Jump to content

 

 

Search the Community

Showing results for tags 'rfc'.

  • Search By Tags

    Type tags separated by commas.
  • Search By Author

Content Type


Forums

  • Main Forums
    • Rangers Chat
    • General Football Chat
    • Bluenose Lounge
    • Forum Support and Feedback

Find results in...

Find results that contain...


Date Created

  • Start

    End


Last Updated

  • Start

    End


Filter by number of...

Joined

  • Start

    End


Group


Location


Interests


Occupation


Favourite Rangers Player


Twitter


Facebook


Skype

  1. Darthter

    Why???

    Been trying to get my head round things for a while now..... Exactly what influence does Mike Ashley have over the current board??? Recently, we have seen investment proposals from King, Sarver & 3Bears all knocked back in favour of offerings from MA, which have been very heavily weighted in favour of the lender. What interest does MA have in the club??? Personally I think he wants to control the merchandise. However, if he turns the fans against him (as he has), no-one will buy the stuff he's selling, so where's the benefit??? MA has been told that he can't own any more shares by the SFA, therefore he can't invest directly into the club. Any money will come in the way of loans, therefore increasing debt - debt that will be more difficult to repay since SD now control 75% of the retail channel. Couple that with the reduced attendance etc & cash flow is severely impacted. Has MA been the one really pulling the strings all along??? Was he the main force behind Chuckles?? Could he be the Easdales true puppet-master??? To me nothing about MA's involvement makes sense. He is a very successful businessman - no-one can argue that - but the way things are being run @ Rangers, it's as if people want it to fail!!! The Board etc appear to be trying their best to drive the fans/customers away.
  2. Strapped in for yet another transfer window? Well, here we go! Graeme Shinnie (Left-back, 23, Inverness Caledonian Thistle) Max Power (attacking midfielder, 21, Tranmere Rovers) Express Graeme Shinnie on wiki
  3. http://www.rangers.co.uk/images/FansBoard/Minutes/RFB_Minutes_080115.pdf
  4. I see Rangers First are at over 4k members now, as are the RST The example of Hearts having over 8k members paying in every month was often held up as something we should be quite easily topping with the size of our support Well now we have matched it, and will overtake it at the current rate of sign ups, quite an achievement considering its not backed by the club the way Hearts is I think as the schemes grow, and the numbers look more impressive, people who were not sure will be more likely to say "this could actually work" and sign up Its just a shame in typical Rangers fan fashion its split into 2 factions.. if it was one scheme sitting at 8k and rising steadily every day things would look very rosy for fan ownership imo Any chance of the 2 merging?
  5. The day I take lessons from Easdale on what is and isn't in the best interests of Rangers, there'll be proper fiscal responsibility in Ibrox. Can it be that even after everything he doesn't grasp how detested he is? He lost his right to tell fans what is in Rangers best interests when he started hocking the club off to Mike Ashley. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-30922826 Rangers director Sandy Easdale has said police are investigating threats made against him amid the ongoing and acrimonious battle for the Ibrox club. Officers are believed to be monitoring his home after internet posts allegedly urged fans to attack his house in a bid to remove him from the club. Mr Easdale, 47, said he had also received threats by email and letter. Last week, several hundred fans protested outside Ibrox stadium against the current Rangers board. In a statement released to the BBC, Mr Easdale said: "I have received several threats that are now in the hands of the authorities and I am confident that Police Scotland will get to the bottom of this. 'Violence and intimidation' "I appreciate that feelings are running high but I would like to make an appeal for calm. "This sort of behaviour is not in the best interests of the club, its shareholders or its true supporters." Mr Easdale said members of the Rangers board had been "subjected to an unprecedented level of abuse". "People are entitled to air their views but I hope that all parties will agree that violence and intimidation are unacceptable," he said. "All I want to see is the best possible outcome for Rangers." Police Scotland said it did not comment on operational details. Various fans groups have voiced opposition to the Rangers board for some time amid ongoing financial problems. It is understood that the club cannot pay this month's wage bill and needs immediate funding. A £10m loan has been offered by Mike Ashley, the owner of Sports Direct and Newcastle United, who holds an 8.92% stake in Rangers International Football Club - the football club's holding company. In return, Mr Ashley wants security over Ibrox stadium and its Murray Park training complex - a move that has enraged some fans who say the stadium should never be in danger of being taken away from the club's control. About 600 supporters demonstrated before and after the club's abandoned Championship game against Hearts on Friday. Following reports of disturbances, police arrested one man and said they expected to make more arrests after studying CCTV footage.
  6. keith jackson ‏@tedermeatballs I'm not going to use the phrase 'statement klaxon' again. But, yes, I think one will be along very shortly....
  7. chilledbear

    Egm

    EGM requisition has been delivered to Ibrox within the last couple of minutes. Statement klaxon to follow no doubt.
  8. What an embarrasment It's became standard fare, perhaps it's all really a Monty Python sketch.
  9. ...as they hold advanced talks with club bosses. Jan 12, 2015 07:32 By Keith Jackson RECORD SPORT understands the Lanarkshire-based 
businessman and his allies are on the brink of agreeing a deal in return for two seats on the board. DOUGLAS PARK and his consortium were locked in advanced talks with the Rangers hierarchy last night as they edged closer to winning the battle for control of Ibrox. Record Sport understands the Lanarkshire-based 
businessman and his allies, George Letham and George Taylor, are on the brink of agreeing a deal to plough over £6million of emergency money into the club to spare it from insolvency – in return for two seats on the board. An announcement is expected early this week as the current regime scrambles to secure fresh funding. And last night, with Park and his group on the cusp of forcing their way into a position of power, directors James and Sandy Easdale appeared to pave the way for their imminent arrival by insisting they will be welcomed into the boardroom. In a statement the Easdale family adviser Jack Irvine said: “Sandy and James repeat again that they will willingly work with Douglas Park’s group for the benefit of the club.” Between them, Park, Letham and Taylor already have control of 20 per cent of the troubled Ibrox club’s shares. They are pushing for regime change and plan to invest further in a new share issue but realise the club’s cash flow position is critical and needs to be addressed immediately. In fact, Hong Kong-based banker Taylor believes, in the longer term, Rangers fans should eventually have control over their own club. The Morgan Stanley managing director has now signed up to a life-time membership with 
fan-ownership group Rangers First and said last night: “My hope is that direct fan ownership would become the biggest 
individual owner of the club.” Rangers First director Ricki Neill said: “With our monthly contributors donating amounts from £5 upwards, Rangers First have the income to buy an increasing number of shares every month. “The more members we get to join Rangers First the faster 
we grow and the bigger our 
shareholding becomes. “We also have the Club 1872 membership – which George Taylor has recently joined. “This costs £500 and was designed originally to help us reach our target in as short a period as possible. “George Taylor is one of many true Rangers fans that have joined Club 1872 and we look forward to meeting up with him in the near future.” Phoenix Knight Robert Sarver has also offered Rangers a crisis loan based on the condition that he underwrites a share issue to the tune of £20m and buys control of the club. But, crucially, the American’s plan needs the support of 75 per cent of the club’s current 
shareholders for it to get off the ground and so is viewed as a 
non-starter. This has left Park in the driving seat although the board are refusing to engage in similar talks with like-minded Rangers supporter Dave King, the club’s biggest single shareholder with a 15 per cent stake. As the crisis deepens, the South African-based businessman is expected by many to call for an egm later this week in a bid to 
rout the current board at a 
shareholders’ vote. Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, meanwhile, may yet be prepared to make a rival offer after 
previously handing over £3m to keep the club afloat through November and December. A close source said last night: “The cash situation remains 
critical and because of this a 
decision had been expected over the weekend. “The club is now days away from running out of money completely so there is an urgent necessity to get this funding in place. “However, the talks with the Douglas Park group are at a very advanced stage and it is expected that an announcement will be made soon.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-boardroom-battle-douglas-park-4962945
  10. A number of companies run by Sir David Murray have signalled their intention to go in to liquidation. Notice was given on January 5 that six firms have presented petitions to wind up to the Court of Session, though the notices were only published by the court on Tuesday. The companies — GM Mining Limited, Murray Group Holdings Limited, Murray International Holdings Limited, The Premier Property Group Limited, Murray Outsourcing Limited and PPG Land Limited — have all appointed John Charles Reid and Christopher McKay of Deloitte LLP as joint interim liquidators. Sir David Murray stepped down as chairman of Rangers Football Club in 2009 and officially sold his controlling interest of shares in the club in May 2011 to Craig Whyte. The club subsequently applied for administration in February 2012 and then entered liquidation. The impact the liquidation of three of the Murray companies will have on the status of HM Revenue and Customs’ pursuit of the so-called “big tax case” is unknown. GM Mining Limited, Murray Group Holdings Limited and The Premier Property Group Limited were listed as three of the five “appellants” in the case, which was in the most part successfully defended by Murray at an upper tier tax tribunal in 2014. HMRC’s argument revolved around the use of employee benefit trusts which were used by the companies, including the Rangers oldco, which they alleged were used as emoluments to employees. Murray successfully argued they were loans which remain recoverable. The two other appellants in the case, Murray Group Management Limited and RFC 2012 plc - the Rangers oldco - are already in liquidation. A spokesperson for HM Revenue and Customs told STV: "We do not comment on identifiable taxpayers". http://news.stv.tv/west-central/306444-number-of-companies-run-by-sir-david-murray-set-for-liquidation/
  11. SIR David Murray has broken his silence on the battle for control of Rangers by praising the efforts of Dave King and The Three Bears consortium to gain influence at Ibrox. But the club's former owner warned the club's cash position remains in a critical condition while uncertainty continues to hang over the ownership of the stricken Glasgow giants. While fans have welcomed moves by the Three Bears consortium - comprising wealthy businessmen Douglas Park, George Letham and George Taylor - and former oldco director King to amass 38.1 per cent of shares between them in recent days, Sir David fears little has changed. He claimed the stalemate between the board and those looking to take over is impeding the investment the club badly needs. Sir David, who famously sold Rangers to Craig Whyte for £1 in 2011, said: "The way I see it at the minute, and this isn't trying to be smart, is people have changed seats at the table. "But the fact of the matter is the club needs money and resources as quickly as possible. "Dave King and the Three Bears I'm sure have the right intentions for the club, but they must be in a dilemma about how they take it to the next stage when the other sides don't seem to be willing partners." He added: "I take my hat off to the people who are trying to do the right thing, and let's hope they're successful, but whatever way they are going to do it it's going to need more money." Sir David, speaking after a £20m takeover bid from US basketball boss Robert Sarver was rejected by the club, criticised the current board and its suitors for failing to come up with a strategy to take Rangers forward. He said: "I don't know what anyone is trying to do at the minute. I don't mean to be smart. What we'd like to see is Rangers in the hands of Rangers-minded people. But I wish someone would come out and tell us what their strategy is. "Is Dave King working solo? Are the Three Bears working solo? If they are, they are going to have to come up with some more money." Fans groups have voiced concern over Newcastle owner Mike Ashley's influence over the Ibrox Club. The Sports Direct boss has a 8.92 per cent stake in the business, control over the club's retail operations and has advanced loans to the company. Asked if he shared those concerns, Sir David said: "We don't know, do we? The problem you've got just now is that nobody is making statements. There is no strategy." Sir David also welcomed moves by supporters to buy shares in the club through organisations such as Rangers First but said the club's cash needs were more pressing. He also fears the club is losing supporters who may never come back. Sir David said: "What concerns me also is that a fair percentage of the hardcore [of fans] may have drifted now, and I don't think it will be like you turn a light switch and they will come back. "This will take time." http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/gers-need-cash-fast-sir-david-says.116118429
  12. http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12147419.html
  13. GERMAN football legend Felix Magath has bought one per cent of Rangers and outlined his vision for the footballing future of the cash-strapped club. Record Sport can reveal the former Bayern Munich boss has emerged as a major and serious player following talks over the last week with influential figures around Ibrox. Magath has spoken with one of the groups battling for control of the club - not American Robert Sarver - and, if all goes well, could become Technical Director at Murray Park by the summer. German sources last night confirmed Magath’s involvement but, amazingly, he did not let on about his shares purchase before sitting down for discussions with the Rangers group. Magath, most recently in charge at Fulham , has been watching the Rangers story unfold with some dismay over the last three years and decided to take a personal stake in the club towards the end of last year - city sources suggest it was around one per cent. He has long admired Rangers and believes they are a massive club who are ready to come good again, with the right guidance from the boardroom the training ground. He invested a chunk of his own wealth backing his belief that the only way for the club is up - and now he may be handed a chance to influence its future. It’s believed Magath impressed in talks as he outlined a vision that will completely restructure the club’s playing department from top to bottom. The 61-year-old has no desire to become first-team coach, but is ready to demand autonomy in putting in a structure from youth level upwards that will give the club the best chance of returning to the top, with a strong focus on developing talent. It will be based on the German model, with a focus on work ethic, technique and technical ability, underpinned by a proper European and worldwide scouting system. Magath believes he is the man to oversee it all, and reckons Murray Park is an ideal environment in which to develop younger, talented players after spending part of his pre-season training camp at the facility with Fulham last summer. Magath’s spell at Fulham may not have ended successfully but he has many admirers, not least in Germany where his way of guiding clubs was always successful, so long as coaches and his board went with his way of thinking From Hamburg to Nürnberg, to Bremen to Frankfurt he has won a reputation for stabilising and building successful structures and at Stuttgart he developed players such as Kevin Kuranyi, Philipp Lahm, Mario Gomez and Alex Hleb. He left Stuttgart for Bayern Munich and won the double twice in a row, but arguably his greatest achievement came seven years ago at Wolfsburg. They avoided relegation on the last day of the season in 2007, but the following year he took them to fifth and in 2009 won the title, earning the club a fortune in the process with the development of players such as Edin Dzeko, Zvjezdan Misimovic and Brazilian striker Grafite. He left the club the following season for Schalke 04 and his restructuring paid off immediately when they came second after finishing ninth the season before. He led them to the German cup final and the quarter-final of the Champions League but was still fired by the board in 2011 after a dispute over his methods. One German source said: “Felix does not care about names – he focuses only on performance and attitude, whether it is a star, an established player or a youngster. This is why he brought out so many young or unknown players.” Now he could be ready to weave his magic again as the Godfather of Govan in what would be one of the boldest and most audacious appointments in the history of the Scottish game. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ex-bayern-munich-boss-felix-magath-4945747
  14. It was to become the stuff of legend, the type of story normally reserved for a Roy of the Rovers comic book sketch. Ranger’s manager Willie Waddell was to take the ultimate gamble, replacing his injured and iconic inspirational captain, John Greig, with a raw 16 year old youngster who had made his professional debut only weeks earlier against Cowdenbeath. It was a particularly brave decision given the setting was the 1970 Scottish League Cup Final and Rangers opponents were arch rivals, Celtic. 90 minutes later the manager’s decision was to be completely vindicated as the 16 year old Derek Johnstone scored the only goal of the game, sending the light blue legions amongst the 106,000 crowd into rapture and thus heralding the end of a 4 year trophy drought. Who would argue that fortune does indeed favour the brave? Today’s Rangers fans yearn for that kind of bravery amongst our current management. The highly publicised departure of young starlet Charlie Telfer and his criticism of the lack of opportunity for youngsters at Ibrox should set alarm bells ringing. Sour grapes or valid criticism? Well despite League One being done and dusted early doors, Telfer only featured once, coming on as a substitute in the 4-0 defeat of Stenhousemuir. Was completing a season undefeated in a lower league really more important than the continual development of our youngsters? Alarmingly, the Telfer story is not an isolated one. Last year, centre half Stuart Urquhart, a captain of the Scotland Under 17 side, having held his own at Dumbarton whilst on loan (2 divisions above Rangers at the time) chose to depart the club despite not having any clear destination. His subsequent snapping up by Steven Pressley at Coventry City, himself a product of the Rangers youth system, adds a touch of irony to a fast developing farce. That orchestra of irony reached a crescendo this week with the departure of Lewis Macleod, one of our few “blooded youngsters,” in order to keep our club afloat. Those of us at Ibrox yesterday, watching the toiling of Lee McCulloch, were left to wonder if a nurtured and blooded Gasparotto, may well have spared some of the raised blood pressure caused by the inadequacy of our failing captain. The same could be said of Sinnamon as an alternative to Foster or McKay instead of Smith. In an age of “gardening leave” it’s clear our club is in dire need of a bold, green fingered horticulturist with a proven aptitude for the development of young seedlings.
  15. They're worried, make no mistake about it, not one single positive thing in Merlin's latest propaganda, which fills me with yet more confidence for our future - Transparency Required January 1, 2015 / billmcmurdo The remarks of Colin Kingsnorth upon Laxey’s sale of their shareholding in RIFC do not bode well for the future of the club. Kingsnorth seems to have a personal issue with Mike Ashley and hopes that the group he sold to will ramp up the opposition to Ashley in their new position as shareholders. With these intemperate comments, Kingsnorth has thrown petrol on an already ravaging fire and possibly kicked off a whole new era of turmoil at the club. Ashley’s position as Rangers’ major creditor, coupled with his having Derek Llambias in place, means that he still wields considerable power in the Ibrox boardroom, despite having a lesser shareholding than the Three Amigos. The problem for Rangers fans is what happens if the incoming group decides to go to war with the other factions for control of the club. This would make the boardroom battles of recent times look like an infant spat. If Ashley decides to fight for control of Rangers then things could get very nasty indeed. The Amigos as predicted took advantage of the plummeting price of Rangers’ shares to secure their stake. This has left a bitter taste in the mouth of many Rangers supporters considering it is the actions of those activist groups like the UoF and SoS who support Amigoco that have driven the share price down. It also doesn’t help that Taylor, Letham and Park have bought shares from an existing shareholder and that the monies do not go directly toward the club at a time when RFC is screaming for income. Let’s be fair – if people like Mike Ashley can be criticised for buying shares this way, so can the Amigos. Good for the goose, good for the gander and all that. There are also many fans who question the concept of chasing away a billionaire for people whose combined net worth comes nowhere close to his. The possibility that further bitter infighting could rip Rangers apart cannot be discounted. Imagine, for example, if Mike Ashley chose to take on the pointless rules of the SFA regarding his own shareholding with the Three Amigos supporting the SFA and conspiring against Ashley. An unthinkable prospect as there isn’t a Rangers fan alive who thinks that the SFA will act in Rangers’ best interests. Questions must be asked of the new shareholders – again, in the interests of parity with Ashley. Some of mine would be:- What are their plans – if they have any – to help raise revenues in the future? Short, mid and longer term would be great. What are their intentions in respect of control of the club? Do they intend to oust other factions and wrest control? What are their plans for the management, coaching and playing side of the club? How do they intend to take on the club’s many detractors in the media and elsewhere? These are broad stroke questions but more pointed ones would be how would they propose to deal with the present gardening leave situation of the manager and who specifically do they want on the board? It would also help if we could get a definite answer on whether or not George Letham is on the RST board. All in the interests of transparency, of course. The new shareholders will surely be willing to have exacted upon them the same demands for transparency and openness they expected of others. Mile Ashley’s seeming reticence to share his own plans has not served him well and only breeds suspicion. The Three Amigos would do well to heed this because they can definitely expect to be grilled repeatedly should they fail to be transparent in their own dealings. After all, we have been taught to expect much better from real Rangers men…
  16. I am seeing a rumour that Dave King has purchased Artemis shares "Dave King has purchased just under 12 million shares from Artemis. Equates to 14.57% of club."
  17. BRENTFORD are ready to spark a January transfer scramble for Rangers star Lewis Macleod. SunSport understands the Championship side are poised to make a £1million move for the Ibrox kid. And that could see a host of English clubs enter the bidding for the Scotland squad member. Macleod has caught the eye of Championship promotion hopefuls Bees. Rangers legend David Weir is No 2 there and is fully aware of the 20-year-old’s potential. But several other English clubs, including Premier League strugglers Burnley, are keen on the midfielder. Blackburn were also set to make a bid before being hit with a transfer ban.
  18. FORMER Rangers owner Sir David Murray and other directors will face no further action over the liquidation of the club's operating company, it has emerged. Former Rangers owner Craig Whyte is the the only former Ibrox executive to face legal moves to ban him as a director over the company's financial meltdown. Mr Whyte was banned from being a company director for 15 years in September after a judge heard his conduct in dealing with Rangers was "shocking and reprehensible". Whyte was previously banned from being a director for seven years. A second ban was sought by UK Business Secretary Vince Cable after Rangers' liquidation in 2012 and the subsequent liquidation of Whyte's firm, Tixway. The role played by all board directors of the club in the three years prior to the administration in of Rangers Football Club plc was looked at by the Insolvency Service's Investigations & Enforcement Directorate. The conduct of Sir David Murray, Rangers legend John Greig, former chief executive Martin Bain, former director Dave King and chairman Alistair Johnston all came under the microscope - but it is understood no further action is to be taken against anyone else. The Insolvency Service had two years from the point of insolvency in February 14, 2012 to start proceedings. But action has only been progressed against Mr Whyte over that period. The legal move to disqualify Mr Whyte came after a confidential report was submitted to the Department for Business Innovation and Skills by the Insolvency Service's investigators within six months of the club's operating company going into administration. The Secretary of State then decided it was in the public interest to seek a disqualification order over Craig Whyte only. Action can be taken against directors if their conduct has not been satisfactory leading to the disqualification of directors for periods of between two and 15 years. After the two years has expired, disqualification proceedings can only then be made against further individuals with a rare special application to the court and agency insiders say there has to be a "strong argument". However it is understood that there no such application has been made. That means that Mr Whyte is the only executive to face action over conduct from the liquidation of RFC 2012 plc, the new name given to the original operating company Rangers Football Club plc. Mr Whyte, who took over Sir David Murray's majority shareholding on May 6, 2011, was in 2000 disqualified to act as a director of for seven years. The investigators examined the £9 million PAYE and VAT debt to the taxman amassed when the oldco under Craig Whyte's leadership went into administration. Insolvency experts also said directors can be found guilty of misfeasance by giving ownership to someone who was not a fit and proper person. Mr Whyte bought Sir David Murray's majority shareholding in Rangers in May 2011, raised £24 million through selling off the rights to three years of supporters' season ticket money to London-based Ticketus to help complete his £1 share purchase agreement take*over of Rangers and pay off the club's £18m debt with Lloyds Banking Group. An independent Rangers board committee set up to review takeover offers, delayed Mr Whyte's buyout and expressed concern over "a lack of clarity" over the new owner's financial muscle, hours after he had completed his buyout. The committee was led by chairman Alistair Johnston, who was removed from the board later along with Paul Murray, who had launched a late rival takeover deal. The following October Rangers' non-executive directors, John Greig and John McClelland, who were members of the independent board, resigned from their posts at Ibrox saying that they had been isolated following Whyte's takeover. Mr Whyte was given the maximum ban possible in September following a petition raised on behalf of UK Business Secretary Vince Cable after the operating company went into liquidation. Lord Tyre said in a full judgment that Mr Whyte's conduct of the business was "characterised by dishonesty" in a case that "can be regarded as quite out of the ordinary". He said the Ticketus deal funded his acquisition of the club while failing to inform the members of Rangers' independent board committee who were tasked with negotiating the sale of the company. Lord Tyre said Mr Whyte "misrepresented" to them that the funds for purchase of the company were to be provided from his own resources and from the commercial activities of his British Virgin Islands- based Liberty Capital Limited firm. http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/h...gers.114970599
  19. Never thought I would see the day I posted on a football site on Xmas morning. However, morose at a houseful of snoring teenagers who refuse to get up at 6 am and behave like they did when they were wee, I have done a tribute to Ian Durrant. Merry Christmas everyone, may your mince pie forever be moist. Winter can be the cruelest season. Among footballers, Ian Durrant could certainly testify to that. This most gifted of Scottish players, an attacking midfielder some decades ahead of his time, was cut down in his prime in early winter, October 1988. A 'tackle' from an Aberdeen player (mentioning the name of the individual concerned would only confer a gravitas upon him which he doesn't deserve) saw the usual welcome for grace and skill in Scottish football: physical assault. Both as player and coach Durrant suffered torment on Rangers behalf; there can be few circles of Hell he is unfamiliar with after his more than 30 years at Ibrox. Just as that early winter 26 years ago saw the only real world class talent this country has produced for two generations crippled by the mediocrity which dominates then as now, the long delayed winter of 2014 has seen him unceremoniously dumped from his job as assistant manager to Ally McCoist to a role in charge of the club's under-20's. Winter can be the cruelest season. This demotion might not prove to be a bad thing, if Durrant is minded to accept the role. Always a larrikin, the performances of the first team over the last few years certainly suggest he, along with McCoist and McDowall, wasn't suited to training experienced pros. A big kid himself, he could conceivably be more effective at working with other kids. Even so, this demotion is not a classy way to treat a man who, had things been different, would almost certainly have moved to England and thence on to Europe - he was that good - and who was and is a Rangers fanatic. But if Durrant deserved better from the club, he also deserved better from the fans. No-one can argue that the team he helped create was rubbish, but some of the criticism was ridiculous. Durrant, like McCoist, only ever wanted to do the best by Rangers. Those who posted dark hints about money grabbing, uselessness and standing with arms folded did the man a huge disservice: when Ian Black puts yet another pass straight out of play, what coach on earth can teach him how to pass? A crap player is a crap player. Of course, the solution would be not to pick such dreck, which the management team singularly failed to do, but that wasn't Durrant's decision to make. Even so, a fan base which regularly slates Steven Naismith for betraying the club which 'stood by him' during injury - a spurious argument indeed, given the legally binding contract both sides signed - but which then turns around and berate someone who stood by the club for decades, has got some issues of consistency, to say the very least. Players need to stand by the club, they insist: but what about the other way, club to player? Or even more close to home, fan to player: what about that relationship? It only lasts as long as the times are good, does it? To suggest any player be immune from criticism would be ludicrous, but there's ways of criticising without forever destroying the special bond between fan and hero, especially when that hero was and remains a fan. Well, if the board is dysfunctional and at one remove from the fan base, I suppose it's hardly surprising that the support is dysfunctional and at one remove from club legends. On the whole I suppose this is a small matter, and there are far greater issues for Rangers fans to be thinking about, as the annual family pig out/fall out approaches. But we can't look back on Durranty's time at Ibrox with any great pride now, the way he's been treated. For some fans - not all - cutting one of our own a little slack and tempering criticism with respect was too much to ask, and that's deeply depressing. I hope anyone under say 40, who might not remember the slight, elusive midfielder with the huge mop of curly hair in action, will take to Youtube to see what the fuss was about. As much a reflection then of the national preference for hackers as he is a reflection now to our own failings, Durrant is something of an unlikely Alighieri, experiencing the various circles of Hell available to the Bluenose: McCoist an even more unlikely Virgil. But both have been through an inferno on our behalf, as players and then as staff. The least they deserve is our understanding.
  20. ...from SFA panel that includes.. Celtic boss Peter Lawwell. Dec 22, 2014 22:30 By Gary Ralston THE Ibrox club's new chief executive will have to set out the blueprint for the future of the club for an SFA group that will include his opposite number at Parkhead. DEREK LLAMBIAS will seek approval for Mike Ashley’s vision for the future of Rangers today from an SFA group that includes Peter Lawwell. The Celtic chief executive is a member of the SFA board that will meet with the new Rangers frontman at Hampden for talks on the way forward for the cash-strapped club. Rangers have been asked to detail the business plan and strategy behind any future investment from the Newcastle United owner. Llambias, who denied he’s on Ashley’s payroll at a stormy Rangers agm yesterday, declined to offer clarity on the Sports Direct tycoon’s involvement at Ibrox. He said: “I’m seeing the SFA and a clearer picture should emerge then.” The SFA board, which also includes chief executive Stewart Regan, president Campbell Ogilvie, Hibs chairman Rod Petrie and SPFL chairman Ralph Topping, have the power to veto any plans. They will be keen to hear if Ashley has ambitions to increase his shareholding or if he or any of his representatives plan to take up positions on the Ibrox board. There has been disquiet among fans about the involvement of Ashley under “dual interest” rules, which frown upon individuals holding key positions at two or more clubs. Strictly speaking, however, Article 13 of the SFA does not forbid Ashley having a sizeable stake in Rangers and Newcastle United, but he would require “prior written consent of the board” to increase his influence at Ibrox. The SFA board will hear Llambias’ blueprint and may ask for further details before giving their judgment on Ashley in the new year. The meeting today has been described as informal, but Llambias will be expected to shed light on a range of issues. He is likely to be asked, for example, why the Rangers board felt they had no option but to accept Ashley’s recent £2million loan when Brian Kennedy and Dave King had also come to the table with investment proposals. Lawwell’s involvement is an intriguing sideshow and, as talks progress, he may decide he is conflicted and step away from discussions. He recently admitted the absence of Rangers from the top flight of the Scottish game was costing his club £10million a year. However, an under-strength and under-funded Rangers effectively gives Celtic a free run at the Champions League each season and the riches it can provide. The talks with the SFA board are separate from the notice of complaint recently issued to Ashley and Rangers by an SFA judicial panel. Ashley and Rangers are accused of breaching an agreement he would not take control of the club and compliance officer Tony McGlennan acted after Ashley’s recent loans, totalling £3million, led to accusations he had been handed the keys to the door. Meanwhile, Rangers fans have urged Ashley to turn to Dave King or other wealthy Bluenose backers after supporters vetoed plans to open the club to £8million of fresh investment from non-shareholders. Only 45 per cent of shareholders backed a resolution aimed at inviting new investors into the club and it’s believed Ashley and the Easdale block voted against the proposals. Chris Graham of the Union of Fans said: “It’s disingenuous for the top table at the agm to recommend the resolution, only to apparently vote against it. “They clearly don’t want others to buy in without them having first interest. Legally, Dave King could still underwrite a new share offer and other backers, such as George Taylor in Hong Kong, have invested heavily recently. “I only hope Derek Llambias acknowledges the scale of the disconnect between club and fans displayed at the agm. He can have Ibrox half full for the foreseeable future or turn it round the other way. “Mike Ashley will still make money if outside investors come into the club.” Sandy Easdale refused to rule out involvement in future from the likes of King and Brian Kennedy. He told shareholders: “I’ve never dismissed any of these guys, they may yet be part of the future of this club.” Llambias, who stepped down as Newcastle managing director in June 2013, told shareholders he was committed to returning the club to the top of the Scottish game. Llambias added: “Not everything I do will be popular but everything I do will be in the club’s long-term interests. “We need financial stability off the pitch and great football on the pitch. We want to get Rangers back into the top flight and the Champions League. “That is our aim and hopefully next year I will give a much better speech.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/rangers-chief-derek-llambias-must-4859995?
  21. They are fooling around, Somers is extracting the urine. They put the shareholders in the away end and are pouring scorn on them. This is so not my club.
  22. RNS Number : 4108A Rangers Int. Football Club PLC 22 December 2014  Rangers International Football Club plc ("Rangers" or the "Company")
 
AGM Statement As previously announced, the Company's Annual General Meeting will be held at 10:30am today, Monday 22 December 2014, at Ibrox Stadium, 150 Edmiston Drive, Glasgow G51 2XD. Access will be through Exit 30 of the Broomloan Stand which is adjacent to turnstile 64. Shareholders will have access to the Albion car park with access to the Stadium footprint for disabled Blue Badge holders to park near the entrance. Shareholders are asked to arrive in good time from 9am in order to clear the registration process. Shareholders should bring the attendance card which was included with the Notice of AGM, posted to registered addresses on 28 November 2014. In the event that the attendance card is lost, Shareholders should bring some other form of ID (a credit/debit card will suffice). Shareholders whose shares are held in a nominee account with their stockbroker will need a Corporate Representative's letter (issued by the custodian of their shares) in order to be admitted. Non-shareholders including guests of shareholders, will not be admitted. The meeting will consider the 9 Resolutions set out in the Notice of AGM, each of which will be subject to a vote by Poll, which will be verified by Capita Registrars Limited. The result of these Resolutions will be released to the London Stock Exchange by no later than 7am on Tuesday 23 December 2014. At the AGM the Chairman, David Somers, will make the following statement: "Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen to this Annual General Meeting of Rangers International Football Club plc. It feels like years since I last stood in front of you and it is amazing that it is only just over 12 months. 12 months ago, as I had just joined the Rangers Board, I was given the impression that the Club had enough money to see it through the first few months to the season ticket window. Sadly, I quickly discovered that this was not the case. The Board then began metaphorically to take up all of the carpets; after which we were left with a very long list of legacy issues that needed to be sorted out, often as our finances would allow. So in the first few months, we reviewed all of the contracts, the finances and the legal issues, ending up with a long list of legacy issues that would need to be dealt with over time. Since then we have spent many months focusing on these legacy issues dealing with them one by one. To be honest, it is frustrating dealing with legacy issues, because you are effectively looking backwards during this time and dealing with issues you didn't create yourself. I know that most fans will not really be interested in such efforts, because it is not about football, but these legacy issues and contracts have had to be dealt with so that we can begin to move forward. I was always taught to be cautious, so I hesitate to say that we have dealt with all of these legacy issues, as whenever I think that, another legacy issue quietly appears, but we do seem to have addressed many or most of them. One of our biggest remaining legacy issues is the weak state of the Rangers finances. In the financial area, we have been fortunate that a number of people have supported us with loans during the last 12 months, namely Sandy Easdale, George Letham and Mash Holdings. I sincerely thank them for their support, which in some cases, has included their loans being interest free. In the early days, while developing our list of legacy issues to be addressed, Graham Wallace wrote a review, which became known as the 120 day review. In this he indicated a desire to spend £20-30 millions in reaching the top levels of Scottish and European football. After visits to various City institutions the Board believed that such a level of expenditure would be supported by the City institutions, and the then monthly rate of loss, would also be supported by the shareholders. In the event, this was discovered not to be the case, because when we came to raise funds through a share issue, we soon found that there was a lack of appetite from shareholders to invest significant extra funds just to pay wages and utility bills. Accordingly, we have moved to cut costs significantly. Like any household, Rangers can ultimately only spend what it earns and, as has been reported in the media, we have moved quickly to bring our costs down and much more in line with our income. Rangers Football Club has been living beyond its means for many years and much of the cost cutting and efficiency improvements should have been addressed years ago by previous boards when we were in the lower divisions. But they weren't, so we are doing it. A material part of our costs relate to player costs, however, and these can only be addressed over a long period of time because of the length of the contracts. These contracts are often measured in years, not months. In these past 12 months, I have been surprised at a number of things. Firstly, the highly negative aspect of most of the media reporting regarding Rangers. Secondly, because it is clear to me that a stronger Rangers is good for Scottish football, I have been very disappointed to realise that outside of Ibrox, there sadly still exists a great deal of anti- Rangers feeling, perhaps (although I hope not) even in the football establishment. Rangers return to the top flight of our game, I am sure you will agree, will be more easily achieved if everyone who cares about the Club works together for the betterment of Rangers. This turbulent year has seen people calling for a season ticket boycott, seen the disruptive creation of a season ticket trust for a while and other negative ideas. Such negativity is expensive for Rangers as it reduces season ticket and overall ticket sales, increasing the likelihood that I will have to borrow money to cover the shortfalls created. Our path to restoring Rangers to where we all want the Club to be, can only be achieved with the continued support of all supporters, shareholders and business partners. 2013/14 saw Rangers Football Club complete the second stage of our rise back to the top of Scottish football and the year also brought another vital component for a new Rangers to emerge for the future - a structured and measured approach to rebuilding the football club. An unbeaten SPFL League One campaign was an excellent return for Alistair, his staff and the players and they deserve our congratulations. While we were all ultimately disappointed to have been defeated in both the Ramsdens Cup Final and the William Hill Scottish Cup semi final, our fundamental objective of achieving promotion was comfortably achieved with a points total into three figures. I was delighted that the Board was able to further support the Manager in providing funds for the recruitment of nine players in 2013/14 and also in the period immediately after the end of the financial year when we brought Kenny Miller, Kris Boyd, Steve Simonsen and Lee Robinson back to the Club, together with the signings of Marius Zaliukas and Darren McGregor. While the success of any major football club will always be benchmarked by its first team, a strong Youth Academy is also an informative barometer of long-term health and well being. It is very pleasing to see the quality and quantity of young talent being nurtured at Murray Park. Last season our Under20s won the SFA Youth Cup and narrowly lost out in the title race in the final week of the campaign. 57 players from our Under 14 to Under 21 age groups were called into international squads and three more Murray Park Academy graduates made their first team debuts. The ladies and girls teams have come a long way in a short space of time, enjoying significant success. In season 2013, the Ladies reached the semi final of the Scottish Cup, The Under 17s team secured the league, Scottish Cup and League Cup treble, the U15s and U13s finished second in the leagues and a new U11s team has been introduced. Internationally, the Rangers ladies teams have contributed 22 players to the Scotland teams across all age groups. We are charting our future strategy in the five key areas of: • Developing Football Performance • Focus on Player Asset Management and Youth Development • Re-connecting effectively to our Local and Global Fan Base • Developing Best in Class Commercial and Operational Capability • Strengthening Commitment to our Communities The year also saw Rangers make the first, important steps towards building an effective programme of engagement with our fan base. Fans were contacted via email, SMS, online and at matchdays to assist in our Ready To Listen Initiative, showing we are serious about improving communications and dialogue with all supporters. Subsequent focus groups took place in Ibrox with feedback generated helping to shape the direction of the Club's fan engagement strategy. I think that we would all agree that we still have work to do in this area and one in which we must increase our endeavours. Although we have experienced difficult trading conditions, there have been a number of important and positive, developments in our fiscal position during the financial year. A 32% increase in total revenue from £19.1m to £25.2m was recorded in the year ending 30 June 2014, with the majority of the uplift due to the first full year of our retail venture with our long term partner Sports Direct. Reduced revenues from gate receipts and hospitality are down from £13.2m to £12.4m and were a direct result of the lower matchday attendances from both season ticket holders and walk-ins. This shortfall was offset by increased revenue from sponsorship and advertising up from £0.8m to £1.5m illustrating the improvements in the Rangers brand perception. Proceeds from ticket sales were also adversely impacted by the decision not to increase prices of either season or matchday tickets from the previous season. Season ticket sales were sadly down from 38,228 in 2012/13 to 36,039 in the 2013/14 financial year, resulting in a fall in revenue from £8.1m to £7.7m in financial years 2012/13 and 2013/14 respectively. Our average home league attendance also fell from 45,111 in the 2012/13 season to 41,444 in 2013/14. Other Operating Income rose from £1.7m to £2.1m, a 22% increase, mainly as a result of hosting both Scottish Cup Semi Finals and an increased associated uplift in matchday catering revenues. At this AGM, we are requesting permission from shareholders to enable us to issue shares to improve the long term financial stability of the Club. We were not able to last year and I sincerely hope, for the good of the financial stability and future of the Club, that it will be forthcoming this year. We are now increasingly looking forward. An immediate priority is to re-build the Board with suitably experienced people and this is already well underway. We also need to look at the football side for a number of reasons. Firstly, there has for some time existed a chasm between the talented young players being developed at Murray Park and our first team. We need to focus on ways of developing our own young players for the first team rather than continually buying-in players. Secondly, as you all know Ally has decided to resign and has given us the required 12 months notice of his intention to leave the Club, as of yesterday Ally is on gardening leave. Sadly, this year, one of our greatest ever supporters will not be with us on the rest of our long journey. In April we lost Sandy Jardine - a truly inspirational man and Ranger. I had the privilege of meeting him a number of times before he left us and I found him to be one of football's true gentlemen. Sandy will be forever revered and the re-naming of the Govan Stand in his memory is a fitting tribute to a truly wonderful person who cared so passionately about his Club. My personal goals remain what they were 12 months ago. Namely to ensure that the events of Rangers' recent past can never happen again; to cleanse the Club of these events, and also to ensure that Rangers gets back to the top in football. I now recognise that we will not get much support outside of Ibrox for this; we have to do it ourselves. And we will. Last year I said that I was proud to be Chairman of Rangers. I will repeat that again today, because I genuinely believe it is a privilege to be in this position." http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12192436.html
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.