Re-Structuring of Scottish Football – The Wrong Answer to the Wrong Question? Guest Post by mcfc

I’ve been thinking about reconstruction and what I would do if parachuted into Hampden. Here are a few suggestions that Mr Doncaster et al are free to act upon. Although, further advice will be charged at my usual rate of pies and beer!

The first problem I see is that the SFA/SPL/SFL execs are caught is the classic exec conundrum – things are going tits up on their watch and things must be turned round quickly and dramatically without losing face – or their jobs. Their instinctive solution is dramatic re-structuring – WRONG.

You see it in big organisations all the time. Re-structuring lets you start at year zero, resetting all the inconvenient measures and metrics. But does it create a better business– usually not – but often the execs responsible move on before reality bites again.

The key questions for the execs are

• how did we get in this mess
• what did we do
• why didn’t it work
• what are we not understanding
• where will our current trajectory take us
• what is a reasonable and realistic alternative outcome?

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Mr Green Gets Angry – 16-10-16 Good – 12-12-18 Bad! “Gers Should Quit Scotland”!

A flurry of activity on the official Rangers website with Charles Green’s reaction to proposed League restructuring in Scotland. I will look at one aspect of it for now. As you will see it indicates how quickly things can move in the business world, and how unforeseen developments can possibly de-rail vital financial planning.

Mr Green is quoted here, under the balanced headline of “Gers Should Quit Scotland” as saying:-

“I haven’t read anything other than what is in the press and if that is what we have sat here eagerly awaiting to transform Scottish football, my advice to the board of Rangers is the quicker we can leave Scottish football the better.

“I can’t see anything that is going to transform the finances, the status or the excitement.”

“On first glance, of course, there is nowhere for us to go because FIFA have made their feelings known on cross-border leagues.

“However, we have noted the comments of Standard Liege recently and what Peter Lawwell said at his AGM a few weeks ago when he discussed the changes in Europe.

“Hand on heart today there isn’t an option but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t start looking for an option.

“If all we have to look forward to over the next four years is more madness then we would be failing as directors not to explore the alternatives.”

The SPL Commission and Rangers – Debunking Myths and Legends – Part 1

Lord Nimmo Smith’s Independent Commission appointed to determine the guilt or innocence of Rangers (oldco and “club”) in connection with four disciplinary charges was due to sit in the coming week, but has been delayed due to the involvement of Rod McKenzie, partner in Harper MacLeod, in a serious road accident.

The reaction to this from the unofficial Rangers side of the fence has been to question why there should be a delay, whilst at the same time disputing the need for the hearing at all. Later I will look at the misconceptions being voiced regarding the postponement, but first I wanted to look at some of the errors about the whole matter.

These are either innocent mistakes, and in that case I hope this exposition helps those who are confused, or deliberate obfuscation, whataboutery and red-herring sowing. It is noticeable that amongst the Rangers supporting bloggerati the same common themes on this issue are raised regularly. I do not suggest that there is a united plan or “conspiracy” regarding this. However it does seem that a number of the observers have taken the same opinions to heart and seek to disseminate them at every turn.

Charles Green’s 16 Points – How Many Will Be In the Rangers Prospectus?

And so the time for the grand revelation of the Rangers share prospectus fast approaches. Mr Green spoke to some of the Rangers executive supporters gathered for the match against Alloa on Sunday.

Many of the matters he raised and discussed are indicative of a smart businessman, leading his business forward to prosperity, although there are a few head-scratching comments too.

Once the Share Prospectus appears, I suspect we will hear much less from Mr Green, to avoid ill-founded accusations that he was seeking to influence the share issue outwith the formal AIM procedure.

A helpful reader forwarded me the following summary from a prominent Rangers website. I have edited it only in relation to inappropriate language, to avoid any accusation of not recording faithfully what the helpful scribe has noted. Therefore, there will be the occasional grammatical or spelling error. I have added my comments in bold. Should there be any errors in the bold sections, then that is down entirely to me. My comments are based upon the report, as I did not have the pleasure of hearing Mr Green personally.

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CG spoke for 40 minutes yesterday in Ibrox, here are some of of his comments.

1 – He met with Sky last week and refuses to sign up to the new sky deal which ends in two years !

Why refuse to do so?

A             Because he will not countenance dealing with Sky as doing so might benefit the “hated” SPL.

B             Because, especially with his expectations, as detailed below, of football reconstruction in Scotland, and not wanting to commit his company too early in an uncertain landscape, he is holding off from a decision that does not need to be taken now.

Mr Green Was Grilled by Keys and Gray Yesterday – Provides More Evidence of “Gratuitous Alienation” of Rangers Assets

Charles Green endured a testing and forensic examination yesterday. He went on the Talksport radio programme of Richard Keys and Andy Gray. Not for nothing are they known as the Marshall Hall and Clarence Darrow of the airwaves!

I considered listening to the entire 55 minute broadcast, but even I have my limits.

I have therefore taken the article below from the Herald, and have comments on Mr Green’s statements, my comments and thoughts being in bold.

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Charles Green has revealed that Craig Whyte is suing the club for money he believes he is entitled to for agreeing to sell his shares to Green’s consortium last summer. Whyte made several demands during talks about the shares, including a request for £1m a season and seats in the director’s box, and he wants to be paid for negotiating with the club. The Ibrox board rejected Whyte’s demands out of hand.

Green reiterated, during an interview today on Talksport, that Green has never been part of his consortium, and neither has the finance company, Ticketus, which lost £22m they loaned to Whyte against future season ticket sales when the club went into administration last February.

“I’ve never worked with Craig Whyte,” Green said. “I was introduced to him by Imran Ahmad [Rangers’ commercial director], Craig Whyte did introduce me to Duff & Phelps. We needed to get hold of Craig Whyte’s shares, so Duff & Phelps would treat us as credible.

Where do we start with this?