ian1964

THE courtship seems to have rumbled on longer than both of Katie Price's marriages and last night Craig Whyte was still swithering about whether to lead Rangers up the aisle. But one of the top movers and shakers in football finance believes Rangers should pray the millionaire venture capitalist doesn't jilt them at the altar. Neil Patey helped broker the deal that put Chelsea in the hands of Roman Abramovich in 2003 and more recently was involved in the negotiations that led to Liverpool and Manchester City selling out to American and Arab ownership respectively. The Edinburgh-based Scot is global audit and accounting giant Ernst & Young's football financial expert and although he has not been involved with the Whyte takeover bid at Ibrox he has been keeping a professional eye on the situation. Patey insists Rangers will NOT fold if Whyte walks away and the club is hit with a massive tax bill but he believes administration is a possibility and years of financial hardship a certainty. He also reckons that if the Motherwell-born venture capitalist does take the plunge - and his gut feeling is that Whyte will - then Rangers can slowly move away from the abyss. However, Patey insists the new man should do his best to hand Ally McCoist more than the �£5million he has pledged as a transfer kitty in his first season. Liabilities The finance expert acknowledged that the proposed deal has dragged on longer than expected but is convinced the major sticking point has been the tax issue - and the fact nobody knows how hard, if at all, it is going to hit Rangers. He said: "I have been involved with the takeovers of Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea among others. "Typically, they do become protracted affairs but this one is most definitely taking longer than you would expect and longer than a normal corporate transaction would happen. "There could be a number of reasons for that. One is undoubtedly the whole negotiation of how you clear the Lloyds debt - is it immediately or do they wind it down over time? "Also, there is the issue with the tax liabilities which could arise and those are not insignificant. "They might crystalise not directly into Rangers Football Club but into one of the holding companies of the current owner - but it could be deemed that they were for the benefit of the club. "I am sure those issues are part of the reason why it has taken so long. "You also have to remember Whyte has made his money in venture capital and they are hard negotiators. "That has almost certainly added to the due diligence, both from a financial and legal perspective. "I am sure he will be a hard negotiator who is wringing every last pound of value out of the deal." The Ernst & Young expert paints a bleak picture if Whyte fails to secure the deal he is looking for. He said: "If Rangers aren't sold to Whyte they will have to continue in the same vein as they have done in the last couple of years. "Lloyds will continue not to extend them any more money and will try to reduce the debt over a period of time. "Ally McCoist will need to work with not much money for transfer fees and salaries so it will be a continuation of the situation as is and the squad will be under increasing pressure because of that. "The big issue is the tax situation - it may come to nothing but if it does crystalise it could be settled or adjudicated at any sort of value. "It might come in at a couple of million but if the full penalties and interest are awarded to HMRC there is talk of figures in excess of �£40m. That is a big amount of money and it has to be paid. "If the club doesn't have the money and the bank won't give them it - and if someone like Sir David Murray doesn't give them it, which is probably unlikely - then that is an issue. "It is not inconceivable that they could do a Portsmouth. It was effectively the taxman who forced Portsmouth into administration." While that would be a hammer blow Patey insisted Rangers would not go out of business. Cease "That scenario doesn't mean the club wouldn't exist any more," he said. "It means the administrator would do a deal with the bank and the taxman to pay them off and they would come back out of administration. "The SPL would hit them with a points deduction for going into administration but for Rangers that would probably mean they would still finish second to Celtic that season. "That scenario is not impossible. It is unlikely but there is that possibility. "But I would see them coming back out of administration if it were to happen. Rangers Football Club would still be there - it would not cease to exist." Patey believes, though, Whyte WILL strike an agreement to become the new owner. He said: "Is it going to happen? If you'd asked me a couple of weeks ago I would have been pretty dubious. "But it does look now as if they are edging towards a deal. It could still fall apart but if I were a gambling man I'd say it will happen in the next few days. "Whyte's involvement has to be a good thing for Rangers if he clears the bank debt, gets them moving forward and provides a transfer budget." If that does happen he reckons Whyte has to find a way of juggling his finances to allow McCoist to make a bigger impact on the transfer market in his first year. Patey said: "Whyte appears to be ready to allocate �£5m a year over five years for a transfer budget. "But it would be much better for McCoist if �£15m was put in up front and the remaining 10 over the next four years. "The current squad needs refreshing and �£5m won't do much. "However, while I don't think Whyte's projected transfer allocation is enough to make them a force in Europe it should sustain their fight with Celtic for the SPL year on year." http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2011/04/08/football-finance-expert-admits-rangers-takeover-is-dragging-out-longer-than-most-would-expect-86908-23046029/

Were these songs sung in Eindhoven??,is this what UEFA are saying was sung in Eindhoven??

http://leggoland2.blogspot.com/2011/04/sinister-forces-and-dark-deeds.html

RANGERS believe that a campaign to get them kicked out of Europe is being waged in SCOTLAND. Ibrox bosses insist they are stunned by UEFA's threat to ban Gers fans from away games and fine them. That threat follows a UEFA probe into sectarian singing at Gers' Europa League clash with PSV in Eindhoven last month. Ibrox chiefs claim the UEFA delegate at that game PRAISED Gers fans in his report. They believe the potential punishment has come as a result of an internet campaign designed to put the boot into the club. SunSport understands that UEFA delegate Geir Thorsteinsson's dossier was NOT overly scathing of Gers' fans behaviour although he did highlight 'anti-IRA chants'. Gers, who have been fined and warned three times by UEFA since 2006 over sectarian songs and offensive behaviour by fans, do not believe that is enough to land them in hot water again. UEFA beaks confirmed the SPL champs will face disciplinary action - and they are bracing themselves for a three-match fan ban AND a �£100,000 fine. A senior Ibrox source told SunSport last night: "Rangers believe there is a campaign to undermine them. "If you look right across Europe there are similar incidents with a whole host of clubs. "There are issues with Serbs, Croats and look at the problems with crowd violence in Russia right now. "Yet UEFA, once again, are putting the focus and the spotlight on to Rangers again. "We believe this is a campaign UEFA have reacted to." Ibrox chief executive Martin Bain was informed on Monday of the investigation and last night a UEFA spokesman said: "There is a disciplinary case open against Rangers. It will be discussed on April 28 by the control and disciplinary committee." Bain is now praying Gers don't suffer a setback in their fight against sectarianism. He said: "As a club we have been saying to the minority for sometime now they are going to ruin it for everyone. "We would have liked them to go away, but they haven't. "Now there is a possibility sanctions could be imposed. "I am not going to defend anyone who is singing sectarian songs, absolutely not. "What I am going to defend, very vigorously, is what the club has done in trying to eradicate the problem. UEFA have commended us, they know the hard work we've been doing and continue to do. Quantcast "We have done more than any club in Europe to eradicate the problem of sectarianism." Bain admits the threat of a three-match ban on fans travelling abroad could have a major impact on gaffer-in-waiting Ally McCoist. Bain confessed: "This is something nobody here wanted to see happen. "Our fans have come a long way and they have been praised and commended this season. "We work harder than any other club in Europe and we have made tremendous strides in tackling and addressing the issue of sectarianism. "We believe it is absurd to think only Rangers fans sing offensive or sectarian songs. The vast majority of Rangers fans deserve to see their team play in Europe. "It will be disappointing for Ally and the players if supporters are not there next season." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3515831/Theyre-out-to-get-us.html#ixzz1IvMbjOZ9

UEFA has issued the reasoning behind its disciplinary decision against Scottish club Rangers FC, announced yesterday. Fined for incidents The European body fined Rangers FC €13,000 for incidents at their UEFA Champions League first knockout round tie against Spanish outfit Villarreal CF last month. Crowd disturbances UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body imposed the fine on Rangers following the improper conduct of some of their supporters, notably the smashing of a window of the Villarreal team bus at the second-leg match in Spain on 7 March. Not guilty The body declared the Rangers fans not guilty of alleged discriminatory chants at both legs of the tie, which Villarreal won on the away-goals rule after the two sides had finished 3-3 on aggregate. The body’s decision can be appealed against within three days. Social problem In examining the alleged discriminatory chants, the Control & Disciplinary Body admitted that the nature of the song concerned – “Billy Boys” - related to a social problem in Scotland. The body also believed that the disciplinary decision in this case had to be taken in the context of Scotland’s social and historical background. Studied evidence After studying the evidence at hand as well as the statement of Rangers FC, the Control & Disciplinary Body conceded that supporters have been singing the song "Billy Boys" for years during national and international matches without either the Scottish football or governmental authorities being able to intervene. The result is that this song is now somehow tolerated. Social and historical context Given this social and historical context, the Control & Disciplinary Body said it considered that UEFA cannot demand an end to behaviour which has been tolerated for years. In view of the above, the Control & Disciplinary Body ruled that, despite the behaviour of its supporters, Rangers FC had not infringed Article 5 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations (click here) and cannot be punished according to Article 6 http://www.uefa.com/uefa/footballfirst/matchorganisation/disciplinary/news/newsid=413514.html

While I agree with what you say about the BHEASTS,we are not obssesed with them like they are with us,there obsession/hatred for us runs deep and has aided there goal

Maybe we should fight fire with fire??, maybe if we could get thousands of Rangers fans to bombard UEFA,SFA ect with emails,videos of the BHEASTS in full song and see where that leads.

I think I'm more annoyed at RFC for bending over and taking it up the arse when it's been clear there is an agenda against our club. The can of worms only opens if there is some sort of fight back.

No it's not that hard not to sing it,I don't sing it,but we have allowed the BHEASTS to get this banned and they will continue to get all and any songs that the Rangers fans sing,the hokey cokey??, it's time to start highlighting their songs and beliefs starting with their IRAoke,aparthied schooling etc:

No. Just start with somehting like what Bain has already stated, Rangers fans are not the only fans who sing big bad nasty songs. Is the word fenian banned for instance?, , would this video stand up in court as evidence of using the word fenian?.I understand what you're saying mate,if the Rangers fans that continuall sing banned songs then they are going to get the club into trouble. What song will offend the MOPES next??. You can't hit one set of fans and allow other fans to sing '' songs that are offensive ''.

Maybe the threat of a ban will push the club to start fighting back???

That's one of the first questions RFC should be asking,who made the complaint and for what?.If Leggo is correct with this statement '' We already know the complaint did not form any part of the UEFA delegate's report '',or anyone from PSV,or the Dutch police!!!!!!,then who?.

http://leggoland2.blogspot.com/2011/04/songs-of-hate.html

RANGERS Football Club has been informed that UEFA is to take disciplinary action against the Club following allegations of sectarian singing by supporters during the recent Europa League away game against PSV Eindhoven on Thursday, 10 March. The Club is to face a disciplinary hearing in Switzerland later this month. Rangers Chief Executive Martin Bain commented: "We are utterly dismayed to be informed by UEFA that it is to take disciplinary action against the Club. We will defend the Club's position vigorously at the hearing which is scheduled for later this month. "UEFA has already made clear in previous disciplinary hearings that sanctions against Rangers have been mitigated by the extensive work the Club does to tackle sectarianism. A high ranking UEFA delegation also described our Club as exemplars of best practice in this area and only a few weeks ago the First Minister complimented us on the efforts we make as a Club. "Our position regarding sectarian and offensive singing has been made clear time and again - we condemn it and those who indulge in it only damage the interests of the Club. We have worked closely with our supporters groups to try to deal with this issue and believe that few other clubs make as big an effort to tackle anti-social behaviour. We are not saying there is not a problem but we are saying that for many years now we have made strenuous attempts to address it. "We do, however, believe that it is absurd to think that only Rangers supporters sing offensive or sectarian songs. That is patently not the case and we are left to conclude that there is a disproportionate focus on Rangers. It has also become clear there are people who have been determined to undermine our Club at any cost and have constantly lobbied UEFA and other organisations to take action against Rangers." http://www.rangers.co.uk/articles/20110407/rangers-to-fight-uefa-charge_2254024_2332870

I know mate,very strange indeed.

McGregor is only challenged by the consistency of our captain for player of the year.

As a youth product of Murray Park he has been a great servant to the Rangers,and I for one hopes that continues. Testimonials are a rare thing these days. Out of interest how good are our other young goalies?.

http://leggoland2.blogspot.com/2011/04/had-murray-been-ref.html

WHEN Rangers fans discuss the mess their club is in and try to play the game game, one name is always missing. DICK ADVOCAAT! Yet had the Dutchman never dallied at Ibrox there is a strong case for saying Rangers would not have plunged so deeply into debt. Of course owner Sir David Murray is not without blame. But surely no Rangers supporter could argue with what motivated Murray to take the gamble the club is still paying for. To get a complete grasp of why Rangers took on so much debt you have to go back to the autumn of 1997, when Murray decided Walter Smith was not the man to take Rangers on to a new level in Europe. He and the Rangers support craved success in the Champions League. They wanted to see the Ibrox club not merely compete in the group stages, but qualify for the knock out rounds and become serious players in the latter stages of the competition. Murray identified Advocvaat as the man to do that, and the chairman was willing to bankroll the Dutchman. Right away Advocaat showed it was going to be a case of out with the old. The men who had given Rangers nine in a row were treated with scant respect by the wee Dutchman. Out went Andy Goram, Stuart McCall, Ian Durrant and Ally McCoist. It is worth noting afterwards Goram had a successful spell at Motherwell, and even turned out for Manchester United, McCall played in the English Premiership, McCoist played for Scotland, while Durrant won more caps as a Kilmarnock player than he had before. None of the men Advocaat discarded were washed up. Rino Gattuso was another who Dicky didn't like and was soon shown the door. Then there was fans' favourite, Jorg Albertz. He stayed, but it was obvious Advocaat did not rate the skilful midfielder and the relationship between the Dutchman and the German was always strained. Soon a new stream of stars poured into Ibrox. Dutch duo Artur Numan, Gio Van Bronckhorst were class acts. But Lionel Charbonnier, Goram's replacement, was erratic, never in the same class as the Goalie, and soon made way for the more reliable Stefan Klos. Gabby Amato was another who cost a lot but only gave glimpes of greatness. There were oddities too. Colin Hendry, at the time the Scotland captain, arrived, but strangely was not given the captain's armband at Ibrox. But there existed some hope that, as far as Europe was concerned, Murray would get his wish to sit at the top table. After surviving a scare against Irish minnows Shelbourne, Rangers enjoyed UEFA Cup success against the also rans of PAOK Salonika, unrated Beitar of Israel, and the more difficult Bayern Leverkusen, before succumbing to Italian, Parma. That defeat was avenged in the Champions League qualifiers the next season, but once into the group stages, Advocaat's Rangers did no better than Smith's sides. Rangers failed to make it to the knock out stages. There was not even the consolation of a run in the UEFA Cup, such as the one Smith gave the fans when he steered Rangers to the final three years ago. Advocaat's team went up against Borussia Dortmund and went out. The following season, 2000-01 it was the same again. Failure to emerge from the Champions League group stages, followed by immediately being knocked out of the UEFA Cup. And all the time Advocaat was spending, spending and spending, like a drunken sailor on shore leave. Ronald De Boer, Michael Mols, Andrei Kanchelskis, Claudio Cannigia, Michael Ball, Bert Konterman, Claudio Reyna, Christian Nerlinger, Billy Dodds, Russell Latapy, Fernando Ricksen.... And finally, the straw which broke the camel's back, �£12M for Tore Andre Flo. All of that and, as far as Europe was concerned, Rangers were no more successful than they had been under Smith. And a lot less successful than they were to become after Smith returned. On the home front Advocaat, up against Jo Venglos, won the treble. And with Celtic in crisis the following season - think John Barnes and Inverness Caley - Advocaat's Rangers retained the title and the Scottish Cup. However, that is what is expected of a Rangers manager. Alex McLeish, lumbered with picking up the pieces after Advocaat, took Rangers to a treble and two titles too. Certainly Rangers played some superb football under Advocaat, and some fans claim it is the best they have ever seen from their team. Perhaps they are not old enough to recall Jim Baxter and Ian McMillan. But most could recall Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup, and my view is the Smith team they played in stands comparison with Advocaat's Smith's side also had a greater degree of the traditional Rangers fighting spirit. The lack of such dogged determination was soon exposed when Martin O'Neill arrived to build a strong Celtic team. It soon became obvious that Advocaat's failure in Europe was going to be repeated on the home front too as Celtic won the treble in O'Neill's first season, and streaked ahead in the title during first half of the 01-02 campaign. Advocaat was on the run, and he displayed a national characteristic in December 01 when he hoisted the white flag and retreated to a director of football role, which he occupied at enormous expense to Rangers for a further year. When Murray brought Advocaat in, he was willing to invest, knowing that success in the Champions League would bring Rangers a financial return on that investment. There would have been bigger paydays from UEFA, plus an automatic qualifying slot. Season ticket prices could have been increased, with tickets for Champions League knock out matches costing plenty too. More and more companies would have been keen to pay more and more to be associated with Rangers. That was the future Murray dreamed of for Rangers and why he employed Advocaat and then bankrolled the Dutchman to such an extent. Murray's mistake was in picking the wrong man for the job. For Advocaat failed to deliver in Europe. And, in the end, he failed in Scotland too.

http://leggoland2.blogspot.com/2011/04/rangers-real-culprit.html

CRAIG WHYTE is winning his battle to have a �£2.8million tax bill slashed from the price of buying Rangers. The would-be owner made it clear he would not pick up the tab for the bill which took Rangers directors by surprise when it was delivered a few weeks ago. But confidence was growing yesterday that the figures will be adjusted after serious talks today among Whyte's advisors, Lloyds and the Murray Group. That means the five month buy-out saga is likely to be completed by the middle of this week. Whyte will pay around �£24m for the club and then sit down with Ally McCoist to plan for next season. And though the 39-year old multi-millionaire knows the extent of work Ibrox needs in order to be brought back to previous standards - which could be up to �£12m - he realises the team must come first. It's also believed that Whyte won't be solely responsible for further tax payments should Gers lose a court battle with HMRC. This case relates to EBTs, Employee Benefit Trusts, but Rangers' legal people are watching a similar case that could set a precedent in their favour. McCoist knows without a buyer he could be left with just 13 signed players. But last night sources on all sides were confident the deal will be completed. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2011/04/04/rangers-would-be-owner-craig-whyte-winning-tax-fight-as-takeover-plans-remain-on-course-86908-23036775/

Darrell King Share 4 Apr 2011 Almost a year ago, this newspaper broke the story that Rangers were under investigation from HMRC over the use of Employment Benefit Trusts for over a decade. In the same article, we said that Lloyds Bank only had one plan for the club ââ?¬â?? cuts, cuts and more cuts. This would leave a team made up of players on low wages, with the squad supplemented by kids from Murray Park. Star names would go and, on top of that, the stadium was being neglected. We said that administration was a possibility, and that a sale would be unlikely unless someone agreed to offer a warranty on the potential tax bill that could, if found a case was there to answer, amount to tens of millions of pounds. The reaction? We were accused of scaremongering; in fact, some reckoned there were agendas at work to devalue the club just as they were going through an attempted take-over bid from Andrew Ellis. The day after we ran the story ââ?¬â?? which came about after weeks of investigation, including talking to players who at that stage had received letters from HMRC saying they would be part of a future probe, and talking to sources inside the boardroom ââ?¬â?? Sir David Murray responded. It was April 30 last year and, unless Iââ?¬â?¢ve missed it, that was probably the last time he went on record to talk about anything to do with the club. ââ?¬Å?This amounts to scare- mongering. Rangers are not in any danger because of their financial position,ââ?¬Â said Sir David. ââ?¬Å?People can think what they want of me, but one thing I would never do is put the club in danger. ââ?¬Å?If anyone wants to buy, let them make their play. They do due diligence and see where they are ââ?¬â?? but there is nothing to hide. ââ?¬Å?Iââ?¬â?¢ve had the club up for sale for two years. I am not going to be hard to deal with. It is a straightforward process.ââ?¬Â Subsequently, as we also predicted, Ellisââ?¬â?¢s bid fell. The ââ?¬Ë?for saleââ?¬â?¢ sign came down, well publicly anyway. And Rangers drifted on. Behind the scenes, Lloyds tightened their grip, squeezed more and the squad was asset-stripped further and further. Only Walter Smith ââ?¬â?? and his guidance of the team to two successive championships ââ?¬â??saved them from oblivion. Anyone who doubts that, just pause for a minute. Read the words of Alastair Johnston on Friday and imagine life at Rangers Ã?£30million poorer from what the Champions League has earned the club in the past two years. In fact, every Rangers fan should read what Johnston said over and over. Last Friday was the day when someone finally told it as it is. The day the chairman said enough was enough. Sure, he maybe got carried away, the nod of his head to a query on whether the club could go bust sparking all sorts of doomsday headlines and a subsequent retraction to the Stock Exchange. But Johnston showed guts and, in doing so, endorsed what this paper said a year ago. I wonder how the Lloyds Bank PR person felt on Friday when Johnston revealed that Donald Muir was the bankââ?¬â?¢s man, and that the only reason Rangersââ?¬â?¢ credit facility was rubber-stamped was because he was on the board. Or the fact that Lloyds refused to speak to Martin Bain ââ?¬â?? the man paid to run the club ââ?¬â?? for the first six months after they moved in back in October 2009, preferring to do all their business through Muir, who was acting on their behalf. This is the same Lloyds PR man who challenged us at every turn, asking us to remove any mention in articles that Muir was ââ?¬Ë?Lloyds Bankââ?¬â?¢s manââ?¬â?¢ and insisting that he was actually there are at the behest of the Murray Group. What Johnston did was brave, honourable and truthful at the same time. He laid it bare for Rangers fans who looked at our headlines a year ago and said ââ?¬Å?No way, not us. We are Rangers. Taxman? Administration? Not a chance.ââ?¬Â Well, the truth is out there now. Johnston is a fan first, chairman second. He knows itââ?¬â?¢s quite outrageous to ask the clubââ?¬â?¢s supporters (as is about to happen) to collectively shell out in the region of Ã?£15m in season ticket money when they donââ?¬â?¢t actually know what they will be watching next term. He also put pressure on all those involved in the current situation ââ?¬â?? Craig Whyte, Murray and the bank. Itââ?¬â?¢s time to do a deal, or move aside. His message, essentially, is this: If the status quo is to remain, let us know so we all know what we are getting into ââ?¬â?? especially Ally McCoist. Murray spoke of a straight-forward process, yet Ellis couldnââ?¬â?¢t see it through after months of hanging around. Whyte has been on the scene for five months, and we are now told it will be this week when a decision is finally made. His camp say he is getting little help, especially over issues like the Ã?£2.8m tax bill that popped up last week at the 11th hour. Murray wants Ã?£6m for his shares, when it could be argued that they are worthless in light of the possible tax liability that could sink them out of sight. The bank want their full Ã?£24m when they are selling off bad debts all over the place at 60p in the pound. They are looking after themselves, fair enough, but at least be straight. Donââ?¬â?¢t kid people on you are supportive when you are looking after your own interests. And what of Whyte? We know nothing really of this man, except that he appears to have patience, money to back him up, and that he has impressed Johnston and the board. If he walks, for whatever reason, he should tell the Rangers support why. If he does a deal then, even with tax problems still hanging around their neck, the club has a chance. But the time has come for him to show his hand. Buying Rangers is, after all, said to be a straightforward process. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks/the-truth-is-out-there-1.1094453

You can of course ignore them like I do:grin:. I can't read that shite mate

I tuned in for the game on Saturday and the pre-match entertainment on the radio was hilarious,the argument between Chic Young and James Traynor was superb. Listen here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=X36ML4ZI :grin:

http://leggoland2.blogspot.com/2011/04/sporting-integrity.html