BrahimHemdani

I accept I got a bit carried away with that example but I do note that Estonia are about 50 places above Bermuda in the World Rankings!

I agree with you and said so within RST at the time that the threatened boycott would not work. I also agree and have so stated that the real issue with the Bank was the overdraft not the Term Loan. None of us can know what LBG would have done in Dec 2011 given our European exit and no money from that source but it would have been up to the then Directors to negotiate. Lloyds big problem was the bad publicity that would have flown from withdrawing the overdraft facility entirely and/or effectively putting the Club into administration. Rangers are a Scottish institution and they would not have wanted to be tagged as the bank that brought down such an organisation. Therefore I believe that whatever their public stance the position would have ben negotiable. I also believe that that is the main reason why they were more than happy and indeed encouraged the sale, because it will not now be them who are in that unenviable position. And yes, I would have preferred to sell say Davis than mortgage 3/4 years season ticket income. From a business point of view that is a no brainer. Whilst you might question the motives and previous actions of some former Directors, it is a fact that we know a lot more now than we did this time last week.

I think that this is a very fair assessment of LBG's position in particular.

As I said in the early hours, AJ sounded both concerned and credible to me and this reinforced the view I had of him from brief conversations in the concourse after AGM's prior to his becoming Chairman. Whatever he did or didn't do in that capacity, he told us last year that Whyte did not present credible evidence to the Independent Directors of either the source of his funds for the purchase or onging funding and it didn't sound to me as if he took any pleasure in saying "I told you so". Whyte is turning us into a laughing stock, losing players to Hibs, offering 85 times capped internationalists £2,000/week and selling our star man at the deadline with no time and most likely no intention of reinvesting. It's bordering on a fiasco and I predict it is only going to get worse.

Anyone know what rate of interest Ticketus charge to lend money against future unknown season ticket sales and what happens in the not impossible scenario that sales fall below the 27,000 pledged. Silly question really, to all intents and purposes it's unsecured lending, so I'm guessing at the very least Base + 6/7% perhaps more and if we can't repay............

Thanks, if you have his number I'll call him up and ask him. Or I could just chance my arm and call Ibrox as a "concerned shareholder".

Well I know it isn't a popular view but I would rather be on SDM + LBG than Whyte + Wavetower.

The £18M was what was outstanding on the Term Loan, payable at £1M a year, so what he is saying is that in another two years it would have been at comfort level for the LBG. The real issue was that the overdraft facility was renewable at the end of the year and in another interview he said that the bank put the squeeze on him to sell or they wouldn't renew the facility. At that point I don't believe we needed it but no money from Europe would have changed all that. LBG are Whyte's bankers as well, remember.

Yes, but as BD said, to what extent were they doing it? Mortgaging 4 years of the family silver either to pay this year's bills or worse still to buy the Club seems like a desperately bad situation to me.

I found Mr Johnston's comments entirely convincing, especially in relation to LBG, and the questions he posed are the ones that all Rangers fans should be asking. The statement is very carefully crafted e.g. "I can categorically assure supporters that when I launched a takeover bid for the Club it was funded entirely from one of my companies and that was demonstrated clearly to the satisfaction of the previous owner, Lloyds Banking Group and professional advisers." No doubt this is true but he deosn't say where his company got the money. I am in no doubt that "his company" borrowed the money somewhere and it wouldn't surprise me in the least to find that in effect that was future season ticket sales.

To me there are two big questions arising from this story: If the £24M wasn't used to finance the repayment to LBG, what was or is it it being used for? If we have mortgaged approx 75% of season ticket money for the next 3 seasons what are we going to use for working capital up 2015?

Because the transactions apparently relate to a period when he was a Director of the Club. So it is relevant to show him the documents and to ask him if he had any knowledge of the arrangements and for his comments.

He used his big pal Traynor to kill the RST deal with McColl, so I wouldn't put it past him to do the same to Whyte.

I know you will say this is the referees' union speaking and so it is but I had 2 spells as a linesman in the senior foootball in the late 70's/early 80's (including an appearance at Wembley and John Greig's Testimonial) and it was an incredibly difficult job then and it is more difficult now because the game is so much faster. Consider that often you cannot look at the player kicking the ball, who may well be some way to the side of your line of sight, or you have to look at him or her at the same time as looking across the line. Since this is a physical impossibility most times you have to listen for the ball being kicked forward rather than see that happen because you are focused on offside. That means you have to be staring across the line of the last defender (at the same as worrying that the attacker will slice his kick or a defender will intercept and send the ball out for a throw in) and in order to match the TV replays you would have to be able to freeze frame the action with the naked eye at the same time as applying a right angled triangle. At least in my day you could give the decision there and then, now you have to wait till the player in the offside position touches the ball, making you look very slow and incurring the wrath of the defenders. Not an easy job, I can assure you.

I was just making the point that referees learn the Laws of the Game in the same way as people learn the Rules of the Road and they can also referee school or youth games before they are qualified much like you learn to drive; but you don't really learn till you go out there on your own.

Bit like driving then.....................

Dallas was more than happy to leave the SFA; he has a much better job with UEFA.

He hasn't once been played in his proper position, RB; he won't be back.

I think that one of the most important confidence boosters for him, is that he has seen off McCulloch for that defensive midfield role. He can develop into a really top player.

Can't see him lasting the season, don't understand what Hibs were thinking about.

UPDATE: I believe you may be correct that in Davy Weir's case at least the difference between the two figures was pay per play i.e. £10k/basic and £5k (or more) pay per play.

As I said in response to #12 "The informant has business connections with certain parties at Ibrox and is a regular in the Director's Box." That said I agree that the Jaager deal is not dead for the reasons you state. I think that the word missing from Ally's comments yesterday was "We weren't in a position to make him a worthwhile offer". Looking at Bartley's ponderous performance again today, I think that if I was Ally I'd being saying to Mr Whyte, let's offer Jaager £3k/week.

The informant has business connections with certain parties at Ibrox and is a regular in the Director's Box.

Surely we must have a striker in the U19's?

Hopefully Celik will turn out to be a bargain in terms of wages and can give us the kick start we need but the thought of Healy as the Lone Striker doesn't fill one with great optimism and the thought of Healy & McCulloch is even worse.