ian1964 10,411 Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 RANGERS supremo Craig Whyte last night turned on boardroom enemy Alastair Johnston and told him: You're yesterday's man. Whyte broke his silence on the damaging boardroom feud at Gers with a stinging broadside at former Ibrox chairman Johnston. And he rapped: "Alastair Johnston has his opinion but he is yesterday's man and he is irrelevant to Rangers now. "He is not someone we will ever deal with again. "I took a lot of flak from him and others when the deal was being done but why should I get involved in a slanging match then? I feel I retained my dignity. "Every time I sat down with Alastair he was extremely nice to me then he goes and stabs me in the back." Whyte was infuriated by a report in one of our fading rivals accusing him of preparing to raid season ticket money to buy players. He said: "What we were doing was the OPPOSITE of what we were accused of." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3647204/Whyte-Youre-nobody-Johnston.html#ixzz1PnojQ5jR 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian1964 10,411 Posted June 20, 2011 Author Share Posted June 20, 2011 CRAIG WHYTE owned Rangers for just one hour and 15 minutes when the dagger plunged home. After a draining nine-month saga he had finally seized control of the Ibrox side on Friday May 6 and the takeover had been announced to a waiting Gers support at 7pm. Then at 8.15pm the independent committee appointed within Rangers to approve any successor to Sir David Murray made a bombshell statement. Chairman Alastair Johnston, chief executive Martin Bain, financial director Donald McIntyre, former supremo John McClelland and club legend John Greig all put their names to a stinging communique. The statement posted on the club's website cast massive doubt on Whyte's credibility as the new Mr Rangers. He was castigated as the boardroom five said they had deep suspicions that Whyte could not fund the summer swoops new boss Ally McCoist needed for his squad. In Govan street terms they told the fans that Craig Whyte was worth watching. It was unprecedented. Now as he settles into the Gers hotseat, Whyte has spoken for the first time of his take on the night of the long knives in an exclusive interview with SunSport. He now sees that statement as the work of men stabbing him in the back and he rapped: "I knew that statement was coming but it was a completely outrageous thing to do. "They had their own financial motivations and that's what was behind that move. "But you know what? It simply made me more determined to make this takeover a success." Whyte's financial background in the cut-throat world of London's Square Mile means he is well used to the often brutal world of business. Yet the days that followed that statement left him sickened as, one by one, the men involved tried to insist they'd had nothing to do with trying to discredit him. He sighed: "The next day many of them tried to disassociate themselves from that, which was bizarre "They should have left with dignity and I did not see the point in Alastair Johnston and the director Paul Murray delaying their resignations from the board either. "That was just the game they were playing. I was surprised that people who say they have Rangers' best interests at heart would behave the way they did. "Alastair Johnston and others were hoping that I would go away and they could get the club for themselves for nothing." For now chief executive Martin Bain and financial director Donald McIntyre remain suspended from club duties as Rangers continue an internal investigation into the previous regime. Privately Whyte will always remain puzzled by Bain's actions as the respected administrator had a place guaranteed in the new hierarchy - until he played a part in that bombshell statement that rubbished the takeover. Bain and McIntyre are FINISHED at Gers, Johnston is back living life in the States and working for sports management company IMG. There is no question Bain had the unswerving support and faith of former manager Walter Smith and that he helped to steer the club through some of the most testing times in their recent history. His departure is a loss to Rangers but one that Whyte insists they can cope with. Instead, as he moves ahead with the new era, the Gers owner paid tribute to a man painted by the hardcore Rangers fans as the enemy within. Respected business turn-around specialist Donald Muir - a diehard Gers fan and close pal of former manager Alex McLeish - was tasked by former owner Murray with reining in the club's spiralling debts and making them a buyable commodity again. Whyte insists that without the work of Muir and trusted Murray lieutenant Mike McGill his takeover simply wouldn't have happened. He told the Gers fans: "Donald Muir and Mike McGill were fantastic throughout the whole deal. "Without them this deal wouldn't have gone through. Donald Muir is a Rangers fan who did what he had to do at a difficult time for the club. "The decisions he made were in Rangers' best interests. "If the debts had remained at �£35million or �£40m it would have been very difficult for this deal to have been done. "At �£18m it was manageable, but not at any more than that. "The previous board wanted to increase the debt and you have to wonder about the logic and the motivation of doing that. "Rangers simply have to be a commercial operation for the long-term benefit of the club. "Manchester City are currently someone's plaything, but what happens when he gets sick of that? "I don't want that for Rangers." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3646990/The-backstabbers.html#ixzz1PnpjPr3m 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tumshie RFC 0 Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 I've like everything that I've heard from Craig Whyte so far but action speaks louder than words. However, I think he has made a good start 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waltersgotstyle 297 Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 the man speaks sense 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dutchy Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 Never mind Johnson being a nobody, he was hardly ever anywhere near the place. Seems to have found a lot of opinions after what he was employed to do happened. Namely, to find a buyer. Bit of a bampot really! 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
54andcounting 0 Posted June 20, 2011 Share Posted June 20, 2011 I'm still on the fence regarding Craig Whyte....actions DO speak louder than words, but what exactly has he done so far other than sack and slag people? He comes across as having Rangers at heart - let's hope we are not being lead down 'the garden path' - He now has the power, that doesn't neccessary mean power to the people. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluedell 5,329 Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Why is a problem for Bain and McIntyre to put their names to the statement and not McClelland and Greig? As for Bain and McIntyre, I fail to see how it would ever have benefited them personally by putting their names to it. Surely it's exactly the opposite? They took their responsibilities as directors seriously and jeopardised their own positions. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GovanAllan 0 Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Why is a problem for Bain and McIntyre to put their names to the statement and not McClelland and Greig? As for Bain and McIntyre, I fail to see how it would ever have benefited them personally by putting their names to it. Surely it's exactly the opposite? They took their responsibilities as directors seriously and jeopardised their own positions. Jobs for the boys I think they seriously believed it would stop the takeover going ahead (just shows you how much of a muppet he is) you try slagging off the new boss in writing just before he takes over and see where it gets you. Left Whyte with no option they all had to go or he would be watching his back all day. McCelland is a strange one unless he went on bender knees to ask to stay. Greig because he's Greig. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stimpy 0 Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I'm still on the fence regarding Craig Whyte....actions DO speak louder than words, but what exactly has he done so far other than sack and slag people? He comes across as having Rangers at heart - let's hope we are not being lead down 'the garden path' - He now has the power, that doesn't neccessary mean power to the people. I think we all expected him to bin several of the board but he is possibly showing signs of inexperience with the public speaking. It does however show signs that he will not let anything go unanswered. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluedell 5,329 Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Jobs for the boys I think they seriously believed it would stop the takeover going ahead (just shows you how much of a muppet he is) They aren't stupid so there's no way they thought that they were stopping the takeover. 0 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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