Search the Community

AS a listed company, the members of the Rangers Board have to be very careful and professional in the way in which we communicate information. This is clearly not the case for the requisitioners, who can make all sorts of wild and spurious allegations. My concern is that these unprofessional, wild allegations are being used just like bogey men were used when I was a child. But in this case, they are being used to frighten our supporters and shareholders. So, within the bounds of what I can say, I would like to put some of these bogey men to rest. Firstly, I read wild accusations that I may not be independent. This is usually accompanied by a list of names from the club’s past. Let me say categorically, that until I joined the Board a mere 4 weeks ago yesterday, I had never heard of Charles Green, Imran Ahmad, Craig Whyte, or any of the other characters in Rangers’ history. To my knowledge, I have never met them, nor had business dealings with them. Nor would I recognise them if I passed them on a street. When I was approached to join the Board, the Company had only two directors and the immediate priority was to preserve the AIM Listing. Surely it is naïve to think that there is any way the Nominated Adviser could have allowed anyone not totally independent to take on this position at that time? I have now read over two years of board minutes and they make very depressing reading in terms of the scale of their lack of professionalism and worse. The minutes make it clear, in my mind, that the boards of recent years have been totally unfit to run this club. The mystery to me is why people should now be considering that members of these boards, which presided over the problems we face today, should be considered for re-election. Although I have learned one lesson, which is that if you shout long enough and loud enough in the media, you may be able to reinvent yourself. Recent inaccurate and, in fact, completely untrue allegations have included a new bogey man about Jack Irvine's contract. I have looked at this and can say that he has a normal contract, with no bonuses attached and the figures quoted by Mr Scott Murdoch are utter nonsense. Let me also say that Graham Wallace and I are beginning a complete review of every contract that is in place. You can imagine that this is going to take weeks and then more time where contracts need to be changed. I have been on board four weeks yesterday and Graham less than that, but we have already begun this critical process. One area, where we are conscious that we need to focus, is in improving our communication and engagement with all Rangers supporters. We have already commenced work to identify what is required to fully engage with our fan base and we will be bringing forward some significant proposals in the near future. The Board is fully behind improving the communication and engagement with the fans. Another bogey man relates to the club's finances. We have said publicly a number of times that any talk of the club going into administration is completely untrue. Yes, we will need to make decisions to improve cash flows and strengthen the business, but these will be the right decisions at the right time. Another new bogey man thrown about by the Gang of Four is the suggestion that we might be thinking of selling Ibrox. We are not thinking about this. Where do the requisitioners get these ideas from? I promise you we have no intention of a sale. Brian Stockbridge suffers most from the lies thrown around by the people in the process of reinventing themselves. Even the requisitoners must understand that finance directors are members of boards and their actions are largely dictated by the board. Reading the minutes of the last two years or more, I see that Mr Murray was involved at board level for long periods covering contract and financial negotiations. It is not that Finance Directors make mistakes, rather that boards make mistakes, or worse. Without Brian, the club would, in my opinion, have been de-listed months ago and ironically the club should owe him a debt of gratitude for holding things together. Going forward, his new CEO, Graham Wallace, needs time to evaluate the whole structure within the business and the people within it. This will be true for Brian as for everyone else. For the good of the club, for the good of the supporters and for the good of the shareholders, I sincerely hope that the shareholders will get behind the existing board and vote for us. In addition, I encourage shareholders to vote against the four requisitioners. Firstly, because some of them were members or chairman of boards which failed this club in the past. Secondly, we need a Board selected from the best available people. Not just from fanatics who put their own personal interest ahead of the greater good of the club. If these people were to join the board they would be taking up positions which should be held in future by the best, professional people with Rangers true best interests at heart and not having their involvement driven by their own personal self interest. Best regards, David Somers http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/5759-an-open-letter-from-the-chairman

I know I will get Pelter's for posting this, but thought I may get the other side of the coins thoughts. It was taken from RM and put together by a poster called TheLawMan "I recently posted about the Murray myths around debt reduction and Break even Domestic policy however i see today he is still claiming he helped reduce debt. His fans appear to believe him as well, despite the facts disputing what he says. Anyway, i thought i would take things a little further and look at the facts and figures of the people we are being asked to vote for. I know this type of thing normally bores people but I would urge you to read through Murrays CV. First an in-depth look at Paul Murrays Directorships – Past and present. Source : http://companycheck....ector/907102823 Lets start with his current active Directorships: Delamore Holdings (2007 to present) ( -£5m Net worth) – A flower and plant wholesaler – Assets of £1.68m and Liabilities of £1.78m. Cash in bank depleted from £652k in 2008 to £184k in 2012 year end accounts. Points to note. 2012 was a £973k loss following on from a £733k loss in 2011 and a long term loan was taken out to repay short term commitments. R.Delamore Limited (2007 to present) (£1.4m Net Worth) – A flower and plant wholesaler – Assets of £1.5m and Liabilities of £1.45m. Cash in bank depleted from £652k in 2008 to £0.8k in 2012 year end accounts. – Points to note. Due to cash depletion and a Going Concern issue, the company took out a new £2.25m loan to repay other loans and made a £628k loss last year. MGI Investments Limited (2004 to present) ( -£64k Net Worth) – A Management Consultancy firm – Assets of £23k and liabilities of £90k. Cash in bank depleted from £91k in 2008 to £3.6k in 2012 year end accounts. Vicast Limited (2013 to present) – A Business and Domestic Software Company – No information as no accounts filed but should be noted that fellow Directors are Martin Bain, John McLelland and Jacqueline Gourlay. St Marys School, Melrose (2009 to present) – (£2.85m net worth) – Education – Assets of £99.6k and Liabilities of £91.2k. Cash in bank depleted from £85k in 2008 to £6.7k in 2012 year end accounts. In summary, he holds 5 active directorships(there is a duplicate listing for MGI on the website) with a total Net Worth of Minus £814,000. Assets of £3.3m and liabilities of £3.4m. Total Cash of £189k. Now lets look at Past Directorships. Urban Life Properties Limited (2003 to 2009) – Dissolved in 2009 RFC 2012 PLC (2007 to 2011) – In Liquidation Wireless Systems International (2000 – 2002 ) – Dissolved in 2004 Martin Currie European Partners and Martin Currie Investment Management Limited (2003 – 2004) – Dissolved in 2007. Paul Murray was brought on board as MD of this business to launch a new £200m private equity fund. He only managed to raise 10% of target and left the business in 2004 after Currie suspended the launch of the fund. 3i PLC (September 1999 to April 2000) – Still active and a huge business with a £80m deficit of Liabilities v Assets Scientia Ferovia Limited + Scientifics Group Service Limited + Harwell Scientifics + Atesta Trustees Limited + Atesta Holding Limited + Scientifics Limited (all 2005 to 2006) – All non trading. It isn’t rocket science but looking at the above list, his Executive Directorships have been an absolute failure. 3 Dissolved, 1 liquidated, 6 non trading and the only 1 of any note, he only lasted less than 7 months in, and that was 13 years ago. Add that to his current directorships and we really need to ask...... WHY PAUL MURRAY ?? Anyway, lets now look at the total current directorships of Paul Murray, Malcolm Murray, Scott Murdoch and Alex Wilson from the above source. 10 COMPANIES NET WORTH = Minus £27.3m ASSETS = £29.4m LIABILITES = £86.3m CASH in bank = £2.23 million Now lets look at the other half which is principally Somers and Easdale. 13 COMPANIES NET WORTH = £294.9m ASSETS = £3.5 billion LIABILITIES = £3.4 billion CASH in bank = £1.3 billion SUMMARY The current record of Paul Murray, Malcolm Murray and Scott Murdoch is dreadful. Liabilities running at 300% to assets, dissolved companies, liquidations, cash only going one way over last 5 years in all of their companies yet we are expected to believe they are the team to take us forward. Contrast that with Somers companies whose cash has multiplied by millions and hundreds of millions in his companies. Huge assets, huge network, just huge all round."

Former director Paul Murray chats with CRO's Ross McAdam about the current board, the pending AGM, moving forward and fan ownership. http://www.thecoplandroad.org/2013/11/exclusive-cro-talks-with-paul-murray.html

I'm sure they'll be busting a gut to fend off the SFA/SPFL/Lieswell axis of evil!

MIke Ashley sell up and move his empire to Glasgow? Why not, says Chronicle columnist John Gibson Amid an avalanche of whacko football stories that tend to emerge during the lull in hostilites brought about by the international break, one caught my eye which would warm the cockles of a considerable number of Geordie hearts. Billed as an exclusive by the bright young internet site Winner Sports, it suggested that Mike Ashley is privately considering selling Newcastle United and moving his football empire to Glasgow Rangers. And, most important of all for Mr Cashley, it makes financial sense. The line of thought is that Ashley feels United are unable to compete with the big clubs already chasing the lucrative Champions League spots in the Premier League and wants to switch to a more level playing field. He supposedly believes it will cost at least £100m for Newcastle to compete with the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham and, what is more, there is no return of investment guarantee of course. The Sports Direct founder, already flirting heavily with Rangers, is said to be shifting his attention to the Scottish Premier League after it was handed a massive boost with their share of TV money from the recent BT Sport mega Champions League rights deal. Should Rangers win promotion this season and next as expected then they will return to the Scottish Premiership for the 2015-16 season. If Ashley was to purchase Rangers he would realistically be competing with only Celtic for that lucrative Champions League spot and, despite the lack of depth in the SPL, he would still enjoy the sort of big crowds that pour into St James’ Park. A significant reward for a not so hefty investment. Ashley’s official line is, as always, that he has “no intention, desire or ambition” to sell. Oh yeah? That must be because of his popularity on Tyneside! We’ve heard about Ashley getting out before, of course, and it has proved to be a false dawn, but this makes more financial sense. He has already bought into the club and recently tried to persuade Derek Llambias that going up to Glasgow, as he did to Newcastle, would be good for his health. However, Tonto gave the Lone Ranger short shrift. Nevertheless, there is evidence of interest and there’s no harm in many Geordies hoping is there? http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/john-gibson-mike-ashleys-rangers-6311192?

Thisis lifted from FF thread on a DR story running today re Paul Murray and the AGM, from someone who has read that story, emboldment mine: ============== "Christian Purslow still lined up to be new chief executive. New financial director is in place but no names are revealed. Murray stating he has a team ready to go to work. Murray and Mccoll's legal team have also secured the identities of the figures behind Blue pitch Holdings and Margarita Holdings, they will be revealed by tomorrow. ===============

Q&A Summary of Meeting With Jim McColl Official Statement - POSTED ON OCTOBER 25, 2013 Meeting – Attendees – Jim McColl, Malcolm Murray & Paul Murray plus representatives from Rangers Supporters Trust, Rangers Supporters Association, Rangers Supporters Assembly and NARSA – Clyde Blowers – East Kilbride 4.00 24/10/2013 Paul Murray gave a brief introduction on why the group represented had come together and Jim McColl listed a number of serious concerns they all shared about a lack of corporate governance and financial transparency. The purpose of the meeting however was to afford the representatives of the fans groups the opportunity to get answers to specific questions. Questions had been collated under 3 Core Themes Immediate Issues Future Plans, Investment and Operations Fan Ownership Immediate Issues The perception that amongst the fans groups represented is that there is perhaps 50% general support for the group and 50% who at this time are not : The hosts were asked to tell us a bit about their team and why fans should support each? Paul Murray and Malcolm Murray briefly explained their backgrounds much of which was seen as commonly known. The other 2 people nominated for Board positions were spoken about: Alex Wilson Has a wide ranging skill set in Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations A history of working with very senior people at a number of Blue Chip organisations Extensive experience in managing operational changes at large organisations Alex has multiple season tickets for Ibrox and has been a long term fan Would be invaluable in building a new organisation and structure at Rangers Scott Murdoch Has a major interest in property management One of the largest portfolios in UK Major involvement in the London market Also operates in New York & Hong Kong Has been London based for 25/30 years Scott has been a lifelong Rangers fan He has extensive commercial contacts in a number of global brand companies At this time the hosts were asked to comment on the question of securing Ibrox Stadium and Auchenhowie and if they would consider an asset lock on them? They confirmed they would take steps to do that – this would entail consultation with the shareholder base. They spoke about Rangers Directors being bound by a constitution established to do just that and to also constrain future Boards from for example borrowing beyond agreed levels. The Financial Position – there were lots of questions on this: Have you a current view or a plan to do a detailed health check? How serious a threat do you consider there is of Admin 2? Do you envisage a short-term need for refinancing and how will you deal with it? Are you for or against resolutions 9 & 10 and why? Would you deal again with Ticketus? The hosts have detailed views on financial issues but their main concern is to create a structure at The Club led by a quality CEO. They have identified and had discussions with a suitable candidate who they believe would work with them. They have also targeted a highly credible Head of Finance. Making such high profile appointments will they believe gain further support from the major financial institutions invested in Rangers. They are satisfied that this will help in securing further investment if and when required. The business will have a very credible executive management who will not only look over the recent past forensically but implement robust business and financial plans. The football operation will be able to focus on developing the team and on the field performance. It was the group’s view that there is no real likelihood of a further administration nor did they see any issue over short term financing. Resolutions 9 & 10 are not hugely unusual but at this time they agreed with the questioners that this was not appropriate for Rangers. Ticketus are not part of any future plans. AGM – It was stated that Rangers fans generally feel they have a lack of information from all sides and again a number of specifics were posed: Have you had recent dialogue with any of the other main parties and do you envisage any of them being involved in the future? Daniel Stewart – yes in trying to speed up the AGM process and they are still trying to progress this. Paul Murray stated that AGM could be held somewhere other than Ibrox and has someone willing to pay for an alternate venue. The current Executive Directors of Rangers – not recently Dave King – yes and meetings are planned over the next few days. Nothing specific has yet been agreed with him. Martin Bain – Paul Murray has a business relationship with Martin but the group have no intention of inviting his involvement with Rangers Mike Ashley – not recently What do you think about the possibility of shares being suspended? Jim McColl suggested that such an action if taken by AIM would only be to protect shareholders What are your views on the date of the AGM? Disappointed that since the Court of Session ruling it seems that the current Directors are trying to delay it – they would like it to be held as soon as proper governance would allow. Future Plans, Investment & Operations Plans Members of the Rangers support many of whom are shareholders are rightly concerned to be comfortable with plans going forward and a series of questions were raised in this respect: Have you considered how to deal with and can you share your thinking on matters like Scouting Maintenance Operational budgets Media & PR Will you examine contracts entered into on such as Security, retail and catering – will you share your findings? Yes on both counts but that will be part of the detailed implementation of agreed business plans. The Club has suffered of late from the lack of proper plans and not having a scouting network for example. It may not be appropriate to report every change implemented by the executive management of The Club. One of the key responsibilities of a CEO will be to examine and renegotiate any contracts that are not to his satisfaction in serving the best interests of The Club. Have you identified and can you share info on potential future investors? There are a number of prospective investors. The Institutions have indicated future support if a suitable structure is put in place. A number of individuals are considered prospective investors under the same pre-requisite. How do you propose to get The Club back to the pinnacle of Scottish Football and playing competitively in Europe – do you have a timescale? What differentiates you and your 5-year vision from the current Directors? Establishing a strong management structure that gains respect and support from the market will be the first critical step. Fan Ownership There were a lot of questions on this topic a lot of questions on this: Have you already considered this issue in detail? Will you publically back a fan ownership scheme – a 50+1 deal? What timescale would that be likely to take? Will you work with supporters to develop this concept? Will you also show a care of duty to supporters like Borrusia D? How quickly if/after you are elected will you devote serious reported efforts to this end? The intention is firmly to work towards proper fan involvement. All three of the hosts confirmed their support for this. The nitty gritty detail needs to be addressed but a future shareholder structure where Financial Institutions, High Net Worth Individuals and Individual Fans and Fans Organisations all had significant holdings would be welcomed. The group would canvass the support for input before anything was implemented. There is a very positive view of Rangers in the City and the relative value gap between for example Manchester United and Rangers was perceived to be considerably less than the current relative values of the businesses. Likely changes to football in Europe and North America over the next few years are likely to benefit a big club such as Rangers. The way German football was completely restructured over 10 years demonstrates that massive change takes time. Nobody wants or supports extensive borrowing by The Club – that model has clearly and consistently been proved to be a seriously flawed one. The group stated that they want to build trust between the Board and all of the stakeholders in The Club and they believe the best way to do that is by appointing quality people. They stated that doing that (and reiterated that they believe they have identified such individuals) ensures financial support will follow. Close Jim McColl, Paul Murray & Malcolm Murray stated that they have dealt with all sorts of blockages but that they have and will stick with their plans to introduce changes. They welcome future dialogue and involvement with Fans. They want to re-establish Rangers as the most successful Club in Scotland but to do it on a sustainable basis. They want the AGM to proceed as soon as possible. It was agreed that minutes of the meeting would be produced as quickly as possible – approved by the attendees and circulated amongst the Rangers support.

http://www.therst.co.uk/meeting-with-paul-murray-and-jim-mccoll/

Noticed that Andy Cameron was seated where our Directors should have been. Noticed this a good few times that he sits in Directors seating area. Why? He is not a big investors is he ?

Whilst I am very happy with the statements released tonight I do however have one major concern. That is the return of a certain Martin Edward Bain. This man in my opinion has done some serious damage to our great club, a lot of which has been hidden by the media and not discussed. This includes negotiating with Strathclyde's finest "not" to charge a certain manager of another club for racial and sectarian abuse. Allowing most media outlets to have a free for all against our club and its supporters without defending them once in a court of law. Vastly increasing his salary when our club had to downsize and reduce debt. Forcing the sale of certain players and lying to them personally about it. (Pedro Mendes being just one example). If Dave King returns there is a strong chance that this chancer will be making an appearance as well. Whilst Craig Mather may have put the nail in one coffin we must always be very aware of another return of the living dead. Please don't let this idiot ever get his feet under the table again.

DAVE KING made the following statement tonight: "I confirm that I held talks with Rangers Chief Executive Craig Mather and Finance Director Brian Stockbridge in South Africa. I wished the discussions to remain confidential until something definite was agreed- one way or another. I have maintained that confidentiality. However, given my awareness of incorrect inferences being drawn in the media I would like to make a limited statement at this time. "The discussions were, to my mind, very positive and it was agreed that subject to the normal regulatory approval I would put my name forward to join the Board and to serve as Chairman. "Such an appointment is of course subject to the approval of the existing Board members and ultimately the shareholders of the company. There are also mandatory regulatory requirements that must be complied with and take time. I have already submitted all the necessary documentation. "News of the meeting has found its way into the public domain and this has unsurprisingly resulted in speculation as to the nature and the outcome of the meeting. In reaction to this speculation and to give some clarity to the club's fans I would like to address a couple of points at this time. "First, my willingness to become part of the future of the football club is based simply on my love for the club and my desire to support the club with a combination of my business expertise and my willingness to make a further investment. "In particular I see a present need to utilise the time we have over the next few seasons to be prepared, both financially and on the pitch, to compete with our Glasgow neighbours when we get back to the top League. "My involvement is not linked in any way to any other individual, albeit I have my private thoughts as to certain individuals that might add value to the club going forward. Ultimately it is for the shareholders to make such decisions. The recent settlement of my litigation in South Africa removes any impediment to my appointment to the board. "I want to make it clear that I agreed to join the Board only after intensive and detailed discussions with the existing executives and because I believe I can help them by playing a significant role in driving Rangers forward and finally putting the past behind us. "It is sad that every month of the continued disunity between the fans and other stakeholders is eroding our ability to be ready for the step up to the premier league. We do not have time to waste. "It was also made clear by Mr Mather and Mr Stockbridge that Rangers are not in need of an immediate financial injection but we agreed that now is the time to commence a new round of funding to ensure that it is available in an orderly and cost effective manner when required. I wish to lead that fund raising exercise and being on the Board will greatly assist me in that regard. "I believe that the timing is right for me to take this step and I look forward to the opportunity to work with the current directors albeit I would have preferred to have my appointment confirmed prior to communicating my further thoughts. Unfortunately the rumour mill necessitated this short statement. If matters proceed as I hope over the next few days then I will be present at the AGM." http://t.co/LgzX419pNl

For anyone who wants to give the RST proxy over your shares at the forthcoming EGM fill out the form at the bottom of this link. http://www.therst.co.uk/proxy-voting/ Note - If you bought shares through the Trust's BuyRangers scheme, then there's no need to do this. This is for RST members & non members who have independent share holdings to give the RST their proxy vote. Note 2 - If you give the RST or anyone else proxy voting over your shares, you technically sacrifice the opportunity to attend the EGM in person, but this is perfect for any independent shareholders who won't be able to attend the EGM.

http://www.rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/item/5195-rangers-announce-annual-results

Haven't seen this on RM or here but according to the Daily Mail today McColl's gang tried to bring back McClelland as the chairman. Absolutely frightful stuff if true. A real return to the old days when he was Murray's puppet and presided over record levels of debt. I'm neither here nor there with the current board and prospective future board. To me they all remind of the South Park episode where a douche and a turd compete with each other. But it's absolutely disparaging that our prospective leaders want a return of one of our past failures.

Written by The Ref: The definition of sabotage is:- 1. The destruction of property or obstruction of normal operations, as by civilians or enemy agents in time of war. 2. Treacherous action to defeat or hinder a cause or an endeavour; deliberate subversion. The term "sabotage" derives from French factory workers throwing their wooden shoes ("sabots") into machinery to jam them and stop production. In a sense this was the very first use of industrial sabotage. The aim of industrial sabotage is to cause maximum disruption and/or damage by secretive means. Often industrial sabotage works hand in hand with industrial and economic espionage. Economic espionage is often orchestrated by governments and is international in scope, while industrial espionage is more often national and occurs between companies or corporations. The purpose of espionage is to gather knowledge about an organisation or organisations and it may describe activities such as theft of trade secrets, bribery, blackmail and technological surveillance. In any business, including football, information can make the difference between success and failure; if secret information is stolen, the competitive playing field can be levelled or even tipped in favour of a competitor. Although a lot of information-gathering is achieved legally through competitive intelligence; at times other parties feel the best way to get information is to take it. This commonly occurs in one of two ways. Either a disgruntled or dissatisfied employee appropriates information to advance their own interests or to damage the company or, secondly, a competitor or foreign government seeks information to advance its own technological or financial interest. ‘Moles’ or trusted insiders are generally considered the best sources for economic or industrial espionage. Individuals may leave one company to take up employment with another and take sensitive information with them. As a Rangers supporter, I read the above and draw great similarities to what we have witnessed over the last few years and continue to witness now. Have the normal operations of our club been disrupted? Yes, and they still are. As we endeavoured to rid ourselves of the debt we were carrying under David Murray, were we hindered? Yes. David Murray was being pressurised to sell the club by the Lloyds banking group, despite successfully managing to reduce the debt we were carrying. With the outcome of the ‘Big Tax Case, still in the balance, and with sensitive and confidential information surrounding the tax case being leaked illegally to the general public through the media and online blogs on an almost daily basis, it made it almost impossible for Murray to find a buyer. How convenient it was then, when a little known man by the name of Craig Whyte appeared on the scene to buy the club for the princely sum of £1. Quite who Craig Whyte is, where his loyalties lay, or the real reasons why he bought our club are still not known, but I for one would like to know what his real part was in the destruction of our club. Was he put in place to deliberately drag our club down? Was he a pawn in a much bigger game? Was he really just a charlatan and fly-by-night who saw an opportunity to fleece one of Britain’s great institutions? Will we ever know? When we survived with our history intact, I suspect many thought that we had reached the end game and could move on. It is obvious that we will not be allowed to move on. We are still being attacked; confidential information is still being stolen from our club and leaked to the public. Whether this is being done by a mole or electronically, I don’t know, but somehow that information is finding its way into the public domain and damaging our club in its efforts to stabilise, move on and recover from the events of the last few years, and it must be stopped. I am convinced that a major crime has been and is still being committed here, and the only way to get to the bottom of this is to have a full independent police investigation. The leaking of confidential information itself is a breach of the Official Secrets Act 1989 and warrants an investigation. I don’t want to appear paranoid, but something stinks in this whole saga, a saga which has brought Rangers fans into conflict with each other, simply due to the lack of honesty, truth and clarification surrounding this whole mess. The thought that a group or organisation may have deliberately tried to destroy the institution which is Rangers Football Club may seem like something from the film Mission Impossible, but could it actually be nearer the truth than some would like us to believe? http://www.vanguardbears.co.uk/article.php?i=97&a=industrial-sabotage

I posted this in the footie thread,however I think it has a place here as he says ''He’s in charge of the biggest and most successful club in the country''. IF THERE was a Richter scale for Twitter then the news that Peter Lawwell had been appointed to the main board of the Scottish Football Association would have measured about a 5.5, the digital equivalent of a mighty earthquake. When the news came through on Tuesday there was a sudden tremor online, a reverberation that could have only meant one thing. Something had happened in Old Firm land. Again. There are very sound reasons why Lawwell should be on the SFA board. He’s in charge of the biggest and most successful club in the country. He’s run the finances of that club expertly. He has contacts and knowledge and experience. If it was any other country in the world then there wouldn’t have been such a hubbub about his nomination. The gist of the argument against it appears to be this: He’s Celtic and therefore anti-Rangers. He’ll have too much control. He’ll feather the nest of his own club and shaft the rest. Suspicion and conspiracy and poison, too, but not a lot in the way of commonsense. On Twitter the other night we waited for something that went beyond the usual one-eyed hysteria, some level of criticism of the appointment that had any merit. Eventually, a point was made quietly. And it was an interesting point, whether you agreed with it or not. Is it right that Lawwell should sit on a board that exists to protect Scotland’s footballing interests when his own club have argued for so long that the sooner they leave Scotland the better? That’s a legitimate talking point. Much of the rest of the reaction to Lawwell’s new role was depressingly predictable, though. After the online earthquake of Tuesday, the after-shocks will continue in cyberland for some time to come. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/tom-english-lawwell-s-sfa-appointment-causes-stir-1-3076647?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it

Amidst his unsurprising defence of Jack Irvine, it's interesting that Bill is suggesting a deal to avoid an EGM is 'likely'... http://billmcmurdo.wordpress.com/2013/09/03/civil-war-stalemate/

I noticed this on FF, I wonder how many of these contracts have been signed. First paragraph is s---e. http://billmcmurdo.wordpress.com/2013/07/23/2-million-and-counting/ ''I have previously written about Finance Director Brian Stockbridge’s sterling work in trimming substantial expenditure from the books but even that has not managed to stop money flowing out of the club. A perfect example is the £140,000 per year contract for PR services given to London PR firm Keith Bishop Associates. I am reliably informed that this firm has not engaged in any PR activity for Rangers, despite being paid this hefty annual retainer. Furthermore, my understanding is that the contract is for a five year term!!

If Paul Murray was to get on the board following the EGM and Mather, Stockbridge etc were removed. Who would be a suitable Chief Exec? After what we have had to endure for the past 2 years would you accept Martin Bain back? He had his faults and didn't publicly back the fans over some issues but, he certainly acted in the professional manner that one would expect from a Rangers chief exec. P.S. its just a question so try and stay calm with the responses!!

Last night, Vanguard Bears were granted a meeting with Rangers Chairman Craig Whyte.3 Delegates from the site attended the meeting, which was brokered by one of our influential contributors. The meeting was unprecedented, and a first for any Rangers supportersâ?? website. Happening the same week as our planned Demo at the BBC, and at a very busy time for the club, and Mr Whyte in particular, we are very grateful to Mr Whyte for actually taking time out of his busy Schedule to discuss topics of interest to Rangers fans across the globe, with Rangers Supporters Liaison Mgr Jim Hannah present. The meeting lasted 90 minutes and covered a variety of topical points, which we found productive. Jim Hannah advised us that this meeting would be a one-off meeting out with normal Assembly procedures, due to the imminent BBC protest. With Vanguard not being represented through this forum, Craig Whyte felt it appropriate in this instance in order to listen to us. Minutes as follows: Agenda for Meeting with Craig Whyte on Tuesday 1st November 2011 at 5pm. Vanguard Bears â?? who we are, what we do, and why we exist. Mr. Whyte and Rangers F.C. â?? The Future The Media The Support 1. Vanguard Bears â?? Who, What and Why: We started the meeting with a spirit of open dialogue, explaining our reasons for existence. During the last decade in particular, the club we love has been the focus of several attacks by the media No dedicated group to co-ordinate a fight back against detractors of the club Frustration at other groupsâ?? historical hesitance to fight back in a controlled and driven manner through to completion Years of experience and knowledge of the methodology behind the attacks on the Club Dedication to defending the traditions of the club Dedication to enhancing the legacy of the club No conflict of interests whatsoever; no profits, no bonuses, or contracts to be won, and no desire for power Explained that some of our senior members were founder members of the Rangers Supporters Trust Highlighted our work, successes and achievements William McBeath grave Continued highlighting of agenda of certain bloggers and journalists, who are now being ridiculed by mainstream media, and their peers Explained our members activity in marginalising certain bloggers from radio stations Previous two demos and petition granted face to face meeting with senior BBC Management in Glasgow by BBC Director General in 2009 BBC Staff responsible for two disgusting incidents regarding the titling and properties of photographs on the BBC Website disciplined Explained our reasons for leaving fans joint working group Felt that only one response to our request to demonstrate a symptom of malaise and inaction The one response, for a â??strongly worded letterâ?, woefully inadequate, naïve and two years behind us Aware of communications between certain group members excluding Vanguard Indicated our delight at common support and public backing from our friends at Gersnet, Rangers Media, Blue Order, Union Bears and several Rangers Supporters Clubs Informed that previous BBC Demos have gone without incident and that attendeesâ?? behaviour was commended by Strathclyde Police Explained that we have issued strict guidelines for attendees this Saturdayâ??s Demo Advised that photographs of demonstrators were taken of protesters at previous demo from inside BBC Building and posted on Celtic fan websites Stated our desire for Mr Whyte to address imbalances in the media, and that VB in particular supported that stance whole heartedly. Stated that we believed the previous management team had sufficient information to make informed choices, but had little appetite to do so. Durring this session, Mr Whyte was supportive, open and candid about the scale of the agenda against the club, and appreciated it is widespread and not an isolated issue at one broadcaster. He explained that the club has to evaluate the importance and reach of media outlets, the severity of the slur, the legal implications, and accept â??digsâ? from journalists or bloggers if these â??digsâ? are not libellous. We both agreed that constructive criticism was completely acceptable. My Whyte explained that he is still being advised by Carter Ruck with regards to allegations made on the BBC Programme â??Rangers â?? The Inside Storyâ?, its researchers and contributors. Those who have repeated said allegations may also be pursued. We explained that while VB was set up to act primarily as a conduit for supporters to right wrongs, and address agendas against the club, above all else we are Rangers supporters who care deeply for the club. Therefore, it would have been foolish not to ask questions on the future of the club: 2. Mr. Whyte and Rangers F.C. â?? The Future Some direct questions were put to Mr Whyte VB â?? Reports of Rangers going in to Administration continue to dominate the media in Scotland, including a rumour from a credible source to VB that the club will voluntarily enter Administration on Monday 7th November. Is there any truth in this rumour? CW â?? Not at all. Our phones were red hot last Friday (28th October) with the same rumour, which led to us having to contact media organisations to inform them it was business as usual for us VB â?? Do you have a value in mind that you could settle at with HMRC that could allow the club to pay off any amount due, should Rangers lose the â??mainâ? case against the organisation, and avoid the scenario of Administration or Insolvency? CW â?? Yes, although that value is sensitive VB â?? Would that value be paid directly without offsetting against future season ticket revenue? CW â?? Yes VB â?? Are you confident of winning the case? CW â?? Yes VB â?? Do you genuinely see Administration as an option, or is it part of a game with HMRC? CW â?? Sadly, it is an option, and not a game in the slightest, although we see it (Administration) as worst case scenario. A Plan â??Dâ? if you will. Administration is not, and never has been a Pre determined Strategy to deal with any possible loss of the â??mainâ? tax case. Rangers are talking to HMRC on a daily basis VB â?? What is the legal/contractual position of â??Murray Parkâ?? Can is be put to the fans to rename, perhaps as a symbol of a new era? CW â?? There is no obligation to keep the name of â??Murray Parkâ?. VB- We've have no representation on either the SFA professional board or the SPL board since Martin Bain has left? With Peter Lawwell, Eric Riley & Stephen Thompson among those now in senior positions there seems little influence for Rangers within the management circles of Scottish Football CW â?? The SPL is democratic, and Ali Russell will take over from Eric Riley at the SPL next year. The SFA has obviously been through some restructuring which we will monitor throughout the coming months. VB â?? The previous management at Rangers attempted a Share issue, which was undersubscribed, largely due to a lack of trust between the support and the custodian. Is this an avenue that you have considered? CW â?? Itâ??s not something we have considered to any great degree. Do you think the support would invest? VB â?? If given confidence that the money would be used wisely, yes We then moved on to more general Media issues 3. The Media VB - We have already covered the BBC Demo, and the Documentary, and note your action against The Record and Herald during this season has resulted in quick apologies, what is your position on Graham Spiers CW â?? I decided when I took over the club, that while I would address media imbalance, I would start with a clean slate, and expect the same in return. After seeing Mr Spiersâ?? involvement in the BBC Documentary, we were considering whether to withdraw all press privileges, but decided against it, as we were of the view that his influence and readership is not significant enough to trouble us. That said, when we took that decision we only considered â??The Timesâ??â? reach in Scotland, not their reach in England and beyond. [Following discussion with JH] It is too late to reverse that decision. If Mr Spiers appears on our radar again for the wrong reasons, we will take a more holistic view. In football terms heâ??s on a retrospective yellow card VB â?? Are you aware of any journalists that he considers as having a sympathetic ear to the club? CW â?? To a certain degree yes, but some are constrained, and outnumbered within their outlets to put the required balance back in to reporting. Some also have their work edited. (CW named two journalists, who VB were non committal on our view of them) 4. The Support VB - One of the reasons our plans for a BBC Demo were delayed, were the reports coming in from fellow fans about their treatment at the hands of Stewards at Ibrox, where we felt that our fellow supporters were being unfairly targeted by G4S at Ibrox, and treated like cattle on their travels. We temporarily put our energy in to offering advice and support to those affected. The SNP and â??Anti Sectarian Billâ? â?? How can the club help the support, when our behaviour in recent years with regards to â??Sectarianismâ? has been exemplary? CW â?? Will will continue to lobby strongly, and ask that our supporters not be singled out without good reason. G4S have been spoken to since the incidents you refer to, but are still constrained by a lack of clarity from the authorities VB â?? It is our understanding that there is a specific letter from UEFA with respect to â??The Billy Boysâ?, but that it has never been distributed. [CW looks to JH] JH â?? Yes, there is a letter specifically outlining â??The Billy Boysâ?, and it was shown to members of the RST, Assembly and Supporters Association. It does exist and is not a myth. VB â?? We are concerned at the double standards on the term â??Fenianâ?, and how the goalposts have moved on a word historically an exclusive term referring to â??Irish Republicansâ? of all religions, to have a dual meaning interpreted by certain factions as they see fir. CW/JH â?? Case law and legal advice tells us that those of influence in Justice deem that the term can be deemed Sectarian in certain circumstances, but that there is a lack of clarity over what these circumstances are. The time to argue this was before case law. That time has passed. VB â?? We are also concerned over the double standard in usage of the sectarian word â??Hunâ?, which also has case law to support it being sectarian, but there is a distinct lack of action on those using the term CW â?? We were unaware of this case law and will look in to it VB â?? In recent years it has been noticeable that there is a significant political presence at Celtic Park both within the boardroom, and in stands, why does it not appear to be the same at Ibrox? Are we looking at engaging with Political figures CW â?? Believe it or not, there are a handful of MPs and political figures not shy to show their allegiance. They may not be household names, and the cameras as Ibrox generally being on the same side of the pitch as the main stand perhaps doesnâ??t show them regularly. In any event, I donâ??t think they are here to be on telly. VB â?? Regards our BBC Demo, do you back it? CW â?? I can fully understand the frustrations that have driven you to organise it As we were about to wrap up proceedings we asked one final question. VB â?? We understand that there was an incident in the Tunnel at Ibrox before you bought the club, where an opposition manager is rumoured to have racially abused Vladimir Weiss and El Hadj Diouf. Did this happen, and if so, why werenâ??t the press told? Do the club have evidence? CW â?? I wasnâ??t here, so canâ??t comment. We donâ??t want anyone to lose their job do we? JH â?? No Comment VB â?? Thanks for your time Mr Whyte CW/JH â?? Our pleasure JH signed off with a reminder that VB should consider becoming part of the Assembly. VB Representatives stated that we would consult our members. Admin Vanguardbears.co.uk

A tribunal dealing with an appeal by Rangers FC against a disputed tax bill and penalties totalling about £49m is set to continue into January. The First Tier Tribunal in Edinburgh was expected to conclude on Wednesday. It has now been listed to take place on 16, 17 and 18 January 2012. The disputed bill and penalties relates to Rangers' use of Employee Benefit Trusts to pay employees. The club faces the prospect of administration if it loses this case. Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) claims that £35m is owed by Rangers in unpaid tax with a further £14m due in interest and penalties. HMRC has also had £2.8m of Rangers assets ring-fenced over a separate tax bill which the club is understood to be disputing. Former board members Donald McIntyre and Martin Bain have also taken Rangers to court to freeze a total of £780,000 of assets pending the outcome of their damages claims. BBC

Rangers Football Club has agreed an out-of-court settlement with a pension advice firm which had been suing the club for unpaid fees. Capita Trustees Services had raised an action at Glasgow Sheriff Court for what it called a "straightforward commercial debt". The amounts involved, or the specifics of what the debt was run up for, have not been revealed. Rangers has recently faced other court action by creditors. HM Revenue and Customs and two former club executives have had assets totalling more than £3m ring-fenced pending the settlement of disputes. Former board members Donald McIntyre and Martin Bain took the club to court to freeze a total of £780,000 of Rangers' assets ahead of damages claims. It was also revealed in a separate court hearing that HMRC had also previously frozen £2.3m, while the club also faces a potential tax liability of £49m which is under appeal.

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/west-central/277397-rangers-fc-taken-to-court-by-financial-services-company-over-commercial-debt/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter A financial services company is taking Rangers FC to court to recover a debt, STV News can reveal. Capita Trustee Services is pursuing the Ibrox club over a "commercial debt recovery matter". A hearing in the civil case is due to take place at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday. The amount involved, or the specifics of what the debt was run up for with the branch of Capita Group Plc, have not been revealed at this stage. Capita Groupâ??s lawyer Liam Entwistle said: "It is a commercial debt recovery matter and I canâ??t comment any further than that." The pursuing company, which has bases in England, Ireland and mainland Europe provides financial services for both the public and private sector. Rangers told STV News on Wednesday that they did not have anyone available to comment on the hearing. In September Rangers were taken to the Court of Session by law firm Levy & McRae over an unpaid legal bill. The club paid the lawyers £35,000 last month following the court action, during which counsel for Levy & McRae said there "is a real concern about solvency" at Rangers. Former board members Donald McIntyre and Martin Bain have also taken the club to court to freeze a total of £780,000 of Rangersâ?? assets ahead of damages claims. It was also revealed in a separate court hearing that HM Revenue and Customs has also previously frozen £2.3m, while the club also face a potential tax liability of £49m which is under appeal. In his first TV interview following his takeover of the club in May, Rangers owner Craig Whyte said the club are "doing all we can to avoid" administration. He also revealed that should Rangers win its £49m tax case, he would write off the £18m debt owed to him by the club

MEDALS won by Rangers stars for winning the league have been seized under a court order. The badges, worth almost £20,000, were grabbed by agents acting for the club's former finance director Donald McIntyre. He recently won a legal bid to freeze £300,000 of the Gers' assets as part of a breach of contract case. Agents for McIntyre had targeted possible revenue from the Scottish Premier League owed to the club for television rights. No TV funds are due at present but they uncovered the title medals in a box at the SPL's offices. McIntyre was unaware of the move. He is understood to have been horrified players were being denied their gongs for their third Premier League title in a row. He has since ordered his team to "unfreeze" the medals. A source said: "This court case has nothing to do with the players. It is down to a dispute with the owners." McIntyre won his case at the Court of Session in Edinburgh this month when Lord Hodge ruled in his favour. He resigned as a director after treating his contract as having been repudiated. The same judge ordered the ring-fencing of £480,000 over a similar case brought by Rangers' former chief executive Martin Bain. The court actions come after the club's ownership was taken over from Sir David Murray by businessman Craig Whyte. Lord Hodge ruled in the arrestment proceedings brought by Mr Bain that there was "a real and substantial risk" of insolvency at Rangers following the major tax case the club faces. Bain has raised a £1.3million claim for damages against Rangers over his contract. Hm Revenue and Customs have had around £2.3million frozen in a tax dispute and the club also faces a disputed tax bill for up to £49million, which is under appeal. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2011/10/31/former-rangers-director-donald-mcintyre-horrified-after-court-order-results-in-seizure-of-league-medals-86908-23527104/