chilledbear

Do you really want an answer about BBC Scotland ??

I'd be surprised if it got past the bank and murray, if there were doubts.

Seems strange after all the bank has gone through to reduce Rangers debt, they would agree the sale, to someone who might have to take on more debt.

I thought Whyte had to prove before now, that he had the money to see this through. Surely when the bank approved the sale, Murray has agreed to sell. and he has had a meeting with AJ, he has somehow managed to convince them he has the wherewithall. Or am I being naive!!

So why did Lennon not appeal, who advised him not to appeal. McBride perhaps told him to take the ban, as it suited the scenario the downtrodden are acting out. I think they could see this from a mile away, McCoist nothing to answer for, it would make it even better. They are not even hiding it any longer.

Just a suggestion for a song instead of the sectarian songs we are singing !!! Now this is an old English Folk Song from 1870. A rope, a rope, to hang the Pope, A penn'orth of cheese to choke him, A pint of beer to wash it down, And a jolly good fire to burn him. Holloa, boys! holloa, boys! make the bells ring! Holloa, boys! holloa boys! God save the King! Hip, hip, hooor-r-r-ray! I'm sure we could change the 'Holloa' into something more familiar.

http://sport.caledonianmercury.com/2011/03/03/opinion-the-writer-speaking-out-about-rangers-fans/00972 This week I interviewed Piara Powar. He is the head of Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) and is close to the thinking of the top guys in UEFA on these matters. Powar told me that most teams in Europe with problematic fans had to be warned at the start of every tournament, but with Rangers they have to be warned at the start of every round of a competition. However, he stated that the lack of action by UEFA must be seen in the context of the apparent impunity which Rangers fans can wade up to their knees in Fenian blood and inform Glasgow�s Irish community that the Famine is over. Ultimately, Powar believes, the domestic association must take a stand.

Impartial my arse. http://www.farenet.org/default.asp?intPageID=7&intArticleID=2187 http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article6926797.ece

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3517875/FAREs-file-ammo-for-Dutch-rap.html A LEADING European protest group are behind the report which could see Rangers fans banned by UEFA. SunSport can reveal Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) compiled a damning dossier on the behaviour of Gers fans in Holland last month. The report was drafted by ONE individual and is thought to contain references to songs allegedly sung by Rangers fans in Eindhoven which are NOT criminalised. Rangers are now working hard behind the scenes in a bid to establish whether the report was commissioned by UEFA or whether FARE have acted pro-actively. A total of 63 PSV fans were arrested when Gers held the Dutch side to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their last-16 Europa League clash in Eindhoven on March 10. Just ONE Rangers fan was held on a breach of the peace charge away from the ground. Now Rangers chief executive Martin Bain is set to go to war with UEFA as they fight the charges. We told yesterday how the Ibrox club believe a campaign to get them kicked out of Europe is being waged in Scotland. Ibrox bosses are stunned by UEFA's threat to ban their fans from away games and fine them. Gers chiefs claim the UEFA delegate present at that game PRAISED the fans in his report. Now SunSport has learned UEFA also had a security officer present in Eindhoven to specifically monitor sectarianism and racist behaviour. He too gave the Ibrox club a clean bill of health. Gers' case will be heard in Nyon on April 28. Rangers, who have already been fined and warned three times by UEFA since 2006 over either sectarian songs or offensive behaviour by fans, do not believe they should be in the dock again. London-based Kick It Out are the UK arm of FARE but spokesman Danny Lynch refused to comment on the story when contacted by SunSport last night. Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3517875/FAREs-file-ammo-for-Dutch-rap.html#ixzz1J0SLPxix

No direct quotes.

He couldn't even defend himself.

Dry yer eyes, just a bit of humour.

'The club will also question UEFA over whether or not they act on reports submitted by people other than official delegates and police' This is pretty obvious surely. It should be asked why they act on reports by certain people and not others.

You are well versed in the sordid world.

Perhaps this has been posted already, tho' I don't see it. http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8734_6856123,00.html SOUNESS TRIBUTE TO HOLMES BACKING Posted 06/04/11 17:53EmailPrintSave Hamilton v Rangers. Click here to bet. Graeme Souness has hailed former Rangers chief executive David Holmes for his courage and bravery in making him Ibrox manager 25 years ago. The arrival of the Scotland captain from Sampdoria transformed the fortunes of a club who had not won the Scottish title for eight consecutive seasons. Souness, who replaced Jock Wallace, soon brought in England internationals Terry Butcher and Chris Woods before leading the club to the championship in his first season, and then began the nine-in-a-row years by regaining the trophy in 1989. Rangers stand on the brink of major change with Craig Whyte closing in on a takeover of the club and Souness believes Holmes deserves credit for implementing seismic change a quarter of a century ago. Speaking to the Rangers News on the eve of the anniversary of his appointment, Souness said: "To say David Holmes put his neck on the line was an understatement. "I was 33 and had no experience. He gave me the chance to be the manager of Rangers and that must have been a worry to him. "It should never be forgotten what David Holmes did. The club was in turmoil and it was fragmented." Souness immediately brought Walter Smith from Dundee United as his assistant having worked with him on the international scene. And current Rangers boss Smith also believes the chief executive deserves huge praise. "The vision of David Holmes was fantastic," Smith said. "People can make the decisions - like the one he did - but the hard part is seeing the plan through. "I don't think people realise how difficult it was but David had the willingness and the perseverance to make it happen." Souness was sent off in his first match after kicking Hibernian striker George McCluskey and continued to provoke hostility and controversy, not least when he signed former Celtic striker Maurice Johnston from under the noses of the Parkhead club. But he insists his intention was never to upset people for the sake of it. "My experience from Liverpool and also being a foreigner in Italy was that other teams treated it as their cup final when they played against you so I was prepared for what lay in store," said Souness, who quit for Liverpool in 1991. "However, it was far more intense in Scotland. I was regarded as some big-head coming back to Scotland to show how it was done, but that was never my intention. "All I wanted to do was put Rangers back to the place that they should always be. "That aspect did not really bother me because I had had it throughout my career and I had really strong characters around me in the dressing room."

Could it be that when/if Whyte takes over, others who will not deal with Murray, will take some of the shares.

I'm not sure we really appreciate how good a keeper we have. Alexander tho' a decent keeper, is no where near as good. IMHO of course.

SSN reporting Murray agrees to sell to Whyte.

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.

As most of the Support get their news and information from the media and Rangers themselves, why would Rangers Supporters feel they needed to get involved. It is only very recently, in fact last week is the first time our Chairman had anything harsh to say about Murray, even then you would have to read between the lines.

Good Presbyterians, all concerned attending Church.

Sunday doesn't count.

If Rangers/Whyte were going to be landed with a �£30m tax bill, I find it hard to believe Whyte would continue with this.

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/editor-s-picks/craig-whyte-bid-far-from-done-deal-but-it-s-getting-close-to-crunch-time-1.1093800 Unsigned, unsealed and undelivered. Sources close to the takeover talks at Rangers have issued a warning that Craig Whyteââ?¬â?¢s bid for Rangers is far from done and dusted. SportTimes understands Whyteââ?¬â?¢s legal team have still to see the paperwork over the proposed deal regarding debt repayment with Lloyds Banking Group. And there are several issues still to be resolved with Sir David Murray, owner of Rangers. The bid made a huge leap forward yesterday when Lloyds reached agreement with Whyte over repayment of the clubââ?¬â?¢s debt. It is believed chairman Alastair Johnston was en-route from his base in Ohio to brief the Ibrox board, be available for meetings with Whyte, and to try and push a deal through so some sort of stability can be found as the team heads into the run-in of the SPL season with a championship to fight for. A banking source said today: ââ?¬Å?It is done and dusted with us and we are happy. It is up to Mr Whyte and Sir David Murray to do the deal now, and they could have issues to resolve.ââ?¬Â The hitch to an agreement with Lloyds was the existence of what the Whyte team believed was an ââ?¬Å?exitââ?¬Â fee or early repayment cost. The bank, though, insisted Rangers hedged their repayments by tying them to the Libor rate, which is the rate that banks lend money to each other. This rate has slumped since the agreement was brokered, leaving the club with a shortfall believed to be just more than Ã?£1m. The Whyte camp have now made the deal, but still have to receive the paperwork from the bank. The settlement is understood to clear the vast majority of the debt to the bank. Rangersââ?¬â?¢ debt stood at Ã?£27.1m in June and is expected to be slashed to around Ã?£21m when the clubââ?¬â?¢s interim results are announced, possibly today or tomorrow. Informed sources said Whyte would clear as much as Ã?£17m of that debt, with a Ã?£4m debt loan retained on new terms. This would reduce the price of the overall deal. The Whyte takeover had been priced at Ã?£33m. Under it, he would buy 75% of Murrayââ?¬â?¢s shareholding, with Andrew Ellis, a property developer, taking a 25% stake. However, with the slashing of the debt, the overall purchase price could come down as low as Ã?£27m. A minor wrangle over the Albion car park site has also been resolved, but SportTimes under-stands there are still ââ?¬Å?issuesââ?¬Â in the talks with Murray. One source near the talks said: ââ?¬Å?The debt settlement is a major advance but there are still other matters to be resolved.ââ?¬Â Whyte is determined to bring the deal to a close after working on it for four months and spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on due diligence and lawyersââ?¬â?¢ fees. These unspecified ââ?¬Å?issuesââ?¬Â with Murray are over and above Rangersââ?¬â?¢ dispute with the tax authorities. It is still unclear how this will be resolved. The case between HMRC and Rangers looks likely to be heard next month, with a judgment unlikely before July or August. The dispute concerns an Employee Benefits Trust that began at Rangers in 2001. The annual reports show that a total of Ã?£47m was contributed by the club to this fund to recompense players. If found liable, Rangers could face a heavy bill amounting to Ã?£30m-plus. The club, however, is defending the case robustly. But sources today insisted there were other matters that Whyte and Murray had to settle before a change in ownership took place.

http://leggoland2.blogspot.com/2011/03/a1-at-lloyds-but.html