Scottish Premier League

[djmaxliving]

Allan McGregor and Steven Whittaker pen long-term deals

Scotland internationals Allan McGregor and Steven Whittaker could stay at Rangers for the rest of their careers after signing long-term contracts.



Goalkeeper McGregor said: "It looks that way. It will take me to 35 and hopefully I can stay a bit longer."

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland midfielder Steven Davis has also been offered a new five-year deal.

McGregor has agreed a six-year contract, while 27-year-old defender Whittaker's new deal is for five years.

The two Edinburgh-born players had been linked with moves away from Ibrox following a third successive title win.

Whittaker, who had been entering the final year of his contract, was recently the subject of four bids from Turkish club Bursaspor that were all rejected by the Scottish champions.

McGregor, whose previous deal was due to expire in 2013, came through the youth ranks at Ibrox and became a first-team regular after loan spells with St Johnstone and Dunfermline Athletic.

[Glasgow 2097]

Scottish football's Big Chief Mental, Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov, has returned to the spotlight after something of a hiatus. And fucked his own club, again, for reasons known only to him.


http://sport.scotsman.com/heartofmid...ure.6811218.jp

Hearts confirm Jim Jefferies departure from Tynecastle
Published Date: 01 August 2011

JIM Jefferies has been removed from his role as manager at Hearts, it has been confirmed.

The news was confirmed following rumours circulating that owner Vladimir Romanov had decided to change the man at the top following a run of ten games without a win.

Jefferies left the stadium earlier this evening but did not comment to the media assembled outside.

A Hearts spokesman later confirmed the news, saying: "Jim Jefferies has been removed as manager, and has been offered a director of football role which he is currently considering"

It is understood the positions of Jefferies' assistant Billy Brown and first team coach Gary Locke are under review.

The club refused to comment on speculation that Portuguese coaching staff were set to be installed at the club.

Supporters were last night gathering outside the club, with some unfurling protest banners calling for Romanov to leave the club.

[bestbud]

Rangers funds ring-fenced by HMRC

By Alasdair Lamont

BBC Scotland Ibrox stadium Rangers were taken over by businessman Craig Whyte in May

HMRC has instigated an arrestment order which has led to a seven-figure sum being ring-fenced in Rangers' account.

This relates to a £2.8m bill facing the Ibrox club.

A Rangers source earlier told BBC Scotland that a six-figure sum had already been paid, but that the club disputed the total they were due HMRC.

The taxman has now moved to call in what he believes he is owed, and the ring-fenced sum will remain untouchable by Rangers until the matter is settled.

The club will still be able to use any funds other than this ring-fenced sum in their bank account to continue operating.

From BBC

Things aren't looking good for Rangers at the moment. Is the new owner playing the game or are there real concerns over finances? With another tribunal over the £30/40/50M (?) liability due in the next few weeks, should Scottish football, in general be worried about the outcome?

If Anutie Betty wins, whilst it might be extremely funny for a few minutes, it could destroy the Scottish league, in my opinion.

[alonzo-ny]

Rangers will always make money again in the long run. They have an enormous fan base and are very well known.

[bestbud]

Or, rather, Craig Whyte.

Some explosive revalations from the BBC. 'Criminality' claims over Rangers owner Craig Whyte.

I'm sure the programme will be on iplayer soon enough. It doesn't make great viewing for any Scottish football fan, never mind Rangers fans.

[gmacruyff]

Dreadful "Due Dilligence" from Murray.

[bestbud]

Originally Posted by gmacruyff

Dreadful "Due Dilligence" from Murray.

I think Johnstone was alluding the fact that if he didn't sell to Whyte, they would have been in administration anyway. He basically said that if the deal didn't go ahead, their credit facility would have been reduced/withdrawn. Lloyds didn't deny this, all their statement said was that it was Murray's decision to sell.

[Hendycfc]

Will Rangers survive?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17921616

[WatcherZero]

Thats it, Rangers are liquidated. If they want to reform the other members of the SPL have to vote them in, their also banned from Europe for three years.

[bestbud]

Cheats never win, but this is far from over. I suspect a few people will be dragged down by the fall out from this.

[bigchrisfgb]

Originally Posted by WatcherZero

Thats it, Rangers are liquidated. If they want to reform the other members of the SPL have to vote them in, their also banned from Europe for three years.

They will be voted in. They only need 7 votes to be voted in because they get too vote themselves in.

Anyway any new club will not be classed as the old club so they will be allowed into Europe.

[WatcherZero]

Originally Posted by bigchrisfgb

They will be voted in. They only need 7 votes to be voted in because they get too vote themselves in.

Anyway any new club will not be classed as the old club so they will be allowed into Europe.

* Rule applys, the new club will be banned from Europe if it wants to be considered successor club. If it starts again in the 3rd division it will still take several years to qualify.
* The clubs membership of the SPL is dissolved, it doesnt get to vote on getting back in unless it petitions the SPL first to be considered a successor company inheriting the membership, they will require a 3/4 majority.
* The SPL is free to apply penalties such as transfer freeze, deducted points or deducted share of league income.
* If it doesnt win the SPL vote it will have to petition to start in the 3rd division, an extra club will be promoted to the SPL and so on, essentially everyone moves up one and Rangers comes in at the bottom.
* All players would be free agents, they could accept the option of staying at the new Rangers under the same pay and conditions as the successor company meaning the new Rangers would face a huge wage bill.
* When the club is liquidated all trophies have to be handed back, titles and records are dissolved. The clubs history is essentially wiped clean. The same happened to Airdrie in 2002.

[Sir Miles Platting]

What the hell's with up with Rangers?

They were the 'establishment club' of Scotland.

Representing the 'British', playing in red white and blue. More 'UK' than Scottish.

They had the backing of all the old money/nobility/freemasons/right wing/established church etc.

How can a club with so much power implode in such a way?

This should not have happened.

[Glasgow 2097]

Originally Posted by Sir Miles Platting

What the hell's with up with Rangers?

They were the 'establishment club' of Scotland.

Representing the 'British', playing in red white and blue. More 'UK' than Scottish.

They had the backing of all the old money/nobility/freemasons/right wing/established church etc.

How can a club with so much power implode in such a way?

This should not have happened.

Short answer: they spent lots of money they didn't have. Bank money. Tax money.

The long answer is still incomplete. Presently, it seems that none of the directors in place at Ibrox over the last 15-20 years saw anything, heard anything, said anything, knew anything or did anything. Despite this, hefty salaries were paid to all - sometimes through regular methods, sometimes not.

With the impending liquidation, HMRC will be empowered to investigate the directors and establish just how little they saw, heard, said, knew or did.

The creation of a new club masquerading as Rangers will be something of a sideshow to the court battles that will keep Glasgow's legal fraternity in caviar for the next decade.

[Sir Miles Platting]

The shareholders should have at least demanded independant audits on a regular basis. Normal business practice: Always pay taxes, secured creditors and payroll deductions before everything else.

They really must have had a bunch of clowns running the show.

Should have been a licence to print money tba.

[WatcherZero]

You forget, for some stupid reason (to keep clubs from collapsing like a house of cards from bad debt) theres a law on the books which makes HMRC the last in line creditor for football clubs.

[Sir Miles Platting]

Originally Posted by WatcherZero

You forget, for some stupid reason (to keep clubs from collapsing like a house of cards from bad debt) theres a law on the books which makes HMRC the last in line creditor for football clubs.

I suspect that particular rule is merely an opportunity to 'defer' the tax burden. I can't see a bank or a supplier getting more in the pound than the taxman but if that's the case, then John Q.Public is the big loser in the end. To the benefit of a bunch of greedy conmen. Twas ever thus I suppose...

[WatcherZero]

Chairmans of Hearts and Dundee have both come out and said they will vote no, Dundee said they had recieved thousands of letters from fans threatening to not renew season tickets if the club voted yes.

Heres how the vote Stands:

No
Hearts- Public no
Dundee- Public no
Aberdeen- Fans overwhelmingly telling them no, club says they will act in the fans best interest
Celtic- Fans saying no, Club saying just will act the clubs best interest
Hibernian- Club has not made any statement but Chairman in role as head of the SPL has said he wants to vote no
Inverness- Public statement fans overwhelmingly telling them no but will consider the financial implications
Motherwell- Believe a no vote would support sporting integrity and have recived overwhelmingly negative comments but will formally ballot fans. Believe the loss of Rangers would have financial implications that would take several years to adjust too but morally right thing to do.
St Johnstone- Said they want to vote no but not committed themselves firmly to that action.

Yes
Kilmarnock- Public statement they believe a 10 point penalty is enough punishment but they believe that the TV rights and league revenues will not be affected by a no vote
Rangers- Yes (well duh) but also argues other clubs should consider the financial implications of a no vote and not base their vote on the moral question.
Ross County- No public statements whatsoever, complete unknown but speculation is chairman will vote yes

Complete Mystery
St Mirren- Said that they understand the public feeling but will vote in the clubs best interest, complicated by the fact the club is for sale and Rangers being in the league may get the club a better price.

[WatcherZero]

Rangers wont be admittted to the SPL now, 6 clubs have gone on the record saying they will vote against and Rangers need no more than 4 to vote against in the meeting July 4th.
So far 9 players have said they will leave the club and three have said they will stay.

[R.K.Teck]

Originally Posted by WatcherZero

Chairmans of Hearts and Dundee have both come out and said they will vote no, Dundee said they had recieved thousands of letters from fans threatening to not renew season tickets if the club voted yes.

Heres how the vote Stands:

No
Hearts- Public no
Dundee- Public no
Aberdeen- Fans overwhelmingly telling them no, club says they will act in the fans best interest
Celtic- Fans saying no, Club saying just will act the clubs best interest
Hibernian- Club has not made any statement but Chairman in role as head of the SPL has said he wants to vote no
Inverness- Public statement fans overwhelmingly telling them no but will consider the financial implications
Motherwell- Believe a no vote would support sporting integrity and have recived overwhelmingly negative comments but will formally ballot fans. Believe the loss of Rangers would have financial implications that would take several years to adjust too but morally right thing to do.
St Johnstone- Said they want to vote no but not committed themselves firmly to that action.

Yes
Kilmarnock- Public statement they believe a 10 point penalty is enough punishment but they believe that the TV rights and league revenues will not be affected by a no vote
Rangers- Yes (well duh) but also argues other clubs should consider the financial implications of a no vote and not base their vote on the moral question.
Ross County- No public statements whatsoever, complete unknown but speculation is chairman will vote yes

Complete Mystery
St Mirren- Said that they understand the public feeling but will vote in the clubs best interest, complicated by the fact the club is for sale and Rangers being in the league may get the club a better price.

Dundee United*
Dundee FC are the team who might be replacing Rangers in the SPL next season, Dundee United are already in the SPL.