AberdeenBud

Why don't you start a thread about it instead of indulging in the usual mind-numbing whatabouttery.

Mmmm, not quite. No matter how much lipstick you put on this particular Pig, it remains a member of the Suidae Family. RFC(1872-2012) were found guilty of deliberately and illegally registering players over an 11 year period. Cheating, to you or me. Duff and Duffer were also found guilty of failing to hand over documents 'timesously' or at all. I would also encourage all P&D's to wind their necks, I mean how the hell can an extra £40million or so for a football club holding company, possibly give it a sporting advantage over it's competitors.

I already did last week.

Alex Thomson is the Chief Correspondent at C4 News. Unlucky Benny, you almost made a factually accurate post, maybe next time.

I suggest you boys organise a protest/boycott ASAP. That'll showcase your talents and GIRU the dastardly Biased Broadcasting Corporation. Oh, too late. Would Rangers have died if they were as quick to protest against their own as they are to shoot the messenger?

Channel Four's War correspondent? I wasn't aware such a role existed, thanks for that Information Benny.

A crooked Mr Big netted pounds 1.5 MILLION in just six months with a string of dodgy deals. Fraudster Alex Easdale was jailed in July after his hi-tech scam was busted by VAT men. Now we can reveal they have got the go-ahead to CONFISCATE more than pounds 360,000 worth of Easdale's assets. As he languishes in his cell, Customs officers will move in on... All the cash he has in his bank account. His stake in two pubs. His share of two taxi firms - including the taxis. Masses of computer parts found in his scrapyard. His luxury Mercedes car. More than pounds 46,000 which was seized from him when he was arrested. If Easdale makes it difficult for Customs men to recover all his assets, he could face another two years inside. They found stolen hi-tech parts in his scrapyard in Greenock, and uncovered a VAT scam that spread all over Britain. Agents followed a long trail that led to London crook John Geddes being caged alongside Easdale. They had been watched for months, and when officers pounced they found pounds 45,000 in cash stuffed inside a Tesco carrier bag. The rest was in a briefcase. The bag was hidden behind a couch at Easdale's home. He was selling stolen parts to businessmen, who were claiming the parts had been bought lawfully and forging VAT returns. On Friday, Customs asked a judge at Croydon Crown Court, London, to confiscate the millions they believed Easdale made from his crooked deals. They were keen to recover cash raked in by him during his reign. Customs also demanded cash from two pubs in Greenock - the Green Oak Bar and The Regal - owned by Easdale and his brother. They also want his shares in two taxi firms in the town - Dees Contracts and A.E. Taxi Hire - including the taxis. The judge ruled that Easdale made pounds 1.5 million over six months while he was watched. He said Easdale should be stripped of every asset, but that was only pounds 367,565. The judge added that he considered Easdale had made more money in the months leading up to the start of the surveillance, but that could not be accounted for. One Customs man said: "We're delighted with this result. The reason why he wasn't caught before for anything is because he's a good villain. "The parts were worth a fortune to him. We spent well over pounds 100,000 to get him." Easdale's 27-month sentence upset Customs investigators who had toiled for months to snare him. One added: "He'll be out in just over a year. That's why we rely so much on confiscation hearings. "If we can hurt his pocket and recover the funds gained through crime, then at least that slows him down when he gets out."

By GAVIN McCAFFERTY Published on 09/05/2013 23:26 The struggle for power at Ibrox has intensified after Greenock businessmen James and Sandy Easdale outlined their intention to secure a boardroom presence as they continue to buy up shares. • James and Sandy Easdale to buy more Rangers shares as duo seek ‘voice’ in mmanagement of club affairs • Greenock brothers have made their fortune running bus firm McGills The pair, whose business interests include bus firm McGill’s, are in line to buy Charles Green’s eight per cent shareholding when the former chief executive is free to sell under stock market rules later in the year. The brothers have already invested in the club and revealed they were in talks to further strengthen their stake – and in doing so they want a significant say in financial decisions at Ibrox. There has been a major shift in power in recent weeks following Green’s resignation and the departure of his business partner Imran Ahmad, while chairman Malcolm Murray reportedly lost a vote of confidence earlier this week. The Easdale brothers are looking to step into the breach. In a joint interview with BBC Scotland, Sandy Easdale confirmed they were actively looking to increase their stake. He said: “The interest started about seven months ago and we bought into Charles and his dream for the future for Rangers. We have a delicate deal that when shares are available, we will purchase them. Other shares are an option to us and that is growing stronger. Every day we have some more negotiations with other parties.” And the brothers made it clear they want some influence in return for their money. James Easdale said: “Certainly, when you are spending that amount of money, a seat on the board would be nice. I think it would be unreasonable to think you wouldn’t like a say in any business that you invest such a large amount in. Control? Let’s wait and see. A presence on the board is something we would be seeking in the mid-term.” Sandy Easdale added: “I think complete control would be a far, far distant place. I think somebody needs complete control at Ibrox. I don’t know if that’s where we want to be. We are quite willing to share Ibrox with people who want to do the job, do it properly and support Rangers as a club.” Sandy Easdale made clear their opinion that manager Ally McCoist and director Walter Smith should have a central role in helping the club progress. He also called for people to move on from his conviction and imprisonment for VAT fraud. “It’s not something I like going over and dwelling on,” he said. “It was 1996. To cast up 17 years ago seems a wee bit silly when everybody else has moved on.”

Seriously? Out of interest, how did you respond when RTC and Mark Daly warned you about TMBB?

Unsurprising once AWRA got involved. It surely can't believe 99% of the trolling pish it posts.

Charity begins at home; Now that that is clear and out of the way, let me also make clear that I work in the charity sector and have done so since leaving school. That is 40 years’ experience. I love working to help my fellow human (you might say it is my vocation) and I have been very lucky to work with many good, honest charities and people. I have advised and worked with local and national governments and regulators both here in the UK and internationally. I have advised and worked with local, national and international charities throughout the world. I now advise major corporations, individuals and institutions across the world on corporate social responsibility, governance and philanthropy (which also affords me access to some of the top business people in the UK in particular, but that is another story). I think therefore that I am incredibly well-placed and well-qualified to pass comment on the Rangers Charity Foundation irrespective of which football club I support. It is important that people remember this: a charity exists for public benefit. It does not exist for the benefit of one individual or the benefit of a corporation. Trustees hold the charity in trust for the benefit of the public. They have a public and legal duty to safeguard and advance that public trust. People have “encouraged” me to look elsewhere than Rangers Charity Foundation and accused me of bias. Rest assured; wherever I see blatant abuse of charity, I do report it to the appropriate authorities and, more often than not, this is acted upon and appropriate remedy or action put in place. This did not happen in the case of the Rangers Charity Foundation. Instead, the authorities have fudged, ignored and hidden from the reality simply because they are too terrified of threats which have been made by “supporters” of Rangers FC/Sevco. That is absolutely wrong and a failure of their public duty. As I have made clear in previous blogs, there is a very, very strong prima facie case against Rangers Charity Foundation; a fact which is borne out by the (still) on-going OSCR investigation. By my estimations (based upon RFC/RCF figures), the administrators of Rangers FC stole – with the agreement and connivance of the Charity Foundation – at least £190,000 from the charity and gave it to the club which meant, in essence, themselves in the form of their fees. I also estimate (again based upon Sevco/RCF figures) that a further £275,000 charitable income is unaccounted for from the recent Manchester United Legends match. That’s a grand total of £465,000 that should have been going towards charity that ended up in the hands of a commercial company (and it excludes any further income from sponsorship, dinners, raffles, catering, etc which may have also been diverted). A Sevco spokesman refused to comment when asked by me except to say that I was “intent on stirring” and not considering “fees, running costs, etc”. Except I did in the Milan game and was asking for clarification from Sevco in relation to the MUFC game. You have to remember that, back in 2012, the AC Milan Glorie game became a fundraiser for RFC(IA). In other words, the aim was to raise more than the running costs of the game and, as far as I am aware those were £90,000; the original amount earmarked for the club. So if it cost £90,000 to put on a game of football last year, why is it now £275,000? Given what we know of RFC(IA) and Sevco’s accounts, I am struggling to reconcile that larger figure to the operating costs of a single match with absolutely minimal security. Please also bear in mind that there is only 1 trustee at the Rangers Charity Foundation and there has been since September 2012. She is a salaried employee of Sevco and therefore has a very clear conflict of interest. Furthermore, decisions can only be legally made by trustees if there is a quorum or if special dispensation has been given by the Charity Regulator (according to OSCR, no such dispensation has been given). In Rangers Charity Foundation’s case a quorum is 3 trustees. So I ask the question again; who made the decisions to proceed with these games on behalf of the charity and were they lawful? Finally, a message to those who wish I would shut up or go away: I don’t do walking away! I am not the one in the wrong here. I have done no more than my public and civic duty which is to report prima facie abuse and maladministration of a charity to the relevant authorities and, because they have done nothing, sought to bring this to a wider audience. Criminals, spivs and chancers should never be allowed to get away with it and it really says something when people attack the whistleblower rather than ask questions of the accused. If I am wrong, then let’s see some exoneration in the form of the OSCR report and an independently audited project account and I will be the first to apologise and admit my mistake.

Indeed WRK. Oldco's somewhat blase attitude to providing the authorities with the relevant documentation was the main reason the initial investigation proceeded at a funereal pace and probably played a large part in the death of RFC. FFS, it took a City of London Police raid in 1997 to kick the whole thing off. No wonder they were so free and easy with the shredder after getting their fingers burnt then. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6901085.stm

At the same time as Our Hero was receiving his rapturous applause this was published on the award winning rangerstaxcase blog; The ever deceptive Craig Whyte25/05/2011 578 COMMENTS “Deceptive”: adjective Giving an appearance or impression different from the true one; misleading. Whyte has released a statement on the official Rangers website dismissing the calls for “vigilance” from outgoing directors as just sour grapes from men replaced for resisting change. His statement includes the following: “I believe most Rangers supporters understand that, as a result of the takeover, the Club’s debt to the Lloyds Banking Group has been cleared and I have repeatedly stated to the Board my intentions to invest in the team.” This statement is nothing short of a clear attempt to mislead Rangers supporters. It is a craftily worded statement (Hay McKerron must be exhausted) that amounts to an attempt to deceive his paying customers. Craig Whyte does not say that Rangers FC’s debt has been reduced. He did not say this because he cannot say this. He cannot say this because it is not true. As this blog has stated several times, the debt that Rangers owed Lloyds banking Group was purchased by Whyte’s Wavetower company (as it was then named) in a transaction that did not involve Rangers. The purchase of MIH’s shares in Rangers FC by Whyte’s firm for a single pound was a separate transaction. So Rangers do not owe Lloyds this money any more, but they owe the same amount to someone else: Whyte’s company. Prove me wrong, Mr. Whyte. Make a fool of me. Discredit this blog by revealing the structure of Rangers’ debt today. It is a plc and it does have 26,000 other shareholders who have a right to know the amount of indebtedness of the company they co-own with you. The truth is that Rangers’ debt is about £28m (including negative working capital). The takeover did not change Rangers debt, but Whyte is trying to imply otherwise. Whyte is shaping up to make Sir David Murray look like a model of transparency and straight-talking. Rangers supporters and journalists should note what Whyte did not mention. Whyte ignored the “circular” that he is alleged to have promised to the Independent Board Committee (a sub-committee of the old Rangers board that reviewed the takeover proposal). Alastair Johnston says that this was originally promised to be released on 16 May, but is now scheduled for 6 June. This “circular” is supposed to reveal the how Whyte plans to fund Rangers going forward (the £25m investment promised). Perhaps Whyte is just practicing ‘dignified silence’ on this subject? Perhaps this is simply a subject that he does not want to discuss publicly in advance of a result in the tax case?

Rangers Myths #672 Why did nobody warn us? Remember when the BBC tried to warn you about the MBB? Rangers fans hold demonstration outside BBC in Glasgow STV 5 November 2011 15:00 GMT Protest: The demonstration took place on Saturday afternoon.© STV Around 200 of Rangers fans gathered outside the BBC in Glasgow on Saturday to demonstrate against what they claim is biased reporting of the club. The protest, organised by the Vanguard Bears supporters' group, saw fans gather outside the corporation's head quarters at Pacific Quay and hand in a signed letter of complaint over alleged unfair coverage, including a documentary aired last month about owner Craig Whyte.

Hmmm. 'Our Hero' ; New Rangers owner Craig Whyte arrived to a thunderous applause as he entered Ibrox for the very first time as the new owner of Rangers Football Club. Following on from late night negotiations that concluded the long-winded saga, Whyte took his seat alongside the board of directors for the club’s crucial SPL match against Hearts today. The new owner arrived in an understated fashion, but the sight of him sent the hundreds of waiting fans at the main entrance of Ibrox into raptures. Interestingly, Whyte took his seat sitting shoulder to shoulder with one of the men he called into question last night, Chief Executive Martin Bain. Constant friction between Whyte and the board was to blame for the lengthy takeover process. The board’s ‘sub-committee’ are still expressing serious doubts as to whether Whyte has sufficient funds to cope with a possible tax bill that could land on the Ibrox club’s doorstep, following ongoing HMRC investigations. 'Lack of clarity' from Rangers owner over funding for potential tax bill The potential ill-feeling between Whyte and the board could be somewhat eased by Rangers’ emphatic 4-0 win over Hearts, further extending their lead at the top of the SPL to four points. Rangers stopped short of unveiling Whyte on the field, but the fans are under no illusions that things will change at their club. After 36 trophies in 22 years under Sir David Murray, Rangers are now entering the age of Craig Whyte, who after snapping up over 85% of the club’s shares, has pledged £25m over five years to invest in the team. The new owner is also expected to make a statement on a potential restructuring of the Rangers board. With the Ibrox club now in poll position to secure the SPL title, but the lingering threats of board unrest and HMRC tax implications looming, it seems that the club may yet face further changes over the coming months. The long term vision of Craig Whyte is yet unclear, but the businessman appears to already have the full backing of the fans. Rangers will now eagerly watch Celtic’s trip to Rugby Park on Sunday, before contemplating their next crucial encounter with Dundee United at Ibrox on Tuesday.

Ahh, but have the miners been paid yet?

Big Trouble in The Big Hoose(again) and all they're worried about is the poor miners. How gallant.

Fans of the Tribute Act claiming the moral high ground?

Walter Smith set to quit Ibrox 'shambles' WALTER SMITH is on the brink of quitting Rangers. By: Graham Clark Published: Wed, May 8, 2013 0Comments Walter Smith could be set to walk away from Rangers The club’s non-executive director – along with manager Ally McCoist about the only man inside Ibrox that the supporters identify with – is so frustrated at the shambles inside the boardroom that he is considering his position. If the former manager does decide to jump ship it will be a devastating blow to the club’s credibility in already difficult times. The most recent drama to engulf Rangers was a report yesterday suggesting chairman Malcolm Murray is set to leave. If Smith does decide to jump ship it will be a devastating blow to the club’s credibility in already difficult times. The man taken to Ibrox by former chief executive Charles Green a year ago is reported to have lost a vote of no confidence at a board meeting. My understanding is he is hanging on to power and is unlikely to be pushed out until the end of the month. Fans won’t lose any sleep over Murray’s eventual departure but the news Smith is disillusioned will have panic bells ringing. The former manager has attended two fraught board meetings at Ibrox this week, and along with one other director was horrified Green joined proceedings via a conference call despite no longer being actively involved. Green is, of course, still a shareholder. Further news that will anger fans is the ongoing independent inquiry into links between former owner Craig Whyte, Green and ex-commercial director Imran Ahmad – an investigation called for by Murray – is likely to continue for another couple of weeks at a cost of around £500,000 which the Ibrox club can ill afford. Rangers last night refused to confirm or deny these revelations.

The Cardigans on a shoogly peg; http://bit.ly/10F1PyX

Guess who's back; Rangers Tax-Case (@rangerstaxcase) says: Hello. I just thought that I would type up my own thoughts on some of the recent speculation surrounding Sevco. Much of this has been covered by the likes of Paul McConville already, but I thought that a less learned approach could help communicate a few points. (Apologies if this is all well understood, but this site is too successful for me to read all of the posts). I have read a few hopeful posts to the effect that “Ibrox could be locked up while asset ownership is sorted out” This will not be the case. Sevco Scotland Ltd (aka The Rangers FC Ltd) owns Ibrox, Murray Park, and the Albion. The title to these assets is owned by Sevco Scotland Ltd according to the Land Registers. In terms of actual ownership that is no longer a matter for dispute under Scots Law. The owners of Sevco Scotland Ltd (RIFC plc) own oldco Rangers’ assets. That does not mean good news for Sevco FC supporters. Craig Whyte’s legal path is to sue Sevco Scotland Ltd (either personally or as Sevco 5088 Ltd)- as well as any parties who may have helped in scheme. If he is successful in proving that he was defrauded by Green and Ahmad, he would not be able to simply reclaim the assets. If Whyte pursues a claim against Sevco Scotland Ltd- presumably for the value of his share of the assets and expected profits- his reward will be a financial judgement. Let us assume that Whyte wins an award of £20m against Sevco Scotland Ltd. which would include his share of potential profit from the original deal. (It is worth repeating that this does not give Whyte any claim on Ibrox, at least not yet). As this sum could not be paid, Whyte would then go down a path with which Scottish football monitors have become quite familiar in recent years. He would initiate a Winding Up Order or try to have an administrator appointed. As the major creditor of Sevco Scotland Ltd, Whyte would likely have his choice of administrator- yet again. The problem for Whyte is that the amount raised in a new administration process will not come close to matching how much he owes Ticketus. Therefore, this above board path is not one that Craig Whyte will want to take. It will be a raging certainty that Whyte’s goal all along in this process has been to secure a payment into an offshore bank long before a court judgement is delivered. Either he has asked for too much or Green and Ahmad did not think that Whyte would or could hurt them too badly. Someone has miscalculated here. Whyte still needs to demonstrate that he is, after all, a ‘poker player from the top drawer’ to extract a free and clear payment from this mess. Time will tell if he has a plan or whether he is just winging it. On rumours that insolvency is imminent, I am not the loop on this. It seems unlikely to me that events could unfold in the timelines being discussed. (I think the Timternet is interpreting the underlying stories too literally). However, it does seem that the reincarnation of Rangers is doomed to die before too long. The combination of legal threats (Whyte and then the inevitable RIFC shareholder suits) plus cash burn rate make survival very unlikely. Under the misapprehension that Sevco FC would start life in the SPL, Charles Green’s club started life with a cost structure that appears to ensure that it will go through whatever sum was raised in the IPO long before arriving in the top tier of Scottish football. Short of a miracle investment from the outside or drastic cost-cutting on a scale that would endanger inevitable promotion, a date with an administrator awaits. When we add the in-fighting between the spiv and ‘Rangers-men’ factions, you would not bet much on the new club’s survival. How long does it have? I do not know the exact cash burn rate today and I do not know how much cash Sevco FC really has. Therefore, I will not put a date on their demise, but bar the intervention of an oil rich Emir, they look done for within the next year or two at the very best. Of course, events could move much more quickly. In the coming weeks news from the internal investigation will emerge. I have read with interest assorted theories that say that the ‘Rangers-men’ are likely to try to use this information to wrest control of the club away from the spivs. This will likely mean that they have to crash the RIFC/Sevco Scotland Ltd vehicle into a wall and rely upon the SFA to transplant the soul of the club into another newco. The SFA do have the power to render all of the Sevcos worthless by withdrawing their membership and license. Effectively handing a new Rangers membership to the ‘Rangers-men’ would effectively rid Scottish football of Green and Whyte in one fell swoop. The ‘Rangers-men’ have an old pal at the head of that organisation. We should not be too surprised at how far they will be willing to go to gain control. This theory has one major problem and that is where to play. Ibrox could not be guaranteed to be available for rent immediately, but I am sure that the idea is being considered. If the notion of the ‘Rangers-men’ killing both Sevcos seems far-fetched, I ask- why did they ask for the internal investigation? Assuming that the Malcolm Murray/Walter Smith sect on the RIFC board have no interest in a cover-up, what else can they do with a report that if leaked could put their club’s SFA membership and license in question? If the Craig Whyte connection is proven and the prospect of a Whyte lawsuit given credence, they will be able to paint a picture through their many media friends of the need to return the soul of Rangers to fit and proper ownership. They might even have a good point if it was not for the fact that so many of these ‘Rangers-men’ presided over the collapse of what should always have been Scotland’s richest club.

Except it was followed through T_K, right up to the point where someone gets the chance to win a Million. Bears were duped again. Why the hostile reaction of TRFC fans to people asking questions about this I don't know?

Not really my cup of tea either tbh, he's a bit like the other cheek's version of Leggo. He indulges in far too much wink-wink BS and does indeed seem to harbour some warped and disturbing views on Scotland. But for a confirmed bigot he does seem to have pretty good sources inside the blue room.

Best selling journalist induces extreme bout of knicker wetting in the East End of Glasgow. Probably means F all will happen; http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/could-the-monday-blues-lead-to-traumatic-tuesday/#more-3698

Surely one or two troublemaking tim-posters entered for the craic? ​ I would imagine they would be composing a letter to trading standards as we speak.