der Berliner

Oh, don't get me wrong here. I'm not advocating the use of the word Fenian or anything alike by our support. I just want to set the record straight here and argue for an approach to the topic on an equal level. Whilst our support is castigated continuously and more often than not erraneously for using this or that word or phrase, the Hooped Horrors essentially get away with their downright illegal support for the IRA terrorists for years now.

Next stop: "F*ck the IRA" ... where would this end up on the offensive list? IMHO right next to "FT Taliban" or "F Al-Qaida", but probably not so in Scotland ...

Call me mean, pragmatic, or cynical, but if we let Lafferty and Whittaker go, the impact on the squad would be minimal right now, the financial "gains" noteable. Both will probably not play again this season, Lafferty is up to 6 weeks away from training and sure not fit enough to play again before May (according to the Rangers media folk). Whittaker ... well, we have cover. I do think that there will be a public outcry if we sent the wounded folk away though, no matter whether it makes sense for the admins.

Sure enough, Frankie. But I was not exactly speaking about TBB here, but the use of "Fenian" as such. Of course, what remains to be seen is how the police and stewarts carry out their duty here ... and whether there will be at long last a list of songs that are a no-go. How they weed out a whole ground of people singing e.g. "Sad Orange Bastard" might be interesting. Closed-door home games maybe? Deduct them 10 points, maybe?

As I put it somewhere else, "Fenian" as such is neither threatening nor is it offensive. It denominates a member of a terrorist group or supporter of somesuch. Not a Roman Catholic nor an Irishman nor a mixture of both. And to be precise, in literature and mythology it also denominates a cycle of Irish legends about ancient warriors and people. But that, much like what the media claims in the West of Scotland about the meaning, lies well beyond our songs and chants. For example, what goes on now is like claiming that anti-ETA chants can't be done because they are offensive to the Basque population. Maybe I am utterly wrong here, but we chant against the terrorists and their supporters (i.e. anti-British behaviour). Can you imagine that say Bilbao supporters chant pro ETA (i.e. terrorist) songs (which I doubt they do, but anyway) and the government and law enforcers forbid the opposition's support to chant anti-ETA songs? That is what is happening in Scotland, something which must be utterly appaling to the victims of IRA blasts and any British soldier visiting a ground where the Hopped Horrors play.

Obviously, I'm a touch naiive in this, but these people are not exactly poor and may sustain themselves with a lower wage for a few months (and probably settle with a level headed pay off deal after admin), so it would do some of these chaps well (and add to their status amongst us) if those who stay on decide to take an additional wage cut and pay for those in the firing line, if any.

Just noted the Scotsman' article about this. Actually, I find us keeping gate receipts from the Dunfermline and Dundee United games pretty shameful indeed and hope the administrators see to that quickly, regardless of these clubs' status amongst the creditors. The word stature and dignity spring to mind.

It makes you wonder though - and one of the chaps debating were asking a question about it - why it takes HMRC from May to February to force the club to pay PAYE and VAT and whatnot. Why do they wait till we rack up 9m+ in outstanding payments? If you - the normal person - don't pay within 4 weeks after the amount is due, they usually give you a warning shot, then come haring down after you big time. Here they discussed with the owner. A touch strange this, even if this amount does include these 4m+ of the small HMRC bill or not, as Whyte intimated.

From our homepage, the words of the matchday commander: Make the Scumhut a place free of all Hooped Horrors then?!

See post No. 8 please. BTW, here's an interview with the de facto captain of the club:

I just hope that this stuff reveals itself as just another doom-mongering rumour by the hacks, who can't wait to get the boot (well, boths boots actually) in quickly enough.

Actually, if they have 8 weeks till their first report, why would they not milk the occasion. Speaking purely "capitalistic", not as a fan. As much as I hate it. But as I have said above, some processes can't be quickened just for the sake of the media getting more info and action. I find it appaling that a reporter asks for more and immediate actions by the administrators when somesuch actually means reducing the playing staff and causing redundancies all over the club ... for the sake of a couple of 100k pounds a week.

Not saying that any axes won't occur, but essentially all of the above is conjecture by the media folk. I for one would e.g. be very surprised if Ally (after having been in talks with the admins about it) would agree to let Aluko and Kerkar go right now. Sending Whittaker off would be saving much more money! On a sidenote, you do wonder whether some of the would stay on regardless of being paid or not, at least for the time being. (It's not that they desperately need the money, I would assume.)

While we are on that topic, just noted this ... Port Vale hit by winding-up petition Port Vale have been served with a winding-up petition by HM Revenue & Customs over an unpaid tax bill.

You can actually click the link I gave above and see it in full length again.

Dunno who the chap (the Welshman who spoke just ahead of the minister) is who just speaks/spoke, but he talks a lot of sense.

Thomas Docherty ... is on right now, btw.

On a related sitenote, no cut as such ... Alan Kernaghan left Rangers last week to become Brentford's number 2, according to this article.

Of that there is no doubt. Of course, ... a) if we have a 10m gap each season, letting half a dozen players go now ease that dent or loss-making only a little, especially if you take b) in mind that players who might be sold on for hard cash can hardly find a new club (that also suits them) outwith the transfer window. So while there sure is some obligations to be fulfilled, isn't it also possible to have some sort of agreement between the actual creditors and the administrators? As in ... if the former don't want their cash back as pronto as normally might be the case for your average company (for various reasons, unwanted publicity springs to mind), would the latter hasten to any action?

When I have them, I'll will accept them. What you present is your conjecture of some of the data available so far. We will see whether your ideas about his plan are up to scrutiny soon enough, I hope.

AIn't that Gretna's privilege?

I actually assumed that GA was referring to paying people's wages (either in full or somewhat lower) till the end of the season, not any great bill or the like. How much money is stored somewhere is anyone's guess, of course.

Just "stumbled" over this on FF with regard to the Ticketus deal: It was received on Feb 22nd but only now noticed by the FFer ... Also snatched from FF ... A few points to bear in mind:

So Motherwell was in admin for 2 years, Dundee for 7 month, and tiny Clachnacuddin since late October 2009 up to now. We've been in admin for two weeks and King throws more oil into the fire? Of course, what does King want here? Cost cutting? At which expense? The team? What for? Why would a journo ask somesuch? (Aside from it being his job.) Would any redundancies really reduce our current plight significantly? Isn't it the admins' primary job to clear the whole mess, not least with HMRC's various cases, Ticketus, Lloyds, SDM and all? The sooner we find a way out of this, hopefully with someone/-many buying the club the better.

I find it a touch amusing when the sport hacks start poking into business they have next to no clue of. They hardly get it right with their transfer exclusives and background info, but want to tell other folk how to do their jobs. What's the average time you need to get a company (of our stature) out of administration?