Let’s just get this straight
We’re losing track of all the threats and counter-threats about next season’s SPL. Let’s recap on the latest positions as far as we can discern them:
– Rangers fans are going to boycott their own home games as long as Charles Green remains in charge of the club.
– Rangers fans are also going to boycott away games if penalties are imposed on the newco’s admission to the SPL. (Which seems to be an absolute certainty if they’re admitted at all.)
– Celtic fans are going to boycott away games at any club who votes Yes to admitting the newco (which would of necessity mean at least eight of the 12 teams in the league, possibly including Celtic).
– 54% of Celtic fans are going to boycott ALL games if New Rangers are admitted to the SPL. (A further 36% will boycott Rangers games only.)
– 56% of fans of the other 10 SPL teams will also boycott ALL games in those circumstances. (A further 34% will boycott Rangers games only.)
That seems to be pretty much everyone. As far as we can tell, if Rangers are playing in the SPL next season under Charles Green, the average 2012-13 SPL attendance is going to be about 250 people. We’re not sure Sky are going to be very happy.
Other things Rangers fans may be boycotting include Scottish Cup games and Scotland internationals:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18108973
all companies sponsoring the SPL, including Bank Of Scotland, Tesco, Sky, Carling, Adidas, McDonalds, Mars and Wiseman Dairies:
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/317055
and Lloyds Bank:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8666094.stm
Should save them quite a few quid.
Sky, Carling, Adidas, McD’s and Mars?
So a whole lifestyle change then? 🙂
LOL. I wonder how much difference Wiseman Dairies will notice, though?
I particularly enjoyed the calls for Rangers to voluntarily boycott the Scottish cup, cause when you’re in financial trouble, one of the smartest things to do iscut off 33% of your potential revenue….
Honestly!
Unfortunately it’s all empty threats and posturing. If Scottish football fans had the will to boycott matches we wouldn’t be in this mess. In Germany fans of all clubs stood united and threatenedto boycott when clubs said they were putting up prices. The cost of a ticket to a Bundasleige match is till £18. Had we done something similar we might have kept SPL tickets below £20, which would probably mean bigger crowds, which would mean more people in your stadiums buying programs and other wares and would probably result in clubs actually making more money not less by having lower ticket prices.
Oh well. Another 45 days and we’ll know one way or the other.
“Unfortunately it’s all empty threats and posturing. If Scottish football fans had the will to boycott matches we wouldn’t be in this mess.”
I agree with the broad sentiment, but as I’ve said elsewhere already today, I think the Rangers affair marks the point where a lot of fans WILL draw the line. I can absolutely see serious drop-offs in attendances if they’re let back into the SPL.
Folk may have guessed that I’m enjoying this saga.
I still haven’t forgiven them for stealing Kasnashvillie(sp?) for nothing from Dundee.
They offered £100,000, and Dundee knocked it back. So the rich Gers went to court and got him for nothing.
Wiseman might be due a rebranding after the latest takeover anyway.
I really don’t see the Rangers fans sticking to this and certainly not for long. I have little hope for the average punter. If they had that kind of backbone then football, politics and the country wouldn’t be in the state it is today.
I’d love to think (and agree it’s a distinct possibility) that it’s all coming to a head because they’ve been pushed too far though.
Most Scottish folk hate a bully, and Rangers have been the bully of Scottish football for far too long.
They stand for something that is rotten in Scots society, with their Union Jacks, God save the queen, and all the rest of that pish.
I can’t help but draw parallels between their death throes, and that of the british state that they profess to love, and gladly cheat out of her majesties tax.
Maybe a rangers born in an independant Scotland could change my opinion.
I’m not holding my breath.
For the avoidance of doubt, I won’t “boycott” any matches if “I can’t believe it’s not Rangers” (thanks for that name Rev Stu) are readmitted to the SPL.
I’m just not interested in a league which will have become more of a farce than it already is – so will find something else to do with my Saturdays. Probably watch Morton a lot more.
I fear for Aberdeen FC. The boardroom changes don’t look positive to me. The loss of Martin Gilbert and Willie Miller may be profound.
Unlike RFC, the stadium has considerable value for other use. Is it true that that the Pittodrie site is already held, mortgaged, by a separate company as surety for the clubs debts incurred during Mr Milne’s reign?
“I met with a financial advisor and he said to me, ‘Do you want to pay less tax? It’s totally legal’.
“I said, ‘Yes’.
“I now realise I’ve made a terrible error of judgment.”
Err no not someone from Rangers (IL).
But Jimmy Carr.
What now for newco Jimmy ?
Will he be re admitted to the lefty hypocrite BBC comedian hamster wheel ?
Or be carted off to BBC3 at 3am.
Sounds like a CVA job to me. And Duff &Phelps to sort things out pronto.
You can bet pretty much anyone who isn’t a fool and isn’t on PAYE will not be paying full tax and will have similar dodges, depending on how much money they have and how good their accountant is.
Same sort of reason you see so many businesses and commercial ships registered in the back of beyond, despite never so much as passing by the place. Blatant fiddling that they’ve all been turning a blind eye to for decades. Every government in power has known about it (and likely personally taken part in it) and chosen to do nothing about it. Some very large companies pay sod all in tax too.
As usual it is the commoner who bears the biggest inescapable burden.
The estimated amount of tax lost to fraud each year is incredible. About the same as the national deficit. I can’t imagine how much is lost through these legal fiddles too. It’s very likely any estimates are well below reality too, as most of the time people live in a blissful bubble until another Enron or recession type event pops.