think Rangers have the biggest away following in the SPL in terms of numbers. So I think it is important for these smaller clubs to think about how they would fill in that financial gap.

The league could be reconstructed with both clubs but if Rangers do fold, I can't see how they can make Scottish football work or get Sky or ESPN wanting to invest money in a league which will be frankly completely dominated by one club with next to no serious competition.

Is this the tired old tripe thats going to permeate Rangers threads and forums until its all over? The reality is that you put the fans that walk through your turnstiles first, not tv deals. The reality is that what you think will happen, at best, would need to put to a vote and you'd need a 11:1 margin on that.

You have clubs that have been playing by the rules, trying to keep their clubs afloat then you have Rangers, a club that has been grossly mismanaged for a decade, cheating their taxes to pay players so they could earn prizemoney that they probably shouldnt have. You think that you wont see at least 2 clubs wanting Ranger to get all thats coming to them?

The SPL clubs are going to take a financial hit because of Rangers and whatever the extent of the damage will be. You think that they aren't preparing for that? We've lost TV deals before and sold rights to terrestrial TV stations (2002-2003 i think). Nobody went to the wall then and nobody will go to the wall now. To do what you think will happen would damage the integrity and reputation of the SPL beyond repair. I think its fair to say that more fans of every other club in the SPL would stay away, people wouldnt be bothered watching a match on tv for years in disgust if the integrity of the game is compromised for Rangers. Because if Celtic and Rangers cannot be punished for their mistakes, then whats the point?

KeithAFC · 10-02-2012 01:40PM

Is this the tired old tripe thats going to permeate Rangers threads and forums until its all over? The reality is that you put the fans that walk through your turnstiles first, not tv deals. The reality is that what you think will happen, at best, would need to put to a vote and you'd need a 11:1 margin on that.

Again, I think you are missing the complete point. TV is designed to create interest. The SPL is a product which is on Sky and ESPN. Without the big main attraction in the league (OF games) what is the point? That is the key question here.

The support for the league will drop from Sky and I don't see them having any interest in it. It will go down the LoI route. Saying that clubs will be thinking of how to fill in that financial gap. I don't see what they could do? A lot of the SPL clubs don't have big support bases and actually really struggle to fill the grounds.

I think it would be a disaster for Scottish football. I was listening to a number of Celtic fans on the radio during the week and they thought similar. A lot of them said they only get the season ticket for OF games and European games.

_blank_ · 10-02-2012 01:45PM

KeithAFC wrote: »

I think it would be a disaster for Scottish football. I was listening to a number of Celtic fans on the radio during the week and they thought similar. A lot of them said they only get the season ticket for OF games and European games.

Well then they aren't Celtic fans, they are event junkies.

KeithAFC · 10-02-2012 01:47PM

Des wrote: »

Well then they aren't Celtic fans, they are event junkies.

Good point. :pac:

Dempsey · 10-02-2012 02:05PM

KeithAFC wrote: »

Again, I think you are missing the complete point. TV is designed to create interest. The SPL is a product which is on Sky and ESPN. Without the big main attraction in the league (OF games) what is the point? That is the key question here.

Maybe its the key question for an Arsenal fan that has a passing interest in Rangers, not for those who live in Scotland and go to matches every other weekend. You have shown that you have no idea what majority of Scottish Football fans want. You just want a mechanism to have Old Firm matches whereas people that spend their hard earned money attending games and supporting their club want a more competitive league. What you want for Rangers just undermines the SPL but then again, you dont care about the other clubs, just what Rangers needs right now and when the tax case comes home to roost.

A radio phone in show? LOL!

KeithAFC · 10-02-2012 02:21PM

Dempsey wrote: »

Maybe its the key question for an Arsenal fan that has a passing interest in Rangers, not for those who live in Scotland and go to matches every other weekend. You have shown that you have no idea what majority of Scottish Football fans want. You just want a mechanism to have Old Firm matches whereas people that spend their hard earned money attending games and supporting their club want a more competitive league. What you want for Rangers just undermines the SPL but then again, you dont care about the other clubs, just what Rangers needs right now and when the tax case comes home to roost.

A radio phone in show? LOL!

I think it is a fair point.

How would the SPL retain any interest outside Scotland and even get people back to the stadiums to watch the football? Surely if Rangers go bust, it will just make the league worse and less money will go into the league by Sky or ESPN? Even if it is small now, it will be even worse.

Celtic would completely dominate the league every single year. Celtic's fan base could afford for the club to pay much higher wages than any other club like Dundee Utd or Hearts and the Champions league football would help in that area too.

My point was the actual interest in that? Surely if the league went down that route, the crowds would get even worse if one team is completely dominate?

Coillte_Bhoy · 10-02-2012 02:28PM

Dempsey wrote: »

Is this the tired old tripe thats going to permeate Rangers threads and forums until its all over? The reality is that you put the fans that walk through your turnstiles first, not tv deals. The reality is that what you think will happen, at best, would need to put to a vote and you'd need a 11:1 margin on that.

That would be a first in Scotland

Dempsey · 10-02-2012 03:23PM

KeithAFC wrote: »

I think it is a fair point.

How would the SPL retain any interest outside Scotland and even get people back to the stadiums to watch the football? Surely if Rangers go bust, it will just make the league worse and less money will go into the league by Sky or ESPN? Even if it is small now, it will be even worse.

Celtic would completely dominate the league every single year. Celtic's fan base could afford for the club to pay much higher wages than any other club like Dundee Utd or Hearts and the Champions league football would help in that area too.

My point was the actual interest in that? Surely if the league went down that route, the crowds would get even worse if one team is completely dominate?

There is going to be a fallout from the Rangers tax case, it doesnt matter how severe it is for the club. Clubs will just have to accept that the current Old Firm centric format is a failure and go with something that does work. Sky/ESPN will just have to accept it.

Most clubs in other leagues dont have a realistic shot of winning their respective leagues, how come fans arent staying away in droves? A better league structure would improve the competitiveness of the SPL and it would interest the fans to the point of coming back to games. The feedback on that has been overwhelming.

How exactly is anyone going to stop you going bust? Nobody else bar the current board and the previous board can be forced to pay the debt. Nobody else will want to.

If Rangers come back as a different entity, you will have to start at the bottom, you wont beat the voting system of the SPL or SFA because nobody will give up their spot for you lot.

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

That would be a first in Scotland

Name the clubs in the SPL whos TV money is higher than gate receipts and season tickets?

Coillte_Bhoy · 10-02-2012 04:16PM

Des wrote: »

Well then they aren't Celtic fans, they are event junkies.

I know Irish fans that do this. Just not financially feasible for many of them to travel more than handful of times each season. Though if a glasgow based fan does this you'd have to question his commitment.

Coillte_Bhoy · 10-02-2012 04:18PM

Dempsey wrote: »

Name the clubs in the SPL whos TV money is higher than gate receipts and season tickets?

I dont have those figures and fail to see what the point of your question is anyway.

Coillte_Bhoy · 10-02-2012 04:23PM

premierstone wrote: »

You know what I mean, but if you want to be pedantic about it fine, wouldnt you agree that Scottish top flight soccer was infact much stronger and more competitive in Europe prior to the inception of the SPL and the great Sky Sports??

Are you trying to suggest that the introduction of the spl/sky sports is responsible for this?? if not why ask a bloody blindingly obvious question?

Dempsey · 10-02-2012 04:37PM

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

I dont have those figures and fail to see what the point of your question is anyway.

If there is any, they will be towards the bottom of the league, right? They would be clubs very glad to get a slice of the tv deal.

They arent going to vote in favour of Rangers being reinstated in the SPL if it ever comes to that. The financial climate of the SPL without Rangers will still be much better than division 1 for them. Statistically, they'll have a better chance of staying in a better financial climate by voting against something ridiculous like putting Rangers back in the SPL for the sake of Sky.

Jelle1880 · 10-02-2012 04:55PM

@BBCchrismclaug
Chris McLaughlin
Daniel Cousin's agent tells me the striker has signed for #Rangers until the end of the season. Will arrive in Scotland tomorrow.
2 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone

Seems like the deal's done.

Rangers FC Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2012/2013

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