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RANGERS are set to offer Kyle Lafferty a new deal. Officials from the Ibrox club will sit down with the Irishmanâ??s representatives soon in a bid to get the striker to extend his stay beyond next season. The Gers are desperate to sort something out with Lafferty well in advance of him running down his existing contract. â??Iâ??m really keen to see him extend his deal,â? said manager Ally McCoist. â??And Iâ??m hopeful we can do that. â??Itâ??s important we get talks underway and with him having said he would like to stay I would like us to sit down with his people and look at it all. I donâ??t want to lose him.â? McCoist has been a long-time supporter of his previously wayward star but has been delighted at the 24-year-oldâ??s growing maturity and influence on the team. ì Iâ??m really keen to see him extend his deal î Rangers boss Ally McCoist â??I know Kyleâ??s had both fans and critics in the past and he is what he is but Iâ??ve seen a steady improvement and thereâ??s a lot more to come,â? added McCoist. â??He has a very good goalscoring record here. â??And I think he will get better still. There are plenty more goals and good games to come from Laff and I want them to be here.â? The strikerâ??s contract doesnâ??t run out until 2013 but thereâ??s no way McCoist or Rangers will hang about till then to sort out his future. The Gersâ?? manager will look to owner Craig Whyte to get a new deal done and dusted soon. Whyte, though, has bigger fish to fry right now after another fraught week in charge at Ibrox. Court cases, the tax problem and television programmes have dominated the Ibrox clubâ??s agenda over the last few days. And although it is becoming increasingly difficult for McCoist to keep other issues at armsâ?? length and away from the football side of things he insisted: â??We have to keep that separate to everything else. â??We go to Tynecastle this weekend to play Hearts and if weâ??re not focused weâ??ll get our fingers burned.â? Whyte, meanwhile, insists itâ??s â??business as usualâ? and has vowed not to let anything distract McCoist and his players from going for four titles in a row. http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/279116/Rangers-line-up-new-Kyle-Lafferty-contract?

Published on Sunday 23 October 2011 00:12 In the wake of the BBCâ??s documentary about him, and his extraordinary response in yesterdayâ??s The Scotsman, what have we learned about the Rangers chairman? IMAGINE for a second if Sir David Murray had listened when Alastair â??No Surrenderâ? Johnston had asked him to put the brakes on the deal to sell Rangers to Craig Whyte. Imagine if Murray withdrew from the negotiations and kept hold of the club himself, allowing Whyte to walk away and resume the life of privacy he so obviously desires. What then? Johnston wanted the Whyte deal blown out of the water. And yet, if he is to be believed, the kiboshing of the deal would have meant that Lloyds Banking Group would have instantly withdrawn Rangersâ?? line of credit, thereby tightening ever further the financial strait-jacket the club had been wearing for two years. The other night, in the BBC documentary, Rangers: The Inside Story, Johnston spoke about a phone call he received from a representative of Lloyds who, Johnston alleges but Lloyds denies, threatened a withdrawal of the credit line if the chairman and his fellow members on the Rangers independent board committee were seen to block the takeover process with Whyte. Regardless, Johnston and chums did all they could to block the sale to Whyte, but failed. They were doomed to failure, but imagine if they had succeeded. If Johnstonâ??s recollection of the phone call from Lloyds is accurate, Rangers might have been dynamited there and then. No credit line, no funds to buy players, no funds to offer players new contracts, a possible exodus of the best players with all the proceeds going to their bank to whom they would have still owed £18 million. The sale of Allan McGregor, Steven Whittaker, Steven Davis, Steven Naismith and Nikica Jelavic might have broken the back of it. Maybe. Of course, there still wouldnâ??t be a shilling to give to the tax man, be it for the smaller bill, in the region of £4m, or the howitzer relating to the Employment Benefit Trusts which, depending on the outcome of the case, could come in at a cataclysmic £49m. That is a possible â?? you might say probable â?? repercussion of Whyte being told that he was far too enigmatic for the independent boardâ??s liking. Murray did the deal because heâ??d no time for Johnstonâ??s vague protestations and his astounding willingness to halt the negotiations so that the board could give due consideration to a counter proposal from fellow director, Paul Murray, the detail of which would not have filled the back of a box of matches. Murray torched the idea of a delay and did the deal with Whyte because he had to. Heâ??d had enough. He didnâ??t have the money to invest any more. And he could see this possible calamity with HMRC coming at him like a runaway train. He didnâ??t want to be the one to put Rangers into administration â?? or worse. Somebody else could do it, if they had to. He didnâ??t want that on his legacy. Of course it will, if it happens. All the successes, all the good times, all the hubris will look altogether different if Whyte feels that he has no other option but to place Rangers into administration in the wake of a mammoth tax bill. Itâ??s by no means certain that the HMRC case will go against the club but theyâ??re certainly mobilising the troops in readiness for it. Murrayâ??s legacy would be dirt at that point. He off-loaded the club for a quid to a guy he knew little about, a guy whose first, second and third instincts in business are to reveal as little as possible about where he came from, where heâ??s been, whatâ??s he done and what he plans to do next. The air of mystery has resulted in speculation and investigation. Thatâ??s only natural. Whyte has brought some of this on himself â?? all the gossip online, all the doubtful words about his wealth, or lack of, all the allegations that heâ??s a chancer with ulterior motives. By revealing nothing, he opened up a vacuum that was always going to be filled, either by truth or by fiction or a combination of the two. In yesterdayâ??s Scotsman, Whyte was quizzed about all manner of things. The response to that interview has been instructive. Those who already believed in him now believe in him even more and those who never believed seem to have had their prejudices confirmed. In Whyte, people are seeing what they want to see. On one hand, he is a crusader against a biased BBC, a defender of Rangersâ?? reputation. On the other, heâ??s paranoid and attempting to intimidate the organisation with threats of legal action. When he refuses to name even one other company that he is involved in â?? he says he doesnâ??t want the publicity â?? his supporters say, â??Good, give â??em nothingâ? and his detractors say â??Ah, whatâ??s he got to hide this time?â? There is no doubting that the allegations in the BBC programme â?? that for a period of seven years he was disqualified from being a company director â?? are damaging, but the connection the BBC then made to alleged criminality was far from nailed down. It is on that basis that Whyte has engaged the heavyweight legal firm, Carter Ruck, to represent him in a legal suit against the broadcaster. Given all that he has said about his outrage at the BBC and his promises to take them all the way to the courts, Whyte cannot back down and hope to save face. From talking to him at length on Friday, he sounded like a man who was sure of his ground. Only the courts can satisfactorily decide on Whyte versus the BBC. Somebodyâ??s reputation is going to be set ablaze, though. A ban here and a law suit there, Whyte is, by his own admission, bloody-minded and stubborn. Many will say he is a lot more than that, naive and daft to be picking some of the fights he has picked and dense to buy Rangers in the first place, but there is no doubting his focus, no doubting his ruthlessness either. From day one, administration was an option in his mind in the event of the tax bill coming in at an eye-watering level. He denied it was way back when and he says he regrets not laying his cards on the table a bit earlier. Heâ??s open to flak on that front. To hear him talk, not quite matter-of-factly about administration but certainly without any emotion of what it might mean to the fabric and history of the club, was fascinating. It would be a horrendous episode in the clubâ??s story, a mortifying chapter, a stick they would be beaten with for years to come by those across the city of Glasgow. Whyte says that, should the case go against the club, heâ??d rather not go into administration, but he wouldnâ??t shed any tears if he thought that was the best thing to do. â??Other than a regrettable event in our history I donâ??t think it would be as bad as people think it might be,â? he said in The Scotsman. Itâ??s a dispassionate way of looking at it. Take the emotion and the sentiment out and apply some hard business savvy to the situation. In fairness to Whyte, any bill due to HMRC was not accumulated on his watch. This is a Murray legacy, a hangover from the previous regime. Whyte is there to sort it out, not apologise for it. All the financial challenges are ones he inherited. He knew all about them and says he has a plan to deal with them and woe betide anybody who gets in his way. The truth is that for all the conclusions that have been drawn about him â?? good and bad â?? itâ??s still too early to make any hard and fast calls on Whyteâ??s controversial regime. How events at Ibrox unfolded: 26 Aug 2009: Alistair Johnston is named as Rangers chairman after David Murray announces he is to step down. 6 Mar 2010: Murray confirms that he is considering his shareholding in the club after speculation regarding a possible takeover. 8 Mar: Rangers confirm that Murray is in talks with interested buyers. Nov: Whyte tells the Stock Exchange that he is considering making an offer for Murrayâ??s share of the club. Whyte holds initial talks with Murray International Holdings and registers an interest with the Takeover Panel, suggesting that his takeover would be complete by January 2011. Dec: A deal is agreed in principle between Whyte and Murray International Holdings for an 85 per cent stake in the club. 31 Mar 2011: Whyte meets the Rangers board to discuss his plans for the club. 19 Apr: Johnston claims that the board are yet to see any proof of Whyteâ??s proposed £25 million investment in the club over the next five years. 6 May: Details of an offer from Whyte for 85 per cent of Rangersâ?? shares is received by the Takeover Panel. The deal is accepted. 24 May: Chairman Johnston and director Paul Murray leave the club. 24 June: Suspended chief exectutive Martin Bain resigns from the club. 17 Oct: Club legend John Greig and former chairman John McClelland resign as non-executive directors and claim that they had been â??excluded from participating in corporate governance at the clubâ? since Whyteâ??s takeover. 18 Oct: Ahead of a documentary on the takeover saga, Rangers â??withdraw all co-operationâ? with the BBC after â??repeated difficultiesâ? with the broadcaster. Former director Donald McIntyre wins a plea to have £300,000 of the clubâ??s assets frozen as part of his case against the club. 20 Oct: BBC Scotland Investigates: Rangers â?? The Inside Story is aired, detailing Whyteâ??s previous business history. It is received with anger by Whyte who says he will take legal action against the broadcaster. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spl/tom_english_craig_whyte_in_focus_1_1925881

EXCLUSIVE By Danny Stewart RANGERS are set to swoop for Swedish striker Joe Sise. The 21-year-old, who is of Gambian descent, was recommended to the Light Blues by former Liverpool star Ronnie Rosenthal. Full story in The Sunday Post

For what? They were really nice emails to begin with. He was talking about his expenses and his flights to the States and Japan on Rangers business, first class tickets and all the rest of it, and reckoned he was due 30 grand in expenses. There was this series of emails and I was really surprised. So then he puts a deadline of last Friday on it and said if I didn’t pay it he was going to sue. There was an overhanging threat of a law suit if I didn’t pay him. Another law-suit? How many are we up to now? I’ve stopped counting. I said I’d look at the detail and get back to him, but I haven’t responded to his last email, which was Wednesday I think. He’s not due the money. These are guys who have never put anything into Rangers and have taken a lot out, even during the depths of the financial crisis at the club. They could have said we’ve done quite nicely out of this, we’ll walk away and wish the club well. People like [Donald] McIntyre outside the court the other day saying he wants the best for Rangers, meanwhile he’s putting a £300,000 arrestment on Rangers and taking us to court, even though he was there throughout all the financial problems. When Rangers made the Uefa Cup final [Martin Bain] got the same bonus as the players, £45,000 a man. Why would the chief executive be on the same bonus as the players? Anybody who wants money from Rangers I’m going to scrutinise it. Every detail, whether it’s deserved or not. If it’s deserved, we’ll settle and if it’s not we’ll fight it to the death. There is an air of mystery about you, though. Nobody really knows much about you – where you got your money from and how much you have. Good. So where did you make your money and how much do you have? If I asked you how much money you have, you would be within your rights to tell me to f*** off, it’s none of my business. All that matters is that I’m delivering on what I said I would deliver on. Rangers are in a better place now than they have been in the last three or four years. That’s what’s important. As long as I deliver on what I said I would deliver on what difference does it make? What other businesses do you have, we know nothing of this? I’ve got more than 20 other businesses in the UK and across various parts of Europe and I’m involved in all sorts of things. I’m a prolific deal-maker, but the only one you get to hear about is Rangers. I’m doing deals constantly. This morning I’m working on a decent size deal with a fairly well-known business but it will never get any attention. Why not? Because I don’t want it to. Again, why not? Why should I? I’m stubborn. Give us the names of a few of your companies that you’re really proud of? No. Good effort but I’m not going to name the companies because that’ll create a level of scrutiny for them and I don’t want to have that. I just want them to get on with business. Look, I can’t complain about it because I put myself in the position. David Murray told me what it would be like. I’m fortunate to be in the position I’m in. You know my thoughts, I’m not a publicity hungry type of guy. This stuff doesn’t sit naturally with me. I’m only doing this now because of that BBC thing. Okay, let’s talk about the tax bill. You said not that long ago that you we were going to fight it if the outcome went against you, but you said the other night you might not. What are you thinking? I’m not going to box myself into a corner on this one. What I said to STV was that there has to be some finality sooner rather than later. I don’t see how we can live like this as a business with this thing hanging over us for another year or two years, it’s impossible. If we’re trying to sign long-term deals with sponsors or corporates it makes life more difficult. Fine. So talk us through what you will do in the worst case scenario. Rangers are hit with a massive debt bill. What happens next? There’s a solution to it either way. Either we win the case or we don’t win the case and if we don’t win the case I’ll still control the club and so the club will be there forever. But what happens if the bill is £49m? Clearly, an insolvency would mean the business would have to go through a formal restructuring. Insolvency? Restructuring? It’s hard to say at the moment because there are different ways to restructure a business. People talk about administration as one option and that might well be one of them. Putting the club into administration is an option? For sure. What would that entail? Are we talking here about the club re-forming as New Rangers FC and the tax bill is eliminated. It’s not that simple, right? It’s not as simple as that but that is one potential outcome. It’s not desirable, not something we want to do and I’m doing everything I can to avoid it. You wouldn’t think that the club going into administration would be a blight on its proud history? You can’t erase the club’s history. That stays. But it would be mortifying? Other than a regrettable event in our history I don’t think it would be as bad people think it might be. But that’s not what I want. It’s something I’d rather avoid, if at all possible. Have you regrets about the way you’ve handled the tax case, the secrecy surrounding it that has given way to endless speculation? Yeah, with hindsight I should have probably said more about this when I first came in but on the other hand we were battling to win the league at the time and I didn’t want to put negative issues out there. As soon as the league was over, I should have come out and said ‘Look, there’s a big job to be done here’. I should have got my message out a bit sooner. If you were a betting man, where would your money rest? Victory for Rangers or victory for HMRC? I’m not a tax expert so it’s a difficult one. Our legal advisers say we’re going to win but HMRC’s advisers say they’re going to win. I wouldn’t like to bet on it either way, to be honest. You seem to be constantly fighting people. The tax man, Bain, McIntyre, the BBC, various solicitors firms, all sorts of people. Levy & McRae took action over an unpaid bill of £35,000. Why is there so much hassle? Levy & McRae acted for Rangers previously and under Law Society rules they shouldn’t be acting against their client so when they represented Bain we complained about them to the Law Society and to be fair we were a bit bloody-minded when we said we weren’t going to pay them because they started acting for Bain against us. That was the reason we didn’t pay them. They took us to court and with hindsight it would have been easier just to pay them. I think people use the profile of Rangers to try and take us to court and think we’ll settle because we don’t want the bad publicity. For me, I’m bloody-minded. Why should I fall for that one? I’m getting more and more thick-skinned by the day. Is this the most hassle you’ve had in business? For sure. But this is what I signed up to. Nothing on this scale has happened to me before and nothing on this scale will happen to me again. Even if you owned one of the clubs in London I don’t think you’d get this level of intensity in the national press. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody. No football club owner in Scotland has had the hassle that I’ve had. Like you say, you buy Rangers and you accept the obsession that comes with it, right? Right. So what about all your cash flow, then? The arrestments by Bain and McIntyre don’t help, but we’re fine. No issues about paying your bills? No. What about your transfer dealings? Lots of players signed but not a high net spend, not the £5m you said it would be? It’s a lot higher than people think. Our net spend is about £5.7m or thereabouts. That includes things that people forget about like agents fees and so on. You said you’d invest £5m a season for five seasons, roughly. That £5m was including agents fees and other costs? If you’re going to sign players then you have to include the cost associated with it, legal costs, agents costs, all sorts of costs. Of course you have to include the costs. People will always ask how could you think this is a sound venture? You can have a proper business model in football but it’s not easy, I’ll give you that. But I also think that Rangers are a huge club with a huge support base worldwide and with tremendous commercial potential that is untapped. Our costs are too high and will have to be reduced. Long-term, we can make this a successful business. The tax case could be Armageddon, though? I don’t think it’s Armageddon. Everybody knows that, in reality, Rangers are always going to be around. You might get idiots on bulletin boards saying that Rangers are going to disappear but that’s not going to happen. Finally, John Greig walked away during the week. He was a player you admired greatly. An icon. Was his departure a reflection on the way you run the club? It was unfortunate. John could have stepped down a different way. We could have shaken hands and wished him all the best, which I still want to do. Unfortunately, I heard it from a newspaper rather than from John. I thought we always got on well. He’s a legend and will always be welcome.

Interview: Craig Whyte, owner of Rangers, who has come out fighting against TV allegations Published on Saturday 22 October 2011 03:38 Tom English talks to Craig Whyte about that BBC documentary, the ongoing tax case at Ibrox and the departure of Rangers legend John Greig Q. So you watched the BBC documentary on Thursday evening? A. No, I haven’t actually seen it. I was with my kids so I didn’t particularly want to watch it with them. I’ll get around to it. You haven’t watched it? So how can you threaten to sue the BBC on the back of it? Oh, don’t worry, I know what was in it. I know all about the allegations they’re making. And you think it was a stitch-up job? It’s outrageous. I actually can’t believe that they went with the allegations they went with. We told them. We sent lawyers letters all week, warning them that these things aren’t true and warning them what would happen if they ran with these allegations. They’ve run with things that are totally, completely and utterly untrue. It just proves the case that they are a biased organisation, biased against Rangers. They’ve done it several times this season. They’re completely biased. They did it to Ally McCoist. Every time they show something on sectarianism it’s Rangers fans. One has to wonder if there’s institutionalised bias in there. It’s outrageous what they’ve done. Absolutely outrageous. To accuse me on national TV of criminality is an outrage. I’m suing and maybe the BBC are going to be paying the (HMRC) tax bill. Okay, this is raw stuff at the moment. But these things are always sorted out. You threaten to sue, there’s a rapprochement and everything gets resolved. Why is this one any different? I don’t see any way back for the BBC. No. They’re not going to apologise. As long as I’m here there will be no co-operation between Rangers and the BBC. They won’t get any interviews with players or management. As far as I’m concerned, even if somebody speaks to them off the record they’ll never work for Rangers again. How on earth can you enforce that? The BBC are completely, totally and utterly out. They’re not going to get away with it what they did. They’ll suffer the consequences. Let’s look at this closely. They said you were disqualified as a company director. Is that true? I’m not comfortable getting into the specific allegations. They had a government official – Robert Burns, head of investigations at the Insolvency Service – saying that you could, potentially, have faced a two-year jail sentence for your involvement in a company, Re-tex Plastic Technology while disqualified. Is that true? I’m not going to comment on specific allegations other than to say on the basis of what I’ve heard the Insolvency Service said last night, I’m looking into the possibility of suing them personally. Another law-suit? For what he [burns] said, he deserves to be sued personally. Because it’s a lie. If he said what I’ve been told he said, it’s a lie. The question to be asked here is if I’m being accused of something then why didn’t they pursue it, why didn’t they do something about it? The reason is because it’s not true. They then tried to link you with a convicted fraudster, Kevin Sykes. What was your involvement with Sykes? I’m sure that most people in their past has met somebody – 12 years ago, 15 years ago – and then you move on and you forget about them. To bring it up now, to associate him with me is an outrage. I haven’t seen the guy in 12-13 years. What’s the relevance of that? This is a respected investigative journalist, though. Mark Daly is a good journalist. Why would he have it in for you? Why would the BBC have it in for you? There’s no question but that this was a hatchet job. Look at the contributors. Alastair Johnston and Paul Murray, who are no friends of mine. Other guys on companies I invested in who wanted more money and I wouldn’t give it to them. It’s not impartial. It was biased from the start. Typical BBC attitude. They’re arrogant. Did you hear that your old mate, Johnston, cried no surrender! Yeah, I heard that. Alastair thinks he’s the fans’ hero. The funny thing is that he tells everybody that he’s never taken a penny out of Rangers, that he’s never wanted anything from the club, that he was put here for the good of the club and that he’s the biggest Rangers supporter and all sorts of shit. I haven’t heard from him since the takeover. But about a week or ten days ago he starts emailing me and says he’s owed 30 grand.

Craig Whyte last night trained his sights on the BBC and the former members of the Rangers board who contributed to a controversial documentary on the Rangers owner’s past business dealings. The programme was aired on Thursday evening and has left the venture capitalist in a rage at what he believes has been a ‘hatchet-job’ on his character. Before the programme had even finished, he refuted any allegations of criminality centering on his involvement with Re-tex Plastic Technology, and instructed his lawyers to commence legal proceedings against the broadcaster. That action began yesterday, when Carter Ruck, a London legal firm, lodged papers over ‘unfounded and defamatory remarks’. “The allegations that were made are untrue,” Whyte told Herald Sport. “I find the conduct of the BBC throughout this to be disgusting. To have me linked to some kind of criminality, well that’s just an outrage, an absolute outrage. There is no evidence at all behind what they were saying. The very fact that the so-called files they had on me have been destroyed, what does that tell you? There is no evidence, it’s just not true. “I will be taking this all the way with them – and I will be looking at what has been said by some of the individuals as well. They [the BBC] have claimed they followed editorial guidelines throughout the making of this programme, but they didn’t. They refused to give us access to things we asked for when we were being asked for responses to allegations. We were also not told who else was contributing to the programme, when that should have been part of the guidelines. “They knew what the implications would be, legally, if they went ahead with the programme and they chose to do so.” Rangers announced on Monday that all co-operation with the BBC was being withdrawn. In July, the same broadcaster was banned after footage was shown of Ally McCoist, the club’s manager, appearing to smile and dismiss a question regarding sectarianism and fan behaviour ahead of the new season. That ban was lifted when the BBC apologised, but Whyte was unequivocal when asked why he felt the documentary had been commissioned. “There is a clear anti-Rangers bias at the BBC, and there has been for some time,” he said “There are a lot of people working there who just do not like Rangers. “I think there has been plenty of evidence of that down through the years, and that’s maybe been behind their decisions to run what they did. Look at what happened with Ally McCoist. They edited footage when he was asked to comment on sectarianism and made it look as though he was dismissive and didn’t care. We banned them for that. Did that happen by accident, the editing? “They are an absolute disgrace. Any time it’s anything to do with sectarianism, it’s Rangers fans getting the blame or being shown. Any negatives, it’s Rangers. All I want is a level playing field with the coverage every other club gets. But with the current policies at the BBC, it’s nothing more than an agenda against Rangers, and now me.” Whyte then turned his attentions to Alastair Johnston, the former Rangers chairman, who was interviewed in Cleveland, Ohio. Johnston claimed that Lloyds Banking Group forced through Sir David Murray’s sale of the club to Whyte, and that an official at the bank warned Rangers credit would be withdrawn if the independent board set up to evaluate any potential buyers continued to question the credentials of Whyte’s bid. Johnston – who was removed just weeks after his takeover in May – also claimed that there were serious concerns over Whyte’s capabilities to provide the cash to pay bills and take the club forward. “Firstly, I never asked him to resign. I told him he was being removed,” Whyte said. “It’s been going on for a while, and it’s tiresome. The sniping away, the comments – these guys have been involved at Rangers whilst all the problems were happening. “They were against my takeover from day one. They didn’t want me to get the club, they wanted it for themselves. And they were surprised when the deal went through. I think it’s sour grapes, but it’s up to them to decide whether they think it’s wise to keep harping on about me when people know only too well that I have inherited a mess. “As for what he said about the bank, I think it’s pretty obvious that Lloyds were keen to get a sale. They wanted to move the club on. But at no point was I ever under the impression that Sir David was being forced to sell to me. He could walk away at any time, as could I. It was his choice who to do a deal with, that was my understanding, and that almost happened on a few occasions for several reasons.” Another former director, Paul Murray, also questioned why Whyte has taken Rangers on when they are in a dispute with HMRC that could result in a tax bill of £50m. “Paul seemed to question why anyone would take a deal like I did. We had that conversation. I told him that Rangers was a special situation, that I had a back-up plan to deal with the worst case scenarios. He knew exactly where I was coming from on that,” Whyte explained. “I told him that someone had to step up to the plate and begin the process of sorting the club’s problems out. Paul had that opportunity and didn’t take it.” exclusive interview Craig Whyte, the owner of Rangers, begins legal action against the broadcaster behind a damning documentary and turns on his critics from the previous regime, writes Darrell King http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/rangers/to-have-me-linked-to-some-kind-of-criminality-is-an-absolute-outrage-there-is-no-evidence-at-all-behind-what-they-were-saying-there-are-a-lot-of-people-at-the-bbc-who-just-do-not-like-rangers-1.1130704

CRAIG WHYTE last night insisted Rangers are in better shape now than they have been over the past few years. And, revealing he has a masterplan to raise extra revenue while slashing costs but not the playing squad, the Ibrox owner told supporters he is prepared to invest even more money in the club. Whyte remains incensed at Thursday’s BBC documentary and, having declared his intention to sue, described the programme as “a lot of nonsense” – and he has pledged that no matter the outcome of an on-going tax case, which could cost anything up to £50million, Rangers will be fine. The venture capitalist also stressed that Lloyds Bank had been paid in full and that the club had enough money to keep going despite £3million being frozen by HMRC, former chief executive Martin Bain and ex-financial director Donald McIntyre. “Of course it isn’t helpful at all that cash has been frozen, but there is enough money to keep the club going,” he said. ì I’m not the one responsible for the legacies we’re having to deal with. I’m getting my sleeves rolled up and getting things sorted out. î Craig Whyte “We are a business that is losing money, a business that needs to bring costs down. But If money is needed then we’ll have to look to shareholders and borrowings. There is a plan in place to deal with it. “It’s important we make savings. Also, I’m not the one responsible for the legacies we’re having to deal with. I’m getting my sleeves rolled up and getting things sorted out. “Rangers are in better shape now than at any time in the last two or three years. We’re going to be in this crisis mode until the tax issue is sorted out. “The intention is this: Firstly, we must sort out the legacies handed to us as quickly as possible. Secondly, we have to reduce the cost base so that costs are in line with revenue. And thirdly, we must look to move forward with new opportunities.” “It would be a tragedy if we went into administration, but we’d brush ourselves off and bounce back stronger than ever.” Whyte claimed he didn’t watch Thursday’s programme, adding: “I was surprised they actually ran with it given we told them it wasn’t true. The main allegations made are complete, total and utter nonsense.” Manager Ally McCoist insists the off-field turmoil at Ibrox this week will not derail the title bid. He said: “I spoke to Craig this morning, as I always do. “We are in total agreement the most important thing is Sunday’s game.” http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/278908/Rangers-owner-insists-the-future-is-bright

FURIOUS Rangers boss Craig Whyte last night declared war on the BBC and former Gers directors. In a hard-hitting interview he insisted he can NEVER see his feud with the broadcaster being resolved. He also blasted ex-Ibrox chief executive Martin Bain and former finance chief Donald McIntyre. And he hit out at Bain for pocketing the same £45,000 bonus as the PLAYERS when Gers reached the UEFA Cup Final in 2008. Whyte, 40, gave an exclusive interview to The Scottish Sun hours after the BBC made a string of allegations about his past in a documentary. The Gers owner, set to sue the Beeb over the claims, said: "I have nothing to hide. Everything said in the programme is total rubbish and that is why I have called in lawyers. It is total nonsense." He also insisted it was business as usual at the club despite the BBC's "muck-flinging" — and said he would not be put off by "false accusations" about his business record. He said: "I will not be distracted. I knew when I decided to bid for Rangers that there would be pressures as well as plenty of people who would like us to fail. "But despite that, and despite all the muck being flung at me and the club by the BBC and others, I am determined to see this through. "These things are sent to try us. But for me and everyone else at Rangers it is business as usual. "My focus remains firmly on getting Rangers as a business back into good shape so that we can enjoy continued success on the field. That is what really counts." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3887429/Whack-and-Whyte-as-Gers-chief-puts-boot-in.html#ixzz1bUZGjKNU

CRAIG Whyte has intensified his battle with the BBC by stating that any member of the club who speaks to the broadcaster, even in an off-the-record basis, â??will never work for Rangers againâ?. Incensed by what he calls an â??institutionalised biasâ? against his club within the walls of Pacific Quay, Whyte re-iterates his intention to sue the broadcaster, adding: â??Maybe the BBC are going to be paying the [HMRC] tax bill.â? In a wide-ranging interview, Whyte expresses thunderous views on the BBC and, as he sees it, the motives behind their documentary Rangers: The Inside Story, aired on Thursday evening. Whyte says that not only he is suing the BBC but that he is also considering taking legal action against one of the contributors in the programme. Robert Burns, head of investigations at the governmentâ??s Insolvency Service, suggested that Whyte could have faced a two-year jail sentence for his involvement with a firm called Re-tex Plastic Technology in a period when he was disqualified from being a director. Whyte says he hasnâ??t actually seen the BBCâ??s investigation but is au fait with the allegations it makes, Burnsâ??s suggestion of criminality being the most serious. â??On the basis of what Iâ??ve heard the Insolvency Service said last night Iâ??m looking into the possibility of suing them personally. For what he [burns] said, he deserves to be sued personally. Because itâ??s a lie.â? The Rangers owner also states that his bitter foe and former chairman at Ibrox, Alastair Johnston, has been e-mailing him in the last ten days looking for £30,000 in expenses from when he was still in the chair at Ibrox. Whyte says the communication was friendly at first, but then last midweek it turned nasty when Johnston threatened to sue if the monies were not paid. â??There was this series of e-mails and I was really surprised,â? says Whyte. â??So then he puts a deadline of last Friday on it and said if I didnâ??t pay it he was going to sue. There was an overhanging threat of a law suit if I didnâ??t pay him.â? During the HMRC tax bill segment of the interview, Whyte concedes that he made an error by being so secretive for so long in relation to what he intends to do in the event of a worst-case scenario. â??With hindsight, I should have probably said more about this when I first came in but on the other hand we were battling to win the league at the time and I didnâ??t want to put negative issues out there. As soon as the league was over, I should have come out and said â??Look, thereâ??s a big job to be done hereâ??. I should have got my message out a bit sooner.â? Administration, said Whyte, was very much an option in the case of a mammoth tax bill from HMRC. It is, he stresses, something that he is attempting to avoid but he argues that it might not be the nightmare that some have predicted. â??Other than a regrettable event in our history I donâ??t think it would be as bad as people think it might be. â??But thatâ??s not what I want. Itâ??s something Iâ??d rather avoid, if at all possible.â? Meanwhile, Rangers manager Ally McCoist would not be drawn on any of the controversies that are swirling around his ears at present. â??Iâ??m not going to talk about any television programmes or anything like that â?? all I am going to say is that I spoke to Craig Whyte on Friday morning, as I always do, and we are both in total agreement that the most important thing is Sundayâ??s game at Tynecastle. â??We had a chat about the team, the players and the squad â?? as we always do â?? and we are both of the opinion, which we both feel is the right one, that at this moment in time the fans deserve to know that we are totally focused on the game at Hearts.â? http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spl/craig_whyte_vows_to_sack_anyone_at_rangers_who_talks_to_bbc_1_1924986

Rangers manager Ally McCoist insists he is content with his working relationship with Craig Whyte. Club owner Whyte has said he will take legal action over a BBC Scotland documentary which carried allegations of criminality in his past dealings. And McCoist said: "He's been great, absolutely smashing. I spoke to him this morning as I always do. "We are both in total agreement that the most important thing that we have to focus on is Sunday's game." Scottish Premier League leaders Rangers visit Hearts with a seven-point advantage over second-placed Motherwell. Continue reading the main story Our players to a man have remained wonderfully focused and they are still focused Ally McCoist The documentary heard from a government agency that Whyte controlled a company despite being banned as a director. Prior to the programme's broadcast on Thursday evening, Rangers withdrew all co-operation with the BBC. Meanwhile, the BBC strongly rejects claims of bias against the Ibrox club and insists the content of Rangers: The Inside Story was accurate and in the public interest. But McCoist refused to discuss the matter and is sure his players will not be affected by any off-field issues, with Rangers also involved in two separate disputes with HM Revenue and Customs, as well as a legal battle with former directors Martin Bain and Donald McIntyre. "I will not comment on any television programmes," he added. "You can only influence things that you can influence and we can't have an influence on other things. "The boys have been doing particularly well in the league and it's pleasing. Hopefully that will continue. "My players are really focused and everybody should know that. "Over the last four or five years there has been ups and downs as there are at any club. "Our players to a man have remained wonderfully focused and they are still focused. "We will continue to be a solid team with a great spirit." http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15407927.stm

Why are some fans worried about his past?,I couldn't give a flying fuck what he did in the past,he wasn't the owner of Rangers FC in the past,I'm more interested in the here and now and where he will take us in the future.He will continue to get my full support until he does something wrong,but as far as I can see he is trying to get the Rangers back on a sound financial footing,one which the old regime put us in.I was more worried before he took over.

ALLY McCOIST remains hopeful that Nikica Jelavic will fight off a big in time to face Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday. Sasa PapacThe Croatian reported for training this morning having picked up a bug and after being assessed by the club's medical team he was sent home without training. McCoist says the striker's progress will be monitored tonight and tomorrow and he is hopeful that the forward will shake off the problem in time to face the Jambos. He said: "He looked really poorly this morning when I saw him and it looks like he's got a bit of a bug. The doctor sent him home and we'll monitor him tonight and tomorrow. "Obviously it would cast a doubt over him this Sunday but at the same time he is a big, strong lad there's a good chance he could shake the bug off." However McCoist is more reassured by Sasa Papac's recovery from a sinus problem that saw him miss out on meetings with both St Mirren and Liverpool. The Bosnian will face a battle to return to the side after decent displays from Lee Wallace but McCoist says Papac will be part of his squad on Sunday. He added: " He looked well although you can never tell with Sasa!:tongue: But seriously, he trained this morning, looked fine and came through it ok so he will certainly be travelling with us tomorrow. "Everyone else is looking fine apart from Kyle Bartley and Jamie Ness who have missed out recently."

NIKICA JELAVIC is a doubt for Sunday's SPL tie between Rangers and Hearts after picking up a bug. The Croatian played 45 minutes against Rangers midweek, but missed training today ahead of the Tynecastle clash with an illness. He has scored seven in 17 games this season, and the 26-year-old would be a major loss to the current SPL leaders. The news is a blow to manager Ally McCoist, who will also be without injured duo Kyle Bartley and Jamie Ness for the trip to Edinburgh. But McCoist was handed a boost after Sasa Papac returned to training. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2011/10/21/rangers-striker-nikica-jelavic-declared-a-doubt-for-hearts-clash-86908-23504872/

The ownership of Rangers by Craig Whyte is entering a crucial phase as the tax tribunal approaches The key passage in the story of Craig Whyte and Rangers will happen in the not too distant future. That much is certain, after yet another week in which the Ibrox club found themselves courting front as well as back pages of newspapers. The occasionally warped situation where football fans have more of an interest in directors and balance sheets than full-backs and strikers has one positive offshoot. That is, scrutiny of those purchasing clubs should limit the potential for ruinous scenarios. Notwithstanding the fact boardroom change is inevitable following most company buyouts â?? let alone hostile ones such as this â?? the departures from Rangers directorships of John Greig and John McClelland were notable. Both made it clear they felt hampered and frustrated by Whyte's management. Greig is the former player perhaps most symbolic of the club. McClelland remains a respected figure in Scottish business circles. Both were part of an old regime at Rangers that expressed concern about Whyte's takeover in May; now, the old guard has been all but eliminated. Two of that group, Martin Bain and Donald McIntyre, have between them successfully frozen £780,000 of Rangers' assets as they pursue breach-of-contract cases. These are increasingly bitter battles, with Whyte firing spoken bullets towards the duo who, the owner believes, were complicit in Rangers' previous financial mess. In riposte, former Rangers board members will point to a £40m borrowing at the end of June 2009. By the time Whyte purchased Rangers two years later, he did so by buying out a bank debt of £18m. In that 24-month spell, Rangers won four out of six domestic trophies. Bain was the chief executive and McIntyre the finance director who collaborated with the Lloyds Banking Group on a business plan. The potentially significant impact of Employee Benefit Trust payments came to light during this period, but there has never been any doubt about the origin of these schemes in relation to Rangers: via the Murray International firm, effectively the football club's parent company, several years earlier. The former Rangers management team would also dispute the widely held notion that Whyte's due diligence uncovered a separate tax liability the club continue to dispute. That came about, it is instead argued, because of a precedent ruling that allowed Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs to "revisit" Rangers. A day after the exits of Greig and McClelland, Whyte reopened his war with the BBC by withdrawing all club co-operation with the broadcaster. Central to this move was a documentary about the Rangers owner's business history, screened on Thursday evening, which has since triggered legal action by Whyte. For all the arguments about the public-relations merits of such a stance, one thing is clear: a sizeable chunk of the Rangers support has no problem with Whyte taking on the BBC. They regard this as a fightback against perceived reporting injustices. The blunt reality is that a vocal element of fans care little about the past of directors; they want to know their club is safe and that their team will win games. The entrenched attitude here is similar to that towards Bain and McIntyre. Whyte used another broadcast outlet, Scottish Television, to insist that his Rangers legacy will be a positive one. Which is, external and media wars aside, the most meaningful issue here. After all, that relates to Rangers' very future. The message from Whyte about the onset of administration if Rangers lose their upcoming tax tribunal is now more consistent. The consequence of that turn of events has seemed obvious for months, with the club patently unable to cope with a bill that could reach £49m in the event of defeat to HMRC. Whyte, as the secured creditor, would then inherit a business with only his chosen overheads. A key question that has to be asked to Whyte is: "Who will be the primary beneficiary based on the structure in place if Rangers enter administration?" Without threats from a bank or taxman, Whyte could then be in a position to sell Rangers on for a profit on an investment that was initially £18m and has since increased. Yet the penalties and brutal realities attached to administration go beyond those that would hamper Rangers' SPL title bid; few financial analysts see any sense in this being a chosen course of action for Whyte when he took Rangers on. The man himself insists everything possible will be done to keep Rangers from administration, an entirely understandable public stance. Still, the most bemusing aspect of Whyte's Rangers takeover â?? as has been the case from day one â?? relates to why he completed the deal with such a massive tax liability possibly forthcoming. The other recurring theme around Ibrox is what will happen if Rangers successfully challenge the tax authorities. If that occurs, Whyte will control a business without two of the main creditors that have cast such a long shadow over the club in recent times. Rangers would, in such circumstances, be more attractive to potential investors. Would Whyte, at that stage, seek a short-term profit by selling the club on, or prove that his talk of long-term investment is meaningful? Before he took over, those in the Ibrox boardroom were convinced Whyte did not intend playing a long game at Rangers. It may be no coincidence that Dave King, who has been linked with buying Rangers regularly in the past, has not severed his ties by resigning as a nonexecutive director since Whyte took over. Whyte's hint that Rangers would not challenge any loss of the tax tribunal highlights at least one thing. That is, he wants Rangers' circumstances clarified as soon as possible. In the meantime, a lack of European football in any form leaves an obvious hole in their income stream. The club have been embattled for some time, but how Whyte handles forthcoming events will be more worthy of scrutiny than what has come before. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/oct/21/craig-whyte-rangers?CMP=twt_gu

Possibly,but did he not also say that he will do everything possible for this not to happen as that is not what he wants?

One of Rangers' highest profile fans said allegations about new club owner Craig Whyte carried in a BBC Scotland documentary were "quite disturbing". John MacMillan, general secretary of the Rangers Supporters Association, said Mr Whyte was "duty bound" to make a statement to fans on the programme. He said former owner Sir David Murray should address claims that Lloyds Bank forced through the Whyte deal. Mr Whyte has instructed legal action over the documentary. Speaking to the BBC Scotland news website, Mr MacMillan said: "We have to recognise that, at this point, these are allegations and if they are proven to be false then Craig Whyte will have recourse through the courts. "If the allegations are genuine, however, then we have a very worrying situation indeed." 'Very disturbed' Mr MacMillan described as "disturbing" the contribution from Robert Burns, the head of investigation and enforcement at the UK government Insolvency Service. Continue reading the main story â??Start Quote These things have to be answered and Sir David Murray should come out and make a statementâ? John MacMillan Rangers Supporters Association Mr Burns said his agency took the view that a company it had looked into was "being controlled, or certainly had the involvement of an individual (Mr Whyte) who was disqualified" from acting as a director. Asked if Mr Whyte should make a statement addressing these allegations, Mr MacMillan said: "Without a shadow of a doubt". "I think for clarification Craig Whyte is duty-bound to come out and make a statement to Rangers supporters," he said. Mr MacMillan said he was "very disturbed" by allegations from former chairman Alistair Johnston that Lloyds Bank had threatened to cut Rangers' credit line if Craig Whyte's takeover of the club did not go ahead. He said this concern extended to Mr Johnston's assertion that Sir David Murray sold the club to Mr Whyte against his advice. Mr MacMillan said: "I don't know Alistair Johnston but he came over to me as a very honest guy. "These things have to be answered and Sir David Murray should come out and make a statement." The programme, Rangers: The Inside Story, was shown on Thursday night. A spokesman for Mr Whyte said he "strenuously refutes" the "unfounded and defamatory allegations" aired in the programme and had instructed his lawyers to "commence immediate legal proceedings against the BBC". A spokesman for BBC Scotland said the corporation stood by the investigation "which was produced according to our rigorous editorial standards on fairness, accuracy and impartiality". http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-15402557

Another thing I'm curious about,the documents that were produced on the documentary,are they private documents that have been leaked??

That's the way I took it,I think he was meaning he just wanted it all cleared up,hence he said he may not appeal it

I was disspointed to hear what AJ was saying in that documentary,he came across as being a bit hurt by CW taking over the Rangers and did himself no favours

RANGERS FC owner Craig Whyte last night insisted he will sue the BBC over allegations that his business practices broke the law. The Ibrox chairman has instructed top London legal firm Carter Ruck to raise an action over the “biased” and “muck-raking” BBC Scotland Investigates – Rangers: The Inside Story, which was screened last night. The documentary focused on a number of allegations against the 40-year-old venture capitalist, who is reputed to be worth £1billion. FREE NEWS UPDATES 24/7...FOLLOW THE SCOTTISH EXPRESS ON TWITTER The BBC reported that Mr Whyte, who was born in Motherwell, controlled a company while he was disqualified from being a director. Robert Burns, head of investigations at the UK Government’s Insolvency Service, told the BBC that he “could have gone to prison” for “criminality” over his involvement in a plastics firm. Mr Burns said that Mr Whyte had been disqualified for seven years in 2000, but was still closely involved in the running of a company and was a signatory on its bank accounts. ì It is a privilege to own Rangers and be chairman. My business record speaks for itself î Craig Whyte The BBC’s allegations were broadcast shortly after Mr Whyte, who refused to be interviewed, answered questions posed by rival broadcaster STV. He told the Scotland Today news programme that he “is the right man” at the helm of Rangers and will steer the club out of its financial woes, including a £49million debt to HM Revenue and Customs. The businessman, who has homes in London and Monte Carlo and owns a castle in the Highlands, paid a token £1 to purchase 85 per cent of Rangers from former owner, Sir David Murray, and cleared an £18million Lloyds Banking Group overdraft. He has since been involved in disputes with former employees, including ex-Ibrox chief executive Martin Bain, who have won court rulings to freeze £800,000 cash in Rangers’ accounts. Mr Whyte told STV that he will pay the final tax bill if ordered to do so, and that he will not let the current SPL champions founder. Speaking about the BBC allegations, Mr Whyte angrily said he had “nothing to be ashamed off” and accused the programme-makers of being “biased”. His comments came days after Rangers withdrew all co-operation from the BBC and Mr Whyte’s spokesman accused the corporation of “muck-raking” over his past businesses. Mr Whyte said: “There were many times when I could have walked away, but someone has to take up the challenge. “It is a privilege to own Rangers and be chairman. My business record speaks for itself. “I have got nothing to hide and nothing to be ashamed of. I think we have an organisation that is biased against Rangers.” He outlined his determination to avoid the club being forced into administration, which would cause Rangers to have 10 SPL points deducted. Mr Whyte added: “It is not something I want to see happen and we’re doing everything we can to avoid it. There is no chance of Rangers going out of existence. I’m the owner of Rangers. I’m the chairman of Rangers and I have done a lot more successful deals than deals that haven’t worked out. “I think that ultimately speaks for itself.” The BBC documentary also included allegations by former Ibrox chairman Alastair Johnston that Lloyds Bank threatened to cut the club’s credit if the board did not accept Mr Whyte’s offer. Mr Johnston added that he asked Sir David Murray to block the deal but was told it was “too late”. A spokesman for Mr Whyte, who yesterday vowed to invest £20million in transfer funds, said: “Craig Whyte strenuously refutes these unfounded and defamatory allegations and has instructed his lawyers, Carter Ruck, to commence immediate legal proceedings against the BBC. Any repetition of these false accusations will also be met with legal action.” http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/278748/Rangers-owner-Craig-Whyte-vows-to-sue-muck-raking-BBC

I even have a problem with the title,'' Rangers-the inside story '',what the fuck are they talking about Rangers for?,why are they interviewing the likes of AJ & PM?,guys who don't even know him!!!.All this trash tried to do was carve up CW for his business dealings from years ago when he wasn't involved with Rangers?,what has Rangers tax case got to do with CWs' past business dealings?.This was just a direct assault on CW,fuck all to do with Rangers.A pile of shite

It's a conspiracy!!!!

Don't think it is blind faith mate,what he has said is positive and deserves our support until he is proved wrong,no?

It all sounds positive.We can only give CW our full support,as well as Ally & the team,and see what developes,we have no choice but to trust him.

The BBC are locked in talks with the SPL over new contracts for TV and radio coverage of Scottish football from next summer — and that could provide them with a powerful tool in their ongoing dispute with Rangers. Sportsmail understands current contracts with the SPL for TV highlights, radio commentary and online coverage are worth around £3million a season to the league in addition to the £13m paid by ESPN and Sky Sports. The existing BBC contracts for both radio and television are due to expire at the end of the current season and high-level discussions are already taking place about extensions. New deals will depend on whether SPL clubs decide to ‘go it alone’ with their own designated TV station for live games, as highlights on the BBC might ‘dilute’ the impact of that platform. Rangers fans, meanwhile, await a BBC documentary on Thursday about the Craig Whyte takeover, with the club having withdrawn ‘all co-operation’ with the broadcaster over the programme. Excluding the BBC from post-match interviews after Sunday’s game against Hearts at Tynecastle would breach SPL media guidelines and the SPL hierarchy were anxiously tracking the ongoing row between their champions and one of their broadcast partners, although there is unlikely to be any intervention from SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster until the full extent of the dispute becomes clear. And, with McCoist’s side not due at Ibrox on SPL business until Dundee United visit on November 5, there may be time for either a cooling-off period or a settlement. Rangers are obliged under ‘guidelines’ to allow interviews at Tynecastle after Sunday’s game, but would not be breaching any contract if they did not do so or did not put McCoist in front of the microphones. Manchester United got round Sir Alex Ferguson’s lengthy personal row with the BBC by continually presenting assistant Mike Phelan for interview. Meanwhile, former chairman Alastair Johnston has spoken out following club legend John Greig’s exit, saying: ‘Like everybody else, John is very confused by activities around the club at this point in time. ‘Leaving Rangers is a traumatic event for him. But I think John is like a lot of the fans, as long as Rangers are winning he does not care so much about who owns the club or any of the other stuff. ‘There are a lot of factors that went into his situation and I am not going to speak for John. ‘At this point in time, I have stepped back. I am a concerned observer as well as the fans.’ Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2051150/BBC-holds-aces-Rangers-dispute.html#ixzz1bJ3j0rH0