ian1964

Grant Russell ‏@STVGrant Longmuir: We gave them financial info on Rangers and the people, Green, face to face Expand Reply Retweet Favorite 50s Grant Russell Grant Russell ‏@STVGrant Longmuir: We would be very willing to have Rangers playing on opening day of Third Division Expand Reply Retweet Favorite 1m Grant Russell Grant Russell ‏@STVGrant Longmuir: Rangers accepted our decision Expand Reply Retweet Favorite

Grant Russell ‏@STVGrant Longmuir: Our message today is that sporting fairness will be the foundation of our organisation but we still want reconstruction. Expand Reply Retweet Favorite 1m Grant Russell Grant Russell ‏@STVGrant Longmuir: One body running league football is want SFL want.

The vote went as expected,no way were the SFL clubs going to do Regans' dirty work for him

Andrew Dickson ‏@rfc_dickson Careful on what you spread the word on here folks, no official verdict has actually been announced yet by SFL despite everyone running one

Regan has a lot to answer for

Grant Russell ‏@STVGrant STV understands Rangers' Charles Green and Ally McCoist are currently addressing SFL chairmen ahead of their vote.

CHARLES GREEN CONT: "We've always been prepared for both (Division One and Three) The fans have always said they are happy to go to (Division) Three, we just want to get a decision and move on. "I hope it will be (the end of the situation) but I'm not convinced it will."

CG wants Division 1,at what cost though?

BREAKING NEWS Newco Rangers chief executive Charles Green has called for "common sense to prevail" in today's vote...

CARDIFF BOSS & FORMER CELTIC DEFENDER MALKY MACKAY "I hope they do go into the First Division. Portsmouth are a Premiership club and I don't think anyone could believe a Premiership club could go into administration. "For the long-term good of Scottish football, I think they need to be back in the Premier League as quickly as possible."

Ayr UTD comment on vote Chairman’s Blog 13/07/2012 Chairman’s Blog Well, the last few weeks have been interesting. We have had The SPL vote in a sham of a meeting that due to “sporting integrity” they were going to evict Newco Rangers from the SPL. All the while, they knew fine well that voting to allow them to stay wasn’t going to be allowed to happen and have since passed the buck and laid their problem at the SFL’s door. Since that point, they have applied considerable pressure threatening the loss of all of our income and emotional blackmail about football collapsing and it being all the SFL’s fault. To be honest, it’s not surprising based on past dealings with the SPL, but here we are and what do we do? Today’s vote is monumental in the history of Scottish football and it’s not without a great deal of stress and debate amongst our board and input from shareholders, season ticket holders and supporters that we have come up with our votes for the three agenda items placed before our one representative at today’s meeting. We will vote yes to allowing Newco Rangers into the SFL as an associate member and agree to permit Rangers F.C. to play in the league 2012/13. The logic behind this is that they have the facilities and fan base that the league is looking for. The fact that it could go against the rule book is a question for the SFL and not us. We will vote no on the agenda item that allows Rangers into the 3rd division, but 1st division if the SFL board agree terms with the SPL and SFA on measures “improving” the game. Our representative has been instructed that if the agenda item is altered to allow Rangers into the 3rd division full stop, that we will vote yes, but not on any agenda item that allows Rangers into the 1st. Finally, we will vote yes to allow either Dunfermline or Dundee to resign from the SFL and be admitted to the SPL for the upcoming season. A lot has been said in the press etc. about what is right and wrong, but my personal opinion is that Rangers are/were one of 42 professional football clubs in Scotland and should be treated as any one of the 41 other clubs would be. I did not appreciate the bullying and threats that have come from above and part of the problem in our professional game is the unbalanced structure. By the way, I have started writing from my point of view because that is exactly what it is. It is not necessarily the view of Ayr United FC. I don’t think anyone believes that if it were any other SPL Club besides Celtic that there would be anywhere near this level of pressure etc. and it is partly because of this that we have voted the way we have. If Rangers do end up voted into the 3rd division, it is likely that an SPL2 will be attempted. So, just for the record (and I hope the sarcasm is clear) the body that is doing such a sterling job of running the top league in our country is going to further try to decimate the SFL by setting up another league and forcing the teams left behind to grovel for crumbs. I hope that whatever decision is taken tomorrow will be allowed to stand without interference or lawsuits etc., and we will accept any decision either way by the democratic process set up by the SFL. We may not agree with the outcome, but if it is made by the SFL by a transparent vote, then I am satisfied. I would like to say that I think David Longmuir and the SFL board have been stitched up here, but they have handled themselves well under the circumstances. I sat on that board for a few years and I know for a fact that David, and all of the others who make up the board from the various clubs in Scotland are supporters of the game and believe in the integrity of the game itself. He has been put under unbelievable public pressure and although some press have tried to bundle him in with the other two, he will do what is the right thing by going with the wishes of the 30 clubs that make up the SFL. Finally, and this is important. If our wishes come true and Rangers do enter the SFL in the 3rd division, we will be under immediate financial pressure as we will automatically lose over 60k immediately. That 60k is already spent in this years playing budget. Ayr United will not make it through the season if we don’t find a way to make up that loss. So, we have decided to vote based on what is right, but meanwhile are aware that it has the possibility of collapsing us as a club. That is where all of you who have written, called and emailed the club can help by purchasing season tickets, encouraging people to attend matches and sponsoring your club in all the various ways possible. I have appreciated all of the correspondence that we have received from our supporters. (I could have done without the hundreds of emails from supporters of other clubs) and we have taken your views into account when making our decision. It’s a huge financial risk for us, but I personally think that if we are to make it through this season in tact that it is better standing for what is right than selling our souls and the integrity of the game to appease those at the top who have already done their best to dismantle the game since 1998. I’m a big Scotland supporter and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we haven’t been to a major finals since the SPL was formed. Hopefully tomorrow’s vote is binding and there is no monkey business that further tarnishes all of us in the sport, and I like most that I have heard from hope it’s the right one. Lachlan Cameron

HENRY McLELLAND "In the last four years we found Gretna in the situation where they entered administration and then liquidation. There was no-one there who could rescue them; so a place was vacant and we got that. "Livingston found themselves in a similar scenario and again, the SFL demoted Livingston from Division One to Division Three. "Now, it's quite simple: we cannot make exceptions because it's Glasgow Rangers."

Seems to me the SFL teams are fucking Regan off:smile:

Annan Athletic chairman Henry McLelland says that the newco scenario has happened before and the precedent is that Rangers should start again in Division Three...

Dave Swanton ‏@SwannyMediaMan #Rangers. Whatever happens today RFC can start to rebuild. Others on the other hand will be re adjusting their budgets. The clock is ticking

The Blue Blog ‏@ImmortalRangers Hearing if Regan is forced into Div 3. He's going to deny transfer of existing RFC SFA share, and demand new application with new share.

BBC Scotland's Brian McLauchlin "Raith chairman Turnbull Hutton says the situation is a shambles as he enters meeting at Hampden. Dundee chief executive Scot Gardiner says it was only last night they were told they had to vote..."

@STVGrant: All SFL chairpersons now appear to be inside for the meeting and vote. Now the wait begins for the outcome.

If anybody gets any info,tweets,let's put them in here. Grant Russell ‏@STVGrant Suddenly a gathering of around 10 fans at the foot of the Hampden steps. One with a "$porting Int£grity" t-shirt â??Gregory Ioannidis ‏@LawTop20 My Scottish contacts tell me that 2 senior figures in Scottish football will be asked to resign after the vote.â? Grant Russell ‏@STVGrant Henry McLelland of Annan described situation as a shambles. Says those at top should go. Strongest public view so far. alex thomson ‏@alextomo Scottish football league Chairmen saying "bizarre" "shambles" "lack of trust" "embarrassing" abt today's mtg. alex thomson ‏@alextomo Turnbull Hutton Raith R chairman - perhaps it's time to consider new faces at the top of Scottish football

STEWART REGANâ??S Scottish Football Association is demanding Rangers sign a blank cheque to allow the SFA to continue punishing them. And without that abject surrender by Rangers to Regan, he will make sure the SFA do not give Rangers a licence to play. In fact, so far reaching does Regan want the punishments to extend and so badly emasculated does he want Rangers to be, that Regan is insisting the club signs up to an agreement to accept any punishments he wants to hand them in the future for any previously undisclosed breaches of SFA Articles by conman Craig Whyte. This is the latest astonishing news from the sixth floor at Hampden where Regan rules the roost and where he seems determined to hold the sword of Damocles over Rangers on and on and on into the future. It smacks of something which many may believe goes even beyond vengeance. It smacks of what many may believe is a vindictive hatred of Rangers spewing from Stewart Reganâ??s chief executive office inside the SFA lair on the sixth floor of Hampden. I have in my possession a document drawn up on Reganâ??s behalf by Glasgow law firm Levy and McRae which lays out the conditions the SFA have told Rangers they must agree to, to be allowed to get a licence to play. And it makes frightening reading. Frightening reading not just for Rangers supporters. But for anyone who may be left in Scotland who believes in natural justice. This dynamite document gives a startling and scary insight into the mindset of the man who sits at the pinnacle of the game in Scotland, SFA chief executive Stewart Regan. It is a document which is a damning indictment of the way Stewart Reganâ??s mind works. The 13 point list of items required by the SFA from Sevco before the governing body can re-admit Rangers, also contains most of what any reasonable person would expect to be there. Details of directors and shareholding in Sevco, plus eight sub section questions about Sevcoâ??s business plan are all legitimate questions. But when the deadly document reaches Item 12, headed, Sanctions, Stewart Reganâ??s SFA gets nasty and aims three loaded guns at the head of Rangers. The first pistol is cocked by demanding that Rangers confirm they will accept such sanctions as are proposed by the SFA in relation to current proceedings. Which looks suspiciously as though Regan wants Rangers to agree to ignore the Court of Session judgment delivered by Lord Glennie and accept the transfer ban which the learned Judge has declared unlawful. Is that not unlawful in itself? Or does Stewart Regan believe being a pal of Celtic supremo Peter Lawwell sets him above the law? The second gun is a loaded revolver which demands confirmation from Rangers re EBT sanction position at SPL level and subsequent appeal to the SFA. That looks like Rangers are being ordered by Stewart Regan to sign up to any punishment which may be imposed on them by the vindictive bigots of the SPL who refused them entry, as well as giving up any right of appeal to the SFA. But it is the third gun which is the weapon of mass destruction. It demands that Rangers confirm that they will accept responsibility for any breach of the Articles etc by the OldCo which has not so far come to light. That means any other dodgy deals, any more cash scams, pulled off by that ace conman, twister and huckster, Craig Whyte, will lead to Stewart Regan being able to hand down to Rangers whatever punishment takes his fancy. Has Regan forgotten that the Crown Office have ordered a criminal investigation into how Craig Whyte bought Rangers from David Murray and how he ran the club? Has Stewart Regan forgotten that this probe is being undertaken by the Procurator Fiscal, the Serious Fraud Squad and Strathclyde Police? Or, once again, does Stewart Regan believe that sharing the SFA boardroom with Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell puts him above Scots Law? There will surely be many who may take that view. Consider this; should the Crown Office-ordered-investigation uncover evidence that Craig Whyte has not merely infringed against SFA Articles, but also broken the law and should Whyte be found guilty and jailed, then natural justice would surely be for all football punishments already inflicted on Rangers for what Whyte has done, to be overturned? But instead of embracing such decency, such honesty, such natural justice, what Stewart Regan is saying is, if that happens and should the investigation uncover fresh infringements of the SFA Articles by Craig Whyte, Rangers must agree to accept more punishments. Surely meaning there is no way Rangers will be playing anywhere next season if that is what they are being ordered to agree to if they are to be given a licence to play by Stewart Regan. Indeed, what the rest of Scottish football, from the SPL, through the SFL and down through the other organisations linked to the Scottish Football Association, should be doing is demanding copies of Stewart Reganâ??s deadly document and askingâ?¦. Is Stewart Regan fit for purpose. And they should be doing it not just before it is too late for Rangers. They should be doing it before it is too late to save Scottish football from Stewart Regan.

Agreed. I wonder what wages he will be expecting?

This was in yesterdays Herald but I thought it was worth posting. The Scottish Premier League and Scottish Football Association have reportedly tried to coerce Scottish Football League clubs to allow Rangers newco into the first division by outlining the sizeable void that would be left in their coffers should Sky rip up or redraw the terms of their TV contract with the SPL. Like much in football, the Dutch can profess to do it better. Considered the progenitor of total football, the Netherlands have taken the term literally by looking to refine their own model for distribution of TV rights: Eredivisie Live. In 2005, Dutch football was in a situation not too dissimilar to that of the Scottish game at the moment: a bumper contract with the Talpa was rendered void after the broadcaster went under and there were no alluring offers on the table. The way forward looked bleak so the Dutch took a different path. Eredivisie Live is a subscription-only channel which holds all media rights for the Dutch top-flight clubs, with the channel then made available to all broadcasters across the Netherlands to ensure full coverage. From humble beginnings â?? Eredivisie Live was originally marketed as a weekend channel showing live matches â?? the channel has in the last the last four years also subsumed matches in the lower leagues, cup competitions and Europa League coverage, and is broadcast seven days a week. Strides are also being made into other areas of the market such as mobile and radio coverage. Which is all well and good considering Eredivisie has a surfeit of vibrant matches which punters should be falling over themselves to watch. The Scottish Premier League cannot boast clubs such as PSV Eindhoven and Ajax on the telly but the statistics behind the model should still be a source of intrigue for the governing bodies. From a population similar to that of Scotland, almost 600,000 subscriptions â?? costing between â?¬14-18 â?? have been sold since the channel was launched, with live matches commanding approximately one million viewers every weekend. It should not simply be assumed that such demand would follow from the inception of a similar system in this country but nor should trepidation regarding interest be the sole reason to dismiss it. Figures indicate that Clydesdale Bank Premier League matches reach 645,000 households under the current Sky deal, and the clubs would be free to embrace competing broadcasters to maximise coverage. The catalyst for Eredivisie Live was a contract with Zigo, the largest provider in the Netherlands, which was agreed on the same day the channel was launched. After that, others duly followed. Other countries have already enquired about the Dutch model, but would it translate to Scotland? "I think so, but you need some guts and entrepreneurship; we strongly believe in this model as we have, in four years, built a subscription base of 600,000 paying customers," said Maarten van Rooijen, who helped build Eredivisie Live and now heads communications. "You get less dependent on the way the market works. Every three or five years, whatever period that you sell your rights, is exciting when you get a deal but you never know what is going to be three or four years later. By taking it into your own hands, developing a strong brand and building a strong base of subscribers that are loyal to you, then this is a more stable and healthy way of exploiting your rights. We have had a lot of interest in our model from other countries, but so far we are the only ones that are using it. We have faith in how we do it, it just takes guts to get it started . . ." It also took help from production company Endemol â?? "They produce all our shows and we needed their expertise; we are football people but we are not TV people," said Van Rooijen â?? as well as a hefty bank loan. It is still being paid off. That is a detail which may well stymie any enthusiasm among Scottish clubs. Chairmen have tightened their belts and the decision to turn away the immediate income of a traditional television deal in favour of developing their own subscription channel would take immense courage. Remember that stillborn idea about SPL TV? There were pitfalls to the model which pertain only to the Dutch â?? basically there are few nationwide broadcasters, with regions of the Netherlands serviced by their own channel, each one requiring individual contracts â?? but there are also inherent challenges that would have to be faced. The immediate drop in media revenue is daunting and is only exacerbated by responsibility for production costs falling to clubs. That remains the case even if Eredivisie Live, which gives clubs 80% control of their rights, with Enamol holding the other 20%, shows the potential for rapid growth. "We dropped in media revenues for the first couple of years because when you start a new enterprise, you have to invest," said Van Rooijen. "We started with zero subscriptions, so we had a bank loan which has to be paid back and we are still doing that now. We dropped in the first years from £65m with the Talpa deal to £40m in revenue. "Obviously the gross revenue is way higher: it is now around 100m. But the net gift to the clubs is still a bit less as we have to make up for the years before. Where it is normal in football that you sell the rights and step back from it, we did otherwise and took it into our own hands. We make a lot of money and have a lot of costs. We are doing well and we have a long-term plan, but the big bucks are not yet coming in. They will in the next three or four years, I think." A storm is hanging over Scottish football. The Dutch system may just offer a shaft of sunlight. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/could-channel-run-by-the-netherlands-top-flight-point-way-ahead-for-spl.18131361

The Romanian defender, who has been paid his full wages for June, is on his way back to Glasgow today to start pre-season training. Goian has continually pledged over the summer that he wants to stay with Rangers. Even this week, the former Palermo stopper has had offers to move says his agent Florin Manea. But he has revealed that Goian has communicated directly with manager McCoist and owner Green that he wants to remain at Ibrox â?? no matter what division they end up in. He said: â??We have given Rangers our word that Dorin will remain and he will honour his contract. â??Heâ??s promised both Ally McCoist and Charles Green he is staying. â??We will hold more discussions when we know what league Rangers will play next season. But we have communicated to Rangers that he wants to stay and help the club get promoted back to the top division. â??Even this week, we have received more offers from clubs. There has even been talk of a Romanian club trying to buy him, but with respect to them, that wonâ??t happen. â??Dorin took a 75 per cent reduction in salary, but I can confirm he was paid his full wages again in June. â??Glasgow Rangers are the most famous name in Scotland and it would cause chaos if they are relegated to the bottom league. â??I am led to believe itâ??s 95 per cent certain that they will be going into the First Division.â? Goian has even been given assurances that he will not lose his place in the Romanian national team, even if Rangers do drop down to the leagueâ??s basement. Manea added: â??I spoke to a coach at the national team about whether he would lose his place because of what is going to happen at Rangers. â??The response was one of common sense â?? he doesnâ??t need to prove anything to anyone. â??Itâ??s a sensible decision. After all, do you think that Italy did not pick the likes of Alessandro Del Piero and Gianluigi Buffon just because Juventus were relegated to Serie B?â? Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/4426932/Dorin-is-back-in-business.html#ixzz20SJjHbDZ

THE administrators are coming under increasing pressure as Scottish football reels in the wake of the Rangers crisis. SFL clubs meet today to decide whether or not newco Rangers will be allowed membership and at what level, with the Third Division, rather than the SFA and SPL’s preferred option of the First Division, the club’s likely destination. However, Clyde last night queried why they should vote at all on a newco for which the Bully Wee have seen “no business plan, list of directors, details of ownership, statement of capital adequacy or any proposals relating to the provision of any similar information in the near future. “Whilst the notion that there is a leap of faith to be taken in terms of some of the matters, there can be no leap of faith with something as fundamental as knowing who is being admitted to the league.” ì He doesn’t have a clue what goes on at this level of football, not a clue î Raith Rovers director Turnbull Hutton If proper details on the newco are not given to SFL clubs ahead of the meeting, the Clyde view could gather momentum. And there are signs that SFL clubs have had enough of Regan and Doncaster. Last night outspoken Raith Rovers director Turnbull Hutton asked if their positions were now untenable. He accused the SPL and SFL of “making it up as they go along” and rapped: “Regan does not have my vote for a start. I’d hope there would be enough people who would say this guy has been a disaster. “He doesn’t have a clue what goes on at this level of football, not a clue. “The current leaders are in their ivory tower, concerned solely about finances, and have no idea what is happening down here.” That view was more or less echoed by Elgin City chief Graham Tatters, whose surname sums up the state of the game right now. He said: “It disappoints me this wasn’t dealt with at a higher level. We seem to have a lot of managers in Scottish football but not many leaders. “Mr Regan and Mr Doncaster when this is all finished need to seriously look at their positions to see if they’re tenable.” These are thoughts circulating throughout the SFL The clubs believe they have had this momentous decision dumped on them with “sweeteners” like league reconstruction and a more equal distribution of cash designed to get them to vote the Sevco Scotland Ltd entity into the second tier of the game. Now, with D-Day for Scottish football seemingly upon us, the waters remain so muddy it could be that a decision is still not taken today. And if one is made and it consigns the newco to the Third Division, then it’s been suggested the SFA and SPL might push for an SPL2 to accommodate the Ibrox club. Hutton, though, had his own answer to that possibility as he continued to berate the game’s hierarchy. The Raith chief added added: “AN SPL2 coming along as a threat? “Because the Scottish Premier League is such a wonderful organisation who have made such a great job of the Premir League that they will take over the rest of the game? “They would be laughed out of town. They would never get away with that. “There would be such an outcry throughout Scottish football – that would certainly be the last throw of the dice from two discredited leaders.” http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/332523/SFA-and-SPL-chief-executives-Stewart-Regan-and-Neil-Doncaster-are-facing-calls-to-quit

http://player.stv.tv/programmes/scotland-tonight/2012-07-12-2230/