Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'quality'.
-
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/leeds-utd/new-leeds-owners-will-buy-back-elland-road-for-15m-1-6322034 BUYING back Elland Road for around £15m tops the list of priorities for Leeds United’s prospective new owners, the Yorkshire Post has been told. A consortium led by United managing director David Haigh is bidding to buy a 75 per cent stake in the Championship club. The group - which is believed to include Andrew Flowers, the managing director of current shirt sponsors Enterprise Insurance - have signed a share acquisition agreement with GFH Capital, the Dubai-based firm that purchased United from Ken Bates a year ago. Football League approval is now being sought as this buyout would be the second of the club in as many seasons. Providing there are no late hiccups, the Haigh-led consortium is expected to take charge early in the New Year. As revealed in this newspaper yesterday, re-signing former Player of the Year, Max Gradel, in the January transfer window is high on the list of targets for the prospective new owners. However, sources close to Haigh’s group have also made it clear to the Yorkshire Post that buying back Elland Road will be their top priority once at the helm. United’s home was sold to Manchester businessman Jacob Adler for a knockdown £8m price in November, 2004, as mounting debts threatened to drag the club under in its first year outside the Premier League. Ownership passed the following year to Teak Commercial Limited, a firm based in the British Virgin Islands. Included in the initial sale and leaseback deal with Adler - and something retained in the subsequent sale to Teak - was a buyback option that allows the club to purchase the stadium at a set price. That amount rises each October and today stands at £15m. Also subject to a raise of three per cent each October is the rent United pay to Teak, which this year will cost the club £1.4m. Since Elland Road was sold to Adler by the United board that was led by Gerald Krasner, United have paid around £11m in rent. Removing that financial millstone from around United’s neck will, the source close to Haigh’s group insists, be the overriding priority providing the expected takeover goes through early in 2014. Regardless of whether the club’s would-be new owners are successful or not in that quest, United’s tenancy in LS11 is secure thanks to the terms of the 2004 sale and lease-back arrangement - a deal in which the owner of a large asset, such as property, sells it and then immediately buys back from the buyer the right to use the asset under a lease for a fixed term at a pre-arranged rent. In United’s case, that agreement was for a 25-year lease that, once at an end in 2029, can be extended by a further quarter of a century. This means Leeds’ future at Elland Road is safe for at least the next 41 years. Haigh and his fellow would-be investors, however, are well aware that buying back the ground would be the clearest signal yet to supporters that the club is moving in the right direction. If they are successful in that quest, it will be the second time in a generation that United will have bought back their home thanks to improving financial fortunes. The first instance came in 1998 when Peter Ridsdale’s board paid £10m to Leeds City Council for the stadium, which along with the surrounding land had been sold 13 years earlier to the local authority for a quarter of that sum. Crippling debts of around £1.5m had forced the 1985 sale on the club. History then repeated itself in 2004, though by then the sums involved had multiplied dramatically. Krasner’s board had taken over Leeds in March of that year but relegation just a couple of months later hit United very hard. A fire-sale of players such as Alan Smith and Mark Viduka during that summer bought the club respite for a time but by the early months of the 2004-05 campaign it was clear Leeds were still in the financial mire. Debts that had, at one stage, stood north of £100m when the takeover went through had been slashed to around £25m. However, punishing repayments to Jack Petchey, a London-born businessman who had once been chairman of Watford and an Aston Villa shareholder, for a £15m loan taken out by Krasner and his fellow directors when buying the club had started to bite. After negotiations with a number of parties that included Sebastien Sainsbury and local businessman Norman Stubbs floundered, the United board was left with no option but to sell the club’s only two remaining assets of substance - Elland Road and Thorp Arch, the latter’s sale raising £4.2m. Once the two sales were concluded, the remaining debt of £9.2m to Petchey was cleared. United’s financial woes continued, however, and the club was subsequently sold to Bates the following January. At his first press conference, the former Chelsea chairman said: “It is our intention, in the fullness of time, to exercise those options and bring the land and stadium back where they belong.” Scarcity of funds, though, meant those wishes went unfulfilled with a bid to buyback Thorp Arch floundering at the 11th hour in 2009. Similar sentiments about purcahasing Elland Road were expressed by GFH Capital following their December 21 takeover last year but, again, nothing concrete came of the plans.
-
“If you’re prepared to accept mediocrity because our owners are greedy fair enough. Me, I intend to do everything I can to root them out.” A quote from Gunslinger. So what are we doing as a support to root out the directors? I believe the answer is “Not a lot”. Let’s look at the two lots of people a majority of the fans want rid of – the Shareholders and the Directors. 1. The Shareholders There are 2 main ways that the shareholders can get to go or to lose control: a) Someone buys their shares – there is currently nobody who wants to buy their shares. Dave King has said he won’t do it. There are 2 fans’ vehicles for purchasing shares, both of whom are a long way away from getting enough cash to make a meaningful investment. They also both have the dilemma of raising cash and then deciding whether to use the cash to pay existing shareholders and therefore not a penny goes to the club, as happened recently with BuyRangers, or wait until there’s a share issue at some future point. They also run the risk of their shareholding being diluted. Let’s say they get 1% of the shares and then there’s a rights issue. They could find that their 1% has been reduced to 0.5% or even lower. Perhaps it needs yet another calamity like an administration to change the mindsets of the fans to fan ownership as they have consistently shown that a vast majority are not there yet. b) There’s a share issue of some sort, which dilutes their control in the way mentioned above. However what happens if they are the ones to put in the cash? They could increase their shareholding percentage. Dave King has said that he would be willing to invest, but only under certain circumstances. Are the current shareholders likely to structure an issue that sees them losing control to King? Very unlikely. Is King willing to invest that level of cash and not have a level of control? Very Unlikely. All of King’s actions seem to be aimed towards trying to force the existing shareholders and directors out without him having to spend any cash in doing so. He has built up a degree of animosity between him and the board and as such he has made it less likely that the board will turn round and make it easy for him to get control. The existing shareholders generally want an exit strategy and nobody is offering them one and they aren’t going to effectively have their shareholding become worthless. 2. The Directors Most Rangers fans are not impressed by the current Board, but nobody has offered any alternative since the Paul Murray faction got voted down at the AGM. Nobody has set out any level of vision for the future and King suffers from this criticism more than most. He has not set out detailed plans or any level of alternative. King set up his Ibrox 1972 Ltd company, asking for the club to give it security over its biggest assets. Does anyone seriously expect a quoted PLC to give security of its main assets to a third party company that apparently doesn’t have a season ticket holder or Rangers shareholder on its board or as a shareholder? There is no connection between this company and the club. As it stands, there’s no connection between the ownership and control of Ibrox 1972 Ltd and the support either. It’s almost as if King has come up with a vehicle that makes it impossible for the club to grant security, not that they would do it anyway. Perhaps that’s what King is hoping for? Many fans are not buying season tickets, partly due their opposition to the board and partly due to the fare on the park. For the fans who fall into the former category, is them withholding season ticket cash really going to chase out the directors? I really don’t think so. Why should it? Are the really just going to resign and walk away or are they going to carry on running the company in whatever financial situation it Is in? I would argue that it is the latter and they will continue run the club as best they can, with the lower income and therefore lower quality on the park. Many are there to do a job (presumably to the best of their ability) and less season tickets makes it more challenging but it is not a reason for them to resign from their job. Are the shareholders going to insist on a change of board due to lower season tickets? Unlikely, given that the gave the directors a vote of confidence at the AGM even after the club had spent the £22m from the share issue in 9 months. If they still retain the shareholders’ support after that then season ticket holder revolt isn’t going to make much difference. There is also the situation where Sandy Easdale controls the votes of over 26% of the shares and it means that he only needs 24% of other shares to get his way in most matters. The fans who are not renewing their season tickets have my admiration for the sacrifice that they are making and I understand their frustration as they want to do something and not renewing is something. However it doesn’t mean that what they are doing will result in a change or will make any difference to the positions of the directors. Even if the season ticket boycott did force a change in directors, would it change the overall way that the club is being run? Again, very unlikely. So what is the best hope for a change? We can only hope that Dave King has a change in heart and does decide to buy out the existing shareholders because otherwise I just don’t see a way out of this mess as we fans appear to be powerless against shareholders and directors who have no interest in engaging with the support and taking actions to keep them onside.
-
No doubt our pulses are all racing with excitement at the prospect! Nobody v Somebody Else! I repent of my contemptuous words. A great day for Saints and United fans. Rangers had the chance to get there but weren't up to it. Brings back memories, though. Tam's blockbusting 30 incher. Kai's strike from heaven. Ian McColl's swan song master class against Kilmarnock. But best of all, the 1964 epic against Dundee. I enjoyed that one the most partly because Dundee were so damned good. A terrific game of football. Your best 'Gers finals please?
-
CASH gates will be in operation at tonight's Youth Cup final at St Mirren Park. Gordon Durie's under-20 side will face Hearts with the Youth Cup trophy at stake and you can back the side tonight in Paisley. The youths are aiming for success in the first final appearance for the club in three years. Tickets for the match, which kicks off at 7.30pm, and will go to extra-time and penalties if necessary, will be available at turnstiles this evening. Priced are £5 for adults and £2 for over-65s, under-16s and full-time students. http://rangers.co.uk/news/academy-news/item/6954-cash-gates-at-youth-final
-
Some comparisons with Ann Budge's Hearts and our Rangers from yours truly on TRS: http://www.therangersstandard.co.uk/index.php/articles/current-affairs/323-rangers-own-budgement-day-is-coming
-
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/mobile/rangers/peralta-eyes-rangers-escape-162843n.24175472 Feel free to walk away any time Arnold, and wave any pay off if you're that keen to go.
-
........No it's time for Dave King to step up and pay. KEITH believes it's time for Ibrox investor King to put his money where his mouth is with the club's Murray Park training ground under threat. IF Dave King is serious about rescuing Rangers then he had better get a move on. In fact, come to think of it, he may have procrastinated too long already because this basket case of a business is staring its next disaster dead in the eye. Very soon someone will have to blink and before you know it this club could find itself minus a training ground if it’s not careful. In five days from now the curtain will come down on season ticket renewals and when it does, bedraggled chief executive Graham Wallace might as well sound the emergency klaxon because unless there is a late stampede between now and Friday, Rangers will be right back on the brink. Raising money against Murray Park might then become almost inevitable, assuming insolvency is to be avoided as Wallace so bullishly insists it will be. It was interesting to note that the current board made no comment at all about the security of their Auchenhowie HQ when categorising Ibrox as ‘sacrosanct’ the other day. The truth is Wallace was busy discussing the merits or otherwise of raising funds against Murray Park with former financial director Brian Stockbridge at the turn of the year. Stockbridge wanted to push the button back then but Wallace at least had enough sense to resist. However, Wallace also made it clear that such a scenario might need to be revisited at a later date and if the season ticket revenue really is about to be obliterated then that date might well be now. Also, given the enormous scale of Rangers financial requirements, there would seem little point in simply raising a couple of million quid in the form a secured loan – like the deal Wallace brokered with those nice hedge fund folk from Laxey Partners just to keep the floodlights on till the end of winter. A full-blown sale and leaseback would certainly bring in significantly more money but at what price to a club which continues to be robbed of its soul from the inside? Which brings us back to the man who would be King and his plotting in South Africa. King has lent his name to the Union of Fans’ plan to starve the club of its biggest single source of revenue but he’s done so from a distance, almost half-heartedly, while this club’s supporters have been busy whipping themselves up into a state of high doh. That King did not attend the launch of this scheme in person, nor even make sure that his recently- recruited wingman Richard Gough was there to deputise, sent out more muddled messages to these fans who want nothing more than a leader in whom they can place their trust along with their cash. But then this is the Rangers civil war we are talking about. If there is a way to mishandle public relations then you can bet your last blue pound someone in this abomination will find it – even though you can barely move for gurus spinning furiously for one camp or the other. King says his attempted coup is not in any way reliant on public opinion, which is probably just as well because he hasn’t done enough to win over the rump of the fans. The vast majority want to believe in him but need to see tangible proof of his intentions. If Friday’s final tally of sold season tickets is as low as many are predicting then this will be an indication of how little these fans trust the characters inside their own boardroom rather than a show of faith in the man who wishes to topple them. It would also leave the board with a couple of options – selling off the family silver or engage immediately with King, who is ready to talk. So far, King has done nothing much more than kick up a stink by issuing sporadic flurries of statements, most of which have told us nothing we did not already know. He has been heavy on promises – talking boldly of blowing £30million worth of his children’s inheritance – but feathery light on substance. So if he is serious about acting – and for the record I’m sure he is – then right about now would seem like an appropriate moment for him to start digging deep. King has made clear his reluctance to line the pockets of the very shareholders he blames for making such a mess of the club. While this is an admirable position, the more time passes, the less realistic it appears. And all the while, Rangers fans are wrestling with their own consciences and fretting over whether or not to hold their club to ransom. King could remove all that confusion and guilt from their shoulders at a stroke by ploughing some of his own millions into the very account that has been set up for their season ticket cash. If those who run the club will not accept his money then why would any individual feel the least bit bad about hanging on to their own £400? Better still though, King should rethink his strategy and find out exactly how much it would cost to make those shadowy investors lurking behind the likes of Margarita Blue Pitch Holdings and Margarita disappear once and for all. Ultimately, this is what will be required if Rangers are ever to be properly ‘cleansed’ and now Friday’s iceberg is approaching, maybe those lucky enough to have stuffed their pockets with penny shares might realise it’s time to abandon ship. Even if they sold now for as little as 20p a share they’d still make mind-boggling returns on their investments. The thought of making them rich might make King’s skin crawl but, even so, this would seem like a price worth paying. He could always ask Fergus McCann who had to perform a similar U-turn when bringing down the Kelly and White dynasty across the city. A deal could even be structured that would allow King to be given some of the money back, much like the £2.5m Ann Budge has just had to pony up to make sure Hearts are a Lithuanian-free zone. King could do any of the above and instantly cement his status as a genuine hero among the club’s rank and file. The longer he waits though the more time is running out for his club.
-
July 30th - Bournemouth v Rangers pre season friendly http://www.bournemouth.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=358560 …
-
Glasgow giants came within a whisker of reaching the inaugural Champions League final, missing out in somewhat controversial circumstances. A world away from their recent troubles, the 1992/93 season saw Rangers just one game away from the final of European club football's showpiece event. It was the first year in which the old European Cup had been rebranded the 'Champions League' and, in those days, it truly was restricted to domestic champions. The format saw the final eight clubs split into two groups of four, with the top teams in each mini-league qualifying for the final. Going into the final game, Rangers were level on points with Marseille. With current manager Ally McCoist then leading the Gers front line, a battle-hardened Rangers team were agonisingly pipped at the post, but not without controversy. Marseille went on to win the final 1-0, beating a brilliant AC Milan side in Munich, becoming the first French team to lift a European trophy in the process. Soon after the victory, however, it emerged that the club and their president Bernard Tapie had fixed a French league match involving Marseille six days before the final, allowing them to focus on the Milan game without fear of over-exerting themselves. The French side were subsequently stripped of their league crown, relegated to the second tier of French football and banned from the following year's Champions League, as well as the World Club Cup match in Tokyo (Milan took their place, losing to Sao Paolo). But they were not stripped of their Champions League win, despite suspicion being cast on the legitimacy of their European exploits, too. Rangers striker Mark Hateley has since claimed he was offered cash not to play against Marseille in the penultimate group match, when a win would have seen the Scottish side top the group with one game left. "It was a friend of a friend, who had got in touch via certain routes, basically asking me not to play," claimed Hateley. "He was not an agent I knew, but another agent had given him the number. It was a French-speaking person, offering me large sums of money not to play against Marseille." In the event, Hateley was banned from the match in Marseille after being sent off in the previous game, a 2-1 home win against Club Brugge. "I knew that something had gone off there," said Hateley. "It was a bitter pill to swallow." That same night, Marseille had increased their goal difference significantly by beating CSKA Moscow 6-0. It was a surprise scoreline, considering the Russians had earlier eliminated reigning European Cup holders Barcelona and drawn their home match with Marseille 1-1. The CSKA coach later made allegations that his players had been "got at", before withdrawing the claim, while there was also talk of drinks being spiked. Rangers bounced back from the disappointment of missing out on Munich by clinching a domestic treble, while their fans can look back on their Champions League adventure with pride, as well as a sense of what could have been. Two decades later, talkSPORT relives each round of the club's famous European journey... Full article below Read more at http://talksport.com/magazine/features/130424/robbed-why-rangers-could-have-been-first-champions-league-winners-195971#CKISL3cUclVoD4ei.99 -
It is still 0-0 after 30odd minutes, Twitter feed here Starting line-up: Kelly Pascazio - Halkett - Gasparotto - Sinnamon Crawford - Hutton - Murdoch - Telfer Gallagher - Burrows Subs: Simonsen, Gibson, Stoney, Dykes, Ramsay, Roberts, Finnie
-
Good to see incompetence is a common trait throughout all our departments.
-
via @Rangers_Official Now that the season is over, this is a good time for me to speak to you directly as part of our ongoing Ready To Listen fan engagement programme. In order to do so I will be answering questions from supporters today in a Twitter Q&A on our official club account. You can tweet your questions directly to me on @RFC_Official using the hashtag #ReadyToListen between 1pm and 2pm. I will answer as many questions from supporters within the hour and look forward to speaking with as many fans as I can. Graham Wallace, Chief Executive Officer.
-
By mutual consent. Oh dear! Striker Kenny Miller moves on May 4, 2014 VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced today that the club has parted ways with striker Kenny Miller. The club and Miller have mutually agreed to a contract termination. “We are thankful for the contributions Kenny made both on and off the pitch during his time in Vancouver,” said Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson. "He has been a great role model, a constant professional, and someone who I consider a very good friend. We wish him and his family all the best.” Miller, 34, joined Whitecaps FC in June 2012 and during his time with the club the native of Edinburgh, Scotland, made 45 appearances in all competitions, registering 13 goals and adding three assists. Conference call audio from head coach Carl Robinson and Kenny Miller will be posted on whitecapsfc.com this afternoon.
-
Hi there, first post, great site. I read lots of blogs etc and this is the best one in Scotland by a distance. If Rangers FC cannot continue as a going concern, in the event of the Dave King faction starving the board out, what happens? How does Rangers International deal with this?
-
THOSE Rangers supporters who have so far not renewed their season tickets for next season are currently facing some stark choices. Do they pledge their cash to Ibrox 1972 Ltd, the company launched by the Union of Fans group this week, and hope security will be granted over the stadium? Or do they give their money direct to the club as usual and book their seats for home games in the SPFL Championship in the 2014/15 campaign? Alternatively, they can sit back and see how the stand-off develops during the summer months before deciding how to proceed. What the Light Blues fans do, and in what sort of numbers, will determine the short-term future of the troubled Glasgow club. There is certainly backing for the scheme to withhold cash in the company that has former director Dave King and club legend Richard Gough as trustees. That is despite the fact the Rangers board stated once again this week that it "has no intention of granting security over Ibrox to anybody". Many fans were alarmed when it emerged that both Edmiston House and the Albion car parking facilities had been used as security for two loans of £1.5million earlier this year. And there are serious fears that institutional investors, who have seen the share price tumble since the IPO in 2012, may seek to maximise the club's assets in future. George Thomson, a law student from Paisley who has been a season ticket holder for 10 years, is one of those who will be putting his money into Ibrox 1972 Ltd. He said: "I think there comes a point where you have to say: 'Enough is enough.' "And this, for me, is that point. I will be withholding my season ticket money from the club. "I am unhappy at how the club is being run and have no faith in this board. I think we need change at the top in order to move on as a club and I would like to see Dave King involved. "He is a Rangers fan and has money that he is prepared to invest that could make a real difference to us. How many of the current directors or investors can say that?" Yet, there are also many supporters who are unsettled by the path being taken by King and the Union of Fans and the implications it may have for Rangers. David Somers, the club chairman, has stated there would be a serious doubt over the Govan club's ability to continue as a going concern if fans withheld their cash. James Clark-Dick, a retired quantity surveyor from Uddingston who has been a season ticket holder at Ibrox for nearly 30 years, is against the plan. He will be renewing the three season tickets he has in the Copland Road Stand - he attends every home game with his wife and daughter - and believes he is in a "silent majority". He feels that withholding money from Rangers in the coming weeks could actually help to bring about the eventuality that King and the Union of Fans are hoping to avoid. "Withholding season ticket money from the club this summer until security is granted over Ibrox seems like a ludicrous idea to me," he said. "I don't think it is the right way to go. "My worry is that if you push the shareholders enough then that (utilising the club assets) is just exactly what they might do. It might be what they have to do." The 63-year-old feels there are many Rangers fans like him whose views are not being represented by the supporters' organisations which comprise the Union of Fans. "I have met and spoken to Chris Graham (the Union of Fans spokesman) on a few occasions in the past and he came across well," he said. "But Chris and others like him are described as fans' representatives. Well, I am a fan and I don't have a representative." Given the gross mismanagement of previous regimes at Rangers, Mr Clark-Dick admitted he was "cautious" about the current custodians of the club. However, he also has serious misgivings about South Africa-based businessman King getting involved and the company that he has set up. He said: "I'm not pro-board and I'm not anti-board. I'm neither. I'm pro-Rangers. And I don't think this idea to withhold season ticket money is a great idea. "If it hadn't been for this campaign then I think we would have been all right. And apart from this season ticket fund, I don't know what plan Dave King has for the club. "Everybody has criticised the Rangers review. But what more did people expect? You are only ever going to get the bare bones of a business plan in a review. "I have been a shareholder for 30 years. The last batch of shares I bought were the fourth lot I have acquired. And the review is the most information I have had out of Rangers during that time. "They detailed exactly where the £67million went. They showed that £26m was used up in one-off costs. "That is the most clarity we have had." What the future holds for Rangers, though, will remain shrouded in uncertainty until it emerges how many supporters have renewed season tickets and how many have withheld. At the moment, it is too close to call. http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/rangers/rangers-fans-divided-by-loyalties-162650n.24161559
-
Backed by Dave King, Richard Gough and the Union Of Fans https://www.ibrox1972.co.uk/
-
“We note the latest attempt by this board to mislead and hold Rangers fans to ransom. Their latest “give us your money or the seat gets it” ultimatum is just another in a long line of misjudgements this board has made about the mood amongst the support in general. The fact that those now in the crosshairs of this board are a lifelong Rangers fan who has ploughed millions of his own money into the club with no return, an iconic captain from one of the club’s most successful ever periods and a group of Rangers fans attempting to secure the home of our football club, says more about this board than we ever could. There is no attempt to deprive the club of funds. This is made very clear in the security proposal and the board’s ham fisted attempt to misrepresent this is one of the few transparent things they have done since coming to power. No money will be taken from fans unless security is granted and we are of the opinion that the board’s reluctance to discuss granting security may well rapidly change. Our public comments about Mr Wallace are not personal but have been based on his binding pronouncements on matters of huge importance which have been at best misleading, broken promises for engagement with fans, attempts to blame fans for the current precarious position of the club and a complete lack of any progress in bringing much needed investment into the club. We welcome the fact that the entire board have now publicly taken responsibility for all of these actions. Once again we see meaningless sound bites with absolutely no substance to back them up. The result, no doubt, of the expensive PR man hired by this board with more urgency than a Chief Scout. What “significant progress” has been made? How will this “bright future” we are promised come about when the investment committee have failed to secure a single pound of investment? Rangers is certainly “dear to all of us”, the Rangers support. We have no idea why this board would attempt to claim the same when there is not a single fan amongst them. We do not believe that Rangers fans will fall for this again. We’ve seen it far too many times in the past two years. “ - See more at: https://www.ibrox1972.co.uk/statements/#sthash.5zQnzija.oJfk0OFG.dpuf
-
Is it 1 game in 3 or 4 years? Perhaps it is as a scout because his career ended years ago.
-
http://www.thecoplandroad.org/2014/05/dave-king-time-to-step-up-and-pay.html?spref=tw
-
Only a month away. Being it Brazil should in theory be the best World Cup but some stadia are not even ready. We are due a good World Cup as the last 2-3 haven't been great. Mexico 86 was the first WC I can remember and is probably the greatest of all time. Italia 90 was good as was France 98. I fancy Argentina to win it. Groups below and Ive put in bold who i think will qualify from groups. Group A Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon Group B Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia Group C Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast, Japan Group D Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy Group E Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras Group F Argentina, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Iran, Nigeria Group G Germany, Portugal, Ghana, United States Group H Belgium, Algeria, Russia, South Korea
-
Today's 5-0 for Hearts who had nothing but pride to play for v Kilmarnock for whom the points were vital and who beat them 4-0 at Tynecastle in December; shows that Hearts youngsters shave learned a lot this season and will be no pushovers in the Championship. If Hibs don't come down, I'd certainly welcome some trips back to Rugby Park.
-
The First Annual Gersnet Dinner will be held at Malaga Tapas, 213-215 Saint Andrews Road, Glasgow G41 1PD on 26 April 2014 at 3.00pm for 3.15pm till 7.00pm. NOTE NEW TIMES DUE TO EARLY KICK OFF V STRANRAER http://www.malagatapas.co.uk/ The restaurant is currently ranked in the top 20 in Glasgow on Tripadvisor http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186534-d1087980-Reviews-Malaga_Tapas-Glasgow_Scotland.html MENU FOR THE FIRST ANNUAL GERSNET DINNER (THE BEARS PICNIC) Primer Plato (First Course) Selección del chef de varias tapas, por ejemplo (Chefs Selection of Various Tapas e.g.): Pescados (Fish) – Pescado en Adobe ( Spanish Marinated Fish in a combination of paprika and spices) Fritura de Pescado (Fried Mixture of Fish & Seafood; king prawns, squid & white fish, served with garlic mayonnaise) Carnes (Meats) - Albondigas en tomate (meatballs cooked in a rich tomato sauce) Pinchos Morunos (Authentic Spanish Skewers of Sizzling Pork, marinated with cumin, garlic & red wine) Verduras (Vegetables) – Pisto Manchego (Mixture of roasted vegetables: peppers, potatoes, eggplants and onions mingled with tomato sauce) Bravas con salsa Picante (Malaga Tapas own take on the quintessential Spanish patatas bravas) 3 tapas per person Segundo Plato (Second Course) Paellas: Marisco (seafood), Valenciana (mix of chicken & seafood), Montana (chicken and dry-cured chorizo); Verduras (vegetarian) (the selection on the night will depend on numbers) Postres (Deserts) por ejemplo (e.g.): Crema Catalana (Spanish version of crème brulee fired at the table!) Copa Malaguena (Ice cream, honey coated peanuts, raisins and topped with Pacharin liquor) NB: The above are examples from Malaga Tapas’ current menu (see web site); as the owners import a high percentage of the ingredients from Spain, the actual dishes available on the night may vary from the above. £18.00 por persona (per person). All those wishing to attend please post in this thread. I am proposing to collect a deposit of £9/10 per head and in order to avoid any possible suggestion of impropriety, I intend opening a bank account with two signatories, specifically for that purpose. Frankie has approved the opening of a Gersnet Dinner account with me and Andy Steel as signatories. I'll PM the details to all those who sign up when I get it organised.
-
CELTIC and Rangers have been holding secret talks over the possibility of staging the next Old Firm game abroad. The Glasgow giants are considering taking the derby to somewhere such as Dubai in a bid to reduce the chance of crowd trouble after the unacceptable behaviour at last Monday night’s Glasgow Cup Final at Parkhead and incidents at the corresponding youth team fixture last season when it was staged at Partick Thistle’s Firhill. The most recent debacle saw more than 100 seats wrecked and smoke bombs, flares and bangers set off, with the result that it has already been decreed that the next Glasgow Cup Final between the teams will be held behind closed doors. But there will be huge logistical difficulties in moving a senior Old Firm clash – not least getting appropriate approval from the football authorities – even if it is an idea that is being seriously mooted at the highest level. The Glasgow giants are considering taking the derby to somewhere such as Dubai Officials at Parkhead and Ibrox, aghast at the levels of violence at those youth games, are well aware the senior match is – and always has been – a powderkeg. Many so-called Gers fans still blame Celtic, at least in part, for their demotion to the lowest tier of senior Scottish football following the Ibrox club’s financial meltdown. The next Old Firm game in the top flight is still another year or so away, at least, with Rangers having to clamber through a very competitive Championship following successful Third Division and League One campaigns, but Scottish Cup or League Cup clashes before then remain a possibility. It has been suggested by officials that taking the match out of Scotland when it finally comes around could help diffuse tensions. But there is an enormous amount of work still to be done before the embryonic plan becomes a done deal. No one can plan too much without knowing when the game will take place, the SFA and SPFL would have to give permission, the clubs would need to agree, and a host venue would have to be found. If the game went to Dubai or another venue outside Britain and tickets were strictly vetted, it’s hoped the tie would pass off peacefully, although many will insist that such a move would merely postpone potential problems until the next time they meet in Glasgow. From the clubs’ point of view, they’d be able to sell the TV rights for the first Old Firm derby for years for a vast fee and would look at cashing in further with a beam-back to Parkhead and Ibrox. http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/473767/EXCLUSIVE-Old-Firm-clash-could-be-staged-in-Dubai?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+daily-express-sport-news+%28Daily+Express+%3A%3A+Sport+Feed%29
-
Hey folks! Here is the Gersnet match preview writing schedule for forthcoming games. As always, the match previews will be done by volunteers on a first come, first served basis, so shout out if you fancy writing a preview for a certain match and we'll put your name down for it !! _____________________________________________________________ Completed fixtures Aug 3 - Forfar v Rangers - League Cup Round one - Zappa (done) Aug 10 - Rangers v Brechin - League 1 - Frankie (done) Aug 17 - Stranraer v Rangers - League 1 - 26th of Foot (done) Aug 23 - Airdrieonians v Rangers - League 1 - amms (done) Aug 27 - Rangers v Berwick Rangers - Ramsdens Cup R2 - BrahimHemdani (done) Aug 31 - Rangers v East Fife - League 1 - Zappa (done) Sept 14 - Rangers v Arbroath - League 1 - 26th of foot (done) Sept 17 - Queen of the South v Rangers - Ramsdens Cup QF - stewarty (done) Sept 22 - Forfar Athletic v Rangers - League 1 - andy steel (done) Sept 28 - Rangers v Stenhousemuir - League 1 - Crawford01 (done) Oct 06 - Ayr United v Rangers - League 1 - amms (done) Oct 19 - Brechin City v Rangers - League 1 - Pete (done) Oct 26 - East Fife v Rangers - League 1 - 26th of foot (done) Oct 29 - Stenhousemuir v Rangers - Ramsdens Cup SF - the gunslinger (done) Nov 01 - Rangers v Airdrieonians - Scottish Cup R3 - Zappa (done) Nov 06 - Rangers v Dunfermline - League 1 - Frankie (done) Nov 09 - Rangers v Airdrieonians - League 1 - Juancornetto (done) Nov 25 - Arbroath v Rangers - League 1 - Pete (done) Nov 30 - Falkirk v Rangers - Scottish Cup R4 - Super_Ally (not done) Dec 03 - Rangers v Forfar Athletic - League 1 - amms (done) Dec 07 - Rangers v Ayr United - League 1 - Juancornetto (done) Dec 14 - Stenhousemuir v Rangers (postponed) - League 1 - andy steel (done) Dec 26 - Rangers v Stranraer - League 1 - Nobody (not done) Dec 30 - Dunfermline v Rangers - League 1 - calscot (done) Jan 02 - Airdrieonians v Rangers - League 1 - Pete (done) Jan 05 - Stenhousemuir v Rangers - League 1 - Nobody (done by Pete) Jan 11 - Rangers v East Fife - League 1 - 26th of foot (done) Jan 20 - Forfar Athletic v Rangers - League 1 - ranger_syntax (done) Jan 25 - Rangers v Arbroath - League 1 - Juancornetto (done) Feb 01 - Rangers v Brechin City - League 1 - Zappa (done) Feb 07 - Rangers v Dunfermline - Scottish Cup R5 - ian1964 (done) Feb 15 - Ayr United v Rangers - League 1 - Frankie (done) Feb 22 - Rangers v Stenhousemuir - League 1 - amms (done) Feb 25 - Stranraer v Rangers - League 1 - bluebear54 (done) Mar 01 - East Fife v Rangers - League 1 - Pete (done) Mar 09 - Rangers v Albion Rovers - Scottish Cup QF - Juancornetto (done) Mar 12 - Rangers v Airdrieonians - League 1 - Nobody (done by Andy Steel) Mar 15 - Rangers v Dunfermline - League 1 - 26th of foot (done) Mar 17 - Albion Rovers v Rangers - Scottish Cup QF replay - Juancornetto (done) Mar 23 - Brechin City v Rangers - League 1 - stewarty (done) Mar 29 - Arbroath v Rangers - League 1 - BrahimHemdani (done) Apr 06 - Rangers v Raith Rovers - Ramsdens Cup Final - the gunslinger (done) Apr 12 - Rangers v Dundee United - Scottish Cup SF - Juancornetto (done) _____________________________________________________________ Upcoming fixtures: Apr 15 - Rangers v Forfar Athletic - League 1 - Zappa Apr 19 - Stenhousemuir v Rangers - League 1 - ??? Apr 22 - Rangers v Ayr United - League 1 - pete Apr 26 - Rangers v Stranraer - League 1 - ??? May 03 - Dunfermline v Rangers - League 1 - ??? -
DAVE KING has savaged Rangers’ 120-day review and branded it good news for CELTIC fans. The former Ibrox director dismissed chief executive Graham Wallace’s findings — claiming an office junior could have produced the same in a day.
