BEARGER

Club are tweeting that there are still tickets available for ST holders.

£36M bid from Sarver? It is the Sunday Post right enough.

Thank goodness that's over. Being banned from everywhere else I was having withdrawal symptoms.

An empty stadium on Friday night will help. Its important to keep up,the pressure in every way we can.

I know all about WB his primary motivation as a young man was to make money, nothing wrong with that. He has pledged to give most of his wealth away through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that is true. I don't see how using WB as guide gives us any insight into Sarver.

Aye and you would think that a "historian" would heed the lessons of history.

Based on my lifetime experience, every millionaire I've met was the same. Granted some millionaires help out a sporting institution e.g. Elton John, Jack Warner, Dave Whelan but they were local and supporters of their clubs. What's in it for him? It makes no sense that he is being philanthropic plenty he could do in the US.

What's in it for Sarver? It's certainly not that he wants the prestige of owning a major Scottish institution, guys like him are after two things money & power but especialy money. This guy has no connection with Scotland, no connection with Rangers and no connection with football at all as far as I can see. I smell shite, keep well clear. As another poster has said if after a 3B & King takeover he wants to give us some of his spare cash well and good, I'll not hold my breath.

I believe they have criteria, wait till they have sufficient funds but also buy a right time. With a share issue possibly in the offing they may well wait to see what's what.

Depends what you paid for them. IPO = 7143, 26p/share = 19230 etc. etc.

You have 10 days to confirm if you have 1% of shares, take over rules 8.3.

I agree with the petition and the boycott and also agree with you that those who have refused to renew ST's are the ones who have given us some hope now. We should apply as much pressure to the board in any way we can, be that petitions, boycotts, verbal abuse etc. etc. And there's hehaw wrong with a hissy fit now and again

Three years into this debacle and we still have some who say, what is the point?, what difference will it make?, the board wont listen etc etc. Aye lets all sit back and leave it to the board, don't join RST,RF we are only fans after all. Leave it to others to fight it out, lets not take sides, its only a football club after all.

We must put as much pressure onto the board as we can, including telling them not a penny more. We are at the end game here, let's make sure it goes our way.

Latest from Telegraph. By Roddy Forysth12:54PM GMT 06 Jan 2015 The first significant move in the battle to save Rangers – and for control of the boardroom – was made by the Ibrox board when they rejected a takeover bid from Robert Sarver, owner of the Phoenix Suns basketball club on Tuesday morning. The American’s £18 million offer proposed a fresh share issue in which he would have taken up 100 per cent of the equity but did not meet the board’s valuation of the club, according to Rangers’ statement to the Stock Exchange. However, the board indicated willingness to consider proposals from the investors’ alliance comprised of the Three Bears consortium – wealthy Rangers supporters Douglas Park, George Letham and George Taylor – along with former Ibrox director, Dave King. The Telegraph revealed on Monday that negotiations had begun and the statement confirmed as much, when it said: “The directors are in discussions with Rangers' significant stakeholders with a view to arranging finance for the club. This is likely to comprise loans in the short term and possibly equity in the medium term. “The board has invited Mr Sarver to consider participating in a similar discussion alongside other supportive shareholders.” That said, Mike Ashley has signalled that he will not be jostled aside in the process. Along with his ally at Ibrox – Sandy Easdale, Rangers’ football chairman – he controls around 35 per cent of the club’s shares, although the Three Bears/King axis believe that their side can count on more than 50%. Related Articles Ibrox - Rangers power struggle takes new twist after Mike Ashley loses key ally in his quest for Ibrox boardroom coup Rangers board in crisis talks 05 Jan 2015 Rangers board to lose power unless Ashley steps in 04 Jan 2015 Rangers supporters’ group urges fans to displace Ashley 03 Jan 2015 Ashley's plan to own Rangers hits buffers 02 Jan 2015 The Newcastle United owner, whose Sports Direct retail chain has the rights to Rangers’ merchandise, appointed his long-standing associate, Barry Leach, as the club’s finance director on Monday, in pointed defiance of the disciplinary charge brought by the Scottish Football Association, which alleges that Ashley has exceeded an undertaking to limit his influence at Ibrox. Leach’s appointment is the second by Ashley since the SFA laid its complaint against him. Two days after he received it, Ashley installed Derek Llambias, the former Newcastle managing director, as Rangers’ chief executive. The current crisis arose when Rangers came within days of being placed into administration by HMRC on account of an urgent National Insurance bill and had to be bailed out by a £500,000 loan from Easdale, secured on the fee – said to be £1 million, but more likely £850,000 – received from Brentford for the talented 20-year-old midfielder, Lewis Macleod. The emergency funding provided by Easdale confirmed that the £3 million lent by Ashley in October in return for two board nominations – and secured on club assets – had run out. The cash burn occurred despite the cost-slashing regime of Llambias. That alone indicates that the club – which showed an £8 million loss in its most recent accounts is still leaking funds at an unsustainable rate. However, the board’s Stock Exchange statement said: “The company is managing its cash resources carefully and will require further funding before the end of January.” The apocalyptic scenario is that no deal is struck and that Rangers go under before their scheduled meeting with Celtic – the first Old Firm derby in almost three years – in the semi-finals of the Scottish League Cup. However, there is no chance of that happening, even should the bargaining process be long and arduous, because the Old Firm collision at Hampden is currently the biggest single fixture income supplement Rangers can anticipate, worth around £250,000 from their share of gate receipts and broadcast fees, excluding whatever commercial activity the club can put in place around this much-anticipated event. This morning’s statement also left the door open for a further bid from Sarver, providing he is prepared to increase his offer. “Notwithstanding the current financial difficulties, the proposal does not adequately value a controlling interest in the company,” it read. It was Telegraph Sport who revealed that Sarver – who wants to acquire a portfolio of European football clubs – was pointed in the direction of Ibrox by the former Rangers and Scotland full back, David Robertson, who is the coach of Phoenix FC. Sarver confirmed the disclosure in a statement issued this morning when he said: “Initially, I’d had some of my advisors examining potential investments in teams in the English Premier League and in Spain, but Davie encouraged me to take a close look at Rangers. “Like all Rangers fans, he’s really upset about how far the club has fallen in recent years and the more we spoke, the more interested I became. I’m a genuine sports fanatic and owning two major basketball franchises for the past decade has been an enormous privilege. “I've spent the vast majority of my career in public companies and I'm used to working in very highly regulated environments. I understand the crucial importance of business integrity and transparency. “Rangers fans have every right to be wary about someone showing an interest in the club they love, especially given some of the events of recent years. First and foremost I believe what the club needs today is a very quick, major injection of capital to stabilise things and I can give the Rangers supporters a categorical assurance that I have the resources and ability to get this club back to its elite level. “I’m looking forward to building a consensus amongst supporters and prominent Rangers-minded figures who have the long-term success of the club at heart. I’ve had detailed research carried out on Rangers and I’m convinced that we could take it back to the top of the Scottish game on a stable and sustainable basis.” Robertson added his backing to Sarver when the former full-back – who played 245 times for Rangers over six seasons – said: “I’ve known Robert for several years. He has been very supportive of our local club and has a very good reputation in the US. “When he said he was looking to invest in football in Europe, I told him right away that Rangers could really be doing with someone with his track record. I explained how far the club has fallen, but that there was huge potential to rebuild it. “Even though I’m now based over here, I always watch really closely how things are going at Ibrox and it’s tragic to see how a club which was once a force in Europe has been brought so low. “I can tell every Rangers fan in Scotland and abroad, if Robert Sarver is successful in becoming part of the club, he’ll not rest until they are back on top again.” The Telegraph can also shed light on the matter of the unpaid NI bill which was said to have tipped the club into its latest crisis. Some Rangers supporters have been sceptical of the story of a possible default – especially since the SPFL confirmed that its early warning system had not been triggered – and conjecture that the tale was inflated to present Sandy Easdale as a white knight riding to the rescue. However, there are two issues which should not be confused. If Rangers had not paid their players’ NI, the failure would have constituted an immediate default event. The club would have suffered the imposition of a registration embargo which would have prevented the signing of any players during the January transfer window – not that there is any sign of Rangers being either able or willing to reinforce the playing squad right now. However, had Rangers been late with the employers’ contribution, HMRC are entitled – given the club’s record of default under Craig Whyte – to warn that payment would be required within a strictly enforced time limit. At any event, the Telegraph understands that HMRC has no current concerns about the club’s obligations to the tax authority. Finally, in an ironic twist to the ongoing saga at Ibrox which, on the football side, saw Ally McCoist hand in his notice as manager and then be placed on gardening leave, there is the choice of match featured in Tuesday's ‘On This Day’ slot on Rangers’ club website. The game in question is Rangers’ 2-0 victory over Aberdeen at Ibrox on January 6, 1990. In contrast to their current struggle for promotion from the Scottish Championship, that victory saw Rangers stride towards a fourth successive Scottish title, with Aberdeen as runners-up. Highlights of the match show the decisive second goal scored by – Ally McCoist. Aberdeen, though, were weakened by the loss through injury of their regular left back – a certain David Robertson.

Latest from Telegraph. By Roddy Forysth12:54PM GMT 06 Jan 2015 The first significant move in the battle to save Rangers – and for control of the boardroom – was made by the Ibrox board when they rejected a takeover bid from Robert Sarver, owner of the Phoenix Suns basketball club on Tuesday morning. The American’s £18 million offer proposed a fresh share issue in which he would have taken up 100 per cent of the equity but did not meet the board’s valuation of the club, according to Rangers’ statement to the Stock Exchange. However, the board indicated willingness to consider proposals from the investors’ alliance comprised of the Three Bears consortium – wealthy Rangers supporters Douglas Park, George Letham and George Taylor – along with former Ibrox director, Dave King. The Telegraph revealed on Monday that negotiations had begun and the statement confirmed as much, when it said: “The directors are in discussions with Rangers' significant stakeholders with a view to arranging finance for the club. This is likely to comprise loans in the short term and possibly equity in the medium term. “The board has invited Mr Sarver to consider participating in a similar discussion alongside other supportive shareholders.” That said, Mike Ashley has signalled that he will not be jostled aside in the process. Along with his ally at Ibrox – Sandy Easdale, Rangers’ football chairman – he controls around 35 per cent of the club’s shares, although the Three Bears/King axis believe that their side can count on more than 50%. Related Articles Ibrox - Rangers power struggle takes new twist after Mike Ashley loses key ally in his quest for Ibrox boardroom coup Rangers board in crisis talks 05 Jan 2015 Rangers board to lose power unless Ashley steps in 04 Jan 2015 Rangers supporters’ group urges fans to displace Ashley 03 Jan 2015 Ashley's plan to own Rangers hits buffers 02 Jan 2015 The Newcastle United owner, whose Sports Direct retail chain has the rights to Rangers’ merchandise, appointed his long-standing associate, Barry Leach, as the club’s finance director on Monday, in pointed defiance of the disciplinary charge brought by the Scottish Football Association, which alleges that Ashley has exceeded an undertaking to limit his influence at Ibrox. Leach’s appointment is the second by Ashley since the SFA laid its complaint against him. Two days after he received it, Ashley installed Derek Llambias, the former Newcastle managing director, as Rangers’ chief executive. The current crisis arose when Rangers came within days of being placed into administration by HMRC on account of an urgent National Insurance bill and had to be bailed out by a £500,000 loan from Easdale, secured on the fee – said to be £1 million, but more likely £850,000 – received from Brentford for the talented 20-year-old midfielder, Lewis Macleod. The emergency funding provided by Easdale confirmed that the £3 million lent by Ashley in October in return for two board nominations – and secured on club assets – had run out. The cash burn occurred despite the cost-slashing regime of Llambias. That alone indicates that the club – which showed an £8 million loss in its most recent accounts is still leaking funds at an unsustainable rate. However, the board’s Stock Exchange statement said: “The company is managing its cash resources carefully and will require further funding before the end of January.” The apocalyptic scenario is that no deal is struck and that Rangers go under before their scheduled meeting with Celtic – the first Old Firm derby in almost three years – in the semi-finals of the Scottish League Cup. However, there is no chance of that happening, even should the bargaining process be long and arduous, because the Old Firm collision at Hampden is currently the biggest single fixture income supplement Rangers can anticipate, worth around £250,000 from their share of gate receipts and broadcast fees, excluding whatever commercial activity the club can put in place around this much-anticipated event. This morning’s statement also left the door open for a further bid from Sarver, providing he is prepared to increase his offer. “Notwithstanding the current financial difficulties, the proposal does not adequately value a controlling interest in the company,” it read. It was Telegraph Sport who revealed that Sarver – who wants to acquire a portfolio of European football clubs – was pointed in the direction of Ibrox by the former Rangers and Scotland full back, David Robertson, who is the coach of Phoenix FC. Sarver confirmed the disclosure in a statement issued this morning when he said: “Initially, I’d had some of my advisors examining potential investments in teams in the English Premier League and in Spain, but Davie encouraged me to take a close look at Rangers. “Like all Rangers fans, he’s really upset about how far the club has fallen in recent years and the more we spoke, the more interested I became. I’m a genuine sports fanatic and owning two major basketball franchises for the past decade has been an enormous privilege. “I've spent the vast majority of my career in public companies and I'm used to working in very highly regulated environments. I understand the crucial importance of business integrity and transparency. “Rangers fans have every right to be wary about someone showing an interest in the club they love, especially given some of the events of recent years. First and foremost I believe what the club needs today is a very quick, major injection of capital to stabilise things and I can give the Rangers supporters a categorical assurance that I have the resources and ability to get this club back to its elite level. “I’m looking forward to building a consensus amongst supporters and prominent Rangers-minded figures who have the long-term success of the club at heart. I’ve had detailed research carried out on Rangers and I’m convinced that we could take it back to the top of the Scottish game on a stable and sustainable basis.” Robertson added his backing to Sarver when the former full-back – who played 245 times for Rangers over six seasons – said: “I’ve known Robert for several years. He has been very supportive of our local club and has a very good reputation in the US. “When he said he was looking to invest in football in Europe, I told him right away that Rangers could really be doing with someone with his track record. I explained how far the club has fallen, but that there was huge potential to rebuild it. “Even though I’m now based over here, I always watch really closely how things are going at Ibrox and it’s tragic to see how a club which was once a force in Europe has been brought so low. “I can tell every Rangers fan in Scotland and abroad, if Robert Sarver is successful in becoming part of the club, he’ll not rest until they are back on top again.” The Telegraph can also shed light on the matter of the unpaid NI bill which was said to have tipped the club into its latest crisis. Some Rangers supporters have been sceptical of the story of a possible default – especially since the SPFL confirmed that its early warning system had not been triggered – and conjecture that the tale was inflated to present Sandy Easdale as a white knight riding to the rescue. However, there are two issues which should not be confused. If Rangers had not paid their players’ NI, the failure would have constituted an immediate default event. The club would have suffered the imposition of a registration embargo which would have prevented the signing of any players during the January transfer window – not that there is any sign of Rangers being either able or willing to reinforce the playing squad right now. However, had Rangers been late with the employers’ contribution, HMRC are entitled – given the club’s record of default under Craig Whyte – to warn that payment would be required within a strictly enforced time limit. At any event, the Telegraph understands that HMRC has no current concerns about the club’s obligations to the tax authority. Finally, in an ironic twist to the ongoing saga at Ibrox which, on the football side, saw Ally McCoist hand in his notice as manager and then be placed on gardening leave, there is the choice of match featured in Tuesday's ‘On This Day’ slot on Rangers’ club website. The game in question is Rangers’ 2-0 victory over Aberdeen at Ibrox on January 6, 1990. In contrast to their current struggle for promotion from the Scottish Championship, that victory saw Rangers stride towards a fourth successive Scottish title, with Aberdeen as runners-up. Highlights of the match show the decisive second goal scored by – Ally McCoist. Aberdeen, though, were weakened by the loss through injury of their regular left back – a certain David Robertson.

Nope, but the last thing we need is fans buying them believing the battle is over.

Its the obsession that keeps on giving.

You did read that.

Well done Sherlock

Ashley's man is now Financial Director.

Could be that King & 3B know they are in a very strong position, may be that there is very little negotiations(hopefully).

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/11325238/Rangers-board-in-crisis-talks-after-emergency-500000-loan.html

Rangers board in crisis talks after emergency £500,000 loan Roddy Forsyth explains the ongoing power struggle at Rangers between Mike Ashley, Dave King and the Three Bears, and Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver Email Ibrox - Rangers power struggle takes new twist after Mike Ashley loses key ally in his quest for Ibrox boardroom coup Battleground: The battle for power at Ibrox took a new twist on new year's eve Photo: PA Roddy Forsyth By Roddy Forsyth11:19AM GMT 05 Jan 2015Comments27 Comments In a day of high drama at Ibrox the Rangers board is negotiating under severe pressure to save the club from financial meltdown for the second time in three years. The plc directors are frantically trying to strike a deal with the investor alliance of Dave King – a former Rangers director – and the Three Bears consortium, who last week scooped up available shares in an audacious raid. The astonishing development followed Telegraph Sport’s disclosure last night that the unpopular Ibrox regime had reached a crisis, which was confirmed today when the club’s board announced to the Stock Exchange that they had accepted an emergency loan of £500,000 from its football chairman, Sandy Easdale, to stay afloat for another few days. The Telegraph had revealed that a major announcement to the LSE was imminent, in respect of Rangers’ parlous economic situation. The trigger was a bill from HMRC for payment of National Insurance, under threat of a petition by the tax authority for the club to be placed into administration if the account was not settled immediately. Easdale’s loan is secured on the fee – believed to be £1 million - obtained from Brentford for the transfer of the highly rated 20-year-old midfielder, Lewis Macleod. When Rangers confirmed MacLeod’s sale to the Stock Exchange on Friday, the announcement said that the proceeds would “be used for immediate working capital”. The announcement of Easdale’s loan stated that the £500,000 would “be used by the Company for general working capital purposes over the next few days”. The statement added that the loan had been offered and accepted “on a fee and interest free basis and it will be secured against the income from the sale of player announced on 2 January 2015”. Related Articles Rangers board to lose power unless Mike Ashley steps in to save directors Rangers board to lose power unless Ashley steps in 04 Jan 2015 Rangers' squad could be decimated in January 01 Jan 2015 Rangers supporters’ group urges fans to displace Ashley 03 Jan 2015 Ashley's plan to own Rangers hits buffers 02 Jan 2015 Even as the Rangers board sought an agreement to avoid the club's collapse, however, a statement from Sandy Easdale's PR advisor, Jack Irvine, brought a sharp retort from King. Commenting on Easdale's secured funding deal, Irvine said: "Once again Sandy has stepped up to the plate with this half million pound loan from his own pocket. Whilst we welcomed the recent share purchases by Dave King and Douglas Park and his consortium, this unfortunately did not put any funds into the club. "Sandy was the only option for this cash injection at such short notice. The Easdale family remain totally committed to achieving a satisfactory financial future for Rangers and they hope all parties can work together in the future with that common goal."Given that Sandy Easdale rejected new funds and was a chief architect in getting the club into this mess, lending a small amount of money is the minimum he should have done. As part restitution he should make the £500,000 a donation rather than a loan." King retorted angrily and told Telegraph Sport: " The situation whereby a short-term loan of working capital is secured on recently obtained and desperately needed working capital is not only designed to stave off immediate administration, but also to keep the club afloat while the directors try to salvage what they can before surrendering to what now looks like an inevitable takeover by the fan-friendly axis of King and the Three Bears. However, three possibilities are in play. One – currently looking the least likely - is that Mike Ashley will come to the board’s rescue, having secured control over the appointment of two directors in return for £3 million of emergency funding in October. However, the Newcastle United owner had previously tried to negotiate with the Scottish Football Association to increase his stake at Ibrox from 8.92% to 29.9% but was refused by the governing body, who insisted that he should comply with his written undertaking not to go above 10%. The second option is an £18 million takeover offer from Robert Sarver, owner of Phoenix Suns basketball club. That offer was also notified to the Stock Exchange at the start of business this morning. Again, Telegraph Sport led the way in revealing that there had been conversations between Sarver’s advisers and those connected with the Three Bears consortium of wealthy shareholders, who have bought a substantial tranche of Rangers shares, as has the former Ibrox director, Dave King. Rangers’ second Stock Exchange statement today read: “The Company notes recent press speculation and confirms that it has received an approach from Robert Sarver (or a vehicle to be established and controlled by him) ("Mr Sarver") that may or may not lead to an offer being made for the Company. “There can be no certainty that an offer will be made, nor as to the terms on which an offer may be made. A further announcement is expected shortly.” Takeover rules mean that Sarver has until 5pm on February 2 to confirm or withdraw his offer, which is worth £18 million and designed to give him complete control of the club’s equity. Again, there are difficulties with this proposal. As the Telegraph disclosed, Sarver has an interest in investing in European football clubs, as opposed to a strategy based solely on a single outfit such as Rangers. A full equity bid would take time to implement, even if it found favour with the majority of investors. When King placed an offer of £16 million in October – the deal rejected by the Rangers plc board in favour of Ashley’s short term fix of loans – it was in the form of a debt and equity mix that would have lent the club sufficient money to keep it going through the takeover process. Another problem for Sarver is that, taken together, the recent share purchases by King and the Three Bears – Douglas Park, George Letham and George Taylor – constitute a little over 34% of Rangers’ stock. They have been pledged support by other disenchanted investors and have also been allocated proxy votes. The King/Three Bears axis know that they can now call upon sufficient support to outdistance the Ashley/Easdale camp by a significant margin. Having got themselves into such a favourable position they are not inclined to stand aside for Sarver although they have, as would be expected, let it be known that they will happily have him on board as a like-minded investor. This is well short of Sarver’s original intent of attaining complete control of Rangers before looking elsewhere to acquire other football interests. One obvious objection to that as a long-term strategy is that it would infringe the same dual-ownership regulations that have prompted a disciplinary complaint against Ashley by the SFA. In any case, time is now the pressing enemy of all the contending parties. If the club runs out of cash and is forced to enter administration for the second time in three years Rangers will be consigned to a fourth successive season in the lower leagues – a prospect feared by the Scottish football authorities as well as other clubs who would benefit financially from their return to the top tier, as a consequence of better sponsorship and broadcast deals than are currently available. Rangers are again teetering on the edge of a financial precipice as the principal personalities jostle on the brink to establish who will be thrust over to the rocks below - and who will be left standing to inherit whatever remains of this once immensely proud and respected club.

Deal brokered by Dave Robertson now manager of Phoenix FC!!!