The Scottish Football thread

[Adam]

It seems these prospective owners just want everything to be rosy from moment one of being in charge, asking for unrealistic requirements.

Well, if the club does go bust at least it means Motherwell have a chance to become a powerhouse in Scottish football

[Crybaby Bunting]

Breaking news on The Guardian

Rangers handed 12-month transfer embargo and Craig Whyte banned from Scottish football for life

[Lineker]

Aww, poor Craig.

[Guest HFCLAD1]

One less hun in football.

Edited April 23, 2012 by HFCLAD1

[Lineker]

Rangers owner Craig Whyte has been banned for life from any involvement in Scottish football.

The Scottish Football Association also imposed a 12-month transfer embargo on the club, who are in administration.

Rangers have been fined £160,000 while Whyte - who was charged with not being a fit and proper person to be a director - faces fines of £200,000.

"It doesn't affect my life, I'm just disappointed what it does to Rangers. It's an outrage," Whyte told BBC Sport.

He was charged with three different rule breaches, and found guilty of two, with the other "not proven".

Rangers were charged with six breaches, with five guilty verdicts and one "not proven".

The transfer embargo means they can only sign players under the age of 18 for the next year.

Rangers received the embargo and £100,000 fine for breaching rule 66 - bringing the game into disrepute.

A £50,000 fine was handed out for going into administration and £10,000 for failing to "procure" that Whyte acted within rules concerning fit and proper officials.

The Gers chairman failed to notify the SFA that he had been disqualified as a director for seven years in 2000.

An SFA panel met on Friday, with Whyte refusing to appear, but they delayed an announcement until this week.

The SFA adjourned the original hearing on 29 March after Whyte's lawyers asked for more time to prepare a case but the owner failed to attend a procedural hearing on 6 April which was set for him to "lodge a substantive response and for representations to be made as to state of preparation".

Administrators Duff & Phelps have been running the Scottish Premier League club since 14 February.

The SFA said their judicial panel would issue reasons for their findings in "early course" while both parties have three days to appeal following receipt of those reasons.

Whyte said: "It's a joke, a complete joke. They've never spoken to me.

"Stewart Regan (chief executive) and Campbell Ogilvie (president) had dinner with me in November they told me it wouldn't be a problem.

"Now they're just reacting to all of the publicity since February.

"Rangers fans can see where the SFA are coming from. We're Scotland's biggest club. They should be helping us, not kicking us when we're down. Rangers fans will remember this for a long time."

Asked whether the SFA could force him to pay the fine, he added: "Of course they can't. It's farcical."

A statement from Rangers' joint administrator Paul Clark, of Duff & Phelps, read: "All of us working on behalf of the club are utterly shocked and dismayed by the draconian sanctions imposed on Rangers in respect of these charges.

"It appears that on one hand the disciplinary panel accepted our central argument that responsibility for bringing the club into disrepute lay with the actions of one individual - Craig Whyte - as is evident from the unprecedented punishment meted out to him.

"During this hearing the club produced compelling evidence from a number of sources that following his takeover, Craig Whyte ran the club in a thoroughly unaccountable manner, rather than adhering to a long-established and proper form of corporate governance.

"The thrust of the charges against the club focused on non-payment of payroll taxes and evidence was produced that all such decisions in this area were taken by Craig Whyte during his tenure.

"Given this evidence, it is difficult to comprehend that the disciplinary panel has seen fit to effectively punish the club even more heavily than Mr Whyte. As everyone knows, it has already been decided he is not a fit and proper person to run a football club and any further punishment on him will have little or no impact.

"However, for Rangers, a ban on signing players will seriously undermine the club's efforts to rebuild after being rendered insolvent."

Earlier in the day it was announced that the administrators had yet to receive an offer for the club that will enable them to name a preferred bidder.

And they added: "Furthermore, we do not know how bidders for the club will react to these sanctions and what affect they will have on their proposals.

"The club has asked for full written reasons for these decisions and intend to appeal against the findings."

[METALMAN]

pmsl

[maninblack]

What are Rangers' other realistic options to avoid getting liquidated?

[Lineker]

Honestly, who knows at this moment. Needless to say - time is running out for them.

Rangers have confirmed that they have suspended Kyle Lafferty for two weeks after the forward failed to report for duty at the weekend.

The 24-year-old did not make himself available for Saturday's 3-0 win over Hearts at Tynecastle.

The Northern Ireland star has been dogged by a hernia problem but has been used as a substitute in recent weeks.

Along with the administration-hit club's other top earners, Lafferty agreed a 75% wage cut last month.

In return for agreeing the temporary salary drop, Ibrox deals were renegotiated, allowing players to leave for reduced transfer fees.

Lafferty moved to Ibrox from Burnley for £3.25m in June 2008 and has one year remaining on his contract.

[METALMAN]

pmsl!!! :lol:

[Lineker]

A statement from the Rangers Supporters Trust read:

"This is a shameful decision that has been taken with the sole purpose of crippling Rangers Football Club. It is completely unacceptable and fans groups will be meeting to explore how we jointly express our opposition to this decision in the strongest possible terms."

"This could include protesting at Hampden on on the day of the Scottish Cup Final as well as boycotting SFA sponsors William Hill, Carling and Vauxhall. All options are on the table and no Rangers player or supporter can credibly play in or support the national side until this ridiculous decision is reversed."

[METALMAN]

...and that's Rangers fans being cunts as usual. First cup final without the old firm for a few years but they still want to turn up and ruin it. Plus Rangers have always been a hindrance rather than a help to the national team, so nothing new there.

Still, PMSL.

[Crybaby Bunting]

I think the best thing about the decision yesterday was the fine.

Because if a team is on the verge of liquidation then why are they going to care about a £200,000 fine?

EDIT: And as for the Laffety situation, it looks to me like a way of not paying him whilst injured for three weeks.

[Hobo]

It sure is going to be weird when Rangers go bust. It will be interesting if it results in a non Glaswegian SPL winner in the next few seasons though. I would like to see that happen. Not at the expense of a club going out of business but still....

[Lineker]

Naturally, the club have appealed now. That should be heard sooner rather than later.

[Crybaby Bunting]

Erm Hobo, Celtic are from Glasgow too you know

[Hobo]

Erm Hobo, Celtic are from Glasgow too you know

I am aware of that, which is why I said it will be interesting if this results in a non-Glaswegian team winning the league in future. Perhaps I should have said a non Old Firm winner. But if Rangers cease to be so does the Old Firm .

[METALMAN]

I am glad that hobo has nothing against Partick Thistle.

[Adam]

Rules are rules though this obviously doesn't make the club appealling to potential buyers.

Somebody with a load of cash and wants to pursue running the club is going to have to bite the bullet and say "for 12 months we'll transition, try and get back on our feet and see how it goes".

[METALMAN]

Dean Shiels nominated for player of the year! lolzzzz

[Lineker]

Ticketus have withdrawn their commitment to funding a takeover bid for Rangers.

The firm, who funded Craig Whyte's takeover of the Ibrox club last year, had been part of Paul Murray's attempts to take control of Rangers.

But Ticketus have pulled out due to the uncertainty over the club's future in the wake of a 12-month transfer ban.

Meanwhile, Murray is "confident" he can finalise a deal with Brian Kennedy to form a joint bid for Rangers.

Kennedy had an initial bid rejected and was told his most recent verbal offer was not acceptable by the club's administrators while Murray's Blue Knights consortium and rival bidder American Bill Miller have been trying to achieve preferred bidder status.

Murray told BBC Scotland he and Kennedy are close to forming a joint bid, which could be submitted on Friday.

"We're proposing to make an offer with very few conditions and if that's accepted by the administrators, we'd hope to push it through very quickly," said Murray.

A Scottish FA judicial panel this week handed Rangers a year-long transfer embargo and several fines relating to charges of rule breaches, although the club are in the process of appealing the verdict.

It is believed the ban on registering players over the age of 18 and emerging details about player contracts have made the bid proposition less attractive to Ticketus, along with potential changes to Scottish Premier League rules.

The squad agreed temporary wage cuts and release clauses in March, the club having appointed Duff & Phelps as administrators in February.

Figures released by Duff & Phelps earlier this month listed Ticketus as one of the club's creditors to the tune of £26.7m after they helped fund Whyte's takeover in return for future season ticket revenues.

Murray had always thought it best to keep Ticketus onside as the Blue Knights worked towards a bid that included offering a company voluntary arrangement to creditors.

And he still believes Ticketus can play a pivotal role in any proposed transfer of Whyte's 85% shareholding in the club, with the firm believing they have guarantees against assets owned by Whyte.

A Ticketus spokesman said: "Ticketus is no longer able to play a role in the [blue Knights] consortium's bid for The Rangers Football Club plc at this stage.

"Ticketus first and foremost has a duty to its investors to protect the investment that it currently has in the club. Our willingness to work with all interested bidders, and to try and be part of a solution for the club, was undertaken with the objective to agree terms that would satisfy both our investors' needs as well as being in the interests of the club, its fans and its creditors.

"Regrettably over the course of this week it became impossible to reconcile these interests with the proposals put forward by the Blue Knights as the terms of a deal became clearer.

"We do not wish to attach any blame to the failure of these talks as, while there have been frustrations on all sides at times, we believe all parties have been acting in good faith to agree terms.

"Paul Murray and the Blue Knights have the interests of the club at heart and we wish them well as they continue to try to secure the best outcome for the club and its fans. We hope that a swift resolution can be found for the club that will enable it to continue to play a leading role in Scottish football."

BBC Scotland understands that Bill Miller's bid for Rangers is worth significantly more than the Blue Knights and Brian Kennedy's.

The Blue Knights' Paul Murray told BBC Scotland on Friday evening that he believes his joint bid with Sale Sharks owner Kennedy outbids the American's.

Both bids depend on taking the club's bond holders' debt, around £7m, out of a Company Voluntary Arrangement.

But it is thought the Knights' bid uses that figure as part of its offer.

Adminstrators Duff & Phelps said "neither bid involves liquidation of the football club".

And they added that there were "significant differences between the two offers in terms of a prospective return to creditors and approach to future funding and these have to be evaluated".

Rangers sold thousands of debentures to fund the construction of the Club Deck at Ibrox Stadium in the early 1990s.

Supporters paid sums of about £1,100 to £1,600, which guaranteed the right to take out a season ticket on that seat and offered them some extra benefits.

Ticketus, who funded Whyte's takeover of the Ibrox club last year and had been part of the Blue Knights group, earlier in the day withdrew their commitment to funding a takeover bid.

The London firm was put off by the uncertainty over the club's future in the wake of a 12-month transfer ban relating to charges of Scottish FA rule breaches, a ruling Rangers are expected to appeal, and potential changes to Scottish Premier League rules.

Murray and Kennedy negotiated a partnership and a statement on behalf of the duo read: "This offer we consider to be substantial.

"[The offer] is conditional on a CVA being approved by the creditors, and Mr [Craig] Whyte's shares being acquired."

Murray and Kennedy added: "We hope this is accepted so that we may proceed with due diligence forthwith and make a start to the task of re-building Rangers Football Club of 1872. "

Kennedy had an initial bid rejected and was told his most recent verbal offer was not acceptable by the club's administrators while the Blue Knights and Miller have been trying to achieve preferred bidder status.

Miller's complicated bid, which was made before the SFA sanctions, came with strings attached. He wanted guarantees that Scottish football's authorities would not punish the club going into next season.

The administrators' statement said: "Since then, Mr Miller's bid team have worked to develop a structure which enables the wishes of creditors to be taken into account whilst ensuring that the Club is taken forward well-capitalised and the requirements of the footballing authorities are met.

"Mr Miller hopes a solution to all regulatory issues can be found and his team has been in constructive discussions with all relevant parties this week."

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound, Murray said: "I've been talking to Brian every day for the last three months. We have built up a good relationship.

"I respected his decision to bid on his own but it was very clear that he was very much a kindred spirit in terms of wanting to help the club

"He also has a lot of experience in owning sporting clubs and I think that experience plus his business acumen is a great combination.

"That combination with the rest of the guys is a powerful cocktail."

Miller and the Blue Knights/Kennedy must now wait to hear from Duff & Phelps which of them has been given the nod to proceed to a period of due diligence.

"Time is of the essence. It really is now pretty critical," added Murray, a former Rangers director.

"We are running up against unbelievable time pressures. It's getting to the point where it is a real issue."

Asked about the value of his joint bid compared to truck tycoon Miller's bid of £11.2m, Murray said: "If what Bill Miller has said is accurate, we believe it is worth more than that.

"This is more than just about money; I think this is about philosophy as well.

"We have been very clear that a CVA is the only thing the supporters want.

"Speaking as a supporter, I do not want the club's timeline has been broken."

Murray's bid is not only conditional on a CVA being approved; it depends on owner Craig Whyte's 85% shareholding being acquired, either by Ticketus, who are owed almost £27m, or the administrators.

"On the assumption that 75% of the value of those creditors vote for it, then the CVA becomes effective," said Murray.

"There is then a 28 day cooling-off period where people can request more information.

"Ticketus have a lot of financial leverage over Craig Whyte.

"I expect them to be positive on the CVA and I expect them to deliver the shares as well."