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I posted this article from a Newcastle United fan within a thread (now deleted) but it got lost in there and deseerves prominence. Well worth a read and relevant to our situation today and the ghost of the future. "The Great Betrayal".............Mike Ashley and the cheapening of the Newcastle dream "Along Stowell Street and up to Gallowgate, hemmed in by the illicit, everything mam would scold you for; men weaving through traffic, a chuffing of tabs, the ****etty-twat, rat-a-tat swearing, pie-flecked gobs crooning mayhem. A half of orange squash at fart height outside the Strawberry and it is ten to three and tears are prickling and panic clenches and you cannot swallow but the rush is on and you bolt it. Moved and buffeted, onto tiptoes, Dead Sea swimming, but a sea alive, afroth with yanking current, past the walls to the turnstiles though pockets of meat smells, piss and ale. Step-dad on one side and a neighbour on the other – his tickets, his offer, an eight year old’s queasy nod – but nobody had told you it would be this affront to childhood, to responsible parenting. This obscenity, this stench, this first time, this only time, this cesspool. A struggle up some steps and then a struggle to comprehend, a long field of emerald bordered by grey, fringed with concrete, by black and white. Glorious green in a monochrome landscape, vivid and out of context, too vivid to wrest your eyes from. It is what you remembered stuffed between the adults, packed so tightly that you rose when they did, arse-down when they sat. The rest of your view: the back of someone’s parka. No teams, no scorers, no specific date, just a pressing of eyes and that flash of green. Nothing else brought you back, nothing else made sense, certainly not the invisible, middle-distance game you did not witness. Nor the shouting or the scuffle for the bogs at half-time, the leaving five minutes early and the dull, distant cloud-burst of two late goals (you would never do that again). Just that big grey city green. That was how it began and that is how it remains; arrive at a stadium and search out the grass, man-made but natural, defying the stanchions crowding in on it. There would be human heroes – Keegan as a player, Beardsley and Gascoigne, with his chip-fat shine and bagatelle feet – but the tingle of that feeling, eyes wide at the incongruity of an urban savannah, the darkness of encroaching terraces, is what burrowed inside..........................." Full article at https://www.theblizzard.co.uk/articl...reat-betrayal/

I never thought he really wanted to sell Newcastle? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/11295462/Mike-Ashley-could-control-Rangers-and-Newcastle-United-within-weeks.html

Aberdeen have agreed an investment deal that will wipe out the club's debts. As the Dons released their annual accounts, it was revealed their net debt of £14.49m will be cleared if the restructuring plans are approved. Willie Donald and his wife Elaine, who own the Stonehaven-based engineering company WM Donald, will become shareholders in the club. The Pittodrie outfit hope to see the plans given the go-ahead at next month's AGM. Aberdeen chairman Stewart Milne told BBC Scotland earlier this year that he remained optimistic that the club could soon be in a "debt-free position," as they target new training facilities and a new stadium. In the annual club accounts, Aberdeen revealed turnover rose from £7.85m to £11.158m last season with wages increasing from £5.256m to £6.084m. The club say the wages increase is a result of higher bonus payments. Milne told the club website: "The period covered in this report has seen a significant change in the fortunes at Aberdeen given the team's success in lifting the League Cup." It was also confirmed that if restructuring plans are approved, Aberdeen FC Community Trust will also receive a "sizeable shareholding". On the restructuring plans, Milne said: "The negotiations have been ongoing for a number of months now and these arrangements will, I believe, be transformational for the club. "The club are indebted to Willie and Elaine for the role they have played in this. If the final steps are approved at the AGM we will have a strong balance sheet and the debt servicing burden will be removed, allowing us to drive forward on training facilities and the plans for the new stadium with much greater confidence in our ability to raise the additional investment needed." Willie Donald said: "Our family recognises that we have been fortunate to have grown our business in a city and region that has benefitted from the impact of the energy sector over the last 37 years. "We decided some time ago that we wished to give something back to the community, we see the football club as a vital and central part of the community, and indeed the whole North East of Scotland and see this investment as an excellent opportunity to deliver our objective." As part of the restructuring plan, the net debt of the club will reduce by £14.49m and its share capital and reserves will rise by the same amount. Debt of £4.42m owed to the Stewart Milne Group will be converted to equity. SMG shareholding in the club will rise to around 43% but only up to 29.9% of this would be voting rights. Aberdeen Asset Management will convert their remaining debt to equity and Willie and Elaine Donald will end up with a shareholding of around 20%. http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/30016970

Rangers fans group Sons of Struth threaten boycott of Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct shops Ashley has been targeted after purchasing the naming rights to Ibrox for £1. The threat of a boycott of Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct retail group along with the business interests of other Rangers directors has been made by dissident fans’ group, the Sons of Struth, following a ballot of supporters. The group, named after Rangers’ longest serving manager, Bill Struth, staged a demonstration behind the directors’ box at Ibrox during the team’s recent meeting with Inverness in the Scottish Communities League Cup, but have now raised the possibility of direct action against McGills Buses, a transport group owned by the Rangers football board chairman, Sandy Easdale, and his brother James, who serves on the plc board. Ashley has been targeted because Sandy Easdale recently revealed that the naming rights to Ibrox had been sold to the Newcastle United owner for £1. Easdale himself has been the subject of condemnation from the Rangers support - whose boycott of season tickets has reduced the club’s income from that source by half - because he has been seen in the company of Rafat Rizvi, who was sentenced to 15 years in absentia when convicted of fraud in an Indonesian court. Rizvi, a UK citizen, is the subject of an Interpol international arrest warrant but cannot be extradited because the UK has no treaty with Indonesia. He was pictured recently in Glasgow along with Easdale and Malyasian businessman, Datuk Faizoull Bin Ahmad, who was named as a potential investor in the troubled club, although he subsequently denied any intent to take a stake or any knowledge of Rizvi. The Sons of Struth issued a statement detailing the results of their poll, which did not specify how many fans’ opinions had been sampled, although it is thought that they have around 3000 members. The statement read: "Due to recent events, such as Sandy Easdale's meeting with convicted fraudster Rafat Rizvi, his broken promises of having investors lined up and the selling of our stadium’s naming rights to Mike Ashley for £1.00, Sons of Struth have received an increased level of calls for tougher action against the board, Sports Direct and, Easdale-owned McGills Buses. “Recent polling of our members resulted in 99.35% calling for the removal of Sandy Easdale as a Rangers director and 97.19% wishing Mike Ashley to cancel his 7 year contract for the naming rights to Ibrox, 92.87% want to boycott McGills buses and 87.47% want to boycott Sports Direct in attempt to achieve the removal of Sandy Easdale and cancellation of Mike Ashley's naming rights agreement. “89.64% of those polled want to see some sort of boycott at matches with an aim of removing Sandy Easdale. The general feeling amongst our members is that he lies to fans and shows no respect to his position through his close association with Jack Irvine and his meeting with a man on Interpol's most wanted list. His words and actions are disrespectful to the position he holds as a director of Rangers Football Club. “Our firm belief is that Sandy Easdale is an obstacle to future outside investment and, despite his recent outlandish claims that the fans' actions may put the club's future in danger, we firmly believe that after 100,000 season ticket sales in three seasons the blame for the clubs perilous financial position lies squarely in the boardroom. “The club operate a "football board" which is viewed in the eyes of the fans as nothing more than a vehicle to allow Sandy Easdale a directorship as he may not be eligible for a seat on the PLC board. Does this "football board" have any other purpose? “We shall release our intentions for further protests and boycott action in the very near future and in the meantime would encourage the board to immediately remove Sandy Easdale if they wish to avoid this. “Sandy Easdale has been heard in the past to claim that if the Rangers support do not want him at Ibrox he would leave. We would ask him to take the hint and go before his association with our club causes more damage. “Sons of Struth also call on Mike Ashley to cancel his naming rights contract before the 11th of October. If he still retains the naming rights after this point we will instigate an immediate series of actions aimed at his Sports Direct stores. “We would ask all Rangers supporters in the meantime to use discretion when deciding to give either Sports Direct or McGills Buses their custom. We will hold a public meeting of Rangers fans in October at at a venue to be announced." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/rangers/11131196/Rangers-fans-group-Sons-of-Struth-threaten-boycott-of-Mike-Ashleys-Sports-Direct-shops.html

I note in three Championship games, Hearts have accumulated 13 yellow cards and two reds. The manager(is it Craig, or is it Robbie) has informed us that they prepare for matches, expecting to be reduced to ten men. In eight out of the last ten seasons, Hearts have been fined the maximum amount by the SFA for continued ill-discipline. The boys in maroon will suffer constantly throughout the season, deserved suspensions will ensue. I suspect Rangers have a similar potential contained in two players. Both Bilel Mohsni and Ian Black style of approach often sees them on the cusp of red cards. Currently, Black is out the team. His direct replacement, Jig is not the long term/medium term answer, but he does recycle the ball quicker than Black. We have had one caution in two matches and it's Mohsni, would it be prudent for the manager to remove what is becoming an obvious problem? If we pick up a couple of reds in three games, it will be talked about, constantly.

http://davidfarrellfaz.wordpress.com/2014/08/27/louis-reaches-high-with-diamonds/ I realise that the Rangers link is tenuous, so apologies to admin if it is in the wrong section of the board. Never the less, it is an interesting take on how a player views the different methods of training. The highlighted part certainly gave me a chuckle, although I'm sure that a few of our more enlightened posters will be shaking their heads in dismay.

Bit off topic for a gers site, but how do people here view the future for scottish clubs? The top five leagues are now so far in the distance that any future european success for a scottish club now appears to be fanciful. England are never going to allow us to play within their leagues. The bottom english club now earns more than a quarter of a billion from tv every five years whilst SPFL winners will receive around 10 million. Personally, I'd approach the dutch and belgian leagues and try hammer out a northern european amalgamation before the damage done to these countries is irreparable, with promotion and relegation from national setups. The old firm both made a second tier euro final last decade. Both clubs spent 30 million (on debt) or so achieving it. Now I'm not so sure that 30 million will come close to providing the squad capable of euro success. IMO the football landscape has changed into a place we have never been before. We are in danger of being permanently left behind, despite the fact our fans are possibly the best in the world. Our grand children will grow up as barca / munich / arsenal fans first, scottish clubs second, if we don't arrest the situation.

I'd have thought that a joint purchase with the SFA of a new long lease at Hampden, (which expires 2020) with a view to eventual redevelopment will have been mulled over by DK. If Rangers are liquidated again, this option would fit DK's 'not a penny' mantra, and deprive 'the ****s' of a more bountiful return on the assets. At the very least, tactically, DK could bring Hampden into the arena as a piece of leverage against the board, as unpalatable as the prospect may appear to the support.

Would the SFA need to make a special application to UEFA for this to happen ? Will our CEO be looking into this do you think?

This is taken from FF posted by Kaiserbear53 Expect a response from Mr King in the next few days but it won't be until after the Game on Saturday as Mr King does want not to take the focus off the team and be blamed for protests and the anger that will come. As expected and as has already been stated, the current board have spat in the face of Dave and this attempt to under mine the restructuring and sort our club out once and for all will soon come to a resolution. The board will try and palm you off with a membership scheme which some may buy into but bide your time bears and bearets, listen to what Mr King has to say about the shiftiness off this move and make your own minds up. Kaiser _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Its what will happen, The information will be released through the press association as he is still in South Africa. Next week the battle begins. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Without breaching trust here to much? King was not satisfied, he was patronized and was fobbed off therefore played the board at their own game, he know's they are unprofessional and not capable of running the club short - mid or long term, what King done was simply give the board and CEO enough rope. They made public assurances which have been breached, do you honestly think a man who has spoken to his children and told them, this will be your inheritance, this is what I am doing, is going to let the current mob who couldnt organize a prayer in a mosque away with it? Have faith. I have no idea how true or who the poster is.

THE former Southend defender wouldn't swap a day at Ochilview for a game at Old Trafford and says that team-mate Lee Wallace is good enough to play for Arsenal. BILEL MOHSNI insists even an offer from the English Premier League couldn’t lure him away from helping Rangers back to the top. The French defender claims he has found a new family at Ibrox since arriving from Southend last summer. Mohsni has made 32 appearances this term to help Gers run away with the League One title. He scored his 10th goal of the season in Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Forfar and the 26-year-old admitted he has been blown away by the passion of the Light Blues’ support – even though a fans’ signing session left him on the brink of collapse. Paris-born Mohsni also insisted team-mate Lee Wallace is good enough to play for Arsenal. The centre-back said: “It’s impossible to realise just how touching and pleasing it is to be surrounded by so many Rangers fans. “My dream is to take the club back up to the top and into Europe where it belongs. “I’d prefer to be at Ibrox 100 times more than playing for a club in the lower half of the English Premier League. That is despite the fact I would earn more money down south. “The levels of support for Rangers are unbelievable. “People have so much love for this club and I can only imagine what it is like in the Scottish Premiership and for European games. “Madjid Bougherra has told me it is something he misses and would like to experience once more some day. The club asked me to do a midweek signing session in the megastore. “It was meant to last two hours and given that I am not a big name like Lee McCulloch I didn’t think many people would come along. “But I was wrong. The queue stretched for dozens of yards and I spent hours signing shirts, calendars and footballs non-stop as well as posing for photos. I heard fans who had waited for hours saying, ‘There’s still people behind us – I’ll buy an extra shirt and get Bilel to sign it for my uncle.’ I was shocked. “As for Lee Wallace, he is good enough to play for any Premier League team, even Arsenal. “Kieran Gibbs or Wallace? Waldo would fit into their side no problem.” http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-transfer-news/rangers-defender-bilel-mohsni-id-3426558

When is the 120th day or has it passed? Not sure if we're counting from Wallace's appointment or the AGM. Also, what's the chances of hearing "the review is over and proposals will be out in 4 week" just to keep us hanging on? It's clear the majority of fans don't trust the board so I'm not sure how they can win hearts and minds without making a magnificent gesture which is tangible to us. Even then it'd be viewed with suspicion but our fans are easily led from the Blue Room. Obviously there's talk of a new share issue but is that realistic when they know King might walk in and scoop up the shares, assume control, and go about clearing the decks for his own people? Wallace might welcome this but I highly doubt Easdales and Laxey will. The small matter of BPH and Margerita most likely objecting to their holding and future earnings dwindling is another factor to count in which could scupper any new share issue. Negative loyal!

Dave King’s latest intervention in Rangers’ affairs is as welcome as a fart in a spacesuit. His call for fans to boycott the club in terms of buying season tickets – and his ridiculous idea to drip-feed monies to the club – is a blatant attempt to destabilise Rangers. King’s statement is a smoke and mirrors job for me and the club has had to shoot down in flames a newspaper’s assertion that the South African-based businessman had offered a £1 million loan interest free to Rangers. It could be reasonably argued that if Dave King does intend to invest in Rangers, his latest pronouncements have a good chance of driving the share price down. A cynical ploy it could be argued. I noticed that King mentioned he had lost £20 million at Ibrox previously. As I recently blogged, there is some dispute about this. However, if it is true it is a pretty self-damning example for King to use, given that he was a director in that previous regime which ended in the sale of the club for a shiny pound to a certain Craig Whyte. Hardly the best track record for success – “I lost £20 million of my own dough so let me have another go!” I have nothing personally against Dave King. I previously blogged of his potential to be a unifying figure at Ibrox. Sadly, he has become a divisive figure and is feeding Rangers-haters with every doom and gloom pronouncement he makes. Yes, there is a need for a short-term injection to help the club through a potential shortfall in income. In response up stepped Sandy Easdale with an interest-free loan while non-shareholder King is dreaming up schemes to hold the club to ransom and strangle cash flow. No doubt King’s comments will be met with glee by the fifth column in the Rangers support. I don’t propose – unlike some – to speak for other fans but I find his ideas to be nothing less than a crude concept of extortion which would hold the club in thrall to the whim of fans. In short, yet another attempt at fan power – otherwise known as mob rule. I have no doubt some fellow fans will share my repulsion at this power grab by a man who talks big but doesn’t get put his wallet where his mouth is. As far as I am concerned, King is nothing but a tyre kicker and we will never see the colour of his money. My message to Dave King is simple: Butt out or match Sandy Easdale pound for pound and give Rangers an interest-free loan. http://billmcmurdo.wordpress.com/blog-2/

5.33 Hectares is equivalent to 13.17 acres 7 Acres is equivalent to 2.83 hectares Its a strange place to start an article such as this, but it’s importance and relevance will become eminently clear in due course. Many of you will be aware of PZJ – he is the bear who has been particularly busy on the football tax havens website investigating allegations of State Aid by Glasgow City Council. His investigations and findings proved to be the catalyst to the launch of the EU investigation into allegations of State Aid to Celtic FC. During the course of this investigation he has been tenacious. Freedom of Information Requests, letters, e-mails and phone calls, as well as hours of internet searching and obtaining copies of records (often at his own expense) On the 28th August, 2013, PZJ wrote to Glasgow City Council with yet another Freedom of Information Request pertaining to the following :- On the 11th September 2013, Glasgow City Council duly responded. It is a lengthy response, the relevant and pertinent extract of which is quoted verbatim below :- © Westthorn Recreational Park Following negotiations, the DV, the Council’s and Celtic’s Chartered Surveyors agreed a valuation for the site, based on: A density of 160 units agreed with the Council’s planning department. The units were agreed at £26,187.50 (based on comparable evidence available at the time of the transaction) The Council’s Geotechnical Team investigated the site to determine the extent of the abnormal ground conditions. Abnormal ground conditions were agreed at £3,515,000 (Appendix 1 describes abnormal ground conditions) The original area for the site was 13.5 acres. After a previously unknown blast zone was identified, this was subsequently reduced to 7 acres. 160 units @ £26,187.50 = £4,190,000 Less abnormals £3,515,000 Resultant land value £675.000 I would draw your attention to the assertion – “The original area for the site was 13,5 acres. After a previously unknown blast zone was identified this was subsequently reduced to 7 acres” However PZJ was not satisfied with the information provided and subsequently obtained, from Companies House, a copy of the mortgage charge document relating to this property. It can be viewed here :- https://www.companiesintheuk.co.uk/Purchase/ViewDocument/17642527 As you can see from the document the area of land referred to is 5.33 Hectares (13.17 acres) at Westhorn, which appears to be at odds with the Council assertion of 11th September, 2013, where they asserted that :- “The original area for the site was 13.5 acres. After a previously unknown blast zone was identified, this was subsequently reduced to 7 acres.” Perhaps someone at Glasgow City Council or Celtic FC would be kind enough to explain to us these apparent anomalies.