Rangers FC lodge papers to go into administration

lubo_moravcik wrote: »

Is Bill Miller the new and improved Craig Whyte????

No, he's actually been pretty successful in business-related matters

And I'm not sure anymore regarding the newco.
If Miller's plan succeeds, and the club keeps all it's history, titles, trophies, Ibrox,... then it's still the same club and I'll never stop supporting it.

I think the idea of a Rangers FC 2012 (A completely new club) playing at Ibrox can be put to rest, if Miller gets this arranged.

I was told by someone that his plan basically is the same as what happened at Leeds.

Eirebear wrote: »

Lets get this straight - wether or not the business side of the club is folded, the club playing at Ibrox will still be Rangers.

For some reason Lubo seems to think we're talking about some sort of MK Dons or Airdrie Utd situation, when in fact the reality is far closer to that of Portsmouth or leeds.
Do you really think thousands of Leeds or Pompey fans gave up on their club because the company controlling them was a different name? Don't be silly.

Why when someone asks a question are they deemed as being silly or some other condescending name? I'm only wondering what rangers fans would do IF it came to it. The chances of it happening were there and everyone knows that. Jelle had his doubts if he'd still follow follow, he obv had doubts and concerns that you never had.

He thought he'd seen it all, thought there wasn't anything he hadn't experienced at Rangers, the club he first joined in 1964. Nearly half-a-century in football hadn't prepared him for Craig Whyte.

Jardine has been a quiet operator for so many years at Rangers that he hardly recognises the descriptions he's heard about himself recently. He doesn't see himself as the figurehead for the entire Ibrox support, nor a bully trying to throw his weight around, yet he has been portrayed as both. The club programmes and website tend to refer to him only as "club legend Sandy Jardine" yet after years of low-profile commercial work he has been a more visible – and significant – figure around Rangers recently than at any time since last playing for them in 1982.

If Rangers are a decapitated club, short of an owner, chairmen, directors and leaders, then Jardine has emerged to speak up for them. It is Jardine, and manager Ally McCoist, who have given the club a voice.

He led the 7000-or-so supporters who marched on Hampden to protest against the fine and year-long transfer embargo imposed by the Scottish Football Association. To some who do not support Rangers the tone was unnecessarily confrontational towards other clubs, who saw Jardine tell the crowd there could be "sanctions" against anyone deemed to be complicit in punishing Rangers. In short, a boycott of away games by the Rangers support. In a quiet Murray Park at 11am yesterday – just as the staff were told to gather at Ibrox to be told Bill Miller had been given preferred bidder status – Jardine was reflective and his tone was more conciliatory, but not by much.

His position remained unchanged: Rangers deserve punishment, yes, to serve as a deterrent to others. But the club's staff were victims every bit as much as those creditors who are owed sums which will never be paid. "Nobody knew what was going on. The players did nothing wrong, the staff did nothing wrong, the players did nothing wrong. Craig Whyte basically came in and raped this club."

The word is startling, but that's where Jardine's disbelief kicks in. How could Whyte behave as he did? "The effect it had on Rangers has been huge, but also the effect it has had on Scottish football. He hurt the whole game, not just Rangers. In many ways we feel like a victim. I know a lot of people say people have been bullies and have tried to intimidate, but the reason we've done what we've done is that it wasn't us. We didn't know what Craig Whyte was doing. He used the supporters' money to buy the club, the staff money to run it, and he didn't pay any of the bills.

"Craig Whyte is not going to suffer. It's us lot who are still here who will have to pick that up. We as a club have never owed money, except to the bank. We've always paid our debts."

Many other clubs' fans think it's too neat to pin all the blame on Whyte while Rangers try to wriggle away without truly significant punishment. There is a fervour among many to see them heavily penalised, and for natural justice to be done without fear nor favour. If Rangers were guilty of wrongdoing on an epic scale, then shouldn't the consequences match the convictions? Jardine's response is one that has been articulated previously by McCoist: by bringing down Rangers, and their enormous economic muscle, Scottish football would riddle its own feet with bulletholes.

"You can only say sorry so many times. I think everyone within the club realises there has to be punishment but it has to be measured. Rangers and Celtic dominate Scottish football. They go and beat teams quite comfortably, they win cups and trophies every year, they can be victorious, you can see how some supporters are taking the chance to stick it to us. But there is a reality in Scottish football. You might say it's not a level playing field, but unfortunately that's what we've got. We are special. Dundee United brought a couple of hundred fans here on Wednesday night. When we go to Tannadice we can take 6000 and fill their hospitality.

"There are four or five teams in Scotland who could go under [without Rangers]. Whatever the penalties are, we will survive as a club because of our vast fanbase. Other clubs will go out of existence. Other clubs have to think seriously. We are a different case. I'm making a statement here, that we are special. That's recognised in the broadcasters' and sponsors' clauses. They don't have a clause for what happens to their deal if, say, Hearts drop out of the league. But they do have a clause for Rangers dropping out. So they recognise we are special. There has to be a punishment, but what hurts us hurts Scottish football as well."

In Jardine's head, Rangers stand for decency, standards and respectability. They stand for paying taxes and squaring your debts, not the mortifying shame of going bust with a queue of creditors at the gates. What of that history, though? If Miller's "newco" plan is successful would Jardine, 63, feel he was still with the same club he graced as an outstanding full-back in the 1960s and '70s?

"Other fans will say our history is gone but they can say what they like. All those league-winning flags in the trophy room, we're not going to be taking them down. All those trophies in there, we won't be putting them away.

"If Bill Miller takes over I would say to him, and I'll say it to his face: 'you are the custodian of the club. I don't know how long you'll be here but however long it is you are not just the owner, you're the custodian and hopefully you'll look after the club and hand it on'. I hope he will be open, transparent and honest. If there's bad news, just say so."

As one of those in charge of the Rangers Fans Fighting Fund, Jardine has the mandate to formulate responses to decisions taken on Rangers by the SFA, SPL or individual clubs. He would endorse a boycott if supporters wanted one, but would rather avoid that. "I hope they never have to boycott away games. Supporters are angry, they're embarrassed that their club has been dragged through the gutter. They feel that no-one is defending them. I have never seen our supporters so angry. The hard bit has been holding them back."The experiences we've been through over the last eight or nine months . . . we would never want any other club to go through what we've been through. If ever a Scottish club or any club gets in bother the first thing we would want to do is help them, because this has been a traumatic experience

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/standard-bearer.17495074

Silly Billy:rolleyes: - Holding them back from who?

Mr Miller is interested in soccerball I smell something funnier than Craigy Whyte is coming down the road

lubo_moravcik wrote: »

Wasn't it David Murray who eventually saw the downfall and death of Airdrieonians??? For how much again?????

Yes, it was Murray and Murray alone who saw the downfall of Airdrieonians. In fact he was even one of the Bailiffs who went in and closed them down.
I'm sure they owed other people money too.

Eirebear wrote: »

Yes, it was Murray and Murray alone who saw the downfall of Airdrieonians. In fact he was even one of the Bailiffs who went in and closed them down.
I'm sure they owed other people money too.

Oh I never knew that, cheers.
It just came back to me when you mentioned Airdrie.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/628268.stm

Airdrie's problems worsened when it was revealed that Rangers had arrested the club's share of the gate receipts for Sunday's Scottish Cup tie at Dundee United.

Airdrie's finances have been tackled by David Murray

Ibrox chairman David Murray applied for an interdict, on behalf of his company Carnegie, for a debt of around £30,000 owed by Airdrie.

Mr Murray said: "I feel very sorry for Airdrie and their supporters but we're running a business. We have given them repeated warnings and felt they were playing on our good nature."

EB, is there any reason why Bill Miller hasn't been over to Scotland to meet with Administrators/Super Ally/The staff etc? If he's putting going to be taking control in the next week or so(?) would there be any reason why he's not been over to see where he's putting his millions?

lubo_moravcik wrote: »

EB, is there any reason why Bill Miller hasn't been over to Scotland to meet with Administrators/Super Ally/The staff etc? If he's putting going to be taking control in the next week or so(?) would there be any reason why he's not been over to see where he's putting his millions?

Alex Thompson claimed yesterday that Miller doesn't even own a passport.

The majority of Americans don't have a passport, it's nothing weird.

Yes, and I'm also sure he'll get a passport without any problem, should the need arise.

lubo_moravcik wrote: »

A point made from a Dundee United fan there. Given that rangers can't sign players for a year or so, if it happens that they're not good enough to compete in the SPL (I know they will, but go with the IF) and it happens they end up bottom of the league and to be relegated, will the laws/rules be changed to ensure they stay up, as the SPL obv needs Rangers so much??

And he's right.

Personally, if the SPL decide to relegate Rangers i will have absolutely no issue with it (Provided it's dow to a "Newco Situation"").

However the Draconian laws which were proposed by the SPL a few weeks ago, are out of order imo and simply aimed at keeping the Rangers fanbase in the SPL while also crippling the club.
The only people being punished by that is the ordinary fan, the SPL have ****ed up (And by SPL i also include the Chairmen of the clubs, including that **** at DUFC) who sanctioned TV deals which revolve around the "Old Firm" and basically live hand to mouth hoping that Rangers and Celtic coming to town will keep them afloat.

The vast majority of Rangers fans i have spoken to are (for want of a better word) happy to take the relegation punishment. We wouldnt be the first club in Europe to have recieved such a punishment. However the SPL are backing themselves into a corner because the likes of John "We Don't Need Rangers" Yorkston and Stephen "Charge Them Twice" Thomson have realised that they stand to lose a hell of a lot if Rangers (Or hypothetically Celtic) arent around for them.

Lars1916 wrote: »

If your club would be in Germany, they would be relegated to the lowest possible division, never mind the fan base. It's a new club, full stop

One wee point our club is not in Germany so therefore your point is well...pointless

Lars1916 wrote: »

Guess what...I know, Ran**** are not playing in Germany

And my so pointless point is to highlight, how lucky your club might be in the end, not getting the same relentless punishment, a German club would get.

What age are you seven how childish.


Again it makes not one jot of difference we are a Scottish club not a German one