4.8 and rising

Tuesday, 12 April 201115 years of Press lickspittlery complicit in bringing Rangers to the edge of the abyss
For the past year or so the financial difficulties facing Rangers FC have been widely, if not accurately, publicised. The average Scottish football fan could be forgiven for assuming that the problems emerging in the media are a recent phenomenon. In reality, Rangers have been facing a monolothic debt problem for the best part of a decade, however the Scottish media has played it's part to the full in pandering to their Ibrox masters by obfuscating, spinning and covering up the debt issue whilst at the same time indulging each and every utterance from David Murray as the herald of a new dawn of moonbeams.

The irony here is that Rangers' current predicament is one that only the Establishment Club could be faced with. One only needs to look back to the period 1993-94 to realise that no other Scottish club would be indulged to such a degree in the face of such financial mis-management. Back in 1993, the cracked Celtic club crest was a daily feature of almost every newspaper, one particular tabloid taking great delight in hiring a hearse for a photo opportunity outside Celtic Park.

Debt figures were the source of frenzied speculation in newspapers who also moved to deride the Celtic board's proposal for a new stadium development in Cambuslang. Reporters managed to track down the office of the London-based private equity firm who the board claim were financing the project - Gefinor - and gleefully reported their denial of involvement in any such project.

In the end, this worked in Celtic's favour as it helped mobilise the Celtic support in the face of such stark realities.

Fast forward to 2011, and we have Moira Gordon of the Scotsman telling us that the media are too busy (presumably condemning Neil Lennon) to investigate either the HMRC case or Craig Whyte's background of which, virtually nothing has been revealed in the press.

Well as they fret over the future of their beloved Queen's XI, the Laptop Loyal can console themselves with the knowledge that their role as PR arm of the club and mouthpiece for Sir Minty Moonbeams latest cunning plan, has succeeded in cocooning the Rangers support from impending disaster until the brink of oblivion has finally been reached.

For this I thank you.

Don't buy it? Well cast your eyes over some of the finest lickspittlery to be found across the globe. Fox News, Pravda and Goebbels could only marvel at such feats of propaganda.

Jim Traynor features prominently.

Make sure you have at least an hour to spare, and it would be a good idea to have a sick bucket handy...

http://celticparanoia.blogspot.com/2011/04/15-years-of-press-lickspittlery.html

Round 6

The trend will carry on as usual on Sunday, when Celtic will own Ranjurs yet again, for the 4th time this year. The Scottish Parliament and police have been sticking their oar in recently, one for the reason of an election and the other trying to make a sad case for themselves, because they are going to be hit with a load of cuts like the rest of us.
The police are a joke and everyone in Scotland knows their allegiances. Just over 20 years ago when I was leaving school, one of the last jobs a Roman Catholic could get, would be to join the police force. It was a closed shop and the only way in, was a protestant upbringing and a family with masonic connections. They have opened their doors since then, because they had to, just like Rangers had to start signing Roman Catholics as well. These police have had 20 years to do something about the sectarian and racist chanting from the Ranjurs support, but they have chosen to turn a blind eye.
The police have been sticking themselves up as some sort of pillars recently, any chance they can they are on the TV or radio, spouting garbage about domestic abuse, assaults and anti social behaviour statistics. What they don't say, is that these figures rise when Celtic BEAT Ranjurs and not only when they say' when we play them'.
The only reason there has been problems between the teams recently, is that Celtic are totally dominating them in every aspect of the game and they just can't take it.
We hear of a sectarian problem in Scotland between the teams, but only one of the teams constantly spout sectarian chants and songs, and you've guessed it, it is Ranjurs,'the peepul' as they call themselves and no-one likes them they don't care, but they really do.
Sunday will be no different. Celtic will win, they will be racist and sectarian, will not take their beating lightly and take their issues home with them.
It's the way it is with them.
Celtic on the other hand are a joyous bunch, who will back their team through thick and thin, but sometimes embarrassingly so, through the skinny times. Our songs are about the team, players, heritage and the main one that seems to be catching on everywhere else 'I just can't get enough' which will again be rubbed into their noses on Sunday.
The HFA nad refereeing fraternity don't want Walter Myths last year to be a trophy-less failure, so we still have to beware the honest mistake, which evidently cropped up last weekend when Kilmarnock never got a stonewall penalty in the last minute at Ipox against Ranjurs.

What will I be betting ?
A Celtic victory in 90 minutes, obviously. Current odds 2.3.
The betting is roughly the same as last nights PSV Ranjurs game with the outcome and gulf in class being similar also.
They are crying about their injury situation, but Celtic were a lot worse off in January when we went to Ipox and owned the 2 0.
Their fans are getting tired of Walter Myth and his negative 5 man defence, with 1 up front, but if they go 4 at the back and 2 up, they will be royally pumped below the chin rest.
Other bets.
Bougherra to get at least booked and possibly sent off. He should have been sent off last night after a few ridiculous lunges, along with a couple of blatant dives. This guy looks to be more mentally unstable than Balotelli, as he should have been sent off in the last 6 Celtic games, but he seems to mostly get away with murder. That's why the toys came out of the pram in the last Celtic game as his carte blanche seemed to have expired and he couldn't believe it.
I always back Gary Hooper for the first goal when he is a decent price and he won't let us down on Sunday and I will also double up with 3 0 and 3 1.

After a Rangers night of shame, the Scottish press are falling over each other to use the slur 'Old Firm'. This is a derogatory term which is used to give Rangers some sort of equal footing and lump them in with their benchmark, Celtic.
Yet again, the disgraceful Rangers fans constantly sang racist and bigoted songs all through the game, even though most are illegal, which should have resulted in the Rangers supporting police moving in to arrest them. Also, the Rangers supporting SFA will also sweep this under the carpet, just like their Rangers supporting press.

http://www.thedrum.co.uk/news/2011/03/01/19174-scottish-press-accused-of-overlooking-offensive-football-songs-at-rangers-match/

RANGERS HAVE TO BE WARNED AT THE START OF EVERY ROUND. Says anti-racist expert

http://www.philmacgiollabhain.com/rangers-have-to-be-warned-at-the-start-of-every-round-says-anti-racist-expert/#more-906

After Sunday, where I managed to get it a bit wrong, we will bounce back and do this mob tonight. Euan Norris, Sundays ref, gave the 3 Motherwell cloggers in the middle of the park, carte blanche to boot anything in green and white. The tackle early doors by Forbes on Wilson (which will probably keep Wilson from playing tonight and the near future) was a straight red offence and he never even got booked. Cue the Motherwell players committing 4 and 5 tackles before their booking and in Forbes case, a few more after, before a strategic hooking by the Alky. If 1 0 wasn't enough and too close for comfort, the ref and lino threw in an honest mistake with a ridiculous penalty, where Lasley kicked the ground.
Back to tonight's game for which I am leaving in 5 minutes.
Celtic are far too strong for these cretins.
We will play 4 4 2 with Sammy and Hooper up front and I am going first goal Hooper with a small interest on Sammy.
The less evolved will play 5 4 1 with Bartley (young midden) protecting Old Man Weir (old midden). Their only weapon of attack will be a long diagonal ball to their 1 up front. Kayal is back for Celtic and he will use the disease like Andrex after a toilet break. They will obviously try and boot their way to extra time, so we pray for a ref who will desist from honest mistakes and at least look fair, as we know he can't actually be fair or he would instantly be sacked by the sectarian influence withing the SFA.

Today, we got to Fir Park, Motherwell. They call themselves a family club, but the abuse we get there is a mini version of what Rangers dish out, which makes gubbing them all the sweeter.
Loads of stories flyiing about today on Rangers and their impending administration. I personally hope they don't go that way, as death by 1000 cuts is more enjoyable for us to watch. There again was no mention of their Tommy Burns song, which is highly unsurprising, but they do have another one of their famous Juan Guy stories to either tar the Celtic support or excuse the Rangers fans e.g. Reyna and the Vilareal team bus.
Back to today's game.
Stuart McCall has already shown his true colours by taking his side to Ipox and laying down for a comfy 6 0 defeat and subsequently going to Pitodrie a few days later and winning 2 1. Motherwell are well clear of relegation, but we would prefer them not to get into the top 6, as they will get out the sun lounger for another Rangers game. As for relegation, it looks like a toss up between St Mirren and Hamilton, both who I would shed no tears. Hamilton went to Aberdeen in the week and took all of 24 fans, 21 of which had complimentary tickets, so I would say they deserve to go down with a fan base like that.
Beram Kayal came off last week with a slight twinge and is close to suspension, so I would bring in Ki as his replacement, but I would also like to see Brown moved in to the centre to wipe his backside with that hateful little git Keith Lasley, who will definitely get booked today, but only after a good few bad challenges before hand, probably on Ki. Will Stokes be brought back in for Sammy ? If Hooper plays up front with Sammy, then I will defo bet him for first goalscorer. If Stokes place, there is slightly less of a chance of Hooper notching first as Stokes isn't as much of a team player and is constantly put through by Hooper. Big Dan is suspended at the back, so Rogne will slip in beside Mulgrew and hopefully another clean sheet beckons.
Anyway, Hooper for first goal and us scoring at least 3 or 4.

If the Glasgow Rangers ever win the Coronation Cup - they will be the 2nd Scottish club ever to do so.
If they ever beat their deadliest rivals 7-1 in a major domestic cup final - they will be the 2nd Scottish club ever to do so.
If they ever reach the European Cup Semi-Final 4 times - they will be the 2nd Scottish club ever to do so.
If they ever win every competition they enter in one season - they will be the 2nd Scottish club ever to do so.
If they ever reach the European Cup Final - - they will be the 2nd Scottish club ever to do so.
If they ever reach the European Cup Final with eleven home bred Scots - they will be the 2nd Scottish club ever to do so.
If they ever reach the European Cup Final twice - they will be the 2nd Scottish club ever to do so.
If they ever WIN the European Cup - they will be the 2nd Scottish club ever to do so.
Having won 9-in-a-row - it must be a great feeling to know that for the NINTH TIME IN A ROW - you are and always will be 2nd

This week in Portugal, Scotlands Shame FC managed to paper over some huge cracks by escaping with a result from Lisbon. This isn't enough for a large portion of their fans, as they again let themselves, club and country down with their unacceptable bigoted, racist and downright sewer rat behaviour.
The link below shows the grief on the faces of Ally McCoist and Walter Smith at their friend Tommy Burns funeral.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1020757/Rangers-legend-McCoist-weeps-Celtic-hero-Tommy-Burns.html

The next link shows Rangers fans in Lisbon singing songs about Tommy Burns. This was shown on Portuguese News and although sung in Scotland by Shame FC fans, our reporters still haven't mentioned it in any press.

http://www.rtp.pt/noticias/?t=Adeptos-do-Glasgow-Rangers-em-Portugal-para-enfrentar-Sporting.rtp&headline=20&visual=9&article=419326&tm=27

We expect UEFA to launch an investigation into the sectarian singing at the Sporting game, so let's hope their previous misdemeanours are taken into account.

MIH, the Irish Republic connection and Lloyds






Our thanks to Victor Arbuckle from Celtic Minded for today’s piece on the evermore confusing issue of ownership and control at Rangers.  While not directly related to our own challenges, this is a salutary lesson in what can happen when financial problems creep up on football clubs:

Murray International Holdings Ltd (MIH) have submitted an AR-01 file to Companies House.  This is a mandatory filing and is updated annually to provide information about the share capital of a company.

If viewed with just a cursory glance, Sir David Murray appears to retain 70% ownership of the voting shares, and to control the company.  However, a closer look provides a very different insight.  He appears to have lost control of the business which he named after himself and built from the ground up.  His shareholding in this company formed the basis for the bombastic estimates of personal wealth that have littered Scotland’s newspapers for over a decade.

Even for those with an eye for minutiae, the complex web of off-shore trusts into which he has placed the ownership of his MIH shares can be mind-numbing.  To cut a long story short, 95% of David Murray’s MIH shares have been transferred to a company called IFG Holdings (CI) Ltd.  This is an offshore trust company which is one of many created by the Irish Republic-based IFG Group.  Among other things, offshore trusts can be difficult for tax inspectors and litigants to pursue.

It is fascinating to learn that one of the directors of the company that today nominally owns Rangers FC plc (through its majority holding in MIH) is a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, Declan Kenny.  Rangers FC have come a long way under Sir David Murray.  Prior to Murray’s involvement, Declan would have been an unlikely trialist at Rangers.  Today, Declan nominally owns the club!

The idea of one of Scotland’s best known businessmen ’caching’ his shares in one of Scotland’s best known businesses in an offshore trust provides food for speculation about his fears for the future. While it is impossible to guess David Murray’s true reasons for placing his MIH shares in a trust, it is not too difficult to imagine that he fears the worst regarding Rangers’ tax case.  If Rangers lose the case for the amounts HMRC are claiming, the club would almost certainly have to file for administration.  Is it possible that Sir David fears for his personal wealth in the blowback of such an event?

However, what is really interesting about the recent filing is the revelation that Lloyds Banking Group’s private equity arm, Uberior Equity Ltd, not only owns 30% of MIH’s voting shares, but holds 165 million convertible preference shares.  MIH currently has approx. 17.5 million shares outstanding.

Therefore, if Lloyds choose to exercise their conversion rights, the preference shares will become voting shares and Sir David Murray’s shareholding would be diluted to just 7%.  Prior to this, these preference shares will enable Lloyds to take dividend income from any free cash flow generated.  This development puts Lloyds in control of MIH in everything except name.

It is actually a very shrewd solution to the MIH problem for Lloyds.  It gives them all of the levers they need to control the business without having to consolidate MIH’s accounts with their own.  So rather than have their own annual financial results damaged by further bad news in the UK commercial property sector, they can keep these assets “off balance sheet” until such time as they can be sold or consolidated to show a healthy profit.  Having borne almost all of the risk of Sir David’s foray into the property market, they may feel entitled to almost all of the future gains should a profit eventually become realisable.

With the recent share transactions to cleanse the MIH balance sheet of assets related to another of David Murray’s vehicles for funding Rangers (MSL technically owed MIH £60m but had no income and no possibility of ever paying this money) MIH now owns about 87% of Rangers FC.

So, taking this altogether, when Walter Smith says that “Rangers are being run by the bank” it is no longer just a simplistic way of saying that they have to do what the bank manager says- it is true in everything but name and can become literally true at the drop of a hat.

David Murray now effectively has no say in what happens at Rangers and the ability of the bank to dilute him down to just 7% ownership of Rangers’ parent company makes him yesterday’s man.  The AR-01 form does not specify any conditions around converting the preference shares to voting stock, but it seems unlikely that Lloyds put would barriers in their own way.