Craig Whyte
It is a story that, depending on which side of Glasgow football's ‘Old Firm' fence you sit, either keeps on giving or won't go away, even if its central figure since last May supposedly has gone away. Charles Green, erstwhile Rangers CEO and serial belier of the phrase "no-nonsense", left the Ibrox board on the thirty-first of May, as promised when he left his headline role six weeks ago in the wake of allegations of casual racism and not-so-casual financial deception.
It is a story that, depending on which side of Glasgow football's ‘Old Firm' fence you sit, either keeps on giving or won't go away, even if its central figure since last May supposedly has gone away. Charles Green, erstwhile Rangers CEO and serial belier of the phrase "no-nonsense", left the Ibrox board on the thirty-first of May, as promised when he left his headline role six weeks ago in the wake of allegations of casual racism and not-so-casual financial deception.
So, Rangers Chief Executive Charles Green's proverbial pants are on fire. Who knew? Well, regular readers of my Rangers missives, if there are any, will have known. I have suggested before, probably ad nauseum, that Green's relationship with the truth is something akin to third cousin, twice removed.
Whatever else it's done, Rangers new life in Division Three hasn't dented their ability to command column inches.
This week it was the results of the First Tier Tribunal that dominated the media, old and new.
The findings have been pored over. Lines have been read between to prove what the reader believes to be true.
Ah, yes, the rule of three. From the Latin "omne trium perfectum," (all that comes in threes is perfect), the rule is a comedy staple. So... a fortnight ago, we were treated to thirty-three minutes of the wit and wisdom of Craig Whyte – which the former Rangers owner padded out with thirty-two minutes and fifty seconds of his alternative version of recent Rangers events.
Poor Craig Whyte. On the day he chose to give his version of the Rangers saga to the BBC, former Rangers joint administrator Paul Clark beats him to the "biggest Rangers lie" of the year trophy. Clark offered a dictionary definition of dishonesty and irony in his statement on Wednesday that he and David Whitehouse, his colleague at financial services firm Duff and Phelps, had achieved their "primary statutory function" as administrators of RFC 2012 PLC, the company which, under its former title ‘Rangers Football Club PLC,' ran the club.
25.04.2012 - El Rangers Football Club, uno de los dos grandes escoceces, vive los peores
días de su centenaria historia y la comunidad protestante de Glasgow, Escocia e Irlanda del Norte
se hace eco.
El «Rangers Supporters Trust», asociación de hinchas del club, publicó su indignación
en forma de comunicado en su sitio web.
The now traditional Thursday night Rangers post.
Have we moved on? Or are we descending further into farce?
Nodody seems to know exactly what's happening. The lunatics have taken over the asylum. But who
actually owns the asylum? And will another group of lunatics be happy to take over in the next few
weeks?
Football attracts wideboys and chancers.
Over the years most supporters will have questioned the morality or legality of this director or
that chairman.
But the collection of charlatans and chancers who seem to have attached themselves to Rangers in
recent years must take some beating.
For anyone who was asleep for the whole of last week, you missed probably one of the biggest
stories in recent sporting history. Rangers FC were sent into administration because of an overdue
tax bill which stretched back to over 11 years ago. And although Rangers Chief Executive Craig
Whyte stated how this is not the end for Rangers, it can be deemed as somewhat wishful
thinking.
I was seven when Rangers won their first league title of my lifetime.
Up until that point Celtic had won three championships. Aberdeen had matched them. And Dundee
United had slipped in with their solitary league win. I seem to just about remember Jim McLean
smiling that day.
There's not been much for us non-Old Firm fans to smile about since.
A week away from the blog.
I'd like to explain my absence with exciting tales of derring do. But I can't. The most excitement
I got was watching Hibs beat Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup, nailbiting to the end.
No, I've been away largely because I couldn't be arsed for the last week.
Day ten of the SPL Advent. Rangers. Dreaming of a Whyte Christmas.
Rangers offer another chance for one of these half season reviews to become more a work of
financial reporting. I'll try to resist.
We know the taxman cometh, we know Craig Whyte himself rarely seems short of a battle to fight and
we know that other companies and individuals have raised concerns over Rangers' financial position.
Tom English was strutting his stuff in the Scotland on Sunday yesterday. Gird your loins fellow
bloggers. He had his sights set on us:
"This is the reality of the online blogger. They can spout stuff that turns out to be untrue and,
when they get it wrong, it never boomerangs back and hurts them.
Rangers crash out of the Champion's League and the chants of "Super Ally" begin to stick in the
throats of the faithful.
Ridiculous in the extreme that a new manager should be judged on the basis of four games of
competitive football - only one of which ended in defeat.
But life in the Old Firm is a life full of extremes and a life that's often ridiculous.
Twitter timelines were abuzz this afternoon as announcement followed claim followed
counter-claim.
The subject?
Have a guess.
You're right: Rangers.
And the continuing travails of the rickety finances at Ibrox.
A drawn out process? The Icelandic economy crashed and burned in less time.
A good week for Rangers. A good week indeed.
Back in the driving seat in the SPL after Celtic's defeat to Inverness in midweek.
And now a takeover.
A takeover! Finally an end to the most complicated, drawn out transaction since Ivana Trump
demanded joint custody of Donald's hair in their divorce settlement.
The Rest
Will the monetary shenanigans at Ibrox never end?
On and on rumble the ramifications of Rangers' apparent fiscal folly in seasons gone by.
Will the emboldened taxman or the jilted Martin Bain get in the killer blow?
Craig Whyte has brought bad PR, repetitive answers to pressing questions and Gordon Smith to Govan.