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D'Artagnan

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Everything posted by D'Artagnan

  1. D'Artagnan
    Spot on SB. "Et tu Ally" ?
  2. D'Artagnan
    Stange times indeed - I find myself in complete agreement with you Bearger. Too many people tip toeing around McCoist's conduct - quite simply its a disgrace. The fans are entitled to know what is going on particularly when the manager's position has such an effect on the team.
  3. D'Artagnan
    Sorry ser Bar but Im really not following youre logic here. Should it not be the core function of a supporters trust or group to highlight the mocking of the deaths of a section of that support ?
  4. D'Artagnan
    Saddest thing for me about this thread is that I have come to a point where I find it almost impossible, as per the topic headline, to equate the words "McCoist" & "decent thing" in the same sentence.
  5. D'Artagnan
    Apparently it did JTP with the tried & tested "whistleblowing" excuse being exercised by BBC Scotland. If Police Scotland had been doing their job properly they would have told the BBC that "whistleblowing" cannot be offered as justification in circumstances where legal proceedings have already been instigated - which of course it was in the Rangers Tax Case.
  6. D'Artagnan
    I dont think the latter is possible Rab - as soon as LNS refers to them as "productions" he is referring to items seized and lodged as evidence by the prosecuting authority. (Remember we are only talking about the leaks made available to BBC Scotland not The Rangers Tax case) Thats about in a nutshelll Zap - they appear to have at some point been removed from a secure area storing evidence - presumably whilst in the custody and care of HMRC. Some have suggested they could have been leaked by the Rangers legal defence team - but they would only be supplied with photo copies of the original documents and Im pretty certain LNS would have made the distinction between "productions" and "photocopies of productions" had that been the case.
  7. D'Artagnan
    LNS referred to them as "productions" in the Rangers Tax Case - which meant they were catalogued & lodged evidence items before the tax tribunal.
  8. D'Artagnan
    There was an interesting footnote to the Daily Record’s coverage of Ed Miliband’s attack on Mike Ashley over the latter’s penchant for zero hour contracts; commenting on the recent flurry of Police activity regarding the acquisition of Rangers by Craig Whyte, it read : “The warrant was issued on the day four men – David Grier, Paul Clark and David Whitehouse, who worked for Rangers administrators Duff & Phelps, and Gary Withey, who represented Whyte – were all detained by police in England acting on behalf of Police Scotland. They are due to appear in court tomorrow. Police Scotland, who are leading a joint operation with HMRC, said “inquires are ongoing” in to the whereabouts of Whyte.” What makes that footnote particularly interesting is that Police Scotland’s Specialist Economic Crime Unit are once again working jointly with HMRC. Some will remember that until recently the former were investigating the latter with regard to leaks of confidential information in the Rangers Tax Case although “they found no evidence that the leaks came from within HMRC”. Perhaps it’s unavoidable given the scope of the enquiry and the limitations on resources but does it not strike anyone else as peculiar that we now have a former suspect at the forefront of an investigation into our club? An agency which itself has been open to considerable criticism over their handling of the whole sorry mess, with serious questions being asked about their professional competency. We don’t need to do “conspiracy theories” when it comes to HMRC – the facts themselves suggest that there are considerable grounds for a government enquiry into their handling of the matter. The latest criminal developments only serve to add fuel to an already highly flammable topic. This after all is the same government agency whom:- 1. As per Keith Jackson’s Daily record expose` allowed Craig Whyte, a man they were already pursuing for tax related matters to the tune of £4 million, to assume control of a company and then fail to contribute PAYE for a period of 9 months and as a consequence forced the company into administration. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/ex-rangers-owner-craig-whyte-being-3992415 2. Treated complaints from Rangers shareholders regarding breaches of confidentiality in the Rangers Tax Case as “speculation about alleged breaches of confidentiality” whilst the platforms for the foregoing breaches, The Rangers Tax Case Blog and the BBC Scotland documentary – “The Men Who Sold The Jerseys” were picking up various awards courtesy of the confidential information they had broadcast. 3. Despite the investigation aforementioned by Police Scotland, have failed to explain how evidence in the Rangers Tax case, of which they were custodians, ended up in the hands of BBC Scotland. The remarks and summation by Lord Nimmo Smith in his SPL Commission Report have not been forgotten by the Rangers support, nor will the matter be allowed to rest until a sufficient explanation is provided as to how or who was responsible for such leaks. The Rangers support will welcome the latest flexing of the long arm of the law, not only from the sense of seeing some modicum of justice, but also a means of providing answers, long overdue answers to some of the questions this particularly dark period has caused. I doubt all will welcome such developments. The latest actions by the law enforcement agencies confirm what many of us have suspected for a considerable time – that our club has been used as the vehicle for a fairly elaborate and complex fraudulent scheme and in every sense is itself the victim of the perpetrators. It will be interesting to see whether there is a determination within our club to seek recompense, financial or otherwise, in respect of those who sought to punish the crime’s victim. The tale which will unfold if only half the story however. The decision making process at HMRC and their conduct into the investigation of our club is the untold story. The latter is a story which needs to be told and only a full public enquiry will suffice.
  9. D'Artagnan
    I suspect alot of your questions can be answered in one word.... "Lloyds"
  10. D'Artagnan
    This is the kind of misconcepion we are up against in convincing the wider support FO is a viable option for our club.
  11. D'Artagnan
    http://www.londonstockexchange.com/exchange/news/market-news/market-news-detail/12109039.html
  12. D'Artagnan
    If you have something to say then please feel free... Im sure you can express yourself whilst still adhering to the promises you have made.
  13. D'Artagnan
    I dont remember lauding SDM anywhere in that OP.
  14. D'Artagnan
    Im not taking it as negative, and I agree that there needs to be finer detail to the road map as you have alluded to. But in all honesty I dont think thats for me to provide - I have no right to suggest to any of these organisations how we should go about the a,b,c of bringing it all together for the positive benefit of our club - perhaps its even unrealistic on my part to hope that they can - perhaps as others have suggested we need to rip up the script and start again addressing some of the issues FS has raised. What is refreshing about this thread is the recognition that the fractures are detrimental to our club - if the blog does nothing else - then even that is an achievement.
  15. D'Artagnan
    You'd need to ask them Hildy - I genuinely dont know.
  16. D'Artagnan
    As I said Steve Im under no illusions and much of that piece was directed at those who still view FO as an alien concept, and to start the ball rolling on a debate where our support examines who can be best trusted to safeguard our club and to serve the interests of the club, rather than others. I understand what you are saying re the problems of unity and note what you have said regarding this thread and the comments themselves. Can we really achieve some measure of FO without some measure of compromise on all sides ? Isnt that a better advert for FO - that the groups can work together constructively to safeguard our club from further exploitation ? Wouldnt that remove some of the scepticism out there that FO is a workable solution for our club ? Thats doesnt mean to say any of them need to abandon their original aims and objectives - those can still be pursued and those signing up to same can choose the particular model which best suits their own beliefs.
  17. D'Artagnan
    The old man shuffled in the large leather chair, one of those traditional ones designed to encourage good seating posture rather than slouching, pushing his steel rimmed glasses onto his forehead he took what he hoped would be another sip of inspiration from the lukewarm tea on the table, just for a brief moment he thought about undoing his top shirt button and loosening his tie to provide relief from the late afternoon sun beaming through the office window and which was taking its toll – but that would just not do, “standards, standards, standards” he muttered to himself, the presentation was tomorrow and the speech had to be finished, so reaching for his trusty pencil and notepad he collected his thoughts and began scribbling… “I have been lucky — lucky in those who were around me from the boardroom to the dressing-room. In time of stress, their unstinted support, unbroken devotion to our club and calmness in adversity eased the task of making Rangers FC the premier club in this country. To be a Ranger is to sense the sacred trust of upholding all that such a name means in this shrine of football. They must be true in their conception of what the Ibrox tradition seeks from them. No true Ranger has ever failed in the tradition set him.” Our very success, gained you will agree by skill, will draw more people than ever to see it. And that will benefit many more clubs than Rangers. Let the others come after us. We welcome the chase. It is healthy for us. We will never hide from it. Never fear, inevitably we shall have our years of failure, and when they arrive, we must reveal tolerance and sanity. No matter the days of anxiety that come our way, we shall emerge stronger because of the trials to be overcome. That has been the philosophy of the Rangers since the days of the gallant pioneers.” I have spent my whole life in awe of that speech. The utter selflessness at the heart of it, the appreciation and acknowledgement of the work and dedication of others, the dismissal of the importance of the individual and the emphasis and focus on the dedication of others around him merely serve to underline why this man has left such an indelible stamp on our club. It speaks of a football club with a sense of direction, where the people at the very heart of it share not only a common vision but realise the necessity of working together with shared values to deliver that vision. We have fallen, fallen a long way from that sacred trust, taken there by men with little concept of what the Ibrox tradition seeks from them, men whose importance of self, of ego, was the very antithesis of everything Mr Struth stood for. It has opened a revolving door of charlatans, of profiteers, with no interest in preserving the shrine other than seeking to exploit the faithful who still come to worship. In these days of anxiety, amidst the clamour of boardroom battles, of money men and PR gurus, of percentage shareholdings and damaging headlines, one group, to the exclusion of all others, has sought to uphold that sacred trust and remain true to the concept of the Ibrox tradition. Disengaged and disempowered from the powers and processes which govern our club, and in the face of considerable, or as some hoped, insurmountable adversity, we have strived and endeavoured to keep the flames of that sacred trust burning. We conquered the insurmountable, breaking attendance records along the way, we laid waste to the false accusations of “glory hunters” at the Gayfields and Station Parks of this world. Borough Briggs and Ochilview had to be postponed as the manifestation of “unstinted support” and “unbroken devotion” descended upon them. Who are these people ? Go look in the mirror you will see them there, staring right back at you – we are the people. We are the people and this is our time. It’s time for those who have proven themselves in the face of adversity to no longer be disempowered or disengaged. We are the rightful sentinels of that sacred trust, do we honestly believe that anyone else could protect it better ? If you do then stop reading now. Rangers First, Buy Rangers and Vanguard Bears all offer a means of achieving that goal via their various fan ownership models. The choices we face are simple but critical nonetheless. Who do we trust most to decide the destiny of our football club, to safeguard all that we cherish and value ? To run the club in a way which upholds the traditions spoken of by Mr Struth all those years ago ? Who would ensure that every single decision which is made, is done so solely in the best interests of Rangers ? Or should we continue to fracture as a support, tearing ourselves apart doing the bidding of masters who offer no guarantees, in the hope of some scraps off the table ? Isn’t it about time we either sat at that table ourselves or had a considerable say in who does and the decisions they make concerning our club ? I am under no illusions – it will not be easy. There will be considerable challenges ahead, without doubt considerable adversity as well, but only a fool would bet against a Rangers support united in purpose and vision – it’s probably what those who wish ill will against our club fear most. Our club is once again in need of “gallant pioneers”, men and women who will remain true to the concept the Ibrox tradition seeks from them, and the reward is ensuring that sacred trust is preserved for generations yet to come. “No true Ranger has ever failed in the tradition set him.”
  18. D'Artagnan
    I would see it happening in one of 2 ways - either someone from the 3 FO mechanisms makes an initiating move ..or the fans and members themselves bring pressure to bear for such an initiative. Who knows perhaps one of those bloggers might even write an article suggesting something similar to get the ball rolling
  19. D'Artagnan
    Its a subject which has been discussed many times on various forums - the reluctance of our fans to exercise self determination is confounding. Whilst many would be rightly depressed with the situation our club finds itself in - nonetheless the poverty of choice, the lack of trust, the lack of certainty and the fears should be held up in comparison to what fan ownership would give us. Whatever are the obstacles to fans believing fan ownership is the best way forward for our club need to be explored and addressed. I remember the inaugural meeting of the RST at Partick Burgh Halls - there was a real buzz about the place, a real sense of the begining of a journey to a better place. We need to recapture that sense of controling our own destiny, we need to share that vision with others and address the fears of those who are not so convinced. It would require groups working together who have in the past not seen eye to eye and that will present considerable challenges. But the choice is up to us - do we want to safeguard our club for the future or leave it susceptible to those who dont share our passion, vision and concern for it ?
  20. D'Artagnan
    Amen to that. Thats where our energies should be getting directed - a united support driving towards a single purpose - I dont care if we suffer for a few seasons on the park, if we have control of the destiny of our club I know it will still be here for my grandchildren
  21. D'Artagnan
    Why dont we do both ? - ie pursue through official channels & a boycott.
  22. D'Artagnan
    The tag of "new club" is the domain of the Rangers hater - it requires an indvidual or organisation to completely ignore both the rulings and authority of Lord Nimmo Smith, the SFA, UEFA, ECA and of course ASA. When a football club allows itself to enter that domain, ignoring the rule and authority of the organisations which govern them, they deserve every punishment which subsequently comes their way.
  23. D'Artagnan
    Far from happy. But I'll leave it for others to read it for themselves and arrive at their own conclusions. Perhaps thats me being "extremely clever" - I would it call it being honest. Of course if persons were to use their monikers from other sites we could all judge what everyone contributing to this thread had said in the past, though some of the recent conduct in here leaves little to the imagination.
  24. D'Artagnan
    Well firstly I have not seen a statement from VB suggesting any kind of support for Ashley. RM is a forum where there is a variety of different opinions as to how best our club is served.
  25. D'Artagnan
    I dont think Waltersgotstyle will agree with that GS. So who are these people you refer to ?
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