der Berliner

The likes of Dunfermline reuire each and every penny they make from their games to pay their first team pros. How much do we think they can set aside to have a full team of u20s et al running next to the first team?

Then again, it is not entirely their fault, given the recent SPL statement and the constant if not blatant delay in the announcement on the "big case". As if someone pulls the strings to deliberately delay important actions for the club. (Out of recent memory ... Jelavic transfer just a wee bit too late for the CL qualifiers et al; Whyte's takeover and the departure of Boyd or was it Miller?)

For us, no matter who is successful, the days of judgement will come once the takeover is completed, the old folks are all signed up or paid in full again, new players are targetted and the club embarks on and is budgetted for a season without Europe.

Pragmatically thinking, you do wonder what the impact of Whyte's problems with HMRC (beyond Rangers) had to do with our fall from grace too. It's all murky waters there, but if HMRC indeed had a bad relation to Whyte, they should get their fair share of blame too. And that is aside from picking us as their show case for the use of EBTs.

That said ... and despite buying Jelavic ... we were constantly weaking the team for three seasons on the trott - mostly (granted) strength- and not qualitywise. You do wonder how anyone of the old brigade would have handled last summer (transfers in and out), what would have been required to unearth the "small" HMRC bill, and what sort of pressure Lloyds would have placed upon us once the "big case" was going into the final round. It is all "cheap" talk by AJ and Co. now, i.e. saying "the bank was happy", for we can't prove them wrong. At the end of the day, we can't do anything about it now and if people can't help themselves going after Whyte with all guns blazing, so be it. I seem to remember that the flak the old board and Lloyds was getting back then was not exactly kind either.

GA's post ... Results 111 to 111 of 111 ... an omen on Friday 13th?

Honestly, people over here try to make sense out of an interview done half around the world by the press? Do we know what sort of standard the Strait News has over there? If it is anywhere close to the accuracy as the media in Scotland has, we should be very wary indeed. Not saying that what they post is rubbish, but no matter what is relayed these days, it is mostly done with a purpose (by those who do the interview, who is being interviewed , and who is the targetted audience).

Forlanssister is citing a Tim-inspired quote to undermine the statement of a Rangers bidder? Hear hear. When did he get hooked then? At the age of 10? Does that say he was a diehard ever after? When did we all got hooked? Did we become diehards thereafter? I for one joined the legions at the age of 15 ... from behind the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall, listing to the German broadcasts of the BBC's World Service. It was tentative supporting for years to come, though I would consider myself a "diehard" since roundabout 1987, when I started listeing to the English versions of the World Service, BBC 2 and later on 5 and Five Live via BFBS. There are many ways by which you could become a "Rangers supporter" and since I have no clue where "Young Man" Ng was in 1972, and him being 10 years my senior, I wouldn't jump on some ill-meant mumblings by a Hooped Horror. BTW, in those days gone by, I also had a soft spot for Nottingham Forest (they were not that bad back then) ... but thankfully, the draw of the Blue was stronger ...

Didn't we already appeal and hence the tribunal is at work ... or not? It looks like the "big case" being one of the major factors in the recent "decline", since no-one in their right minds was willing to give us any sort of long-term credit. The longer this dragged on, the harder it got ... no matter what sort of relation HMRC and Whyte had. And the longer this drags on - and I cannot fathom why it takes that long - the problem will essentially be in place. IMHO, the admins should put out all the stops to have the bidders at the ready - who pushes either of them? - all essentially signed but not dusted, until the HMRC verdict comes out. So the CVA (if possible) is a quick formality.

Initial thoughts ... reads like 2008 revisited, just on a different level. One team (and JUST ONE team) is in trouble and the SPL/SFA do their utmost not to be supportive. (Have they been to Japan as yet?) Second thoughts ... someone should make UEFA aware of one member association / league is not exactly playing fairly here towards one of its members. Reasons have been given above.

Snatched from FF IMHO, a great gesture.

I spill the beans here and now (those of the article above): Methinks he also spoke to Miller, can't remember where I read that though. On a sidenote, how much did Ellis put into Rangers FC to claim his 20odd% shares?

IMHO HMRC have made their point. Puting us into liquidation will essentially see them getting far less than keeping us in business, not least as the rat's tail of what liquidation c/would mean to other SPL teams has to be considered too - i.e. many people paying VAT/PAYE and whatnot are involved, not least TV companies. The point with us is that they can only go that far. With regards to England though, there's a massive difference with regard to financial backing of each of the clubs (at least in the EPL and Championship), so HMRC can go much farther in their demands. On a sidenote, a German newspaper recently wrote that Celtic's pre-tax profit has dwindled (due to lack of European success et al) from 7m (in 2010) to 180k in 2011. Without the 7 Old Firm games that season, Celtic would have been in the reds ... as in: Lawwell talks shyte if he thinks they can sustain themselves without us ... unless he thinks they get into the CL and will make millions or sell their superstars for 5m upwards again. (Which in turn tells us that they can't make what is required from the SPL alone.)

See, that is my image of our resident doomsinger switching from ... ... to

And here was me thinking that forlanssister was actually a lassie

Him making an appearance at Ibrox in our last home game will IMHO give the fans a great boost for the long summer ahead.

Naismith and Aluko, along with Lafferty, Little, Davis and Kerkar ... Rhys McCabe, and Ness. Well, this might be a sight to behold.

But for that money a membership scheme would be far more reasonable? I mean, even if someone buys 1,000 shares, he'd still owe next to nothing compared to the majority shareholders and hence his say in the club would be minimal, no matter what e.g.TBK promise right now. On the other hand, "members" (I explained what could be done in this respect before with regards to return for value) would have a representative directly on the board and pending the member's input, a voice with some value up there too. That, IMHO, would be the way ahead, not least with regards to income streams beyond season ticket money. It has, BTW, a grand tradition beyond the British isles.

Unless I am mistaken, right now, Ellis' shares are worth 24,9% of 1 pound.

As has been said, we know next to nothing about the value of each bid (from various angles) and I am hesitiant to give my vote to any of them. (Not that my vote would be of any relevance.) Was there actually any substance to the claim that TBK's share issue would start at pound 1,000 for the cheapest share? Which would seriously scare off the fanbase, IMHO.

I'm not sure whom to "trust" here, but voting for TBK because they talk openly about much (though not everything) won't work. Chairmen and owners have and will always keep to themselves and right now, with no disrespect whatsoever, any talk of them to me is as "hollow" as is any politician's talk ahead of an election.

IMHO, while the admins and the bidders chose their words carefully, the press and media tries to get us to the edge far more than necessary. A decent enough CVA will suit most people best, you would hope that either foreign bidder sees the benefit of doing a deal with Ticketus too.

One just hopes that anyone having a look at the liquidation-route does not just look at money, but also implication on and off the actual field of play, Europe et al. YOu do not need to spend 20odd million on a club that will be on sure footing for a number of years, but will get you no return whatsoever (if you look for that) for half a decade or so, no return in terms of silverware AND money.

The benefit to them is? ... again, just asking, since I have no clue whatsoever.

Just out of interest ... what tradition has football in Singapore, what tradition have Rangers in Singapore and how can the ownership of Rangers bear any fruits down there? I mean, what sort of "market" could be opened down there that would benefit Rangers, Singapore football, and, obviously, Mr. Ng?