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Been trying to think of a post to keep the blog ticking over. In this I have looked at some Rangers trialists. https://rfcyouths.wordpress.com/2020/04/16/rangers-trialists/

If Thistle don't, we should. Nothing to lose and everything to gain Stranraer statement tonight is a warning to all clubs. The money they'll receive from the SPFL this week will not even pay their wages for a week - so much for this sham being the deal that saves Scottish Football.

Wish Rangers would just stop these statements! do something or shut up

THIS. The bears who still want their away day can still go along with no tickets and support the team from outside, just imagine the impact if there were more fans outside than inside. Donate your ticket money to Rangers charities.

Ours would. Fans of clubs throughout English football probably wouldn't. Either way, that's another fantasy that simply won't happen.

We already have everyone against us - go check out other teams forums, we're despised the length and breadth of the country. Fuck all to lose going after them all. Do it now before the money is released and watch clubs go out of business. That's where we're at folks. Before anyone says we shouldn't put other clubs out of business, think back to all the support we got in 2012

It was a concerted campaign from Celtic and its fans, collectively, which changed the way games were officiated. There was a quantum shift from refs being impartial to, whenever there was a decision to be made, they would likely be pro-Celtic and, since our return, anti-Rangers. winning on the field when handicapped is going to be very difficult. whilst I’d never want to be like Tims, we need to find a way to highlight the lack of refereeing impartiality and force change, whatever that may be. a level playing field is all I’d ask for. We don’t have it.

Unfortunately, we are experiencing the double dunt; the team is losing on the pitch, and the Club is losing in the courts and in the committee rooms. On Friday, the Club called them out, demanding suspensions, and an independent enquiry into SPFL machinations. It did this, it claimed, on the basis of evidence from a 'whistleblower'. This sounded like shootie-in. If this was showboating in front of the support, or a premature intervention, or, misinterpretation (putting it kindly) of the evidence, then Park should be considering his, albeit temporary, position Of course, we await developments, but if it turns out that the Club has dropped a knacker on this, then I am afraid that all it will have done is strengthen the grip that fhilth fc already has on Scottish football, and weaken our own position. This is important because control allows direction, and influence. We see, already, and probably have done for some time, that other Clubs accept this, and in the past week or so the majority have been vigorously booting themselves up the arse, the more quickly to jump to their master's tune. A pervasive narrative, if you like, plays out in the committee rooms, with the Compliance Oficer, with disciplinary panels, and so forth, through the media, as received wisdom, and, ultimately, I suppose, sets a tone for officials on the pitch. He who controls this gets the marginal gains. If Rangers entered the lists on Friday, impulsively, and cannot deliver what we thought would be a significant blow against the Empire, not only will the fhilth's position be reinforced, the Club will, in all likelihood, be itself weakened; defined as irrelevant; its opinions not worth considering; its views antediluvian and bitter; above all, it will be painted as a clear example of entertaining ideas above its station, a status, of course, of second fiddle. What happens in the no longer smoke filled rooms is important.

At least that "moon" is a world wide Sky Sports audience (and reporters) who listen to one of the legends of the world game. There is no-one better to say loud and direct what shambles and criminal behaviour goes on in Scotland ... he will be listened to. And if someone like SG says this, UEFA will most likely be more open to investigating the corruption in the Scottish game just now.

I honestly believe if we had been in pole position at this juncture the league would have been voided.

All well and good on a level playing field, which we don't have and haven't for some time now! if this just passes as it seems to be, then we will just continue to get shafted I'm afraid.

Horrendous article Just wrong on so many levels

I'm hoping Partick Thistle take out an injunction and a few clubs go to the wall.

I think it’s fine. It’s telling us they will take action if it stands up legally or with external regulator. Not sure what folk are looking for. Death threats?

I'd prefer us to launch them back on mid-range ballistic missiles.

I must be in the minority but I think it's a very good statement, very calculated and clear without being too bitter sounding. We have reiterated our stance and put our objections forward clearly and made the second demand for their removal. The first statement was was acted on with their internal investigation, this statement and SG comments show we are not letting this go. They cant now ignore us, they must be seen to react whether that's charging us or allowing further investigation, they cannot do nothing. I'm pretty certain we have the evidence to see this through or we would have let it go.

Well written and not much to disagree with but this problem won't be solved by an extra few hundred words saying nothing we didn't already know. What are our options?

The season is officially over and breaking news reveals ra Sellik are allowing four referees and nine linesmen to leave the club. Further, Neil Doncaster's whereabouts has also been solved, currently bunkered down with Derek MacKay MSP. I read earlier this week that Doncaster's salary is £360,000, is this true?

Aye I know mate. Just deflated with the whole spfl. It's a shambles. Mabie a separate thread to look at that fantasy

I know it's a pipe-dream, but it would actually solve the SPFL's relegation conundrum if we departed and took up Bury's place in League 1 (1 promotion, no relegation in all divisions.) In reality my guess is that we'll get a shoddy compromise of 14-10-10-10 for one season with 3 down, 1 up at the end to restore the wonderful satus quo. The dhims will of course selfelssly lend their support for the good of Scottish football and be proclaimed heroes (when in actual fact what they'll really be doing is cheaply paying off the whelps who have signed over a league title). I expect we'll oppose it and be lambasted for doing so.

There's not a chance in Hell there'll be any successful boycott of away matches. Best to just forget that fantasy.

I'd love to see us seriously consider applying to join the EFL or even threaten as it is so obvious now that rules are being made on the hoof and we without many friends and certainly influence. Let Celtic win an even weaker league each year without us - or they can fuck off and play in Ireland. I think it's time someone did a study on the impact of Blue Pound leaving the league (has this been done already?) Apologies but the events of the last week have just highlighted how wrong things are.

ItLo SPFL reshuffle 'like herding mice' after 'strangest' victory leaves division After five days of bitterness, rancour, suspicion and confusion it was somehow fitting that the SPFL rounded it all off with a valedictory statement on Wednesday that added slapstick to the mix. In announcing that their controversial resolution had now passed and that the lower leagues were thereby over for the season, SPFL chairman Murdoch MacLennan and chief executive Neil Doncaster thought it a good idea to congratulate the immediate winners from the vote - Dundee United, Raith Rovers and Cove Rangers, all now champions of their respective divisions - without commiserating with the big losers - Partick Thistle and Stranraer, who were now relegated. Thistle, in particular, were the most notable casualty in the resolution being passed. They're bottom of the Championship, so they're automatically down despite being just two points behind Queen of the South with a game in hand. Thistle and Stranraer weren't mapped in the original statement. Not to mind sympathising with them, there was no mention of their fate at all until a clarification was put out five minutes later confirming that, yes, the pair of them were going down. There was no accompanying quotes from MacLennan or Doncaster. No empathy. It was all so matter-of-fact. Insult added to injury. The conduct of the SPFL board has been called into question repeatedly during this saga and so it was again after they issued their missive on Wednesday. Had you hoped that some contrition would be shown by the board then you'd have been disappointed. Had you expected some form of acknowledgment that an unseemly mess had been allowed to happen and that they bore some responsibility for it then you were wasting your time. This has been an intense and divisive week. Accusations have been flung about like confetti. The SPFL has been accused of bullying and coercion, of telling cash-starved clubs that they only way to get financial help was to vote for their resolution. One club said they felt like a gun was being put to their head. 'Vote for us or else...' 'Anger doesn't cover it' The SPFL has also been accused of ignoring their own rule book when allowing Dundee to change their vote from their original No to their final Yes, the one vote that proved decisive. Partick Thistle got a QC to examine SPFL rules and the conclusion was that the league body was in breach of its own articles. The SPFL has said nothing in reply. Instead of tackling Thistle's conclusions point by point, they allowed Dundee to resubmit a vote that saw Thistle relegated. From a Partick perspective, anger doesn't even come close to covering it. We're now at the end of phase one in this tortured business. Phase two is the exhumation of the reconstruction debate. We're now led to believe by the SPFL and others that there is a growing appetite for the very thing that many Premiership clubs have been dead against for years, that there is a gathering consensus for a 14-team Premiership next season - maybe for just one season - with three other leagues of 10, or some such model. It would be a revamp that would save Hearts, Partick Thistle and Stranraer from relegation. Mend some bridges, perhaps. Take some heat out of the current situation. Remove the injustice. Reconstruction needs a majority of 11-1 in the Premiership and 75% in the other three leagues. One senior figure in Scottish football said on Wednesday evening that it had a chance because clubs were now beginning to see beyond their own self-interest. Another said that it had no chance because enough clubs will never see beyond their own self-interest. In the context of clubs suddenly coming together in harmony and voting for change, it's worth looking back at what's happened over the last week or so. Rangers have alleged bullying and coercion on the part of the SPFL. Rangers said it publicly. Others said it privately. Dundee U-turn remains a mystery Rangers have called for an independent inquiry into the conduct of the SPFL. They've called for the suspension of Doncaster and SPFL legal advisor Rod McKenzie. Dave Cormack at Aberdeen has also been critical of the SPFL. Ann Budge at Hearts has threatened that she may sue the league. Scot Gardiner of Inverness Caledonian Thistle has called out the board in the most emphatic way. Partick Thistle brought in a senior counsel and a junior counsel to examine the SPFL's articles and concluded that "court action can be commenced" if the resolution was pushed through, which it now has been. Dundee have been quite something throughout all of this, voting No then switching sides days later without ever properly explaining who they spoke to in the meantime to cause such a U-turn. Their statement on Wednesday has angered some in the game. Far from accepting that changing their vote has caused deep suspicion they sought to portray themselves as a bastion of good practice, a footballing Mother Teresa here to bring comfort and hope to all. "We have worked tirelessly to achieve solutions to help those who were disadvantaged and sought to find ways to help them," they said. It might have been hard for Partick and Stranraer to stomach that given it was Dundee's second vote that disadvantaged them. "We have discussed options with a variety of member clubs to show solidarity to the clubs most negatively impacted by the SPFL proposal," the statement continued. The people at Thistle may have choked on that one, too. The only solidarity they wanted from Dundee was for them to hold to their promise of a No vote, a promise they didn't keep. "Through our discussions it appears that there's an appetite to provide various forms of support from other member clubs...these acts of kindness and solidarity will be worked out amongst member clubs." 'Strange victory leaves division in its wake' As Dundee wrote about acts of kindness towards the poor clubs who now find themselves relegated because of Dundee's volte face, some other clubs might have been thinking more along of the lines of disbelief and incredulity. Dundee's words won't have been much of a balm to those who are now left to pick up the pieces in the wake of their vote that never was. Dundee's behaviour shredded the credibility of the vote. By Wednesday morning even avowed Yes supporters acknowledged that the integrity of the resolution was shot to smithereens and needed replacing by something new. The SPFL board ploughed on and got the result they were looking for. It was the strangest kind of victory that left division in its wake. Having previously threatened legal action, Budge, along with Hamilton's Les Gray, are now heading up a reconstruction task force. Presumably, that's the end of the legal action chat from Tynecastle. Budge's club sit in bottom place in the Premiership. Gray's club are one from bottom. Like turkeys campaigning for the cancellation of Christmas, you wonder how far they're going to get before they start getting hit by accusations of self-preservation. Budge was once of the view that 42 senior clubs was too many for Scotland. "You're looking at half that number," she said in 2016. Now she'll be arguing for a model that will likely increase the number of senior clubs to 44. When crisis hits, expedience rules. Perhaps we're at a point now where clubs can set aside their own personal agendas and vote for a reconstruction model that would undo the injustice perpetrated on Partick Thistle, but we'd be as well holding on to our scepticism for now. It's been hard-earned. Experience tells us not to abandon it so easily. Reconstruction would cost each Premiership club money. There'd be 14 mouths to feed instead of 12. And that's where the doubts grow. Maybe they truly are at a point where they'll put aside their own interests and vote this through, but like Dundee's vote, you wouldn't bank on it. While we wait to hear what, if anything, the most vocal opponents of the SPFL - Rangers and Partick Thistle - are going to do next, Budge and Gray are about to embark on their bid for reconciliation and reconstruction. It'll be like herding mice at a crossroads. Good luck to them. Tom English latest article - how crazy this situation is when you have to agree 100% with Tom English!

Yes, right up until it enters the public domain. It may be that Rangers is already being proactive behind the scenes but, we'll never know unless we make another arse of it. I wasn't impressed with the threats of "evidence" last week. You don't parade threats like that in public if you actually have such evidence - you use it quietly and effectively. I'm afraid the blame for at least some of our current status has to lie at our own feet.

Good post Uilleam !! Another step on the long and painful process of Espanyolification.

Jackson, the poor man's Speirs.

Can't say I disagree. Scottish football, to be quite frank, deserves everything that is headed its way.

Agree. I wouldn't want it handed to us either. If we were that many points clear you would need to be very sensitive to the capabilities of your team to get over the line - 10 points ahead on even number of games and just 8 games left ? Yeah, I would rather it be determined on the pitch, not Gerry-mandering off it.

I would much prefer Rangers to take this to court, if clubs go to the wall then tough!!, not one of them gave a fuck when they tried to kill us. However what Jackson has reported, which is just more bullying, is bollocks, clubs can get loans from the corrupt SPFL, and the amount of money he is quoting is also bollocks! but then he knows that, just more threats, shameless bastards.

Maybe I'm old school and maybe I'm in a minority of one, but no, I wouldn't want the title handed to us (unless it was mathematically impossible for anyone to catch us).

To be fair, the SPFL have been shown to have behaved in a quite disgraceful manner with a list of offences that came out via whatsup texts, considered legal opinion (PT) , various club representatives, etc. There is only a certain amount the club can do if it´s more or less left on it´s Jack Jones. We might yet cause a resignation, but I wouldn´t bet on it. An independent inquiry will cost money and the SPFL will tell the clubs it´s better that you the members get it. IMO what the club did wrong was miscalculate when it came to deciding on the course and tone of action relative to the chances of winning the fight/ evidence actually held (I presume and think that we have nothing else). Other clubs were always going to go down the route of self-interest, it´s normal. We don´t have a friendly media although you could argue we made good use of the BBC Radio Scotland Sportsound time last Saturday. Which if engineered, the new PR chap can take some credit for. It was certainly right to highlight what was going on and the SPFL and individuals involved have suffered further reputational damage. Not that it seems to bother them. Still find it hard to believe Teflon has stuck around for so long and as for his salary, he´s taking the pish. A negative irony is that in the actual world, where nothing is fair or has to be reasonable, it might be us that suffer more on a reputational basis / ongoing stick from usual suspects.

... and rest assured, should next season be closer than this or we are ahead of them, they will whip up strict liability and rob us points for TBB and the like, nae problem.

Now that Thistle have caved in, I suspect that's the end of it. We have no support now and we are now in a weaker position having asked for their resignation and/or investigation and failed. If other clubs believed we'd see this through they perhaps would have been more likely to support. This will make any future support even less likely. All we can do now is focus on our own club, encourage a winning team on the park, and hope our club survives the next 18 months. Many clubs will not survive (huge clubs included). Sad days indeed but we have to focus on what we can do rather than what we can't.

Jackson will do pretty much the bidding of anyone, if you can be his friend. Paul Murray gave him material, Jackson went in to bat on his behalf (2012-2015) Kenny Miler gave him material, Jackson went in to bat on his behalf (noticeably at contract renewal time/ arrival Pedro) Scott Brown gave him material, Jackson went in to bat on his behalf. (various) SPFL have given him material &/or promises, Jackson went in to bat on his behalf. (currently) Jackson/DR reach more people than Spiers and hence becomes valuable, above his actual worth. It´s not about parking big tanks without ammo #control_the_narrative

Someone has to legally challenge the vote then ...

I see Jimmy Greaves is home from hospital a wee light of good news in these horrid times