buster.

Note. Post was from a trialist joined in 2015 opposed to someone with a track record on FF. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was generally said he was decent but it was also very clear that he had been 'trouble' and that was why the Dutch club wanted rid. Taking a gamble on a player like that might well have meant that 'length of contract' was a potential sticking point. eg. That the player/agent wanted a 2 year deal whilst Rangers wanted to give him a 6 month trial with an option of a longer deal if he can not only show ability but can behave and get on with team-mates. Given his behavioural problems Rangers may have saw more risk than value in paying X amount over a certain length of contract. Over the years these type of kids with "outstanding ability" that get let go by other teams rarely come through. Glad that he hasn't been signed as I wouldn't want to risk 'big-headed troublemakers' into the group.

I doubt much will happen until the beginning of the following week.

I think a lot of players are good enough potential-wise but for too long a period we haven't been able to get the best out of players, never mind improve them. We have to change this if we want a successful and viable football club. I think the right type of people are now in charge and there is reason to hope.

Cosgrove and Spence can now be described as 'generally confrontational' when expressing their views or thoughts on events that concern Rangers. Spence is now a freelance in the relative wilderness and to an extent now depends on his soundbites aimed at Rangers to remain in the public eye. The best thing is to ignore him and leave him increasingly to his own patch up in Dundee. Cosgrove is a different type and talks through the National broadcaster, directly funded by the public. 'Off the Ball' is in the main a light-hearted 'petty and ill informed' programme that pokes fun at various figures and teams in Scottish football and so gives Cosgrove a degree of license. Taking that into consideration you need to consider context but I think it fair to say that over a long period of time that Cosgrove has been consistently negative towards Rangers in a way and sometimes with a tone that is disdainful and verging on hateful. He has been given good reason to criticise matters at Rangers over the last two decades but for me it is his at times open disdain, confrontational style and something verging on hatred that makes this more difficult to stomach from the national broadcaster.

Fair play to McArthur who has applied himself and is doing well in a tough enviroment. One of the few current Scottish Internationals who is currently managing to get a regular game in the EPL. As far as Rangers are concerned we missed him and aren't likely to see him whilst he is able to pocket the type of wages he'll currently be on. What we do need to do is establish an infrastructure that pick ups the developing players who don't only have the ability but have the right attitude, determination and are prepared to apply themselves and keep improving. This for me is much more important than the unviable throwing of millions at players. We as a support need to lower expectations regards transfer windows and 'sexy signings' who too often in the past have turned into 'one-nighters' that the day after you want shot of.

Looking back in this thread shows that LVG is fairly consistent and it's not just the old HT 0-0. A year on and it's another 0-1 defeat from Koeman's Southampton and the same 37 points but from 23 games. #CarCrash

Best tuning back in when the window closes,....unless you enjoy riding round in circles, going not very far.

He probably was decent but as with so many others, we didn't get the best out of him. Throwing money at problems and when they didn't work,...throwing some more money at it. TBF the fact MW had already worked with 'Dave' and clearly wanted him tends to suggest he could have been an asset. However we haven't got the money to throw at present and if other more cash rich clubs want the same targets we are goosed. It's the same with MO'H. If Celtic do want him, they'll get him (unless there is more interest from England). All they have to do is offer a similar fee and say we'll let you keep him for X months or offer say Gary MacKay Stevens as a 6 month loan.

Not fussed about 'Dave' tbh. Something about him reminded me of Mladenovic.

Or how close he is from cashing in his chips..............

Written Judgement https://www.judiciary.gov.uk/judgments/sports-direct-international-plc-v-rangers-international-football-club-plc-and-david-king-2/ The Guardian are running the story and at this moment in time it is their Number One UK News Headline (Online edition) Judge attacks Mike Ashley for abusing legal system against Rangers boss http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news

You may be better starting your own radio station so you can talk about your favourite subject.............. 6PM: Reflections on my day 8PM: My views on the issue of the day (including phone-in to discuss my views) 10PM: This day (Jan 21st) in my life 25 years ago 11PM: Late Call ...

Do you not mean your interpretation of what you think it applied to?

It's ironic that the biggest crowd and best atmosphere of the Scottish Football League season is what they are investigating. All I've heard from the neutral 3rd parties who were at or watched the game was that it was a great atmosphere. They would have been mainly watching the football rather than noting down lyrics for later examination to see if they are offended. Offense is subjective but in Scotland we have the 'professionally offended' (PF) who are often louder in their condemnation than was what they are complaining about. Thing about the PF is that they aren't really offended at all but want to draw attention to something and for action to be taken. Many of those shouting "I'm offended" are telling lies or have been wound up by the ongoing media circus to the point where they feel pressure to say ''I'm offended". If you look around at the many real problems in the UK and beyond and think about perspective, these pantomines that exist in Scottish football and the hullaballoo that surrounds them is laughable, well at least until they put you in jail for a sing song at the football. To sanitise football to the extreme would be to kill it but it seems as though the UK is having a pretty good go at trying to control many aspects of daily life and fitbaw north of the border is becoming a flagship. If you could go back in time and show the society of say 1976 the legislation passed in 2010 they would think you writing for an alternative and dark comedy show. Today there is too much incompetence, agendas & dumbed down sheep and too little independent thinking, so society drifts into an ever darker place.

If FS can get access it means we'll get an accurate account of events including the 'relevant wee details' reporters would probably miss.

The media need something to drone on about and are only too willing to help kick-start the old chestnuts season after season and to a degree it works for them within what has always generally been a low quality debate. Social media tends to generally follow their lead but sometimes includes some originality and out of the box thinking that tends to get lost amongst the noise that may aswell be C&P'd from yesteryear. Most other industries would have seen Doncaster and Regan long gone. Aslong as the executives are coining it in they won't 'rock the boat' and just sit there pointing to the clubs and inferring that it is their fault because it is the clubs who decide on matters. Fair enough, but why pay them so much then and why not look at the management structure itself. There are limits as to what Scottish football can realistically do but as it stands, from the top down it is a bit of joke and any lasting solutions may need to start at the top and not only personnel............but they won't, at least not any time soon.

Scottish football is the sporting equivalent to a low budget Groundhog Day. Same Shit Different Season. - League reconstruction - Summer football - Old Firm to England - Fans behaviour - European Failure for clubs - Scotland fail to qualify - How can we impove - Go back to the top of list

In familiar territory.

So ludicrous I thought it was a spoof at first.

I wonder if SDI might look to have the judge changed with all this personal stuff appearing? Would be nice if they try and were unsuccessful. Have no idea of how courts work in this regard.

Judge criticises Sports Direct in Rangers legal case Tuesday 19 January 2016 14.49 GMT Sports Direct, the embattled sportswear chain, has “abused” the legal system, according to the high court judge presiding over the retailer’s bitter legal battle with Rangers football club. Mr Justice Peter Smith took the surprising step of registering his disapproval of the company’s approach after Sports Direct withdrew its claim for damages in the case –in which the companypreviously failed to have the football club’s chairman, Dave King, jailed over allegations he violated a gagging order. King has been accused of breaching a confidentiality agreement between the football club and the FTSE 100 group after giving an interview to Sky Sports in July, in which he revealed the existence and contents of meetings related to contracts Rangers has with Sports Direct. Sports Direct’s 55% owner, Mike Ashley, had claimed in his witness statement that the damage to the retailer of the alleged breach and others ran into “tens of millions of pounds”. The company then claimed £200,000 in damages, before reducing the claim to £50,000, and then withdrawing the claim on Monday. It is now asking for injunctions on the disclosure of its commercial deals with Rangers. After being told by Sports Direct lawyers that the company was no longer seeking damages, Smith said: “The whole way that the claimants have been conducting themselves [in relation to the damages] … shows that they have been abusing processes of the court.” Smith also struck out sections of Ashley’s witness statement that dealt with the alleged damages, which he said were not supported by a “statement of truth”. William McCormick QC, for Rangers, told the judge: “They [sports Direct] simply will not deal with us on a proper basis. I am sure it is not the lawyers. It must be because they are held by their instructions.” The latest chastisement of Sports Direct comes after the company was widely rounded on by politicians, business people and unions following a Guardian investigation in December. The reports revealed how the retailer was effectively paying thousands of temporary warehouse workers below the national minimum wage. The coverage led to an urgent question in parliament, calls for an investigation by HM Revenue & Customs, and criticism from the Institute of Directors, which branded Sports Direct a “scar on British business”. On New Year’s Eve, Sports Direct pledged £10m for a pay rise for staff from the start of this year. Ashley has also promised to lead a review of all Sports Direct’s temporary staff terms and conditions. In December, when Sports Direct failed to have King jailed, Smith queried whether Ashley was interested in having a “sensible” business relationship with the Rangers chairman “or grinding him into the dust”. The judge added: “Maybe he is interested. I don’t know.” The retailer’s claim over whether King breached the confidentiality agreement will be heard in February. Sports Direct did not comment. http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jan/19/judge-criticises-sports-direct-in-rangers-legal-case

A general momentum has built up that seems to have no shortage or letting-up of fuel being added. The bottomline is that it is his own decisions, actions, business practices, corporate goverance etc. taken together paint a horribly negative picture of a rich billionaire. This at a time when so many people are becoming aware of and suffering that stems from the efforts of some of this bracket to get richer, often taking advantage of loaded dice, wanting more still and not caring for the 'rules' or properly being held responsible if caught breaking them. Mr MASH needs to be made an example of and the people need to see it.

By 'exposingtherhats' The man has built himself up from nothing. Ruthlessness, graft and perhaps a bit of ingenuity has led to him building a near monopoly in his industry and billionaire status. Of course any ruthless businessman makes enemies, the at times flamboyant lifestyle, liking for casinos and disdain for the dull city types hasn’t helped. There are concerns the maverick risk taking style of doing business could lead to corporate governance failures but this guy is a serious operator, genuine billionaire and realistically is simply too big to fail. The two paragraphs above could easily have been written to describe the late Robert Maxwell in 1988, by 1991 he was floating face down in waters off the coast of the canaries leaving behind a pillaged pension fund and the largest corporate black hole in UK corporate history. Now I’m by no means suggesting the same fate will befall General Big Mike, I also absolutely haven’t chuckled at the thought of such a re-enactment resembling a scene from Free Willy. However there are parallels and they become more striking by the day. Full blog at https://exposingtherhats.wordpress.com/2016/01/19/big-mike-too-big-to-fail/

Mr MASH may be concerned about potential fall-out coming from the ongoing criminal proceedings. With this in mind he may or may not have been looking to impact the clubs cashflow and go after King the individual so as to affect any efforts at bringing him to account, both legally and financially. He may or may not now be considering a different approach which has been mooted from various places. ie. 'retreat'

Yes, Ashely would still be impacting our cashflow but the 'intangible price' he is paying regards this action leaves him with an important net 'loss' thus far. Not forgetting that the trial is still to come.