ian1964

POLICE will issue the Old Firm with a list of banned songs as they begin their biggest crackdown on sectarianism. Both Celtic and Rangers will be asked to distribute the list to fans and ask them to stop singing them. The banned songs are thought to include The Famine Song, The Billy Boys and other tunes that glorify terror groups such as the IRA and UDA. Senior Strathclyde police sources say officers are ready to wade into stands to arrest offenders. A source said: "The police and the clubs need to work together and there has to be change in attitude by fans. "Thousands sing these songs but we cannot turn a blind eye any longer. "These songs have to become as socially unacceptable as drink-driving." Persistent offenders will be warned inside grounds. If they fail to stop, they will be arrested and could be taken to court and banned from attending matches. Fury over sectarian singing has increased in a season which has already featured six highly-charged Old Firm matches. The Catholic Church last month compained about singing coming from the Rangers end during the Co-operative Insurance Cup final, which Rangers won 2-1. And Rangers fans have been prosecuted for singing The Famine Song, described as racist by High Court judge Lord Carloway. It contains the words "the famine is over, why don't you go home" and has also been attacked by Celtic chairman Lord Reid. Last month, the Sunday Mail revealed a Celtic fan had received a two-year banning order and a �£300 fine for a song which described Rangers manager Walter Smith as a "sad, Orange b*****d". Lawyer David McKie last month successfully defended police officer Christopher Halaka who was accused of chanting pro-IRA slogans at a Perth taxi rank. He was cleared of breach of the peace with religious aggravation at Perth Sheriff Court. Mr McKie said: "Some songs about the IRA and UDA may be sectarian but singing them isn't necessarily breaking the law. The lyrics may be about history and politics and have nothing to do with religion." Scottish historian Professor Tom Devine, of Edinburgh University, said: "There should be caution until we see how this works. "But questions remain. How are those engaged in such singing to be identified? "Will they be charged with breach of the peace aggravated by sectarian intent? "And will the ban apply to all football matches and parks in Scotland?" Last night Celtic said they were unaware of the plans and couldn't comment on the new measures. Rangers were also unable to comment. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2011/04/03/police-chiefs-give-celtic-and-rangers-list-of-banned-songs-in-sectarian-crackdown-86908-23035258/

You have to think if Whyte is unsuccessful with his take over then we really are looking at administration,such is the damage Murray has done to the club.I do agree he is showing desire/balls to take over the club and knows all he needs to know about how much shit we are in and what needs to be done to take us forward. I do think he will take over Rangers.

It'll be done on Tuesday

ALASTAIR JOHNSTON'S work may almost be done. He was appointed Rangers chairman with the specific task of finding a buyer for the club. The US-based businessman has been courting lifelong Gers fan Craig Whyte for five months. Now the end of Sir David Murray's 23-year Ibrox tenure could be just HOURS away. Johnston finally broke the boardroom silence on Whyte's �£28million plans yesterday. He revealed Monday will be D-day for the SPL champs and their long term ambitions. And the chairman gave a ringing endorsement of Whyte's credentials for taking charge. Johnston said: "I think he is a businessman who is very bright. I think he has been very strategic, historically, in how successful he has been. "He has done it by keeping his cards very close to his chest. "I could tell his analysis was very enthusiastic but realistic. I would say he is aspirational but realistic. "The validity (of the proposed takeover) will be determined in the next couple of days. "Murray Group had imposed a time limit of March 31. We agreed given certain circumstances there was room for a wee bit of flexibility but only a couple of days. "Monday? It depends if you count Saturday and Sunday as working days but we're talking in that short timescale." Johnston was the most outspoken critic of Andrew Ellis' go-it-alone takeover plan last year. But after a series of top-level talks with Motherwell-born Whyte, the chairman feels much more comfortable with this deal. He added: "The amount of money being spent on due diligence - albeit it went on too long - and his continued commitment of time, effort and money spent to advance discussions have been significant. "His willingness to engage has been very different. It has also been reported to me that there's a lot more security in terms of funds. "When it appeared that this bid had a lot more substance to it, we prepared a briefing for Murray Group with respect to what we thought was the expectation and requirement for a takeover. "We're not a party to the discussion between Murray and Whyte. We have been engineering and focusing on the club. "Once it looked as if Murray, the bank and Craig Whyte were close to a deal and satisfation with respect to the proof of funds etc then we have been active. We are the commodity and while Murray, the bank and Craig Whyte are well represented at the meetings we are representative of hundreds of thousands of fans and stakeholders." Johnston is keen to ensure fans aren't short-changed this summer. He's acutely aware that season-book renewals are being posted out amid grave uncertainty over Gers' future. Figures published yesterday already show a 4.9 per cent decline in season-ticket sales. But Johnston believes Whyte has the wherewithal to put the club's finances back on track and provide cash for players the fans want to see. He said: "I don't think they were taken aback by the scale of the investment needed. "The next move was to have Craig's people meet our people in respect of the cashflow issue and the cashflow plan. "The cashflow relates to the requirements of the club in three different ways. "One is player trading - whether it is transaction fees or wages - the second is investments and requirements for maintenance of our facilities, Ibrox Stadium primarily, and the third is the working capital of the club going forward for our operations. "Without the bank there, somebody has to take that role. There are peaks and valleys in our debt so somebody has to be there replacing the bank. "If the bank isn't there, our cheques still have to clear. "What we talked a lot about yesterday was getting our cashflow right and the timing of that." Johnston also fired a barb at Lloyds Banking Group over their handling of Gers' financial plight. He insisted they've been happy to sit back while Walter Smith has fought tooth and nail to land back-to-back titles. He said: "European football and the success of the last two years has been absolutely instrumental in us surviving the financial model we were forced to confront. "I don't think administration is the right word but, without success, things would just have been scaled back to the point where I don't think Rangers should be. While we appreciate the support of Lloyds, certain provisions imposed on the club continue to compromise the management's ability to conduct its role with maximum efficiency. "The bank look on us as a short-term project. "What we have been doing is engaging them for a while with respect to if we sell players do we have any certainty that we will get all the money, 90 per cent of it, whatever. "It makes it tough for our management to understand and to plan for selling players when we don't know how much of the money we're getting to keep. Then you get a situation where we run down our assets and don't have the opportunity to trade them in a cycle. "Where the bank haven't got it is they haven't quite grasped that a year ago was when we should have been dealing with the Madjid Bougherra situation, not now. "I think the bank has had the luxury of an experience that, much though it's been great for the club for the last couple of years, the more we are successful despite this pressure the more the bank will think we can keep going with this." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/3505341/Craigs-real-deal.html#ixzz1IMqPZycL

In the last hour from STV............ "Rangers Chairman Alastair Johnston has criticised the club’s bankers for restricting Walter Smith’s quest for success in his final season as Rangers manager. In a statement the Ibrox chief has outlined his concerns and says he wants the role of Lloyds Banking Group to change. He said: “We appreciate the support of the Lloyds Banking Group through the Bank of Scotland in extending our credit arrangement and recognising the progress that has been made in developing a template for collaboration, certain provisions imposed on the Club continue to compromise, in our opinion, management's ability to conduct its role with maximum efficiency. “Having said that, as has been widely reported the majority shareholder is currently engaged in ongoing discussion with a view to selling its equity interest in the Club. “The outcome of this process could change the role that the Bank will play in going forward in its financial structure.” Johnston was making reference to the ongoing takeover bid by Scottish tycoon Craig Whyte, who this week appeared to move closer to a buy-out of Sir David Murray's shares. He added: "We are all acutely aware of the distractions off the park, but can assure all stakeholders that our objective of adding the SPL trophy to the Co-operative Insurance Cup and providing Walter Smith with a fitting finale is resolute. "The strength of the club is in its collective and unyielding support to achieve footballing success. I thank you for your commitment and passion as we challenge for another title." Johnston also acknowledged the investigation by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs over a tax issue, which relates to offshore payments to players. He said: "Distinctly separate from the Discounted Option Scheme, and in touching on HMRC's enquiry into the Murray Group Management Limited Remuneration Trust, I would emphasise that no allegations have been made to suggest any illegal activity, and tax vehicles of this type have been used by a number of companies throughout the country. "We continue to vigorously contest HMRC's challenge on the taxation treatment of the Trust and in doing so continue to receive reassuring opinion from tax, accounting and legal specialists." Johnston concluded: "The club has been actively involved in current discussions regarding the restructuring of Scottish football, and in particular the Scottish Premier League. "However, there are no conclusions as yet to an agreed structure, but we hope that a consensus can be reached to revitalise the game in this country and its standing in European football." Rangers have announced a retained profit of Ã?£11.9million for the six months to December 31, thanks to their participation in the Champions League group stages. Interim results for the Scottish champions also revealed that turnover for the six-month period decreased by Ã?£4.1million to Ã?£33.7million due to a reduction in their number of home games in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League. Net operating expenses at Ã?£21.1million were in line with last year, while the figures confirmed a 4.9% decline in the number of season tickets sold."

http://leggoland2.blogspot.com/2011/04/rangers-rage-at-bbc.html

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- STV Twitter - "Suggestion coming from a briefing at Ibrox that Rangers are disputing their own interim figures. More when we get it."

Fixed that:boogie:

Don't suppose much,if anything,will be said about the take over,we do have a game tomorrow!!!

I thought there was a press conference this morning?,if so what time is it at?,and can someone keep posting updates?,cheers.

Apr 1 2011 By Keith Jackson CRAIG Whyte last night cleared a major hurdle in his bid to buy Rangers when he survived a grilling by Ibrox directors. They summoned Whyte to Glasgow to get answers to questions they and the fans have been asking for five months. And soon after he'd left, a source close to the talks revealed he had won over chairman Alastair Johnston and his men. The board demanded to know how much money Whyte has and whether it is enough not just to buy Rangers but to invest substantially and ensure a brighter future for the club. Although proof of funding had been produced already by Whyte a source admitted it has yet to be shown that money is available for team strengthening. Johnston will announce Rangers' interim figures this morning when it will be revealed the bank debt has been reduced from �£29million to �£20m but that could now be cleared completely within days. Whyte remains determined to grab the club from Sir David Murray as quickly as possible to leave time for new manager Ally McCoist to rebuild a squad which will disintegrate at the end of the season. Five loan players will leave, two will go because they are out of contract and McCoist will have only 13 signed players if Rangers are still in the hands of the bank. Whyte realises he has to conclude his deal now but last night he was still waiting for clearance from Lloyds to proceed. There are many who still doubt Whyte but by showing up at the board meeting he did move a significant step closer. Weary The millionaire businessman arrived at Glasgow Airport just after 3pm and sped to the meeting to press home his bid. The 39-year-old venture capitalist's presence could not have been timed better because some Rangers directors were growing weary of the saga which began in November when Whyte first broke cover. Record Sport can reveal patience was at snapping point because the board felt Whyte had been given enough time to seal his deal with Murray and Lloyds. Before the meeting one senior source said: "We have a duty to protect Rangers and although we are desperate for the club to find a new owner it is incumbent upon us also to make sure we do not allow ownership to change hands and then discover at a later date that all we have done is rearranged the deck chairs on the Titanic. That is why we must ask Mr Whyte for answers."

I'm more interested in what players will be wearing the Rangers strips next season

HA!HA!, I'd forgot about me losing my phone,cheers for reminding me:sad:

FFS,wake me up when it's all over:sleep::smile:

Exactly my point mate. Murray has put us in this situation,he no longer has an interest in Rangers,yet he is saying he will only sell to someone who will take us forward!!!!!!!!!,well why don't you just get tae fuck out of Ibrox and let someone else at least try and take us forward Mr Murray?,instead of continually strangling the life out of the club.

A good run in the team without injuries and a regular partner and I've no doubt this guy will score a shit load of goals for Rangers.

Why is Murray insisting on the new owner can invest �£25m over five years when he himself has not invested anything for a long time now?,he is no longer interested in Rangers,and hasn't been for years, so why the fuck does he not just go ahead with the offer from Whyte?. As far as I can see at the very least Whyte will clear our debt!!!.

Oh dear!!!,here we go,I so hope your info is wrong:sigh:

I'm glad I'm not the only one who is confused if this is the case

That would give them more satisfaction than them winning the CL,that is how sad,twisted and desperate the BHEASTS are,their hatred for Rangers far outweighs there love of C****c,sad people really.

OOOOOOO!!!,you're such a tease BD:tongue:,c'mon spit it out mate

i was just over to spy on the BHEASTS on kiddyfiddlerstreet to see what they're making of the potential take over,and while that was funny enough,thread currently running @ 178 pages,I stumbled on this absolute cracker of a thread starter: OverAndOver Yesterday, 9:51 AM Post #1 Member Avatar Occasional Substitute [ * * * * ] Posts: 629 Group: Members Member #26,898 Joined: 30 August 2010 Favourite all-time player Murdo MacLeod Mods if this is in the wrong place then please move. Just wondering if any of our clued up financial people will know this. If the huns lose their First Tier Tribunal against HMRC and are found to be guilty of cheating from the years 2001-2010 inclusive due to paying money into the EBT scheme. I take it they will be stripped of any trophies won during this period due to cheating (I believe the same thing happened to Juventus when they got caught cheating). With that in mind the Huns won the SPL 4 times during 2001-2010. In 2003, 2005,2009 and 2010 Therefore in the following season's champions league campaign went as follows 2003-2004 - they had to play one qualifier to get into champs league - however Celtic also qualified for Champs league that season through the qualifiers. 2005-2006 - they had to play one qualifier to get into champs league - we got beat by Artmedia and went straight out of Europe 2009-2010 - they got automatic qualification straight into group stage of champs league - we got beat by Arsenal in final qualifier and went into the Europa League 2010-2011 - they got automatic qualification straight into group stage of champs league - we got put out of CL by Braga and Europa League by Utrecht. So as we finished runners-up in the league each of those seasons in 2003,2005,2009 and 2010 do we have a claim for lost earnings :ponder: 2003-2004 - no claim as we qualified for group stages of CL 2005-2006 - they could argue that as we would have to have played one qualifying round no guarentee of making it to group stages. 2009-2010 - straight entry into champ league groups stages as champions - could we claim the difference between champs league money and europa league money 2010-2011 - straight entry into champ league groups stages as champions - claim for champs league money for entering at group stage. I am strictly talking about the guarenteed money from UEFA for making the group stages of the Champions League (so not lost gate receipts) Would we have a case?.

Lifted from another forum,a reply from Mr Kearney in response to an email sent to him from a Rangers fan: The newspapers reports you refer to are inaccurate. Headlines about dossiers being sent to the police do not represent in any way the intentions of anyone in the Catholic Church. I have written to the newspapers concerned though to date they have not published my letters. Since the CIS cup final a number of messages have been received by Church officials from disaffected fans, but, my only comment on this has been ââ?¬Å?The right port of call for complaints of this nature would be the policeââ?¬Â. Certainly the Catholic Church is in no position to amass evidence or compile dossiers nor does it wish to do so. There is no doubt that feelings run high at these fixtures. In fairness, however, this is no different to feelings football engenders around the world. It is a passionate and sometimes violent game. One only has to look at recent fixtures in the Roma vs Lazio derby where fans have been stabbed, Euro qualifier games abandoned completely because of violence or a recent Birmingham vs Aston Villa game which resulted in police clad in riot gear repelling a full-scale pitch invasion to realise just how sedate Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s football matches are in comparison. Frankly, the Scottish media have done Glasgow no favours with incendiary tales of apocalyptic and life-threatening conduct. Much attention has been given to the topic of sectarianism though again an informed perspective has been lacking. If neither the fans who sing ââ?¬Ë?sectarianââ?¬â?¢ songs or the officials charged with policing them, have an accurate understanding or definition of the term, it seems unlikely they will be able to respond, far less eradicate such behaviour. Rather than convening further high profile summits or compiling eye-catching headlines, what is needed most of all now is a informed definition of the term ââ?¬Ë?sectarianismââ?¬â?¢ and a renewed pledge from everyone involved in football not to tolerate it. Yours sincerely Peter Kearney Director Catholic Media Office 5 St Vincent Place GLASGOW G1 2DH Reply With Quote

So it's not just me then:smile:

I thought I would have been excited,but I'm actually a wee bit worried!!!,don't know why as getting rid of the cancer that is SDM should have me cheering,but I just think the uncertainty of what Whyte will do with our club has me cautious to say the least,surely he can't be any worse than SDM???