disgruntled_bear 157 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Ex-Rangers chairman Alistair Johnston: Administration looks inevitable for my old clubHE was hours away from being publicly unmasked as Rangers’ Whyte Knight in waiting.Craig Whyte, a reclusive, self-made mystery man from Motherwell, was on the verge of making his first move to become the new king of Ibrox – and being catapulted from obscurity into the public eye for the first time in all of his 39 years.It was Thursday night, November 17, 2010. Whyte – knowing the story of his takeover plan was about to break in the following day’s Daily Record – rushed in a team of PR gurus whose job it was to brief reporters on his behalf.When the hired help was asked for details of the exact extent of their man’s wealth, the answer came back, loud and clear: “Describe him as a billionaire”.But over the rocky, financially troubled 15 months which have followed, those figures have rarely looked like adding up. And this morning comes the most damning allegation of all. That Whyte has mortgaged off four years’ worth of fans’ hard-earned season-ticket cash to pay his club’s running costs.This astonishing claim has surfaced after high-level officials from HMRC quizzed current director Dave King and Paul Murray, who was removed from the board by Whyte shortly after he had won his battle for control of the club.The authorities believe Whyte now owes the taxman £5million in VAT from the £24.4m deal they say was done with London-based firm Ticketus, a subsidiary of parent company Octopus.Now this would-be “billionaire” has managed to run up so much debt in his 10 months in charge he has been left trying to flog star striker Nikica Jelavic before tonight’s transfer deadine just to keep the wolf from the door.It’s a far cry from the bold promises of big spending with which Whyte’s new era was trumpeted when, on May 6 of last year, he announced he had finally bought Sir David Murray’s shareholding for the price of just £1.But one man feared from the start it was all doomed to end in tears. And last night former chairman Alistair Johnston – the man who warned fans to “remain vigilant” on the day he handed over the keys of Ibrox – expressed his fear that Rangers are now hurtling towards unavoidable administration after the news four years’ worth of season tickets have been flogged off to London.Speaking from the States last night, Johnston said: “We asked Murray International to ask that specific question: Is he raising the money to buy the club or to finance the operations of the club against the assets of Rangers Football Club?“He said he wasn’t doing it. But we didn’t believe him.“We were trying to say at the time that selling the club to Craig Whyte could be a disaster. We were ridiculed by a lot of people for saying it but I take no gratification or satisfaction from being proved right.“Inevitably, it was only a matter of time before this happened. The destiny of the club is now clearly not in its own hands – it’s in the hands of Octopus.“Unfortunately I think administration is now almost inevitable because the club’s debts are unsustainable and Octopus want their money back.“In my view, the only way the club can clear these debts now is by going into administration. I just wonder if he still has his position as the secured creditor. It was always his intention to be the guy on the other side of the river when the club came out of administration. But it looks to me as if Octopus is now essentially the secured creditor.”Johnston says his suspicions were aroused about Whyte’s intentions from early on in the takeover saga. And the alarm bells were clattering louder than ever on the day after the newly- installed supremo watched Walter Smith and his team wrap up a third successive title at Rugby Park in May.He added: “First, during the process of due diligence it became clear he didn’t care about cash flow. That indicated to us they were in for a short ride. They had no interest in operating the club.“Also, the day after we won the championship at Kilmarnock I had a meeting with Whyte and his lawyer during which they both asked me to disband the Independent Committee.“They said now the sale had taken place the Independent Committee had no value.“I said no as I had a written agreement we would remain in place until he provided our shareholders with a circular.“That was a warning. They were trying to get rid of us because they knew at that point in time they had embarked on a track of borrowing against season-ticket money.“He had told us it was all his money and it hadn’t been borrowed against the assets.“He then used all sorts of excuses to get myself, Paul Murray, Martin Bain and Donald McIntyre off the board. The day before that happened I had seen the latest financial statements and knew there was a real problem.“That’s why they got us out. They knew we would never approve their plan. They then spent the next couple of months discrediting us and saying we were yesterday’s men. But we knew we were right. We knew we had an obligation to the fans and shareholders.“But he launched a very effective PR campaign and used lawyers to intimidate everyone. He made out any criticism of Craig Whyte was actually an attack on Rangers. Fans rallied around him.“But it was like a human shield. He used Rangers Football Club as a human shield to protect himself.”Last night Whyte denied any suggestion he had used tickets cash to buy the club. A spokesman said: “It is disgraceful that at every turn there are people who continue to damage Rangers – people who when they were asked to step up and rescue the club were all talk and no action.”http://www.<No links to this website>/football/spl/rangers/2012/01/31/ex-rangers-chairman-alistair-johnston-administration-looks-inevitable-for-my-old-club-86908-23728975/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitterIt pains me to say, but. I think we are heading that way. What a sad state of affairs Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
beattie72 170 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Fuck him. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthernLights 2,526 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Nope. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGM_72 3,729 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Fucking fed up with these cretins from the past chiming in constantly with their pish in the rags. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottBF2 3,540 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Cool. I hope he fucks off and isn't heard from again. A joke of a man, and nothing but a jealous old bastard. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCLACHLAN1 49 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 The blind Faith in Whyte 'Still' is absolutely Frightening.We have went from one liar to another Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redmond7 1,203 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Sounds like a case of sour grapes from the former regime who are at least in part, by association if nothing else, responsible for the mess the club is in. Only two words left to say to him and them. Fuck you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redmond7 1,203 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 The blind Faith in Whyte 'Still' is absolutely Frightening.We have went from one liar to anotherAt least Whyte knows how to throw a party. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Right_To_Censor 1,951 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Who's to say him and his bum boy pals who found an extra 25m down the back of the sofa wouldn't have went down the same routeThese cunts from the old board chiming in are gloating at our demise, rangers men I think not Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottBF2 3,540 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 The blind Faith in Whyte 'Still' is absolutely Frightening.We have went from one liar to anotherYou left, please go. Noone really likes your "always negative about positive, and ultra negative about negative" attitude. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOAT 30,449 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 He warned us, yet some continue to believe the lying bastard in the hotseat just now.I still think Johnston and Murray could have done more. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nachothelegend 1,932 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 If this is going to happen then hurry up .I am pissed of to high heavens hearing this from people who have an axe to grind with CW .If he knows then why cant he just tell Whyte to announce it .Or just piss off . If he loves the club so much then surely people like him and Murray would tell Whyte to announce this. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOAT 30,449 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Sounds like a case of sour grapes from the former regime who are at least in part, by association if nothing else, responsible for the mess the club is in. Only two words left to say to him and them. Fuck you.What exactly has he got to have sour grapes about? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
outlaw69uk 123 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Fuck him.^^^ this. "AJ" is an arsehole of the highest order Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RFC55 110,177 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Rangers number 1 fan Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenBallsrfc 4 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 so murray and johnston continue to slate whyte after being removed from the board and having their own 'offer' for the club knocked back...what a suprise! Whyte will some time soon be shown if he is the rite man to take us forward or not...these idiots from the prev board had their chance and look how they left us,they have a cheek to make these comments while not once admitting to the mess THEY left us in! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redsox1 1,361 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 "they had embarked on a track of borrowing against season-ticket money."sorry but this line kills their story dead.THEY STARTED BORROWING AGAINST SEASON-TICKET MONEY BEFORE WHYTE CAME IN ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulRFC1 115 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 What an absolute cretin of a man. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott-RFC 308 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Even if he did believe all this, any Rangers man would not go and spill all to the scum at the RhecordFuck him Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris182 6,366 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 "they had embarked on a track of borrowing against season-ticket money."sorry but this line kills their story dead.THEY STARTED BORROWING AGAINST SEASON-TICKET MONEY BEFORE WHYTE CAME IN !BINGO! Lying toe-rags Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bears r us 30,998 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 BINGO! Lying toe-ragsYes, total Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimfanciesthedude 24,958 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Fuck AJ and the old brigade. They took us to the fucking brink Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fyfe 19 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Surrender no! In all seriousness though it's really petty for Johnston to keep doing these "I told you so" interviews. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
the sliver fox 1,672 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 Anyone who conducts any interview with any of the old regime should start with..."If you truly have Rangers best interests at heart, why did nobody in a suitable position before Craig Whytes takeover, lift a bloody finger to do anything? Would that not have been more productive than running to the press spouting your doomsday pish after somebody who is willing to do something has come in?"...and then see how the interview progresses from there! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wearethemighty 186 Posted January 31, 2012 Share Posted January 31, 2012 I said AJ was a tosser when he was chairman and got digs abuse. Seems i was proved right! The guys a muppet! Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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