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Straight Question To The Board Of Mfc Re. Rangers Newco


Steve Diggle
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147 members have voted

  1. 1. Should The NEWCO Be Allowed Back Into The SPL?



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title races are entertaining in any country.

Yes, in other countries. Not in our own one when our team isn't anywhere near being involved in it.

 

As for days like Skippy Sunday, yes, it was hilarious, yes it was enjoyable, but it was one game where Motherwell FC never won anything for it. All we can celebrate is the misfortune of others? Sorry, but that sounds pretty shit to me. We need to get away from this obsession with the Old Firm. They should just be any other team like Aberdeen, Killie or St Johnstone. The constant whinging of us not taking points off the Old Firm (as though they were worth 25 points instead of the usual 3) was staggering considering how many points we earned against the other teams.

 

It's not just the media and Old Firm fans that are guilty of viewing Rangers and Celtic as some sort of superior entity.

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Talk is that if the SFA take over we will have 1 ruling body, league reconstruction (4 leagues down to 3 - one less season for them to climb back) fairer voting/revenue split. If true, could be what we have all been looking for and allows The Rainjurs the possibility of only 2 seasons out SPL.

 

 

Also talk that, due to time constraints, the leagues will remain the same size with an SPL2, different distribution of media money (cutting the jump betweeen 2nd and 3rd and giving it to SPL2) play off for 11th, voting stucture changing to 8-4 (except gate money 50 -50 split).

To compromise - this means Club 12-7 could be relegated to SPL2 for a possible one year out of SPL.

On the plus side, any decent player they've got will be offski for hee haw.

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Also talk that, due to time constraints, the leagues will remain the same size with an SPL2, different distribution of media money (cutting the jump betweeen 2nd and 3rd and giving it to SPL2) play off for 11th, voting stucture changing to 8-4 (except gate money 50 -50 split).

To compromise - this means Club 12-7 could be relegated to SPL2 for a possible one year out of SPL.

On the plus side, any decent player they've got will be offski for hee haw.

 

 

Only thing is Club 12 do not exist at this moment in time so there's no club to relegate. I said to Big Pie yesterday the SFA might use this as cover for allowing minimal sanctions to hinder the new club, then again they might finally be taking control of a situation that has been allowed to descend into farce by inaction from proper authorities. The rules say 3 years accounts is required to enter the pro leagues, stickto the rules and allow Spartans their chance, they've been inversting heavily to come up to standard required. Rangers are dead, and should remain so if we play by the rules.

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Get the filthy bastards binned. They reek of tedious weegie shite. Horrible nae patter wankstains. Hoaching wi AIDS as well. Pricks.

 

Not only do I want a 'no' vote, I want the above to be Motherwell Football Club's official statement regarding the matter.

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The biggest problem I have with all of this is that the Ibrox hoards will not accept it was the their Directors fault that this happened.

 

It wasn't the HMRC that dremt up the EBT schemes it wasn't Rapid Vienna or Hearts that made them agree to buy Jelavic or Wallace, it wasn't even the paper shop on the corner that begged them to buy their papers from him.

 

It was the fault of Directors, past and present, that created the problem and just like most prisoners going to jail it was because of someone else not because of themselves. The legions will still not accept that is down to their leaders and this is why they are dead.

 

As for voting, I have voted no as I belive they need to be punished / treated the same if it was any other team and quite probably more so to send out the correct message to other Scottish teams but also to the wider football world to say that we can govern ourselves with dignity and honesty.

 

I also think that if the board of Motherwell do the right thing and vote no then there could be an overwhelming wave of support for them that will encourage people to attend more games and possibly even boost the 'Well Society becuase of the show of integrity and unity with their fans. If they vote yes then the total oposite i fear will happen.

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The club hasn't been liquidated yet and won't be for another 8-10 weeks. Still plenty of time to punish them.

 

Also, some promising news from Graham Spiers:-

 

 

@GrahamSpiers: If current vibes are correct then Celtic, Dons, Hibs, D Utd, M'Well + St Mirren all set to vote RFC to Div 3. A dire fate - but a just one.

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If the SFA/SPL/SFL do ANYTHING to soften the blow of Rangers being demoted to Div 3 (where I'm now absolutely convinced they are heading!) such as rushing through league reformation, etc will be WORSE than any clubs voting to keep them in SPL in my opinion!

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a 16/18team top flight, but this cant be rushed through for the purposes of one club guilty of blatant cheating and not paying their bills!

 

If this happens, I believe (and part of me actually hopes) that FIFA/UEFA get involved and absolutely hammer the SFA. Maybe then we will get rid of the absolute clowns in charge!

 

And talking of clowns and the SFA, why the hell is Campbell Ogilvie still doing holding a role within the SFA? He should have quit as soon as they were "found out" and if he never he should have been kicked out on his arse pronto! Further proof the SFA is a disgrace!

 

I actually don't care who they are/think they are, but NO ONE is too big to fail and punishment applies to all!

 

 

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from today's herald.

 

One SPL club director yesterday said Rangers' liquidation had given the SPL a rare opportunity to change its voting procedures and remove the controversial requirement for an 11-1 majority on votes on commercial issues. Motherwell board member Andrew Lapping said Rangers had to be punished for past arrogance and bullying but the bigger picture was the opening their liquidation created for change in the SPL. Describing Rangers and Celtic as "sworn enemies on the pitch but avid lovers off it" he said the 11-1 clause, which effectively gives the two clubs the power of veto because they habitually vote together, had been hugely damaging since the formation of the SPL.

 

"Rangers' inevitable demise has given the game a real chance to cure its ills, most importantly to reintroduce true competition to the SPL," said Lapping in a personal, rather than Motherwell FC, letter to Herald Sport. "The SPL should seize the opportunity to change its voting structure such that decisions are made by the majority not the minority. On football grounds alone, Rangers need to be punished for their arrogance, tax evasion and downright bullying – the punishment will only be temporary but the real opportunity is for a change in voting rights to facilitate wholesale reform for the good of the game. This may be tough on both Celtic and newco Rangers, but most supporters will welcome a more level playing field.

 

"Competition will raise standards, increase interest from passive supporters and ultimately see a redistribution of income across a wider number of clubs. The catalyst is an immediate change in the voting system, to be followed by a root and branch review in the knowledge that the conclusions can be implemented."

 

 

wtf?

 

never heard of this guy. is he actually on the board?

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from today's herald.

 

 

 

wtf?

 

never heard of this guy. is he actually on the board?

 

 

Don't know but I'm assuming he is. As for what he say's, it's just echoing what alot of folk on here have been saying - only he's said it a bit more politly :)

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Don't know but I'm assuming he is. As for what he say's, it's just echoing what alot of folk on here have been saying - only he's said it a bit more politly :)

 

i'm not too bothered about what he was saying.

 

i just thought our board was currently wilson, dempster, mcmahon, weir and swinburne.

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from today's herald.

 

 

 

wtf?

 

never heard of this guy. is he actually on the board?

aye the motherwell steelmenonline board

 

I have seen him listed as being a director appointed 29/03/1999 but that doesnt mean he's still on board

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If not on the board currently Lapping was certainly on it in the past. What was Boyle's stable of companies called again - Hamilton Portfolio or something like that? I seem to recall him being involved with that and brought on board around the time of Alisdair Barron came in as Chief-Executive.

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If not on the board currently Lapping was certainly on it in the past. What was Boyle's stable of companies called again - Hamilton Portfolio or something like that? I seem to recall him being involved with that and brought on board around the time of Alisdair Barron came in as Chief-Executive.

yeah he was/is part of the Hamilton portfolio group looks like he was off pricewaterhousecoopers originally and held directors roles in over 60 companies

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Official site statement on newco

 

The Board at Motherwell FC today released the following statement in light of today’s ‘Newco’ application to the SPL by Rangers FC.

“Confirmation has now been received from the SPL that an all club vote on the proposal to transfer Rangers share is scheduled to take place on 4th July. Motherwell FC are in the process of arranging a forum to discuss the issue with supporters of the club. Following that meeting, the board will meet and agree the club’s position and ultimately how we will vote if the meeting takes place as planned.

“The decision will be taken by the Director’s as a group, as the majority shareholding in the club is currently held under a Power of Attorney by Board members, pending the planned staged transfer to the ‘Well Society. No decision has yet been made by the club on the SPL share transfer, as we will only now see the full details of the proposal and be provided with the full information required. Considerable uncertainty on the implications for revenues and costs complicates our decision considerably.

“The Directors would also like to clarify that the comments made by Director Andrew Lapping in a letter to a national newspaper are entirely personal and are not in any way attributable to the club. Mr Lapping has played no active role in the running of the club for many years and is not part of the decision making group.

 

“The ‘Newco’ issue is often portrayed as a straight choice between preserving sporting integrity and clubs accepting a reduction in gate money together with potentially a significant amount of commercial revenue. In reality it is far more complex than that. We are fully aware that an overwhelming majority of our fans and most others, who have so far expressed an opinion, are totally opposed to ‘Newco’ being allowed immediately back into the SPL.

“The club has been flooded with correspondence from supporters of many clubs which ranges from fully reasoned arguments to direct threats concerning the consequences of a vote either way. Our Board of Directors is predominately made up of lifelong Motherwell supporters and we fully understand that fans are the single most important group within the club. History shows that any business which ignores the wishes of its customer base rarely prospers in the long term.

 

“In any event it would appear a yes vote may not even guarantee that ‘Newco’ will play in the SPL next season as the club is still subject to SFA sanctions and there is an ongoing investigation into the use of EBTs to make payments to players.

 

“The consequences of five or more clubs voting no to ‘Newco’ do also need to be understood and fully taken into account. In addition to lower gate receipts, we are likely to lose an as yet un-quantified amount of commercial revenue with a specific risk around TV payments. The clubs’ income from SPL distribution of commercial revenue was approximately 36% of the total amount generated last season, although this does vary year on year. A significant proportion of SPL income is obtained from TV and other broadcasting rights. The lack of clarity on what the actual impact of ‘Newco’ not playing in the SPL will have on these revenues is a major problem for the Board.

“Despite some reports, it is our understanding that Sky/ESPN have made no official statement on how they will react to a no vote and we believe that a number of other contracts could be re-negotiated if ‘Newco’ was refused entry to the SPL. We very much hope that sponsors and partners will continue to provide their backing whatever the outcome of the various ongoing processes.

 

“The common response to the potential loss of revenue is that clubs need to cut their cloth accordingly. Of course this could be achieved over a period of time, by reducing both on and off the field costs, but it cannot be done overnight. It is vital that we honour player and employee contracts and meet all our other obligations.

“We are in the healthy position of having no debt but have set our cost base in the expectation that income will be at a certain minimum level. In the event of a shortfall we do not have a bank or benefactor able to fund the gap. We clearly do not wish anyone associated with Motherwell, or any other club, to suffer as a result of events in which they played no part. Having been though a painful Administration process many years ago, we are also better placed than most to have sympathy with both the employees and ordinary fans of Rangers who are in no way responsible for the uncertainty they are facing.

 

“The Directors of any business have a duty to act in the best interests of the company or, in this case, the club. In normal circumstances, decisions are fairly straightforward but in this situation a decision either way is likely to have a significant impact on at least one of our key income streams. It is inevitable that there will be consequences if a business suffers a sudden drop in income. Instead of the usual process of deciding what is best for the club, we are currently faced with trying to decide on which is the least worst option. The stakes here are high.

 

“There are a number of other knock on impacts to this lack of certainty. Firstly we have temporarily delayed giving the club any access to the ‘Well Society funds. When we launched the Society we made it clear that we would not put the funds raised at risk and that they would be used only to assist with short term funding requirements at the club, when there was a clear source of repayment. In the current circumstances we believe that we can only fully protect the money raised by keeping it entirely ring fenced from the club until the outcome of the ‘Newco’ debate is known and the financial impact understood.

“In addition we will need to adopt a cautious approach to investing in the playing squad. To date we have not changed our previously agreed plans but this could change dramatically in the current weeks. The inability to accurately forecast future income could also impact on the production of our financial accounts.

 

“By any measure the events at Rangers are having and will continue to have a huge impact on Scottish football. It is our hope that the tax authorities and liquidator will investigate these events fully and are able to take appropriate action against those responsible for causing lasting damage to our national game.

 

“Whilst we fully understand that the ‘Newco’ issue is one which many people feel strongly about, we hope that our fans now have a better idea of the extremely difficult position the club is in and that you continue to offer support by buying season tickets and, if you have not already done so, joining the Well Society which remains very much part of the club’s plans for the future.

“We can assure you that any funds raised by the Society will remain separate from the club, until the position is clearer, but we remain totally committed to the fan ownership model. Whatever the outcome of the vote on ‘Newco’ it will be more important than ever that our fans stay loyal to the club, as we look forward to our debut in the Champions League, and that our efforts to grow the fanbase continue to be successful.

“On the pitch, these are very good times at Motherwell FC and it is vital that we continue to work together as a club to enable us to emerge from the current SPL difficulties with our integrity and optimism intact.”

 

EDIT:

 

and just in case it matters, my vote is still 'NO'

the club can have my SKY tv money if they idiots pull out sponsorship cash, or indeed if any other league 'partners' pull out

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Sounds like a clear 'Yes' to me.

 

EDIT: Not that I'm suggesting a decision's already been made. I totally accept that the club are doing everything appropriately. It just sounds like they would prefer the Newco to be allowed in and the fans to be accepting of it.

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