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EGM requisition has been delivered to Ibrox within the last couple of minutes. Statement klaxon to follow no doubt.

What an embarrasment It's became standard fare, perhaps it's all really a Monty Python sketch.

Who gives the lowest dealing charges. Decide to do my wee bit and up my share holding. Halifax £12:50 per trade.

Can the RFB comment on the latest Ashley loan?

There will some of you reading this who, like me, are old enough to remember the Ibrox Disaster and the aftermath. They were indeed the darkest of times, and words cannot adequately convey what it was like to live through it. I can’t begin to imagine what it was like for those who lost loved ones, but I know how bad it was for those of us who knew some of those who perished. As a support we needed hope and Willie Waddell gave us that. He spoke of building a stadium which would stand as a testament, a memorial to those who perished that day – and he delivered. The wonderful stadium we have today is that legacy from yesteryear. I’m sure I’m not alone amongst our support who recognise our modern day Ibrox, not just as a stadium but a living memorial, a tribute to those who perished. Ibrox is not just a stadium, it is a beacon of hope, of remembrance, of inspiration to every one of us who cast a favourable eye towards her. Quite simply she is beyond price. Even during the aftermath of Whyte, the fact we had a stadium and a support like ours filled me with hope and optimism for the future, even during the blackest of news days, and of course, there were many of them. I could witter on all day about broken promises, broken assurances and cite examples, but what would be the point? If men cannot understand the significance of their actions today, or what Ibrox means to us, the fans, then I doubt they will lose much sleep over their broken promises. As I’ve warned for some time, those currently at the helm of our club are not fit for purpose. Furthermore they clearly know nothing about our club, nor care for our traditions, our values or our history. As a beacon which has served this support for generations is dimmed by the actions of imposters, perhaps it will prove to be the spark which brings unity and a unified sense of purpose to those who truly care about our club. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”

The Union of Fans is calling on Rangers fans to stage a "mass demonstration" outside Ibrox 45 minutes before kick-off tomorrow night.

http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/rangers/306606-mike-ashley-posts-intent-to-take-out-security-over-rangers-ibrox-stadium/

Kyle McAusland @kyle_mcausland Sad to say my time at @RangersFC has come to an end. To have played for the club was a dream come true but disappointed on how it has ended.

It’s good to see that HMRC’s latest failing - being unable to furnish costs of their continual and apparently relentless pursuit of Rangers over EBT’s - has galvanised the Rangers support into a long overdue unified sense of purpose. After a period of unhelpful adjectives and metaphors, which military men would aptly describe as “blue on blue”, we are at long last reminding ourselves where the real enemies of our club are, and it’s certainly not from within. It is not surprising that HMRC’s latest hypocritical incompetency, and I use that term deliberately in view of the fact we are talking about an investigative government agency who hold both private individuals and companies accountable for failing to keep meticulous financial records, has given rise amongst some of our fans to suggestions of a grandiose conspiracy. I don’t subscribe to such a conspiracy theory, and those who read this blog regularly will know that as far as I’m concerned “Evidence is king”. There appears to be little or no evidence available at this time to suggest any high level conspiracy, instead I will in the course of this article offer you an alternative evidence based theory to explain why HMRC’s pursuit of our club has all the characteristics of a witch hunt. Before dismissing such a conspiracy theory completely however it is worthwhile pointing out that the South African Tax Authorities have recently discovered what has been described as a rogue unit working within their organisation. Furthermore much closer to home, the families of the Hillsborough victims had to suffer considerable ridicule for suggesting that the Police were involved in some kind of conspiratorial cover up over events that tragic day. Several years later the 160 odd altered Police Statements and deliberate, false and malicious briefing of the press by the Police, are now a matter of public record and the subject of an ongoing enquiry. Therefore despite the absence of evidence of conspiracy perhaps the best course available to us is to at least keep an open mind whilst concentrating on the evidence which is available to us. Discounting such a conspiracy theory does not however also discount the ruthless nature of this enquiry, nor the attempts by HMRC to deliberately mislead the Rangers support during the course of it. It would come as no surprise to any of us if, in the near future evidence was uncovered which demonstrates HMRC have acted in both an unscrupulous, unprofessional and unedifying manner throughout the course of this enquiry. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/finance/ianmcowie/100014676/2000-tax-dodgers-confess-but-should-hmrc-have-paid-for-stolen-information/ Some will note the particular irony of HMRC paying for stolen evidence, given the fact a considerable amount of evidence in the Rangers Tax Tribunal, ended up in the possession of BBC Scotland journalists and proved to be the catalyst to “The men who sold the jerseys” documentary. However the Redknapp case was not the only one which had brought the professionalism and competency of HMRC under a very public spotlight, leaving it’s investigators with red faces and questions being asked. https://www.accountancylive.com/cassidy-hmrc-should-eat-humble-pie-over-montpelier-case I doubt there is a Rangers fan out there who doesn’t feel a sense of the tunnel vision Mr Cassidy alludes to during the Montpelier case. It appears history may well be repeating itself as HMRC continue to pursue Rangers despite a number of failed appeals chaired by some of the most qualified tax experts in the country. These spectacular high profile failings and questions of competency, integrity and professionalism served to bring HMRC very much under an intense spotlight, most notably by the public accounts committee. http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/oct/28/hmrc-chiefs-mps-lost-tax http://economia.icaew.com/news/november-2014/pac-slams-hmrcs-anti-tax-avoidance-strategy So we have a government investigative agency, with a spectacular series of high profile failures, even despite indulging in some fairly unscrupulous means of obtaining evidence which in itself calls into question the very integrity of the organisation itself, under considerable pressure to re-dress their very public humiliation in a series of failed prosecutions. It certainly puts into some kind of perspective the relentless and ruthless nature of HMRC’s pursuit of Rangers. Quite simply after so many failings they simply had to get a result. But if HMRC were in a bit of a hole prior to and during the investigation, rather than stop digging as the age old saying goes, they appear to have taken the equivalent of a JCB to the situation. Apologies for the following paragraph in advance, as it deals mainly in conjecture rather than facts, but it is worth mentioning all the same. Despite HMRC’s claim to be unable to furnish the cost of the Rangers Tax Case, rumours abound of figures at or around the £10 million mark. Furthermore it is common knowledge that Sir David Murray attempted to settle with HMRC over EBT’s offering anything between 10-12 million pounds. Even taking the lower settlement figure HMRC are now looking not only at £10 million lost revenue, but also perhaps £10 million costs for pursuing a case against a company from whom they will be unable to recoup anything even if they were to eventually be successful in a forthcoming appeal. One wonders what the Public Accounts Committee will make of all this. Moving on from public accounts to public accountability and the HMRC JCB appears to have been working in overdrive to dig a bigger hole for themselves. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ex-rangers-owner-craig-whyte-being-3992415 Perhaps HMRC would care to explain to Rangers shareholders, and any other interested parties for that matter, why they allowed Craig Whyte, who they were already pursuing for a sum of £3.7 million and whom they had threatened with bankruptcy as a result of failed tax returns, to take control of an organisation and run it into the ground by failing to make PAYE payments for nearly 9 months. If you cannot hear the alarm bells by now, then you either are deaf or have your fingers, quite firmly, in your ears. HMRC’s JCB next wrong turn was in the form of a generic reply via correspondence. As thousands of Rangers supporters and shareholders wrote to complain about confidential tax documents and other paperwork appearing in the public domain, HMRC responded by asserting it did not comment or respond to speculation about alleged breaches of confidentiality. “Speculation”? “Alleged”? The subject of those complaints were The Rangers Tax Case Blog and the BBC Documentary “The men who sold the jerseys” both of which went onto win national awards, with the latter being broadcast on national television. Journalist Tom English described the Rangers Tax Case Blog as follows: “If you wanted to know the latest news on their tax travails, rangerstaxcase was a place you went because, unlike newspapers or radio stations, rangerstaxcase was connected to the heart of the FTT and everybody knew it. It had documents and detail that were beyond dispute. When illustrating one point it was making it would summon up information that could only have come from somebody within, or very close to, the tribunal” (The Scotsman 25.11.2012) Why have HMRC deliberately prevaricated and failed to respond to this clear breach of confidential information. How can they justify describing a national television broadcast and an award winning blog, whose plaudits and awards are based around the revealing of confidential information, as mere “speculation”? As others outside the Rangers community have since commented both these outlets of confidential information presented it such a way as to infer the guilt of Rangers FC. Was the same unscrupulous culture within HMRC which saw them buy stolen property in the Redknapp case alive and kicking also in the Rangers Tax Case – a kind of win at all costs mentality? Whilst the source and nature of those confidential leaks has been subject to many theories and discussions, confirmation about one of the sources was provided courtesy of Lord Nimmo Smith, in his SPL Independent Commission Report. "Meanwhile, BBC Scotland came, by unknown means, into possession of what they described as “dozens of secret emails, letters and documents”, which we understand were the productions before the Tax Tribunal. These formed the basis of a programme entitled “Rangers – The Men Who Sold the Jerseys”, which was broadcast on 23 May 2012. BBC Scotland also published copious material on its website. The published material included a table containing the names of Rangers players, coaches and staff who were beneficiaries of the MGMRT, and how much they received through that trust.” (Section 98) Perhaps not so much a case of “Who sold the jerseys” but more of a case of Who sold the evidence? That is of course the evidence, or as Lord Nimmo Smith terms “productions”, which was seized by HMRC during the course of their investigation into Rangers and which was presented before the Tax Tribunal. The question is why the removal of this evidence and its subsequent use in the BBC Scotland documentary aforementioned, was not the subject of a Police enquiry until after the verdict of the tax tribunal, when complaints by both Sir David Murray and myself saw the launching of a criminal enquiry. It raises serious questions about the safe handling and storing of productions, as well as duties and responsibilities of investigative agencies with regard to the loss or theft of productions. In particular it raises questions about how and why Lord Nimmo Smith was able to arrive at such a conclusions with regard to the source of the material which BBC Scotland subsequently came into possession of. http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/1996757/cameron-promises-transparent-government It’s time for you to deliver Mr Cameron and the Rangers support will not rest until you do. We want a full government enquiry into this whole process and we will not rest until we get it. We will play to win – and win at all costs.

Let say the good guys take over park , king , etc what would be the first thing to move the club forward would you like to see happening at rangers , for me it would be the implementation of a good solid business plan run by good people who know the value things and to get the best of investment into the club to benefit everyone at the club

...as they hold advanced talks with club bosses. Jan 12, 2015 07:32 By Keith Jackson RECORD SPORT understands the Lanarkshire-based 
businessman and his allies are on the brink of agreeing a deal in return for two seats on the board. DOUGLAS PARK and his consortium were locked in advanced talks with the Rangers hierarchy last night as they edged closer to winning the battle for control of Ibrox. Record Sport understands the Lanarkshire-based 
businessman and his allies, George Letham and George Taylor, are on the brink of agreeing a deal to plough over £6million of emergency money into the club to spare it from insolvency – in return for two seats on the board. An announcement is expected early this week as the current regime scrambles to secure fresh funding. And last night, with Park and his group on the cusp of forcing their way into a position of power, directors James and Sandy Easdale appeared to pave the way for their imminent arrival by insisting they will be welcomed into the boardroom. In a statement the Easdale family adviser Jack Irvine said: “Sandy and James repeat again that they will willingly work with Douglas Park’s group for the benefit of the club.” Between them, Park, Letham and Taylor already have control of 20 per cent of the troubled Ibrox club’s shares. They are pushing for regime change and plan to invest further in a new share issue but realise the club’s cash flow position is critical and needs to be addressed immediately. In fact, Hong Kong-based banker Taylor believes, in the longer term, Rangers fans should eventually have control over their own club. The Morgan Stanley managing director has now signed up to a life-time membership with 
fan-ownership group Rangers First and said last night: “My hope is that direct fan ownership would become the biggest 
individual owner of the club.” Rangers First director Ricki Neill said: “With our monthly contributors donating amounts from £5 upwards, Rangers First have the income to buy an increasing number of shares every month. “The more members we get to join Rangers First the faster 
we grow and the bigger our 
shareholding becomes. “We also have the Club 1872 membership – which George Taylor has recently joined. “This costs £500 and was designed originally to help us reach our target in as short a period as possible. “George Taylor is one of many true Rangers fans that have joined Club 1872 and we look forward to meeting up with him in the near future.” Phoenix Knight Robert Sarver has also offered Rangers a crisis loan based on the condition that he underwrites a share issue to the tune of £20m and buys control of the club. But, crucially, the American’s plan needs the support of 75 per cent of the club’s current 
shareholders for it to get off the ground and so is viewed as a 
non-starter. This has left Park in the driving seat although the board are refusing to engage in similar talks with like-minded Rangers supporter Dave King, the club’s biggest single shareholder with a 15 per cent stake. As the crisis deepens, the South African-based businessman is expected by many to call for an egm later this week in a bid to 
rout the current board at a 
shareholders’ vote. Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, meanwhile, may yet be prepared to make a rival offer after 
previously handing over £3m to keep the club afloat through November and December. A close source said last night: “The cash situation remains 
critical and because of this a 
decision had been expected over the weekend. “The club is now days away from running out of money completely so there is an urgent necessity to get this funding in place. “However, the talks with the Douglas Park group are at a very advanced stage and it is expected that an announcement will be made soon.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-boardroom-battle-douglas-park-4962945

Three Bears investor George Taylor believes Rangers should eventually be controlled by the Ibrox support. Along with partners Douglas Park and George Letham - as well as oldco director Dave King - the Hong Kong-based banker is among three factions battling for control of the Glasgow giants. But while the Three Bears' most immediate threat comes from US financier Robert Sarver - who has launched a £20million takeover bid - and the current board and their ally Mike Ashley, Taylor believes the club should eventually be governed by the Light Blues faithful. The Morgan Stanley managing director has now signed up to a life-time membership with fan-ownership group Rangers First. In a statement given to Press Association Sport, he said: "My hope is that direct fan ownership would become the biggest individual owner of Rangers." Rangers First have made a number of significant strides in recent days. Wealthy supporter Jim McColl recently handed the group his 10,000-share Ibrox stake last week, while they have signed up around 700 new members since the Three Bears and King bought up around 34 per cent of the club in two surprise transactions just before the new year. The scheme - which is similar to the one used to rescue Hearts from administration - is now collecting thousands of pounds a month from contributors and using that to buy up shares. On Saturday night, they announced another 60,000 shares had been purchased, giving them control of 0.8 per cent of the club. The Rangers Supporters Trust has also recently increased its stake to just over one per cent. With the fight for power set to come down to which faction can get to 51 per cent, the fans could yet play a vital role for the Three Bears and King in the coming days. The board urgently needs to raise cash to keep the club afloat and an announcement on Sarver's revised takeover bid and possible news of another emergency loan is expected early next week. A general meeting may also be called if King and the Three Bears can find the support to force boardroom change. Rangers First director Ricki Neill said: "With our monthly contributors donating amounts from 5 upwards, Rangers First have the income to buy an increasing number of shares every month. "The more members we get the faster we grow and the bigger our shareholding becomes. We also have the Club 1872 membership which George Taylor has recently joined, this costs £500 and was designed originally to help us reach our target in as short a period as possible. "George Taylor is one of many true Rangers fans that have joined Club 1872, we look forward to meeting up with George in the near future." Meanwhile, midfielder Nicky Law believes a win against Hearts next Friday could kick-start Rangers' Scottish Championship title push. The Ibrox side host the Jambos but cannot afford to let Robbie Neilson's men add to their already huge 13 point lead at the top of the table. Law, who scored a first-half winner as the Light Blues finally beat Alloa at the fourth time of asking on Saturday with a 1-0 success at the Indodrill Stadium, said: "The quality of player we have got, we know we should be doing a lot better than we have been doing. "There is no way we should be 13 points behind Hearts but we are. Unfortunately that is a huge gap to claw back but we will do our best to try and rein them in, starting on Friday night. "It's a must-win game. If we can get it back to 10, you never know."

Radio Scotland - McLaughlin. Also conjecture that Ashlay will sell to ParkCo.

"Former Bayern Munich boss holds talks with consortium looking to gain control at Ibrox as he impresses with his blueprint for future of the club Felix Magath has joined forces with the Three Bears in a bid to force a regime change at Rangers. Record Sport revealed yesterday how the former Bayern Munich boss had bought one per cent stake in the cash crippled club. Magath held discussions with one of the key players in the Three Bears consortium after flying into Scotland last week." http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/felix-magath-joins-up-three-4950904 Is it just just coincidence that Nerlinger, who has been so heavily linked with us recently is fairly close to Magath (I believe)? Nerlinger also scored against Magath's Stuttgart side when we beat them at Ibrox in 2003.

...as Trust increases Ibrox stake. The likelihood of a shareholder shoot-out has increased in recent days following the moves by Dave King and the Three Bears - a consortium comprising of Douglas Park, George Letham and George Taylor - that saw them separately snap up significant stakes in the Gers. The shares held between those two groups, supporters and other like-minded individuals and investors could be enough to oust the current board if an extraordinary general meeting is called. And Union of Fans spokesman Chris Graham knows the vote will make or break fans' ambitions of seeing their club wrestled away from the under-fire regime. He told SportTimes: "If it does go down to a vote, this is really the last chance for the club to end up back in the right hands. "It will be a straight battle between Dave King and the Three Bears on one side and the Easdales and Mike Ashley on the other. "There will be floating voters in between. There is only one side that will bring the fans back and if anyone is voting from a financial viewpoint then they really should be backing the Three Bears and King. "I would think the board would show a bit of common sense and it wouldn't get to an EGM but the longer it goes on and the more delays there are, it becomes more likely that is the way it will need to be resolved. "Between King and the Three Bears, they have 35% and they can rely on a reasonable percentage of the fan vote. "We will be doing our best to make sure fans use their shareholding, it could be worth a crucial few per cent. "I think there are enough unattached shareholders there who, having looked at the level of mismanagement and anger from fans, would take the common sense approach and see there is only one option here." While any move by King or the Three Bears to vote off the under-fire board would be welcomed by fans, it would not be the end of Rangers' current crisis. The Light Blues require immediate funding to see them through to the end of the month, and help them fulfil an assurance to the SPFL that they can see out the Championship campaign. Mike Ashley and American businessman Robert Sarver could yet do a deal to provide another quick cash fix to keep the lights on at Ibrox. Graham said: "There is no option now other than some form of short-term loan. "We would be extremely reluctant to see someone like Mike Ashley provide that because we have already see the cost of that in terms of his control of the board and everything else. "The board are not going to get a share issue away quickly enough to deal with the cash issues. "The Sarver bid is frankly a distraction right now. The board can't accept it, it is only the shareholders who can. "Given the determination of the Rangers men to get in there, I don't see why they would step aside to allow him to take up a majority shareholding. They have the means and the will to fund the club." If an EGM is called, the shares held by fans could prove decisive in swinging the vote and toppling the board. And the Rangers Supporters Trust have announced that they have increased their stake to more than 1% with the purchase of another 100,000 shares in RIFC plc. An RST spokesman said: "A recent influx of new members and contributors to Buy Rangers has allowed us to make this purchase and with the continued support of the Rangers community we hope to increase our shareholding further in the near future. "All funds from the sale of Red and Black and Lion Brand shirts have been retained for use in a future share issue. "We will continue to work closely with those pushing for change at Rangers and we would ask fans to visit http://www.therst.co.uk and help us to take back our club." http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/fans-fear-egm-is-last-chance-to-rescue-rangers-as-trust-increases-193866n.115833069?

GERMAN football legend Felix Magath has bought one per cent of Rangers and outlined his vision for the footballing future of the cash-strapped club. Record Sport can reveal the former Bayern Munich boss has emerged as a major and serious player following talks over the last week with influential figures around Ibrox. Magath has spoken with one of the groups battling for control of the club - not American Robert Sarver - and, if all goes well, could become Technical Director at Murray Park by the summer. German sources last night confirmed Magath’s involvement but, amazingly, he did not let on about his shares purchase before sitting down for discussions with the Rangers group. Magath, most recently in charge at Fulham , has been watching the Rangers story unfold with some dismay over the last three years and decided to take a personal stake in the club towards the end of last year - city sources suggest it was around one per cent. He has long admired Rangers and believes they are a massive club who are ready to come good again, with the right guidance from the boardroom the training ground. He invested a chunk of his own wealth backing his belief that the only way for the club is up - and now he may be handed a chance to influence its future. It’s believed Magath impressed in talks as he outlined a vision that will completely restructure the club’s playing department from top to bottom. The 61-year-old has no desire to become first-team coach, but is ready to demand autonomy in putting in a structure from youth level upwards that will give the club the best chance of returning to the top, with a strong focus on developing talent. It will be based on the German model, with a focus on work ethic, technique and technical ability, underpinned by a proper European and worldwide scouting system. Magath believes he is the man to oversee it all, and reckons Murray Park is an ideal environment in which to develop younger, talented players after spending part of his pre-season training camp at the facility with Fulham last summer. Magath’s spell at Fulham may not have ended successfully but he has many admirers, not least in Germany where his way of guiding clubs was always successful, so long as coaches and his board went with his way of thinking From Hamburg to Nürnberg, to Bremen to Frankfurt he has won a reputation for stabilising and building successful structures and at Stuttgart he developed players such as Kevin Kuranyi, Philipp Lahm, Mario Gomez and Alex Hleb. He left Stuttgart for Bayern Munich and won the double twice in a row, but arguably his greatest achievement came seven years ago at Wolfsburg. They avoided relegation on the last day of the season in 2007, but the following year he took them to fifth and in 2009 won the title, earning the club a fortune in the process with the development of players such as Edin Dzeko, Zvjezdan Misimovic and Brazilian striker Grafite. He left the club the following season for Schalke 04 and his restructuring paid off immediately when they came second after finishing ninth the season before. He led them to the German cup final and the quarter-final of the Champions League but was still fired by the board in 2011 after a dispute over his methods. One German source said: “Felix does not care about names – he focuses only on performance and attitude, whether it is a star, an established player or a youngster. This is why he brought out so many young or unknown players.” Now he could be ready to weave his magic again as the Godfather of Govan in what would be one of the boldest and most audacious appointments in the history of the Scottish game. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ex-bayern-munich-boss-felix-magath-4945747

...to the Light at the End of the Tunnel. 08 January 2015 By Alex Mooney At some point in the near future a fledgling genius will be tasked with writing the definitive story of Rangers since Craig Whyte bought the club for a pound. It will be an act of folly. No one even remotely sane would dream of trying to separate fact from the fiction. That brilliant brain will eventually flounder and fry in the process. The problems are many. For a start, a trillion words have already been written on the subject. And that's just from thousands of Celtic fans who took crash courses and became lawyers, forensic accountants, tax experts (specialising in EBTs and Sporting Integrity), and insolvency practitioners. Meticulously sifting through that vast body of 'research' alone will be a Herculean effort. If this sorry tale has taught us anything it is that the obsessed only believe what they want to believe. Objectivity is non-existent in the Old Firm battleground where agendas, conspiracy theories and paranoia rule. There is only one truth for fanatics - theirs. Any book that attempts a dispassionate account would have to substantially include the shameful witch-hunt against Rangers which I wrote about on this site two years ago. Also of interest would be the Rangers Tax Case blog that acted as a hanging judge in the EBT tribunal then vanished into the night like a skulking dog when the taxman lost. Yet, astonishingly, it won an Orwell award. Panel members who thought a blog consisting of anonymous posters peddling bile, character assassination and using Stalinist censorship was worthy of a prize should be ashamed. The great man of letters who railed against totalitarianism so brilliantly can never have been so insulted and demeaned. What a travesty in his name. Of course, the bampots are still out there on the net toiling away 24/7 in pursuit of their obsession - killing Rangers. Isn't that odd, given they insist their great rival is already dead? Even some of the more prominent Scottish indy blogs are foolishly getting in on the act. In the run-up to the referendum their mantra was inclusion - we're all in it together and together as one the new Scotland will thrive. Apart from Rangers, it now seems, and the 'corrupt' SFA and mainstream media who are in cahoots in a masterplan to covertly run the country. This is unhinged nonsense and a pitiful attempt to suck people in to a divisive and vengeful agenda that has nothing to do with integrity. Or fair play. Or the state of Scottish football. It is simply a vindictive campaign against one club. Bigots masquerading as defenders of justice fool only themselves. It is also cowardly. The Ibrox club is on its knees and struggling for life after being pick-pocketed by a bunch of chancers and incompetents. It needs the support of everyone in Scottish football - especially Celtic fans whose team have been badly affected by Rangers' absence in the top flight. Yet the keyboard warriors are not only kicking a man when he's down, they are revelling in it. The handful of mainstream journalists who egg the obsessed on - and make a shilling from it - should take a serious look at what they are condoning. This poisonous agenda has no place in our lives and they have a professional responsibility not to feed it. So good luck to any aspiring authors out there - your book on Rangers will be howled down by the haters who, I fear, will bore us to death for many long years to come. What is important now is looking ahead and charting a path out of the shambles at Ibrox rather than endlessly analysing the past three years - history, and the courts, will take care of the charlatans who bled the club dry. The only consolation for fleeced fans is knowing that the snake-oil salesmen will go to their graves, their characters forever stained. The last AGM, conducted from a gazebo on a bitterly cold December day in Govan, was utter pantomime as the bumbling board members entered stage left to boos and vicious name-calling. Dignity was conspicuous by its absence as the grey clouds gathered ominously over that theatre of screams. Onlookers around the football world must have been shocked by what they witnessed as this once mighty institution washed its dirty linen in public. How many times has it been said the club had reached its lowest ebb - only for new depths to be plumbed? Surely that grim day was as bad as it can get? With Dave King and the Three Bears entering the fray, with others perhaps, I will take the risk of this coming back to haunt me and say the club really has bottomed out - and can now find a realistic way back to the top. Mike Ashley's involvement is puzzling. Did he ever have a genuine strategy for the club apart from selling the merchandise for a quick buck? The billionaire recluse could easily have bankrolled a recovery with loose change from his back pocket but chose not to. So why get involved at all? Perhaps he doesn't know either. Maybe all that money has gone to this head and made him a stranger to himself. What he must also do now is make himself a stranger to the club. Rangers returning to rude health is conditional, of course, on the new investors and board members being up to the task unlike their inept predecessors. But that shouldn't be a problem if they follow basic business rules. A plan to revive a football club isn't that difficult to understand - you reduce expenditure and increase income. That's it. It's called, dare I say it, Doing a Fergus. There can't be a Gers fan anywhere in the world who wouldn't welcome such a character coming into their club right now with a five-year plan. All it needs is an honest broker. The first step on the long and winding road is getting the fans onside - all of them. Without their backing there is no future. The only way that can happen is for the new regime to be open and honest. Supporters know there are massive problems and tough times before things get better. They can take that. What they cannot bear is being kept out of the loop. Trying to fool them with clever soundbites won't work. There has to be truth. Even if it's bad news, fans will respect the board for that - and back them. But you can't just ask for trust - it has to be earned by not treating them as outsiders. They are all part of the Rangers family so must be viewed as such. The fans also have a massive role to play among themselves. Once an honest regime is in place it will be time to heal the splits and unite. Common cause has to be found to get the club back to where it should be. Filling the stadium and buying season tickets has to be a priority. A solid future for the club takes precedence over personality clashes and point scoring. Trying to say with any certainty when this saga will end is fraught with difficulty but pressure is building on the board. They are running out of time and money. And even the dumbest of them must realise there is no club without the fans - who have lost all patience with those whose tenure can only be regarded as a complete failure. They must step aside soon. Once that happens the real rebuilding will begin and everyone in Scottish football can get back to some sort of normality. Bring it on. http://www.therangersstandard.co.uk/index.php/articles/current-affairs/334-telling-the-rangers-story-from-whyte-to-the-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel

PRIOR, who owns more shares than current director James Easdale, says he has no confidence in the competence or motives of the current board and is backing Douglas Park's consortium. IBROX investor Kieran Prior last night backed the Three Bears and urged them to throw every deal ever signed with Sports Direct in the dustbin. Prior broke his silence on the way forward for the cash-strapped club as he declared his shareholding to the Stock Exchange in the aftermath of the takeover bid by Robert Sarver. Prior owns more than one million shares, 1.35 per cent of the club, almost twice as many as current plc director James Easdale and more even than Ally McCoist. He allowed his stake in his boyhood favourites to be diluted after the last share issue in August because he was “unwilling to continue funding people clearly not fit to run the club”. However, his current shareholding is not for sale and he is keen to invest again in future, so long as Rangers are under the stewardship of those he feels has its best interests at heart. That’s why he’s backing George Taylor, George Letham and Douglas Park, as well as Dave King, as he offered a withering assessment of those currently in control, including Newcastle owner Mike Ashley. Prior said: “I’ve yet to meet the three new investors but I’m happy to throw my hat in with them because their credentials as men with the best interests of Rangers at heart is impeccable. “I’ve been in email contact with Dave King, an astute operator. He now has what he wanted – a stake in the club without funding the incompetence of current boardroom incumbents. Fair play to him. “I do not trust the people in control of the boardroom. Their unpopularity with the fans sets alarm bells ringing and their willingness to take shortcuts at every turn is a dreadful example of corporate governance. “I have no intention of ever backing them. Nothing they can say or do will change that. I will be voting with the fans to help re-shape the future of the club. “Rangers need a board that’s financially astute, of good business sense and logical – and they don’t have it at the moment. Hopefully, if the Three Bears and King take control the first thing they will do is hire forensic financial analysts to understand where money has been mis-spent and when the interests of individual shareholders appear to have been put before those of the wider club ownership. “I’d start with Ashley’s Sports Direct deals and if they are as ridiculous as reported I’d tear them up, throw them in the bin - and tell him to sue us and we’ll see him in court. “I’d rather not spend money on legal costs at all but if it came down to forking out £411,000 from Sports Direct on shirts the club can never sell, or on barristers and QCs to argue against those contracts in court, I know where I’d invest. “If these deals are not legally questionable – and we should seek counsel to establish if they are – then they are certainly morally repugnant. “Ashley has been mortally damaged in the eyes of fans by his own actions. The games he has played with the stadium naming rights and advertising are a nonsense. “He also appears to have reneged on obligations under dual interest rules, which is somewhat insulting to the SFA. Rangers have been punished too much by the football authorities as it is. “If he comes back to me on that, tough. I’m combative by nature – let’s get the contracts out in court where they can be examined openly and transparently. “I still don’t know why the current board haven’t resigned and the Easdales haven’t walked away. They know the value of the club would rise if they quit. “If all they want is a blazer and a seat in the Blue Room it’s disgusting. Those are not the actions of a real plc board.” Prior arrived on the scene 18 months ago and promised to look under the bonnet and, if he liked what he saw, he would invest further. Suffice to say, he didn’t see a Rolls-Royce engine. Manchester-born and London based, the former Goldman Sachs trader has spent much of the past 12 months in California, working on the launch of a multi-million dollar software firm. He rejected overtures from Brian Stockbridge to become a pivotal player on the board. He added: “He offered me board membership, all informally, when Craig Mather was chief executive. I thought Mather might have been a decent operator but maybe I was wrong. “I didn’t trust Stockbridge. I wasn’t going to try to polish his turd. I won’t be associated with anything that’s not world class. I don’t want a blazer for the sake of a blazer. “It’s important I clarify my position to supporters. I’ll continue to support good people running Rangers. “I’m intrigued by the emergence of Robert Sarver. If he wants to buy the club and elect a legitimate board that’s honest and transparent, then fine. “However, I do believe George Taylor, George Letham and Douglas Park are the best way forward. Dave King will be a key figure too. He has had issues with the authorities in South Africa but his net worth speaks for itself. “If Rangers are in good hands I’ll also increase my own holding.”

...and says 'Throw all the Sports Direct deals in the bin'. PRIOR, who owns more shares than current director James Easdale, says he has no confidence in the competence or motives of the current board and is backing Douglas Park's consortium. IBROX investor Kieran Prior last night backed the Three Bears and urged them to throw every deal ever signed with Sports Direct in the dustbin. Prior broke his silence on the way forward for the cash-strapped club as he declared his shareholding to the Stock Exchange in the aftermath of the takeover bid by Robert Sarver. Prior owns more than one million shares, 1.35 per cent of the club, almost twice as many as current plc director James Easdale and more even than Ally McCoist. He allowed his stake in his boyhood favourites to be diluted after the last share issue in August because he was “unwilling to continue funding people clearly not fit to run the club”. However, his current shareholding is not for sale and he is keen to invest again in future, so long as Rangers are under the stewardship of those he feels has its best interests at heart. That’s why he’s backing George Taylor, George Letham and Douglas Park, as well as Dave King, as he offered a withering assessment of those currently in control, including Newcastle owner Mike Ashley. Prior said: “I’ve yet to meet the three new investors but I’m happy to throw my hat in with them because their credentials as men with the best interests of Rangers at heart is impeccable. “I’ve been in email contact with Dave King, an astute operator. He now has what he wanted – a stake in the club without funding the incompetence of current boardroom incumbents. Fair play to him. “I do not trust the people in control of the boardroom. Their unpopularity with the fans sets alarm bells ringing and their willingness to take shortcuts at every turn is a dreadful example of corporate governance. “I have no intention of ever backing them. Nothing they can say or do will change that. I will be voting with the fans to help re-shape the future of the club. “Rangers need a board that’s financially astute, of good business sense and logical – and they don’t have it at the moment. Hopefully, if the Three Bears and King take control the first thing they will do is hire forensic financial analysts to understand where money has been mis-spent and when the interests of individual shareholders appear to have been put before those of the wider club ownership. “I’d start with Ashley’s Sports Direct deals and if they are as ridiculous as reported I’d tear them up, throw them in the bin - and tell him to sue us and we’ll see him in court. “I’d rather not spend money on legal costs at all but if it came down to forking out £411,000 from Sports Direct on shirts the club can never sell, or on barristers and QCs to argue against those contracts in court, I know where I’d invest. “If these deals are not legally questionable – and we should seek counsel to establish if they are – then they are certainly morally repugnant. “Ashley has been mortally damaged in the eyes of fans by his own actions. The games he has played with the stadium naming rights and advertising are a nonsense. “He also appears to have reneged on obligations under dual interest rules, which is somewhat insulting to the SFA. Rangers have been punished too much by the football authorities as it is. “If he comes back to me on that, tough. I’m combative by nature – let’s get the contracts out in court where they can be examined openly and transparently. “I still don’t know why the current board haven’t resigned and the Easdales haven’t walked away. They know the value of the club would rise if they quit. “If all they want is a blazer and a seat in the Blue Room it’s disgusting. Those are not the actions of a real plc board.” Prior arrived on the scene 18 months ago and promised to look under the bonnet and, if he liked what he saw, he would invest further. Suffice to say, he didn’t see a Rolls-Royce engine. Manchester-born and London based, the former Goldman Sachs trader has spent much of the past 12 months in California, working on the launch of a multi-million dollar software firm. He rejected overtures from Brian Stockbridge to become a pivotal player on the board. He added: “He offered me board membership, all informally, when Craig Mather was chief executive. I thought Mather might have been a decent operator but maybe I was wrong. “I didn’t trust Stockbridge. I wasn’t going to try to polish his turd. I won’t be associated with anything that’s not world class. I don’t want a blazer for the sake of a blazer. “It’s important I clarify my position to supporters. I’ll continue to support good people running Rangers. “I’m intrigued by the emergence of Robert Sarver. If he wants to buy the club and elect a legitimate board that’s honest and transparent, then fine. “However, I do believe George Taylor, George Letham and Douglas Park are the best way forward. Dave King will be a key figure too. He has had issues with the authorities in South Africa but his net worth speaks for itself. “If Rangers are in good hands I’ll also increase my own holding.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-investor-kieran-prior-backs-4937812

Lifted from FF: SoS - Ashleys next dastardly plan revealed The latest Mike Ashley dastardly plan uncovered. Mikes latest attempt to secure more of our blue pounds may yet come to fruition. If it is successful it will be no doubt sold to us as a " "normalised deal" His offer before Christmas was to obtain another 25% of Rangers Retail and he would pay for the privilege which could let the board sell it to the fans as cash not a loan. He is still trying to push this through. The boards plan is however to have some sort of buy back clause put in that would in effect make it just another loan. There is absolutely no need to give away even more future income streams nor do what would essentially be a fancy loan if the buy back was successful as there's money available immediately from those wishing to invest proper money in to our club.

I emailed the pensions regulatory authority yesterday expressing my concerns about David Somers, chairman of the Fujitsu pension scheme. I attached the Somer's email 'leaked' a few days ago. Initial response received:- Dear govan_derriere, Thank you for your email. The Pensions Regulator's role is to enforce the legislation surrounding work-based pension schemes in the UK. Our primary objectives include protecting member’s benefits of those schemes, promoting good administration and improving understanding of work-based schemes. Our primary focus is to educate and enable those responsible for managing pension schemes to ensure that the right member outcomes are achieved. We do, however, have a number of enforcement powers that we can use to help meet our objectives, such as imposing fines where a breach of legislation has occurred. We are a risk based regulator and we apply this approach when dealing with concerns around the conduct of trustees. The regulator appreciates you bringing these concerns to our attention. We will make initial enquires about the information you have provided and subject it to our risk assessment process. We may ask you to clarify the information you have already provided, but we do not encourage you to try to get any new information. If appropriate, the matter will be referred for further investigation. Please note that we are unable to supply any feedback to you about the outcome of any possible investigation. Once again, thank you for bringing these concerns to our attention. Kind regards http://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/contact-us.aspx http://www.trusteetoolkit.com To whom it may concern, David Somers, chairman of Fujitsu pension scheme, Dear Sir, I understand that Mr David Somers is chairman of Fujitsu pension scheme. I have reservations about the suitability of this gentleman to hold this post & fear that he does not meet the fit and proper test. I am a shareholder in Rangers International Football Club. As chairman of Rangers International Football Club, David Somers has failed miserably to apply appropriate standards of Corporate Governance and has fallen considerably short in meeting his fiduciary duty. The attached email was released into the public domain several days ago. In this email, I believe that David Somers reveals that he has been operating on his own behalf for personal gain and not on behalf of the company and its shareholders. The email also indicates that he has backed a minority shareholder, Mike Ashley, who only owns around 9% of the company! These are not the actions of a trustworthy chairman of a publicly listed company. On 31st December, Colin Kingsnorth from Laxey Partners released this statement:- In this statement he provides a damning description of Mr Somers as 'just a wet fish agreeing anything Ashley wanted'. On PA wires: Laxey partners chairman Colin Kingsnorth confirms he has sold his 16% stake to the Three Bears: "I sold because a fans-based group were hopefully going to be the best placed to take on Ashley's power. After Ashley removed Norman Crighton, Ashley's most vocal critic, it was obvious David Somers was just a wet fish agreeing anything Ashley wanted. I am sure the Three Bears are an upgrade on us for fans and hopefully this is the start of the ownership being in the right hands." As a shareholder in RIFC, I have grave concerns about the lack of integrity shown by David Somers in his role as chairman of RIFC. I believe that any chairman needs to display personal qualities that are above reproach. He has singularly failed to do so at RIFC. I feel duty bound to bring my concerns to your organisation given he also serves as chairman of Fujitsu pension scheme Yours faithfully govan_derriere Shareholder in RIFC I append some web links that provide some additional background. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/11311642/Rangers-chairman-David-Somers-pleaded-for-Mike-Ashley-takeover-to-succeed-emails-reveal.html http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/fans-chief-demands-rangers-chairman-david-somers-quits-over-email-193484n.115565781 http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/548420/Shambolic-David-Somers-told-to-give-up-Rangers-chairman-s-role http://www.directorstalk.com/rangers-dave-king-slams-chairman-david-somers-bids/

Thought it might be a good idea to start a thread where we actually list who owns what as disclosed to the LSE , or at least those over 1% . River& Mercantile- 5.77% ,http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12205385.html Kieran Prior- 1.35% ,http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12205407.html Dave King - 14.75% ,http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12202893.html (Not including possible rumoured further purchase from R&M ). George Leatham -4.05% , http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12202893.html George Taylor -9.3%, http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12202187.html Douglas Park?-6.14%, http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12201386.html BNP Parabis - 5% ,http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12107289.html Richard Hughes -3% ,http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/11834364.html Mike Ashley ,8.92%,http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12104057.html Sandy Easdale, 5.21% total inc proxies 26.15%,http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12093157.html Please feel free to add when the rest are released

Ashley's man is now Financial Director.

Rangers board in crisis talks after emergency £500,000 loan Roddy Forsyth explains the ongoing power struggle at Rangers between Mike Ashley, Dave King and the Three Bears, and Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver Email Ibrox - Rangers power struggle takes new twist after Mike Ashley loses key ally in his quest for Ibrox boardroom coup Battleground: The battle for power at Ibrox took a new twist on new year's eve Photo: PA Roddy Forsyth By Roddy Forsyth11:19AM GMT 05 Jan 2015Comments27 Comments In a day of high drama at Ibrox the Rangers board is negotiating under severe pressure to save the club from financial meltdown for the second time in three years. The plc directors are frantically trying to strike a deal with the investor alliance of Dave King – a former Rangers director – and the Three Bears consortium, who last week scooped up available shares in an audacious raid. The astonishing development followed Telegraph Sport’s disclosure last night that the unpopular Ibrox regime had reached a crisis, which was confirmed today when the club’s board announced to the Stock Exchange that they had accepted an emergency loan of £500,000 from its football chairman, Sandy Easdale, to stay afloat for another few days. The Telegraph had revealed that a major announcement to the LSE was imminent, in respect of Rangers’ parlous economic situation. The trigger was a bill from HMRC for payment of National Insurance, under threat of a petition by the tax authority for the club to be placed into administration if the account was not settled immediately. Easdale’s loan is secured on the fee – believed to be £1 million - obtained from Brentford for the transfer of the highly rated 20-year-old midfielder, Lewis Macleod. When Rangers confirmed MacLeod’s sale to the Stock Exchange on Friday, the announcement said that the proceeds would “be used for immediate working capital”. The announcement of Easdale’s loan stated that the £500,000 would “be used by the Company for general working capital purposes over the next few days”. The statement added that the loan had been offered and accepted “on a fee and interest free basis and it will be secured against the income from the sale of player announced on 2 January 2015”. Related Articles Rangers board to lose power unless Mike Ashley steps in to save directors Rangers board to lose power unless Ashley steps in 04 Jan 2015 Rangers' squad could be decimated in January 01 Jan 2015 Rangers supporters’ group urges fans to displace Ashley 03 Jan 2015 Ashley's plan to own Rangers hits buffers 02 Jan 2015 Even as the Rangers board sought an agreement to avoid the club's collapse, however, a statement from Sandy Easdale's PR advisor, Jack Irvine, brought a sharp retort from King. Commenting on Easdale's secured funding deal, Irvine said: "Once again Sandy has stepped up to the plate with this half million pound loan from his own pocket. Whilst we welcomed the recent share purchases by Dave King and Douglas Park and his consortium, this unfortunately did not put any funds into the club. "Sandy was the only option for this cash injection at such short notice. The Easdale family remain totally committed to achieving a satisfactory financial future for Rangers and they hope all parties can work together in the future with that common goal."Given that Sandy Easdale rejected new funds and was a chief architect in getting the club into this mess, lending a small amount of money is the minimum he should have done. As part restitution he should make the £500,000 a donation rather than a loan." King retorted angrily and told Telegraph Sport: " The situation whereby a short-term loan of working capital is secured on recently obtained and desperately needed working capital is not only designed to stave off immediate administration, but also to keep the club afloat while the directors try to salvage what they can before surrendering to what now looks like an inevitable takeover by the fan-friendly axis of King and the Three Bears. However, three possibilities are in play. One – currently looking the least likely - is that Mike Ashley will come to the board’s rescue, having secured control over the appointment of two directors in return for £3 million of emergency funding in October. However, the Newcastle United owner had previously tried to negotiate with the Scottish Football Association to increase his stake at Ibrox from 8.92% to 29.9% but was refused by the governing body, who insisted that he should comply with his written undertaking not to go above 10%. The second option is an £18 million takeover offer from Robert Sarver, owner of Phoenix Suns basketball club. That offer was also notified to the Stock Exchange at the start of business this morning. Again, Telegraph Sport led the way in revealing that there had been conversations between Sarver’s advisers and those connected with the Three Bears consortium of wealthy shareholders, who have bought a substantial tranche of Rangers shares, as has the former Ibrox director, Dave King. Rangers’ second Stock Exchange statement today read: “The Company notes recent press speculation and confirms that it has received an approach from Robert Sarver (or a vehicle to be established and controlled by him) ("Mr Sarver") that may or may not lead to an offer being made for the Company. “There can be no certainty that an offer will be made, nor as to the terms on which an offer may be made. A further announcement is expected shortly.” Takeover rules mean that Sarver has until 5pm on February 2 to confirm or withdraw his offer, which is worth £18 million and designed to give him complete control of the club’s equity. Again, there are difficulties with this proposal. As the Telegraph disclosed, Sarver has an interest in investing in European football clubs, as opposed to a strategy based solely on a single outfit such as Rangers. A full equity bid would take time to implement, even if it found favour with the majority of investors. When King placed an offer of £16 million in October – the deal rejected by the Rangers plc board in favour of Ashley’s short term fix of loans – it was in the form of a debt and equity mix that would have lent the club sufficient money to keep it going through the takeover process. Another problem for Sarver is that, taken together, the recent share purchases by King and the Three Bears – Douglas Park, George Letham and George Taylor – constitute a little over 34% of Rangers’ stock. They have been pledged support by other disenchanted investors and have also been allocated proxy votes. The King/Three Bears axis know that they can now call upon sufficient support to outdistance the Ashley/Easdale camp by a significant margin. Having got themselves into such a favourable position they are not inclined to stand aside for Sarver although they have, as would be expected, let it be known that they will happily have him on board as a like-minded investor. This is well short of Sarver’s original intent of attaining complete control of Rangers before looking elsewhere to acquire other football interests. One obvious objection to that as a long-term strategy is that it would infringe the same dual-ownership regulations that have prompted a disciplinary complaint against Ashley by the SFA. In any case, time is now the pressing enemy of all the contending parties. If the club runs out of cash and is forced to enter administration for the second time in three years Rangers will be consigned to a fourth successive season in the lower leagues – a prospect feared by the Scottish football authorities as well as other clubs who would benefit financially from their return to the top tier, as a consequence of better sponsorship and broadcast deals than are currently available. Rangers are again teetering on the edge of a financial precipice as the principal personalities jostle on the brink to establish who will be thrust over to the rocks below - and who will be left standing to inherit whatever remains of this once immensely proud and respected club.