Compare and Contrast – Administration for Dunfermline ’13 and Rangers ’12 + A Quick Solution?

Dunfermline Athletic Football Club Limited has entered administration. Facing a winding-up petition from HMRC, and unable to pay the taxman what was demanded, the only way to keep the business afloat was to appoint an administrator and to hope that the breathing space this gives the company will be enough to allow the season to be finished, and then for the necessary asset sale or CVA to take place to preserve the existence of the football club. As I mention at the end of this piece, there is one theoretical possibility which could provide a quick exit from administration, with bounty for the creditors (and if it did happen, undoubtedly a busy summer of blogging on my favourite issues of law and football!)

The man picked to be administrator is Bryan Jackson. As well as being a top quality Chartered Accountant and Insolvency Practitioner, he now has the accolade of having run more Scottish football teams than anyone else in the country’s football history (and if not then I have no idea who could surpass him).

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Random Thoughts Blog – a Change to Email Policy

Readers will be aware that, from time to time, the comments can become a trifle heated. Sometimes this generates excellent arguments. Sometimes it generates light-hearted banter. Sometimes it generates abuse and insults.

Rather than go down some formal “registration” route, I will use the facilities WordPress already provides, and which are in use already, but with one change.

Commenters will be aware that, when you first comment, you are asked for some info, including an email address.

If it appears to me that the email address given is invalid, then your commenting privileges will be suspended until a valid one is provided.

Your email addresses will NOT be passed to anyone else and would only be used by me to communicate with you regarding the blog.

(Or to promote sales of my blog-related merchandise: umbrellas, kettles, and ready meals – all on a “Random Thoughts” theme – coming soon – or not at all).

If you receive an email from me in the next week or so, then this is simply me checking that your email address is valid.

It is not necessary to reply, but feel free to do so if you want.

I am always happy to hear from you!

All the best,

Paul

NB – I have added a summary of this to the right hand side of the page.

“We Can Only Play With The Cards We Have Been Dealt” says McCoist as 55th Title Won

Despite the stresses and strains imposed on his team by their lack of resources and only having a mere handful of international capped players, Rangers today achieved the goal for the season – victory in SFL3.

And for all of his critics, surely Ally McCoist’s achievement in his being the first team in Scotland to win its league (apart from Queen of the South in SFL2) will vindicate Mr Green’s decision to keep him as manager, despite the sceptics. And more so, to bring him on board as a major shareholder.

As any fan of football knows, it is the result that counts – not the way in which it is achieved – and as for all those critics who suggest that a team with the second or third highest payroll in Scotland, and a squad of full time players, should be beating teams of plucky part-timers by many goals each week, they clearly underestimate the quality of football present in SFL3.

“Operation Yewtree” Coverage Shows Why It Helps If the Media Like You

First of all, apart from Sir Jimmy Savile, I am not going to mention any names in this post. I would ask too that people commenting on this thread refrain from naming anyone either.

The Metropolitan Police inquiries into the activities of the former TV star have three main strands.

• One is looking specifically at the actions of Savile.
• The second strand concerns allegations against “Savile and others”.
• The third – named “others” – relates to alleged complaints against other people unconnected to the Jimmy Savile investigations.

As the BBC reported yesterday, ten people have been arrested and one suspect was interviewed under caution.

On each occasion so far that someone has been arrested the media have covered the story, naming the suspect, and, of course, not seeking to suggest any guilt. After all, the presumption of innocence applies.

“Rangers Shareholder Sentenced to 14 years!” – Giovanni Di Stefano Convicted

Before anyone gets angry about the headline I have chosen, I am simply reflecting what a commenter on a Rangers fan message board yesterday suggested the coverage would be.

Of Mr Di Stefano’s claims to fame, his involvement with Rangers, whilst being most recent, is almost certainly his most trivial.

The heading could have been “Ex-Dundee Director Jailed” or “The ‘Lawyer’ for Saddam, Milosevic and Arkan Convicted”.

I am sure his life story, if ever written and told accurately, would tell a remarkable tale. He indeed promises a free e-book to be published imminently detailing his trial and his life over the last ten years.

There can be no doubt at all that he is a perfect example of hiding in plain sight.

Indeed he has been voluble even since the conviction and sentence.