Generic Sevco / Rangers meltdown thread

[PatHead]

For anyone who can't open the link. Best most succulent lamb I have read.

Today’s the day the taxman, in the shape of HMRC, said not only will he not be walking away from Rangers, but that they, the HMRC, “are the people”. And the people not only want their money back from this catastrophically mismanaged “football club”, but now they want to come after the men who reduced the once proud name of Ibrox to a pathetic byword for toxic governance.
And that is the real story.
It is not often that you are on holiday and find your plans are interrupted by the Voice of the Taxman, and it is hardly ever anything but bad news, I would imagine. But I have to report barely concealed joy and enthusiasm from my contact in HMRC who once memorably told me, referring to Rangers Football Club: “Remember our Eleventh Commandment, Alex – Thou Shalt Not Get Away With It.”
Not the kind of language HMRC regularly employs, but Rangers was always going to be big for them. Very big. An example. A test case. A litmus test. Take your image, but you get their drift.

So now it is all about a proper investigation. Bluntly, a CVA (company voluntary arrangement) would have allowed far too much to be simply swept under the carpet. Years of evidence, allegations, arguably an entire Ibrox culture of funny money and living beyond everyone’s means, can, as the HMRC put it this morning “now be properly investigated – and let me say there is no way we could have done that under any proposed CVA deal”.
When the CVA was proposed down at Portsmouth FC, the taxman was promised all kinds of phone number figures from any amount of whacky offshore accounts etc and guess what? Yes – they got a fraction of nowt out of it, in the end.
They were not minded at all to go down the same route this time.
In short, this is a warrant for the proper, detailed, lengthy and forensic investigation of just what David Murray, and to some extent Craig Whyte, were doing at Rangers and – yes – all those men who walked away from the club they professed to cherish and love and have run from any serious kind of questions ever since in the celebrated style of Glasgow football, largely unencumbered by any pursuit and awkward questions from the compliant press of that city who cannot handle the idea that Rangers was after so many years too corrupted to survive liquidation.
Well, now it is time to get used to the truth and reality so widely predicted and investigated online and by those notable journalists in broadcasting and papers around Glasgow who bucked the trend. They can all hold their heads high today after all the years of abuse.
The succulent lamb just went off. The stench will hang around Rangers for years to come.
So a CVL (creditors’ voluntary liquidation) is, the HMRC believes, a way of taking the gloves off, and getting to grips with, the former directors which a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) could never have done, in their view.
Getting away with it just became very, very much more difficult for all the directors involved with Rangers over the past 15 years or so, and nobody – least of all Rangers fans – can possibly do anything but welcome that fact, whatever it means for the club.
Today HMRC said this: “A CVL is the statutory process whereby a company’s assets are realised by an insolvency practitioner (the liquidator – BDO in this case it seems) and paid out to its creditors. If there is not enough to pay creditors in full after the costs of the liquidation, they will receive only a proportion of their claims. The directors and employees of the company play no part in the liquidation.”
Moreover, the actions across recent months of administrators Duff & Phelps might well now come under scrutiny. Given some of the more bizarre twists and turns, it would be astonishing if they did not.
The HMRC again: “Liquidators are required by regulatory best practice to undertake a certain minimum level of investigation into the actions of the directors of the company in the run up to its liquidation. These investigations may reveal legal actions which only liquidators can take whereby directors can be ordered by the court to compensate the company in respect of any wrongdoings they may have committed during the pre-liquidation period. If the liquidator considers it economic to pursue such actions he will do so. ”
Not only that. There are wide powers to investigate and take actions against directors including –
- Wrongful trading: directors can be ordered to make a payment to the company if they continue incurring debt at a time they should reasonably have known the company could not avoid going into liquidation.
- Transaction at an undervalue: where a director has caused an asset to be transferred to a connected party for less than its true value at a time when the company was insolvent, the asset can be transferred back to the company or the person benefitting can be ordered to compensate the company. An example would be a director buying his own company car for £1.
- Preference: where a director has paid someone with the intention of making them better off in the event of a liquidation than they would otherwise have been then they can be ordered to pay compensation to the company. An example would be a director causing the company to pay a debt that he had personally guaranteed so he would not have to meet that debt himself when the company goes into liquidation.
- Misfeasance: this covers a wide variety of breaches of duty by directors. Duties of directors are set out in the companies act and include such matters as putting the company’s interests first, and not taking account of the director’s personal interests.
And just to top it off, under the liquidation the liquidators also now have all kinds of powers to get information from directors and others with inside knowledge of the football club, and they can use the courts to do it if they have to.
Or to put it another way, Rangers directors of the recent past can run from the questions, if they like – but hiding would be futile.
So the HMRC are pretty much where they want to be in all this. And anyone who believes that if you try to thwart the taxman, they should come after you, will no doubt agree.
Questions therefore for several Scottish MSPs and First Minister Alex Salmond to answer about their blatant political interference with the HMRC – several MSPs blatantly and publicly attempting to pressure the taxman away from any liquidation. I know from sources within HMRC that basically all they managed to achieve was to antagonise the taxman who simply wanted everyone to play by the rules and for there to be no special case, no exceptions and no special pleadings.
At the time when Channel 4 News dared question whether or not their actions might not be counter-productive, given that Holyrood has no powers over HMRC, the hue and cry from said MSPs and Mr Salmond’s minders was long and loud. I wonder if they are re-examining their actions today?
And then there’s the football side of things, for Rangers did also masquerade as a football club during the long years of apparently being a casino. In immediate terms -
1. Rangers will be banned from European competition for three years.
2. Most of their players can and will leave in the coming weeks often – many having no doubt had enough of doing their bit on wage cuts of up to 75 per cent.
3. The club still faces the Big Tax Case tribunal decision laughingly due “soon after Easter”, and on that the HMRC still have no news, this could see Rangers face a further tax bill of up to £70m in dues and penalties.
4. The Scottish Premier League will soon run out of excuses to not report on its investigation into alleged wrongful player registration which, if the club is found guilty as charged, could see the club losing much of its silverware won over the past decade or so.t
5. The liquidation makes it even more difficult for both the Scottish Premier League and its appeal body the Scottish Football Association to readmit and license Rangers to play in the Scottish Premier League.
6. Despite the Green consortium’s lofty statements about buying the club’s assets, there is no guarantee that they will in fact be bought up as a job lot. There is no guarantee about simply playing on at Ibrox. There are, as things stand, few guarantees in terms of the asset sale at all.
It is hard to see any way forward with any kind of probity except starting a clean sheet at the foot of the Third Division in Scotland and playing their way back, thereby sending a message across the sporting world, at last, that some things matter more than money – even in football.
And that is what many Rangers fans – for so long ignored in all this and the people most badly sold down the river by those who “managed” their club – want to see happen. To that extent they are the people, the people who matter, and, unlike all their directors, they did not walk away and they will not.

[ScottB]

Celtic have had thousands of season ticket holders write to them to tell them they will not renew if Rangers return. They will have to vote No, their fans would never accept otherwise.

We will vote No, all Petrie's statements indicate that.

St Mirren you would think would say No, St Johnstone, like us, have suffered to stay financially viable, you'd hope they'd vote No. Beyond that, maybe the Dons and United vote No. Motherwell I have no idea, Killie will vote yes, Inverness maybe, Ross County will probably vote Yes, Hearts probably will too really. Obviously Rangers will too.

[GreenCastle]

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I think their joint sponsors would have a thing or two to say about it.

The fans might hate each other but the two clubs work together on a number of things and I just can't see them voting against them.

There's a lot of money and interest in the Old Firm aspect too - and long term I think they would be bored walking a league every year.

The rest of the SPL doesn't need Rangers, but Celtic do.

The sponsor part is interesting - both being sponsored by Tennants and the T.V deal would have to be re-negotiated but not sure what other sponsorship deals they share?

The final piece in bold I still think is a media myth - I don't think they would get bored winning the league every year and getting more rich than Rangers while they play catch up - like I said when signing players they could pretty much guarantee them Champions League football and players wouldn't have to choose between Rangers or Celtic it would just be Celtic.

[johnrebus]

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As I said above, D&P will still be administrators. Plan B will be put into operation.

Their fees are secured.

Duff & Phelps are still under investigation by their own regulatory body for possible conflict of interest.


Still feel they may get their ***** felt for mess they have made.

[Moody Mulder]

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The sponsor part is interesting - both being sponsored by Tennants and the T.V deal would have to be re-negotiated but not sure what other sponsorship deals they share?

The final piece in bold I still think is a media myth - I don't think they would get bored winning the league every year and getting more rich than Rangers while they play catch up - like I said when signing players they could pretty much guarantee them Champions League football and players wouldn't have to choose between Rangers or Celtic it would just be Celtic.

Any future Celtic player maybe guaranteed PRE Qualifying CL Football bit they don't make the group stages all that often

[Billie Jo]

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For anyone who can't open the link. Best most succulent lamb I have read.

Today’s the day the taxman, in the shape of HMRC, said not only will he not be walking away from Rangers, but that they, the HMRC, “are the people”. And the people not only want their money back from this catastrophically mismanaged “football club”, but now they want to come after the men who reduced the once proud name of Ibrox to a pathetic byword for toxic governance.
And that is the real story.
It is not often that you are on holiday and find your plans are interrupted by the Voice of the Taxman, and it is hardly ever anything but bad news, I would imagine. But I have to report barely concealed joy and enthusiasm from my contact in HMRC who once memorably told me, referring to Rangers Football Club: “Remember our Eleventh Commandment, Alex – Thou Shalt Not Get Away With It.”
Not the kind of language HMRC regularly employs, but Rangers was always going to be big for them. Very big. An example. A test case. A litmus test. Take your image, but you get their drift.

So now it is all about a proper investigation. Bluntly, a CVA (company voluntary arrangement) would have allowed far too much to be simply swept under the carpet. Years of evidence, allegations, arguably an entire Ibrox culture of funny money and living beyond everyone’s means, can, as the HMRC put it this morning “now be properly investigated – and let me say there is no way we could have done that under any proposed CVA deal”.
When the CVA was proposed down at Portsmouth FC, the taxman was promised all kinds of phone number figures from any amount of whacky offshore accounts etc and guess what? Yes – they got a fraction of nowt out of it, in the end.
They were not minded at all to go down the same route this time.
In short, this is a warrant for the proper, detailed, lengthy and forensic investigation of just what David Murray, and to some extent Craig Whyte, were doing at Rangers and – yes – all those men who walked away from the club they professed to cherish and love and have run from any serious kind of questions ever since in the celebrated style of Glasgow football, largely unencumbered by any pursuit and awkward questions from the compliant press of that city who cannot handle the idea that Rangers was after so many years too corrupted to survive liquidation.
Well, now it is time to get used to the truth and reality so widely predicted and investigated online and by those notable journalists in broadcasting and papers around Glasgow who bucked the trend. They can all hold their heads high today after all the years of abuse.
The succulent lamb just went off. The stench will hang around Rangers for years to come.
So a CVL (creditors’ voluntary liquidation) is, the HMRC believes, a way of taking the gloves off, and getting to grips with, the former directors which a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) could never have done, in their view.
Getting away with it just became very, very much more difficult for all the directors involved with Rangers over the past 15 years or so, and nobody – least of all Rangers fans – can possibly do anything but welcome that fact, whatever it means for the club.
Today HMRC said this: “A CVL is the statutory process whereby a company’s assets are realised by an insolvency practitioner (the liquidator – BDO in this case it seems) and paid out to its creditors. If there is not enough to pay creditors in full after the costs of the liquidation, they will receive only a proportion of their claims. The directors and employees of the company play no part in the liquidation.”
Moreover, the actions across recent months of administrators Duff & Phelps might well now come under scrutiny. Given some of the more bizarre twists and turns, it would be astonishing if they did not.
The HMRC again: “Liquidators are required by regulatory best practice to undertake a certain minimum level of investigation into the actions of the directors of the company in the run up to its liquidation. These investigations may reveal legal actions which only liquidators can take whereby directors can be ordered by the court to compensate the company in respect of any wrongdoings they may have committed during the pre-liquidation period. If the liquidator considers it economic to pursue such actions he will do so. ”
Not only that. There are wide powers to investigate and take actions against directors including –
- Wrongful trading: directors can be ordered to make a payment to the company if they continue incurring debt at a time they should reasonably have known the company could not avoid going into liquidation.
- Transaction at an undervalue: where a director has caused an asset to be transferred to a connected party for less than its true value at a time when the company was insolvent, the asset can be transferred back to the company or the person benefitting can be ordered to compensate the company. An example would be a director buying his own company car for £1.
- Preference: where a director has paid someone with the intention of making them better off in the event of a liquidation than they would otherwise have been then they can be ordered to pay compensation to the company. An example would be a director causing the company to pay a debt that he had personally guaranteed so he would not have to meet that debt himself when the company goes into liquidation.
- Misfeasance: this covers a wide variety of breaches of duty by directors. Duties of directors are set out in the companies act and include such matters as putting the company’s interests first, and not taking account of the director’s personal interests.
And just to top it off, under the liquidation the liquidators also now have all kinds of powers to get information from directors and others with inside knowledge of the football club, and they can use the courts to do it if they have to.
Or to put it another way, Rangers directors of the recent past can run from the questions, if they like – but hiding would be futile.
So the HMRC are pretty much where they want to be in all this. And anyone who believes that if you try to thwart the taxman, they should come after you, will no doubt agree.
Questions therefore for several Scottish MSPs and First Minister Alex Salmond to answer about their blatant political interference with the HMRC – several MSPs blatantly and publicly attempting to pressure the taxman away from any liquidation. I know from sources within HMRC that basically all they managed to achieve was to antagonise the taxman who simply wanted everyone to play by the rules and for there to be no special case, no exceptions and no special pleadings.
At the time when Channel 4 News dared question whether or not their actions might not be counter-productive, given that Holyrood has no powers over HMRC, the hue and cry from said MSPs and Mr Salmond’s minders was long and loud. I wonder if they are re-examining their actions today?
And then there’s the football side of things, for Rangers did also masquerade as a football club during the long years of apparently being a casino. In immediate terms -
1. Rangers will be banned from European competition for three years.
2. Most of their players can and will leave in the coming weeks often – many having no doubt had enough of doing their bit on wage cuts of up to 75 per cent.
3. The club still faces the Big Tax Case tribunal decision laughingly due “soon after Easter”, and on that the HMRC still have no news, this could see Rangers face a further tax bill of up to £70m in dues and penalties.
4. The Scottish Premier League will soon run out of excuses to not report on its investigation into alleged wrongful player registration which, if the club is found guilty as charged, could see the club losing much of its silverware won over the past decade or so.t
5. The liquidation makes it even more difficult for both the Scottish Premier League and its appeal body the Scottish Football Association to readmit and license Rangers to play in the Scottish Premier League.
6. Despite the Green consortium’s lofty statements about buying the club’s assets, there is no guarantee that they will in fact be bought up as a job lot. There is no guarantee about simply playing on at Ibrox. There are, as things stand, few guarantees in terms of the asset sale at all.
It is hard to see any way forward with any kind of probity except starting a clean sheet at the foot of the Third Division in Scotland and playing their way back, thereby sending a message across the sporting world, at last, that some things matter more than money – even in football.
And that is what many Rangers fans – for so long ignored in all this and the people most badly sold down the river by those who “managed” their club – want to see happen. To that extent they are the people, the people who matter, and, unlike all their directors, they did not walk away and they will not.

Wow,

[Leithenhibby]

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SPL confirm that Rangers will appear in the fixture lists on Monday and that they also get to vote to get themselve back into the SPL - so already have 12.5% of the votes they need

So many RFC fans I know wanting to go to 3rd and start from scratch.

My very thoughts

[cocteautwin]

Here are some things that I am almost certain will happen IMHO. Tick them off as and when they happen over the next few years:

- No way will the stadium, training ground and car park be sold for just 5m. A full valuation of these assets will be sought and obtained through auction by the liquidators. There is even the possibility that Green is just paying 5m for the Goodwill and name of Rangers and not the actual physical assets.

- All employees of the club who were paid under an EBT will be pursued for non-payment of tax on amounts received. This hasn’t been talked about yet but I’m certain HMRC will pursue this if they can’t recover all their monies due through the liquidation. There are some wealthy individuals involved who can expect back tax demands, interest accrual and possible fines. It would be worth their while now to deposit monies with HMRC to avoid any further interest accrual.

- Craig Whyte will be investigated for fraud and is looking at possible prison time. If he is found to have any assets he can start kissing them goodbye bye.

- David Murray will need to pay tax on his 6m paid through the EBT and will also be investigated for fraud. He is looking at many years of legal cases and also faces a possible prison sentence if found guilty of fraud.

- Grier at D&P will be investigated for conflict of interest and I assume D&P will be severely reprimanded by the relevant authorities, possibly struck off.

- A certain ex-manager of Rangers who took payments through the EBT also will be investigated for bungs and is also looking at possible prison time.

So many dodgy characters involved. Unbelievable story. Getting sick of all this popcorn.

[Andy74]

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Celtic have had thousands of season ticket holders write to them to tell them they will not renew if Rangers return. They will have to vote No, their fans would never accept otherwise.

We will vote No, all Petrie's statements indicate that.

St Mirren you would think would say No, St Johnstone, like us, have suffered to stay financially viable, you'd hope they'd vote No. Beyond that, maybe the Dons and United vote No. Motherwell I have no idea, Killie will vote yes, Inverness maybe, Ross County will probably vote Yes, Hearts probably will too really. Obviously Rangers will too.

I'm not so sure we will vote no. We've talked about sporting integrity and all that but that could equally mean applying sanctions.

[ScottB]

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I'm not so sure we will vote no. We've talked about sporting integrity and all that but that could equally mean applying sanctions.

I'm not convinced sanctions are an option, if a club is adamant Rangers need to stay because they need their income, then they need a Rangers that are, at the least, strong enough to make the top 6 to get the much hallowed 4 Old Firm games a season. At that point, New Rangers have the strength, they know that those clubs voting Yes have decided they need them, so why should they agree to back breaking sanctions?

If Rangers crop up in the SPL next season, it will be with minimal, if any sanctions.

As for us, I take sporting integrity to mean voting No, maybe wishful thinking, but I can't see how Rangers in the SPL in any form equals protecting sporting integrity.

[Dashing Bob S]

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No one bought up "Zombie Rangers FC". That's were they'll go imho.

That way there will be a constant reminder that they were once just "Rangers" and the fans can continue in their shambling, bedraggled style without a blink. The green skin might be a draw back though.

They've been vampires for so long, zombies is probably rather appropriate. I wonder if the succulent lamb press will continue to believe in fairies, pixies and elves?

[joe breezy]

[NORTHERNHIBBY]

The stomach churning issue for me is that there does not seem any public show of contrition from anyone at Ibrox. All the stagnant hangers on like Hendry and Rae are soiling themselves at the thought of a dependable cash cow going down the tubes. Surely all the eight HUNdred million RFC fans all over the world need to do is for once, give instead of take, and chip in with a quid each.

[ancienthibby]

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[joe breezy]

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They are not in liquidation.

in liquidation on refusal of the CVA - is that not right? so the CVA is being accepted? or is there a 3rd option?

[Kato]

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They've been vampires for so long, zombies is probably rather appropriate. I wonder if the succulent lamb press will continue to believe in fairies, pixies and elves?

The CVA was an attempt at constructing a Frankenstein Rangers.

Goram, the press Doncaster etc might as well be hoping Fairy Godmothers exist.

There's' no place like home.
There's' no place like home.
There's' no place like home.

[CropleyWasGod]

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in liquidation on refusal of the CVA - is that not right? so the CVA is being accepted? or is there a 3rd option?

The Plan B, in event of the CVA being rejected is for CG to buy some/all of the assets for £5.5m. That process will continue for the time being, and will only be stopped by legal challenge or by joint agreement between D&P and CG.

I am sorry to p on people's chips, but RFC are not yet in liquidation. It may be the eventual outcome, but there is some way to go yet.

BDO/HMRC's statements today are, IMO, an attempt to put pressure on D&P to fold up the tents, but D&P are within their rights to resist that.

[dchibs]

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Colin Hendry "the Old Firm are the SPL"
Alex Rae "HMRC have done us over"
Gordon Smith "we were told the CVA would be accepted" eh by who? your Mum.

These guys are muppets and the most ignorant men on the planet.

Did Colin Hendry ever pay back the loan from his friend,

[snooky]

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SPL confirm that Rangers will appear in the fixture lists on Monday and that they also get to vote to get themselve back into the SPL - so already have 12.5% of the votes they need

Kinda like having a person charged with murder sitting in the jury at his own trial.

[mjhibby]

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Absolutely superb. The succulent lamb has gone off. All tabloid lap dogs hang your head in shame.

At last someone telling it as it actually is and not made up grovelling drivel.At last we are reaching the end game and hopefully they will get their just desserts for everything they have done.The absolute garbage that the tabloids and even some of the respected papers have been carrying has been shown to be sheer fantasy.Surely now they cant be readmitted into the spl and i suspect they will drop down to div 1 and either dundee or the pars will take their place.(that will be another interesting twist if that happens)
No europe now for 3 years and clubs like rapid taken them to uefa and of course the taxman at their heels for many months to come.Im sure the sycophantic weedgie press will paint a rosy picture of it all but surely if the scottish game wants to maintain any dignity they must boot them out the spl.What and embarrasment for scotland and scottish football.Still im sure mr green will say its all part of the plan and as for duff and phelps.this story will run and run me thinks.

[robinp]

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in liquidation on refusal of the CVA - is that not right? so the CVA is being accepted? or is there a 3rd option?

They are still in administration, but they are likely to be in liquidation in the near future.

BDO have consented to act but have not yet been appointed.

[stokesmessiah]

Just seen this on the BBC feed...

Anonymous text: "Will this whole debacle signal Rangers making an application to join the English football league? If it was a straight choice between the EFL or the SFL I know what I would choose. Could this be Green's angle all along? If so, this could be a genius move..."


OMG they are just totally unable to comprehend things !!

[jgl07]

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Celtic have had thousands of season ticket holders write to them to tell them they will not renew if Rangers return. They will have to vote No, their fans would never accept otherwise.

We will vote No, all Petrie's statements indicate that.

St Mirren you would think would say No, St Johnstone, like us, have suffered to stay financially viable, you'd hope they'd vote No. Beyond that, maybe the Dons and United vote No. Motherwell I have no idea, Killie will vote yes, Inverness maybe, Ross County will probably vote Yes, Hearts probably will too really. Obviously Rangers will too.

Rangers will not get a vote. They will have ceased to exist until such time as they are re-instated. No statement from the SPL (Neil Doncaster) will convince me of this. If and when Rangers are liquidated, there will be a vacancy. It will either be a Rangers Newco or Dundee. I would like to see a legal opinion on that one.

There is no way that St Johnstone will vote against Rangers. I would hope that Inverness will vote against them based on recent statements regarding Rangers court action.

My best bets for rejecting Rangers are:

Hibs (based on Petrie's statements)
Celtic (their support would flay them if they voted yes and they do like to appear squeeky clean)
Aberdeen (past emnity with Rangers and fans vehemently opposed)

Mayby vote no includes:

St Mirren (reaction to the dodgy take-over effort)
Dundee United (appear to be hedging their bets)
Inverness (annoyed about appeal to Court of Session also likely to lose less than some)
Ross County (as above)

Likely to vote for Rangers:

St Johnstone (Steve Brown-nose is in charge)
Hearts (They are next in line for HMRC)
Motherwell (They have most to lose financially)
Kilmarnock (As Motherwell)

Hopfully there will be no more than a 6-5 vote in favour of admitting Rangers.

[GreenCastle]

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Just seen this on the BBC feed...

Anonymous text: "Will this whole debacle signal Rangers making an application to join the English football league? If it was a straight choice between the EFL or the SFL I know what I would choose. Could this be Green's angle all along? If so, this could be a genius move..."


OMG they are just totally unable to comprehend things !!

Dream on - no chance any of the English teams would let them in - whose going to move down ? England have a pyramid system for a reason.

SFL it is - that's if they accept them

[GreenPJ]

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Just seen this on the BBC feed...

Anonymous text: "Will this whole debacle signal Rangers making an application to join the English football league? If it was a straight choice between the EFL or the SFL I know what I would choose. Could this be Green's angle all along? If so, this could be a genius move..."


OMG they are just totally unable to comprehend things !!

Not sure it was Green's angle but I would be surprised if the newco were not investigating the possibility of applying to join the EFL. They wanted to go to the EPL before but the Premiership/Championship managers would not allow them in. If they joined the EPL OK it would take 5/6 years potentially but they could end up where they wanted to be without being stopped.

[Kaiser1962]

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TBH I take these analyses with a pinch of salt, but I do agree that the absence of RFC would be nowhere near as devastating as some would have us believe.

With regard to Hibs, it's certainly no accident that we are less affected than some. Rod Petrie and the Hibs board have put a lot of hard work into ensuring that the club is financially viable and they've taken and continue to take a lot of abuse for their troubles. Seeing Rangers escape lightly from their self-inflicted problems would render all that pointless. I think that's why Rod's taking a hardline approach to this.

Absolutely Cav but when there is an uninterrupted and unsubstantiated stream of pish telling us that we will all die without the Hun Pound it is refreshing to get a counter argument that does not promise armageddon. When Doncaster is tellings us that we have no future, similar to what he said would happen at Norwich after the ITV digital deal, then it is reassuring to have something to throw back at him.

That said you would think that, following his spectacularly innaccurate statements regarding the future of the English leagues following the demise of the ITV deal, he would learn when to shut the **** up.

[Since90+2]

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Not sure it was Green's angle but I would be surprised if the newco were not investigating the possibility of applying to join the EFL. They wanted to go to the EPL before but the Premiership/Championship managers would not allow them in. If they joined the EPL OK it would take 5/6 years potentially but they could end up where they wanted to be without being stopped.

Take alot longer than that if they started at the bottom, if they ever did get there.

Mute point anyway as it wont happen.

[Saorsa]

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Hun next to me just left the building, probably heading to buy a noose.

[Spike Mandela]

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SPL confirm that Rangers will appear in the fixture lists on Monday and that they also get to vote to get themselve back into the SPL - so already have 12.5% of the votes they need

Astonishing but not surprising that a vote as important as this is subject to an 8-4 arrangement and not the OF's precious 11-1 vote

[Kaiser1962]

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Just seen this on the BBC feed...

Anonymous text: "Will this whole debacle signal Rangers making an application to join the English football league? If it was a straight choice between the EFL or the SFL I know what I would choose. Could this be Green's angle all along? If so, this could be a genius move..."


OMG they are just totally unable to comprehend things !!

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/footbal...6908-23879930/

Chairman Brian Lee said: “If Rangers sent an application letter to the Conference they’d get a letter back saying we couldn’t accept them because we’re signed up to The Football Association structure.

English Football League chairman Greg Clarke said recently: “We have absolutely no intention of having any discussions with any club from another national league regarding them attaining membership of our competition.

“Richard Scudamore is on record as saying it’s a league for English and Welsh clubs.


That'll be a "NO" then.