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Showing results for tags 'lies'.
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Thought I would put some more into what I have posted, I have nothing to gain or lose I suppose by posting on this board and dont want to hassle people, if the admin of the forum would like me to stop posting then they can private mail me and let me know. What I am saying is that I know 100% Dave will make a move in the next 7 days which will be to try and seize control of the club, you as fans will ultimately vote with your feet so to speak but Dave had to and has given this current regime all the time and met all their request made to him and to us as fans. I know this because I know this, you can believe this or you can ignore this, either way, I thought it would do no harm by posting the fact that Dave will be making substantial moves next week in order to be in a place to be the new majority owner come the summer. No ego, no nothing. its all about Rangers and where we should be, either follow or dont.
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Chaps, I'm not looking to troll or create tension here, but for the life of me I can't work out why any bear can trust or support the current board. I've seen nothing from the board that can help balance up my own feelings and each passing week sees more shit rolled at supporters. So, in the spirit of good debate, what are the good points of the board which gets them support, albeit a small minority, but support all the same from fellow Bears. What are the positives from board.
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This is taken from FF posted by Kaiserbear53 Expect a response from Mr King in the next few days but it won't be until after the Game on Saturday as Mr King does want not to take the focus off the team and be blamed for protests and the anger that will come. As expected and as has already been stated, the current board have spat in the face of Dave and this attempt to under mine the restructuring and sort our club out once and for all will soon come to a resolution. The board will try and palm you off with a membership scheme which some may buy into but bide your time bears and bearets, listen to what Mr King has to say about the shiftiness off this move and make your own minds up. Kaiser _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Its what will happen, The information will be released through the press association as he is still in South Africa. Next week the battle begins. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Without breaching trust here to much? King was not satisfied, he was patronized and was fobbed off therefore played the board at their own game, he know's they are unprofessional and not capable of running the club short - mid or long term, what King done was simply give the board and CEO enough rope. They made public assurances which have been breached, do you honestly think a man who has spoken to his children and told them, this will be your inheritance, this is what I am doing, is going to let the current mob who couldnt organize a prayer in a mosque away with it? Have faith. I have no idea how true or who the poster is.
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Rangers legend Richard Gough joins forces with Dave King in fresh assault on current club regime and says 'I trust Dave with my life' THE nine-in-a-row captain has agreed to be trustee for an account for fans' season ticket money after King accused the board of "an extreme act of bad faith" an accusation Rangers branded "disgraceful". The nine-in-a-row skipper has joined forces with Dave King in declaring all-out war against the current Rangers regime. Gough has agreed to stand as a trustee for the account into which the Light Blues legions are being invited to plough season-ticket money in return for a direct say in the running of the club. The patience of South Africa-based tycoon King finally snapped yesterday as he claimed Rangers chairman David Somers told him they had no intention of publishing the much-awaited 120-day business review until after the deadline for season-ticket renewals has passed. Rangers last night disputed King’s claims, branding them “disgraceful” on the eve of the Scottish Cup semi-final against Dundee United and are considering legal action. However, Gough is backing King’s version of events and insists the club are being disrespectful to fans who deserve to be given the board’s vision for the future after pumping tens of millions into their club in the last two seasons to help keep them afloat. Gough said: “It’s all quite astonishing. Dave has given the board every chance to come forward and publish the review at the end of the 120-day period and now they are not going to do that. I’m staggered by the board’s decision. I’m amazed the club have no intention of announcing details of the 120-day review until after the deadline for season-ticket renewals has passed. “It’s ridiculous. “It smacks of arrogance and they are cheating the supporters, the very people who have kept the club going these past few years. “Once again they are asking supporters to put forward their money without knowing how it will be spent.” Rangers fans were contacted this week by the club and told season tickets would soon be due for renewal, much earlier than usual. However, such has been the board’s haste to bring money in, fans have not yet been told the cost of season tickets, although price increases of at least 20 per cent from last year have been predicted. Gough, like King, has told them not to go ahead with the renewal process and to pledge the money to a trust fund instead, with the vow of transparency for how it is spent and the demand over the security of prized assets Ibrox and Murray Park in return. Gough added: “Let’s not give this board the money only to be disappointed again. “I’m firmly asking supporters to put their money into escrow and I promise we will look after it and use it for the best purposes of the club to get it back on an even keel. “I’m happy to be involved. I’d urge fans to put their money into this account and we’ll look after it. It will go to all the right places, nowhere else – which seems to have been happening these last few years. “I’m proud and honoured to be given such a trusted position and I’ll do everything within my power to help Rangers return to where we belong.” Rangers supporters have lacked a senior figurehead from among the ranks of former players and managers to fight their cause. Now Gough has stuck his head above the parapet and it’s believed other influential figures, trusted by the rank and file Rangers fan, are ready to join him against the unpopular board. Gough said: “Any Rangers fans I’ve spoken to recently has urged me to get involved, to stand up and play a part, to make a statement. It’s a no-brainer for me. I’ll help the club any way I can. I’m delighted to be involved with Dave. The bottom line is I trust Dave King with my life. I have known him a long, long time, from my days in South Africa. “He is a family friend and I’m proud and honoured to stand with him. Dave has already put £20 million into Rangers and has offered to invest another £30m. “It’s amazing the board have not already bitten his hand off and asked him to play a role at the club.” The cards have now been dealt on a game of high-stakes poker that could see an unpopular regime toppled, the club enter administration for a second time or the board secure finance from other sources to continue into the new season. The latter option is the most controversial as it’s unlikely they could source anything other than high-interest loans, similar to the one struck with investors Laxey Partners before wealthy Rangers supporter George Letham stepped forward and offered better rates. Of course, the loans are more than likely to be secured against Ibrox and Murray Park, which is a scenario Rangers fans dread. The board could also go back to the market for fresh finance but that would require a new share issue, dilution of existing shareholders and there’s unlikely to be a stampede by investors if a war is raging between the club and its support. Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley also owns around five per cent of Rangers and he is flush with cash – he was hardly on the breadline before – after selling seven per cent of Sports Direct this week for £200m. He could step forward and take a more prominent position at Ibrox and although it has been discussed at the highest levels of Rangers for the last 12 months, he is notoriously hard to read and has not suggested he is ready to move. Asked about the future of the club, Gough added: “I don’t want to commit to talking about the future quite yet and what may happen in the coming weeks and months. Let’s see how the next couple of days pan out first.” He also defended the timing of the statement, on the eve of the crucial Scottish Cup semi-final against Dundee United, as did King. King said: “The timing was not of my choice. Rangers jumped the gun with their season-ticket announcement.” Gough added: “No matter what happens in the game against Dundee United, the club’s future is more important than one match.” Rangers fan organisations are keeping their powder dry for now but their support for King remains unwavering. Chris Graham, spokesman for Union of Fans, which represents all the major supporters’ groups, said: “We’re pleased with the statement and will make a full comment on Monday. What Dave Kings says speaks for itself.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/rangers-legend-richard-gough-joins-3402766
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THE next crisis is scheduled for just after high noon on Saturday. Ally McCoist faces his biggest on-field challenge yet against Dundee United. Picture: SNS However, Rangers supporters, bloodied and bruised by two extraordinary years of turbulence, will be reminded bluntly about the realities of their club somewhat sooner that the William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final with Dundee United at Ibrox this weekend. The season-ticket renewal letters will be sent out tomorrow, with informed sources suggesting an 18% hike. These missives might precipitate a period of reflection among supporters. The crisis at the club is political, financial and professional. It has seeped from the boardroom to the playing field. The crux of the matter in the wake of the Ramsden Cup victory by Raith Rovers appears to be the future of Ally McCoist, the Rangers manager. A simple investigation of "should he go or should he stay" has more twists than Agatha Christie on a Waltzer. Rangers are believed to be in the almost unique position in football of having a manager who can't walk away from a club that can't sack him. The belief is that the board and McCoist are welded together by mutual necessity. Being Rangers, however, it is not as simple as that. McCoist remains determined, even defiant. He has been sorely tested by the events both before and after liquidation. He has made mistakes both on and off the field. But he has become the rallying point for a support who have been introduced to more chancers and comic singers than a matinee audience at the Glasgow Empire. The Rangers manager could be forgiven for deciding that his future lies away from a club that he loves and a job that he craved. His professional abilities have been scrutinised with some rigour in the aftermath of defeat to Raith Rovers. The accusations include: his recruitment policy is and was flawed, his tactical acumen is limited, and his ability to make a game-changing decision is hardly conspicuous. There is a validity in all of this but McCoist is entitled to point out that players were necessarily bought in haste, that his tactics have been good enough to ensure only two defeats all season and who needs to change the flow of a game that your team is already winning? The pressure, though, is growing and is in danger of becoming intolerable. McCoist, famously, cannot do walking away. A personality with a strong sense of self-will and a belief in self-reliance, McCoist must wait on the deliberations of the board, however constituted that may be in the immediate future. The accepted truth is that he cannot be sacked in deference to his place as Rangers legend and as the enduring beacon in the most stormy of times at the club. This is no longer correct. First, there is a loud element of the Rangers support who are looking for change in the manager's office as well as the boardroom. Second, the present board includes those who have little time for McCoist. This disaffection stretches far beyond his capabilities or otherwise as a football manager. McCoist's decision to give the proxy vote on his shares to a supporters' club at the club's annual meeting in December was handled delicately by Graham Wallace, the chief executive. However, it was greeted with some anger by other members of the board. The chance of a united front against the requisitioners was weakened considerably by the manager's stance. This has not been forgotten or forgiven. There are also those on the periphery of power at Ibrox who are not admirers of the manager and have called on him to be sacked. McCoist has had a good relationship with Wallace but there are reports that this has been severely dented, if not fractured, in recent days. If they continue to sing from the same hymn sheet, it is with strained voices. There is, too, a constituency that argues that the sacking of the manager would give the sale of season tickets a necessary and timely boost. More sober voices point out that the level of uptake of season tickets may be beyond any such move given the continued uncertainty in the boardroom and the prospect of competing in the SPFL Championship with a squad that is not considerably improved. There is also the belief that finding a replacement for McCoist may be easy, but that does not mean it carries a guarantee of success on the pitch. "This place is bedlam," said a Rangers insider. "There is no budget, no scouting and no stability. "Who wants such a job? And are they the sort of people who could make it work?" Despite all this, of course, McCoist could be sacked and there would be little concern over any pay-off. "Can you imagine Ally suing Rangers?" said one cynical but acute observer last night. The manager thus prepares for a defining match against Dundee United against a backdrop of severe sniping, unyielding criticism and increasing pressure. He would be forgiven if he remarked with his trademark smile: "So what's new?" This rhetorical inquiry may be answered by Dave King, the South African businessman, who is pressurising the board to accept his plan for an immediate investment of £50m backed by a rights issue. The issuing of the season-ticket book reminders might prompt King to make another verbal intervention as he seeks to persuade fans that he offers the last best hope of a swift re-invigoration of the club. His supporters insist he would provide funds for a strengthened squad for next season's campaign. King would almost certainly also back McCoist, at least in the short term. However, King did not become a multi-millionaire on the back of a penchant for patience and a predilection for backing those who do not give him what he wants. Rangers now stand just more than a week away from the publication of the business plan that will set out the way forward. It is difficult to see how it can satisfy King. McCoist, meanwhile, must select and set up a team to defeat a quick, inventive and increasingly confident Dundee United side. The Rangers manager, ever the optimist, will point out his team are just 90 minutes away from unlikely redemption. Until, that is, the next crisis. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/what-to-do-with-a-man-who-cannot-walk-away.23908867?
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Statement from NARSA regarding recent events involving the RFFF: "The RFFF voted today that in the event of litigation against Craig Houston, arising from content on the Sons Of Struth Facebook page, a proposal to provide financial support will be taken to a general meeting of fans." Below is the NARSA (North American Rangers Supporters Association) response to the above statement by the RFFF (Rangers Fans Fighting Fund) from Wednesday March 26, 2014. NARSA hereby demands that the seven members of the RFFF who voted in favor of the motion to support the above proposal resign their positions on the RFFF Committee by Friday, April 4th. NARSA feels these seven persons have failed in their duty to use the funds in the manner befitting the original purpose or in the best interests of Rangers FC and the RFFF. Should any of these seven individuals remain on the RFFF Committee by end of day Friday, April 4th, 2014, NARSA and its Member Clubs will demand the immediate return of all monies donated. In addition, we propose that, as NARSA raised and donated funds in excess of $80,000 USD, we have official representation on the RFFF Committee going forward. Our representative would be the sitting President of NARSA, by default.
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Written by: Admin Saturday, 29th March 2014 It is with utter disbelief that once again our Club and it's support have been dragged into a series of incidents which has resulted in Vanguard Bears deciding to release a statement to outline where we stand with this RFFF mess. The recent legal action carried out by Sandy Easdale against Craig Houston is well documented, what has enraged the vast majority of donators to the RFFF is that certain factions, for reasons only they can explain, saw fit to first release their intentions on Mark Dingwall's FollowFollow forum, a forum which any supporter of any club can join and have a say, to put to a vote for acceptance of monies being taken from said fund to shore up Craig Houston's Legal Defence against Sandy Easdale, should this have made the courts. This action went against the vast majority of donators wishes, despite certain parties assuring everyone they spoke for the majority of the support. The RFFF was set up to fight our Club's corner against our detractors out there, of which there are many, sadly there are just as many from within the ranks of our support these days who are equally as damaging. Many put their hard earned cash into this fund in good faith, sadly thanks to certain individuals with nothing more than self-promotion and mischief on their minds have sought to put this at risk. The anger among the many donators has resonated around the globe, and no one can blame them for their anger thanks to this latest stunt. The seven committee members who voted to accept this should now find their positions in the RFFF untenable. If they had any dignity and feelings for the way in which their latest stunt has left the support enraged and suitably angered, they would resign with immediate effect. Knowing the background of some of them and their past antics, this would seem highly unlikely. It will now be down to the majority of enraged supporters who donated to the RFFF to demand their resignation, and with this in mind a decision must also be taken regards the next move to protect this money falling into the direction of self-promoters, with their own not-so-hidden agendas, to use as they see fit. It should be noted that the VB representative on this committee voted totally against any funds being utilised for anyone's legal defence funds against Sandy Easdale. We also vow to ensure that this cash will never fall into the hands of any self-appointed fans group leaders or hastily nailed together 'new age' fans groups either. We note also that Mark Dingwall in a recently released post on his own forum is once again imploring the support not to renew their season tickets for next season. We find this utterly astonishing that somone who relies on handouts from other supporters to attend matches - whenever he feels like turning up - should ask of many who hold season tickets, and have done so throughout their lives, to give up theirs so he can further destabilise our club and cause further harm to pursue his own and others agendas. VB once again will urge all of its members and beyond to ignore the rants of this troublemaker and self-promoter and to get fully behind the club in its time of need. Dingwall along with Chris Graham and other self-appointed and opinionated 'fans' speak only for a handful of rabble rousers and charlatans, we are sure the decent and vast majority of the Rangers support will see through their desperation to disrupt and destabilise our club and renew their season tickets when the time comes. This group of Charlatans will NEVER speak for the vast majority of our support, make no mistake about this. The Rangers Board now must act firmly and address those that would seek to harm both our Club's finances and reputation immediately, until that large boil is lanced and removed, the uncertainty and divisions will remain. http://www.vanguardbears.co.uk/statement-on-the-rfff-committee.html
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http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/easdale-drops-fans-chief-legal-threat-158213n.23868497?utm_source=headlines&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign Mr Easdale, a member of the Rangers football board, had threatened to sue season ticket holder Craig Houston. Mr Houston is the founder and public face of the Sons of Struth protest group that has campaigned for boardroom change this season. He received a summons and a claim for £200,000 of damages for comments that were made by third parties on the Sons of Struth Facebook page. The 41-year-old, who runs his own cleaning company, had refused to sign a gagging order that would have ended the action. And the father-of-two *admitted that he could have lost his business, his home and been declared bankrupt if he had lost the case. Houston had said: "The claims relate to things posted on our Facebook page by other people. "There is nothing I can do about that. "The only way I could guarantee having no *further problem would be to close the Sons of Struth Facebook page. "But in spite of the threat I am not tempted to do that. This is about what is right and wrong. Morally and *legally I believe I have a strong case. "But I can't be certain of victory and as a *father with two children the consequences of losing are terrifying. I stand to lose everything. I'd be ruined." There was a possibility that money that remained in the Rangers Fans Fighting Fund, set up during the Glasgow club's financial difficulties two years ago, could have been used to provide financial support. But a post on the Sons of Struth Facebook page last night read: "I have this evening received written confirmation that no *further action will be taken against me by Alexander Easdale." Greenock businessman Easdale, who runs McGill's bus company along with his brother James, a non-executive *director at Rangers, *instructed his lawyers to act after "libelous" online remarks and "personal slurs". He had said: "I don't want to go to court but I can't *allow this stuff to continue. He's not being picked on. This is an action I must take. "If any libelous comments are made on any website and are brought to my attention they are acted upon by lawyers."
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Rangers fans want the club to provide a facility by which they can pay extra monies to the club. That is the overwhelming message I am hearing from supporters who want to counter any shortfall from season ticket boycotts next season. Whilst the general perception is that any withholding of season ticket revenue will only actually be carried out by a small hardcore of rebels, loyal supporters are keen to make sure that there is no negative impact on club finances. I already know of bears who intend to buy extra season tickets and many more who might not go that far are still motivated to pay an extra sum on top of their season ticket money. In essence, fans want a fund set up whereby they can donate monies to the club. This would mean that when purchasing season tickets, they could donate an extra £25, £50 or £100 to the club. Another possibility is that when supporters buy merchandise at the Megastore, they are given the facility to pay change towards the fund. Similarly, collection cans could be placed in the food kiosks for bluenoses to stick their change into after buying grub. A donation button could be placed on the club website and events could be held by supporters club with the fund benefitting. I have not spoken to one Rangers fan who is not excited by the prospect of being able to chip in and help the club. This is not a begging bowl mentality by any manner of means – it is fans doing what they can to keep Rangers prosperous. The fund could, of course, be ringfenced for the playing pool or specific projects. It would be easily accounted for in the club accounts and could be monitored by an independent body. Far from it being a stopgap method to help the club through a difficult period, this fund could become an important method of non-equity financing over time. It also gives genuine supporters a chance to contribute to the club’s progress and gives them a say in the club’s destiny. If the money is used for the playing pool, it also helps fans feel good that the players they watch have been brought to the club partly by their own contributions. I think another benefit would be to help unite the divided support and give a focus to bluenoses. It also helps fans become proactive in a positive way. Many fans want to help the club at this moment in time but feel they have no outlet. At this critical point in history, the creation of a fund that fans can pay into purely for the benefit of Rangers Football Club is a great way to keep the wolf from the door and is another buffer against financial disaster. All those people who keep telling us that being the fan of a football team is far more than just being a consumer now have the opportunity to put their money where their mouth is and prove their argument. The principle is simple: If you love your team, step up and pay! Would you happily pay extra money to keep Rangers strong financially? If so, let me know in the Comments below or contact the club direct. http://www.rangers.co.uk
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Genuine question because I think Dave King could get blamed for something he is not totally responsible for. I honestly believe, after speaking to hundreds of other fans, that they have had enough of the complete and utter dross being served up on the park. Nothing to do with boardroom stuff. -
It was more, much more than just sheer panic. Panic is fleeting but not this, no, this was a slow, and painful realisation that as the prophets had warned, "all things must come to pass". It was ominous, akin to an approaching thunderstorm, the distant peels of thunder sounding like a gong warning of foreboding. And the air, the air was pungent with a strange aroma invading their senses refusing them any kind of respite, forcing them reluctantly into an acceptance of the inevitable - the more astute amongst them recognised it, but dare not speak its name. It was the smell of fear. Then one of them did the unthinkable, took a journey into land of the forbidden, uttering the three little words which sent waves of anxiety through them all. “Rangers are coming” And indeed we are. The chains which bound us to our Elbaesque exile in Scotland's lower leagues have been shattered and broken, along with the schemes and plots designed to leave us in the wilderness. It was not a thirst for glory nor prestige which broke the yoke that bound us, but an unstinting sense of loyalty and commitment to a football club – it proved to be a characteristic of the Rangers support which our enemies could not overcome. In the years to come the Rangers support of this generation will be recorded as some of the club's greatest servants. Ever. It's not hard to de-cipher that we are on our way back. The inflammatory language has been re-kindled, along with the almost obligatory “conspiracy theories”. Irrational comment has replaced sensible discussion, Rangers are being blamed and held responsible for the decisions made by others . As Dundee United and Aberdeen supporters organise a boycott of Ibrox food stalls for their forthcoming visits, we Rangers fans wait for the media proponents of “Forgive, forget and move on” to lecture others the way they lectured us. I suspect we will be waiting for a long time. I also suspect that being merciful or magnanimous will no longer be part of our make up – we have not forgotten those who swung a kick whilst we were down. Dundee United experienced it with the Tannadice boycott, and as they ran squealing to the SFA about our club refusing tickets a rude awakening awaited them. Football authorities can do nothing about how our support choose to spend the blue pound. Only we control that. It's a fact worthy of more considered thought. It has been a long and arduous journey at times, which of course is not yet completed, but we are well on our way. Along the road there have been fall outs, rifts and unpleasantry. But even these pale into significance at the sense of unity, the sense of purpose in restoring our club. Even that which is less edifying has at it's heart the same passion which drives our support to achieve what others would consider impossible. We should all rejoice in that passion we share - our club exists because of it. For those for whom these 3 little words are unpalatable, I will say them again. “Rangers are coming”. Along with 3 more little words. “Hell mend you”
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by Union of Fans First of all we would like to thank Dave King for his time and patience over the past few days. Having met with him on Friday, and then again yesterday morning, prior to the release of his statement, we appreciate him keeping us fully appraised of his progress. It has been extremely refreshing to deal with someone who shares our own love of Rangers and also has the means, commitment and passion to significantly improve the club’s fortunes over the coming years. We are pleased that Dave has acknowledged the fans’ role in bringing the current board to the negotiating table and we are heartened by his ability to very swiftly secure some important, binding, public commitments from them. Clearly the board’s position has changed over the weekend, from one where we had no clear sight of their strategy with regard to moving the club forward, to one where they have now committed to fans and shareholders to implement the funding plan we believed was required. This plan, if properly executed, should allow the club to compete both domestically and in Europe in the medium term. We are pleased that they are no longer considering the massive scaling back of club operations that would have been required, both on and off the park, under their previously assumed but never communicated strategy. We also note that they have confirmed that they do require further investment as a matter of some urgency. We expect significant amounts of that investment to come from a united fan investment vehicle, including Dave King. Although pleased that they have made a commitment not to raise finance, or take out any type of security, on Ibrox or Auchenhowie, we are disappointed that they have refused to make this as unequivocal as we would have expected. “We have no plans” does not engender the same confidence as “we will not”. Having secured these binding, public commitments from the board, through Dave King, we are now prepared to wait for the publication of the business review from Graham Wallace within the next 30 days. We expect it to fully reflect the promises made by the board in their last statement and we are, reluctantly given previous experience, relying on them to fulfil those promises. We expect them to produce a coherent vision and detailed plan of how they will fund it. In the meantime, whilst the board complete this process, we will be continuing with plans to set up a Season Ticket Trust. We are determined to be in a position to provide it as an option, if required, and will continue to update the supporters on our progress on a regular basis. We expect to engage with legal advisers and trustees as early as next week. We would like to thank all the fans who sent such a clear message to the board at the weekend. Without fan pressure we would not have made the significant progress we have and we are fully aware that following the completion of the business review, depending on its outcome, the fans may once again be required to act. We remain fully committed to continuing our work with Dave King as part of a fan led initiative to invest in the club and will be in close contact with him over the coming weeks. We fully support his vision for Rangers and his methods of achieving that vision and will hold the board fully to account, within the timescales they have indicated, for the binding, public commitments they have made. http://www.unionoffans.org/statements/2014/3/18/follow-up-statement-re-dave-king
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Taken from FF. MEETING SANDY EASDALE AND THE DATA PROTECTION ISSUE Many have asked why I approached Sandy Easdale after the match on Wednesday and due to even further threats of court action, I believe its time to share with the Rangers family exactly what drove me to do this. Weeks ago when we first received correspondence from layers on the instruction or Mr Easdale, it was via email and arrived one Monday afternoon. The letter was in regard to posts by third parties on this page and we done as requested by the lawyers. Two days later my mother phoned to say a letter had arrived at her home for me. Like lots of other season ticket holders with multiple family season tickets, all our tickets go to one address and in our case it’s my parents home as its easier to manage the renewals and continuous card requests etc. The letter that had been sent to my parents address was surprisingly a copy of the letter I had received via email two days earlier. Mr Easdales (not Rangers) lawyer had somehow sent a letter to an address that to the best of my knowledge only Rangers have for me. How bizarre. I asked the lawyers on several occasions to explain how they came by my address and was instructed that due to “client confidentiality” they could not disclose how they came by it. If they unable to give me this information as to protect their client, then it’s fair to assume this information must have been passed to them by their client. If their client gave them my parents address, where did he obtain it from? There is only one possible source I can think of. Jack Irvine called me in the middle of all this and I advised him of my issue, he refused me the opportunity to speak directly to Mr Easdale regarding this and informed me Graham Wallace would be my best point of contact. I emailed Mr Wallace with my concerns and he set up a meeting. I met Mr Wallace two weeks ago and he advised me that an investigation had taken place and he found no evidence that the address was leaked from Ibrox. When I informed him that the address was in fact not mine but my parents and I was aware of no other organisation that had it as my address, his body language changed somewhat. So Rangers have my contact address as my parents, Sandy Easdales lawyer receives my parents address from their client thinking its mine and no one can explain how this happened. The fact that they knew that I sat in a specific seat in a stadium of 30,000+ season ticket holder is not lost on me either. Fast forward to Wednesday night. As I was getting set for the match I received another email on my phone from Mr Easdales lawyer asking for my current address. I replied saying they had no need for it as they can correspond via email and as far as I was concerned had no outstanding issues. During the half time break I checked my emails and found another claiming they would send sherriff officers to obtain my current address. Sheriffs officers could only obtain my current address by visiting my parents address as it the only one they have. You can maybe imagine how I felt at half time knowing a Rangers directors lawyers where sending sheriffs officers to my parents house who are both in their 70’s. Hence the reason I visited the directors box at full time. When I confronted Mr Easdale with this newly found information and explained that this had crossed a line his response was that I to had also crossed a line and got personal. When I asked him to elaborate he stated that “I took the piss” and even slagged his hair on our facebook page. He confirmed that any libellous comments had indeed been made by others but his problem with me was that even my public apologies “took the piss out of him”. I will leave it to the reader to decide if further future court proceedings are based on him being upset about what others write or indeed the sarcastic manner of my writings. I asked him to consider getting his lawyer to confirm in writing that no such visit to my parent’s house would take place and he said he would see what he could do. What he did do was to instruct his lawyers to issue further proceedings which I received yesterday and these are the basis of today’s Daily Record article. To the fellow fans who asked me yesterday to comment on why I approached the directors box, I hope you understand why I didn’t make it public knowledge then, I was giving Mr Easdale the opportunity to do the right thing. The right thing in his eyes was to instruct his lawyers to send even more threatening letters which included arrangements for court proceedings at the court of session. I have no desire to take Rangers to court or indeed involve innocent employees who may have been forced in to giving out protected data. If I did wish this I could have made this information public weeks ago. I feel I need to state my point now to defend my actions on and since Wednesday’s game. Aye Ready Craig
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I've jumped between defending him this season along with trying to understand his position as the only ever Rangers manager to have dealt with the cards he's been dealt with. There's not a bear who'd deny that Ally has managed under unprecedented circumstances. The other side of the coin is that his resources still far outweigh all other Scottish sides except the ****s. Yet I, and quite possibly, many bears can't even describe what type of football we are meant to play. Little motivation, no tempo or obvious flow to the game is, besides board room shenanigans, putting supporters off. Think back to the early stages of the season where we played some lovely football and racked up silly scoreline after silly scoreline. The team won the league so early that it rendered October/November onwards meaningless. Then the cup results in February played us the best hand we could have wished for. When the draw was made I chatted with friends and stated that if Ally and the players can't get us to the final based on its Albion fucking Rovers, and with the semi final being played at Ibrox, then they're no good for the long term of Rangers. My expectations is that we should be collecting the treble based on the fact our squad is of premiership standard and very well paid. Throw in the fact the players and management have a golden opportunity to write themselves into the history books, then motivation and attitude should be a given. Many will be there already, some for quite a while now, but now I'm edging closer to adding to my sack the board chants. Only the chants might be aimed at the only genuine bear left at the club in a position of seniority. Any of you who has defended Ally now seriously considering Ally must go before the playing side reflects the executive side of the club? when does it become okay to add Ally besides the board in cleansing the club?
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Help SoS and the Union of Fans, volunteers required. We have a leaflet regarding the Union of Fans and Dave Kings proposed Season Ticket Initiative getting printed for Sundays game and need help with distribution. If you are willing and able to help, please put name below or send personal message Meet 2pm top of Copland Rd stairs Thanks in advance Craig. Lifted from FF
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Former Rangers chief executive Charles Green has revealed he may still be at the Ibrox helm had he not 'been driven out of the club'. Green led the consortium which bought the assets of Rangers for £5.5m from administrators Duff & Phelps on June 14, 2012, just two days after they were consigned to liquidation when HMRC rejected the offer of a CVA. The Yorkshireman insisted he was at Rangers for the long haul, claiming he would not consider leaving 'until he had heard the Champions League music over Ibrox again'. But after a turbulent period in charge of the League Two side, he stepped down in April 2013 in the wake of a backlash from supporters over a series of controversial public comments. He returned to the club on August 2 last year on a consultancy basis 'to assist with shareholder relations and advise the company on its capital structure'. However, his second coming lasted just 18 days and he agreed to stand down from the role and sell his shareholding, at the time the largest in the company, to current board member Sandy Easdale. Now, in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News, he has broken his silence on his departure, and on the terms of his pay-off. "When I joined Rangers, I was the only employee, the only director and the only investor," he said. "I was going to have the same salary as Ally McCoist but Malcolm Murray (former chairman) said that was wrong and halved it. For the work I did at Rangers, I should have had double. "Secondly, I didn't want the severance pay. I would have stayed at Rangers but was driven out of that club. "It's a matter of public record what I took from the club when I left. It is in the accounts. My salary was £360,000 a year, but I didn't take 12 months' notice. "I agreed I would take less money because I didn't want to penalise the club, but I would have happily carried on at Rangers. "The bonus was a bonus which was in my contract, and I was entitled to that." Watch Sky Sports News throughout Friday evening for more from Jim White's exclusive interview with the former Ibrox supremo.
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The 4th Meeting of the Rangers CIC Working Party was held at the Louden tavern on Monday night. As previously reported, the Limited Company has been incorporated and will be converted to a CIC by Glasgow Solicitor, James Blair, who will become the first director. Draft Articles of Association (incorporating changes from the model suggested by me and RA) should be up on the web site imminently, for comment. As well as the minimum £5 per month donation (suggested donation £18.72), there will be a facility to become a Life Member of "Club 1872" by making a one off payment of £500. This can be paid in whole or in part by transferring shares (at current price) to the CIC. Donations can now be accepted and the money will be held by Gocardless until such time as the CIC bank account is established in the next few days. For information on how to contribute please email will@rangersfirst.org or admin@rangersfirst.org. The full Minutes will be published asap on the web site.
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Martin Williams @Martin1Williams 31s #Rangers Dave King "Message to fans is..if we don't hold board to account then we will have a couple of unnecessarily difficult years ahead" Martin Williams @Martin1Williams 1m Dave King "I am absolutely confident that Craig Whyte won't have a future at #Rangers going forward" Martin Williams @Martin1Williams 1m Dave King "There are powers behind the throne at #Rangers not represented on board" would prefer him an other likeminded people involved Martin Williams @Martin1Williams 2m Dave King believes there is a "guiding hand behind" #Rangers that is not currently sitting on the board. But doesn't name names. Martin Williams @Martin1Williams 3m Dave King says "what is very important" is transparency must come first, before any future investment. Martin Williams @Martin1Williams 4m Dave King says trying to avert "another financial crisis" at #Rangers & that board is relying on fans' "fierce loyalty" to come up with cash Martin Williams @Martin1Williams 5m DaveKing says "it is obvious" #Rangers is "running out of money" & was happy go be a significant investor but board has since "done nothing" Martin Williams @Martin1Williams 9m Dave King says real aim to get "proper transparency from #Rangers & would like not to have to set up fund for season tickets. Martin Williams @Martin1Williams 11m Dave King says will meet the #Rangers board and insists his statements about "financial crisis" of club was "nothing controversial"
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NEW Ibrox supremo Dave King joins a long list of men who have tried to do what's right for Rangers, but is he up to the task of leading them back to where they want to be, asks Gordon Waddell. IT'S LIKE the Life of Brian. Off they go again, chasing another messiah. This time, though, are the Rangers support following the chosen one at long last? Have they bought in to their last false prophet? If Dave King has done nothing else in recent days, he appears at least to have unified the un-unifiable. And he did it in the most simple way possible, reminding supporters the power of their club lies as much in the stands as it does on the shares register. The fans just needed to hear the right person saying it. They’ve always had a cause. They just needed a leader to follow and an idea they believed in. And now that they have it? Now they can rally behind this pseudo-boycott King has proposed, putting the current regime on starvation rations? Do they have what it takes to see it through to its conclusion, no matter how ugly it gets? If they do stage a coup, what will their club look like post-apocalypse? And, ultimately, what’s King’s motivation? What does he want to be for Rangers? These are the questions that fans must ask themselves as they follow their pied piper – because, as yet, King hasn’t answered any himself. I saw someone suggest they needed him to be their Fergus McCann, 20 years on. They don’t. What they need is him to be their Dermot Desmond. Someone who has power, not someone who craves it or needs to be seen to have it. Someone who wants some control, not a control freak. Someone who will be their bank of last resort, not use the club as his bankroll. McCann fixed Celtic when they were broken, for sure. But he got in and out and made himself a rich(er) man in the process. Desmond was there then, he’s still there now and while his influence is understated, it should never be underestimated. He owns 29.9 per cent of the club and could buy and sell the rest of it but has never wanted to. THAT’S what Rangers fans need of King. I’ve said it plenty of times before. The best way for Rangers’ fans to protect the long-term interests of their club is to own the guts of it themselves. That way they’re accountable to each other and if they end up in trouble again they only have themselves to blame. There have been opportunities for them to achieve that – they’ve just never had the unity of purpose or the ?leadership to do it. Until now. As long as King holds true to his word. And as long as he doesn’t get the whiff of power in his nostrils and his ego decides he likes the smell. It surprises me a bit fans are blindly buying what he’s selling. It’s something he said himself: “Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.” If it had been anyone other than King stepping up with the plan he proposed and the statement he made, he’d have been drowning in scepticism and ?cynicism by now. They’d have questioned his timing – why, if it meant that much to him, wasn’t he just ponying up and paying the Easdales the premium they clearly want to cede power? But they haven’t. They’ve bought the farm because.... well pretty much because they’re screwed if they don’t. The current regime have had time to earn supporters’ trust – they haven’t. And news of that short-term loan last week was the tipping point. I had the Rangers PR department on after last week’s column, when I had a pop at Graham Wallace, but I’ve heard nothing since to make me change my mind. That’s nothing personal against the chief executive – I’m on record as saying I’m impressed with the guy. But ultimately he’s an employee doing the bidding of his board, and there’s your problem right there when you’re beholden to financial institutions and hedge funds. They’re only ever in it for what they can get out of it. Listen, it’s not unusual for clubs to seek short-term finance to see them through a couple of barren months. (Not clubs who raised £22m earlier in the season, mind, but still.) The irony is that before, in times like these, they’ve turned to Ticketus to keep them ticking over. Can’t see them being overly keen to help this time. But most clubs seek soft loans from shareholders to tide them over a shortfall or to invest in a capital project and get them at “mate’s rates”. Not 30 per cent APR. That’s loan shark material and any attempt by Wallace to disguise it as the market rate assumes his support is collectively thicker than a whale omelette. But of course they’re not. They see it for what it is. A loan deal that takes a loan of their club. At least now the fans can present the board with a choice. If they starve the club of season ticket money, the board will have to raise funds elsewhere. They don’t want a share issue because the Easdales know that will only dilute their own position. They may have no choice. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/gordon-waddell-questions-still-need-3198073
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A spokesman said: "The board notes Mr King’s comments with concern as they are potentially de-stabilising and damaging to Rangers Football Club."
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Been googling and looking through other sites to refresh my memory. The fact that we require loans now to get through the next few months has me questioning the ability/honesty of CEO Graham Wallace. This is what he said in a Q&A article in The Herald on 17th December 2103 " In the short-to-medium term there is sufficient cash within the club in order for it to continue trading on a normal basis." Now he was the Chief Financial Office at Manchester City so I'm assuming he has some kind of accountancy/financial qualification. That being the case when he made that statement only 8 weeks ago was he fully aware of the financial position at the club? Did he check himself? Was he assured by the board that we were ok in the mid term? Was he told the truth by the incumbents on the board and if not when did he realise we did not have sufficient cash for the short term never mind the mid term? In the same Q&A article he speaks about gaining investment for the club, can we also assume he has failed in this respect?
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Being reported that Laxey have bailed us out in the short term. Wonder what the interest rates are?
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'Fisking' is an online term for deconstructing an article and showing the flaws in the argument in 'real time'. Graham Spiers' recent article for The Herald “Celtic, a Roll of Honour, and point-scoring galore” is a perfect candidate. Graham Spiers' words are in italics, while my commentary is in normal font. A pretty remarkable thing has happened in Scottish football in recent days - the Celtic fans have in effect just stormed the national charts with 'Roll of Honour', the Irish rebel song.The song, recorded by The Irish Brigade, laments the fate of the IRA hunger strikers who died in the Maze Prison in 1981, and cites all 10 of them as the verses unfold. It is a song which a more politically-active section of the Celtic support has chanted and, in this current scenario of national chart success, is aimed at cocking a snook at the confused - some say plainly botched - Offensive Behaviour At Football Act in Scotland. Graham immediately gets his facts wrong. Seven were affiliated to the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA or PIRA) and three with the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA). It is beyond doubt that both groups collectively murdered thousands and are illegal in the UK and Ireland. Many of their victims were targeted solely for their nationality or religion. During 1981 alone – never mind before or since - the Provisional IRA and INLA murdered many people. Those the song 'laments' were part of these groups and must have approved of the killings and violence. The ten themselves had been found guilty of crimes including possession of firearms, grenades and explosives, manslaughter, punishment shootings, hijackings, attempted murder and murder. Keep these hard facts in mind. By John Gow Read more...http://www.therangersstandard.co.uk/index.php/articles/rfc-politics/311-fisking-graham-spiers
