Mcmurdo on Whyte

[Jonok 1,245]

http://www.thecoplandroad.org/

We decided to give Craig Whyte a chance to speak directly to the Rangers fans so here it is:

It is clear that Craig Whyte considers himself to be the saviour of Rangers FC and at least partly responsible for the present healthy state of the club.

No doubt this will incite howls of angry derision from Rangers fans but Whyte has some powerful arguments to buttress his claim.

I recently caught up with him on his busy schedule and put some blunt questions to the man who is arguably the biggest panto villain Scotland has seen in years.

I asked Craig Whyte directly if he had any business dealings with David Murray prior to the takeover of Rangers. The relationship between the two has been the subject of persistent internet rumours.

Whyte was forthright in his response.

"I met him for the first time at his house in Antibes in 2010," was his reply.

I then put it to Whyte that there can really only be one of two possibilities. He either bought Rangers to run the club or he bought Rangers to make a quick buck and turnaround. "Which is it?" I asked.

His answer was again straightforward.

"My objective was to deal with the tax issue, stabilise the club and get it on a solid footing. The club was not saleable or investable until that happened. After that I was open to either keeping it or selling it if the right offer came along."

To be fair, you can't get a more honest answer. Was Craig Whyte open to making a fast buck by offloading Rangers? He admits that but was keen to stress that the right offer was not a purely financial consideration. Whether Rangers fans believe him or not, Whyte was very conscious he was the custodian of a very sacred trust in Rangers Football Club.

I asked Whyte if his plans came a cropper simply by his running out of money due to Rangers' exits from three major cup competitions.

He was very reluctant to go down that route because he doesn't want it to seem he is blaming the managerial and playing side of the club for what amounted to a gamble on behalf of the commercial side but eventually he admitted:

"Yes, we budgeted for £5m Europa League income and £1m Scottish Cup income. We were deprived of both which would have got us through to the end of the season."

This ties in with statements made at the time that financial budgets were not reliant upon Champions League progress.

It also confirms what many people have thought, that Whyte was banking on money from Europe and the cup competitions in order to keep the club afloat.

Clearly the club was seriously underfunded at this stage, something Whyte does not deny.

I asked Whyte directly what went wrong with the process of administration. If he intended to put Rangers through a quick CVA and have the club handed back cleansed of toxic debt, what happened to waylay this plan? Was it unprecedented media interest, reaction of fans or any other factor? Was he betrayed by anyone?

Again, he was forthright in his response:

"It was a combination of those factors but mainly because Duff & Phelps didn't stick to what they agreed which was a quick administration process at a fixed fee which would have delivered it back to me minus the tax liability."

Whyte clearly feels aggrieved at how Duff & Phelps treated him and handled the whole process of administration and subsequent liquidation.

When asked why he pressed for Duff and Phelps appointment as administrators in the first place, he replied:

"Because they agreed to deliver it back to me for a fixed price in a short time."

Yet again, this answer was frank. Whyte has clearly learned the lesson that bull*******g the Rangers fans got him nowhere. In fact, he has been so outspokenly honest lately it has caused a few jitters with some people!

I asked Whyte one for the conspiratorially minded among the Rangers support.

"What is your involvement/relationship with Zeus Capital or the people behind it?"

Once more he didn't flinch in his reply.

"I have known Imran Ahmad for several years but other than that, none."

It is my understanding that Imran plays a far bigger role in the consortium than many think, something borne out by the fact he was actually Managing Director at Zeus Capital.

Whye's answer proves that there was definite historical connections and continuity between his regime and the present one. In fact, Whyte confirmed this unequivocally when asked if he had introduced Charles Green to Duff and Phelps and if he had prior business dealings with Green.

"What I actually said is that I went out and found a buyer as D & P had failed to do that. My colleague in London contacted Imran who then introduced me to Charles at the beginning of May. I introduced Charles to Paul Clark in Hakkasan in London."

In reply to my question did he think he had been made the fall guy or scapegoat in the whole affair and, if so, who was really to blame for all of Rangers’ woes, Whyte said this:

“What caused Rangers woes was the catastrophic EBT scheme. If it hadn't been for that the club wouldn't have been sold for £1 and it would have been able to attract funding to pay the outstanding tax liabilities. The club also had running cost of £10m per year more than income so it was never run as a sustainable business.”

Whyte is adamant that there was an inevitability over the matter of Rangers going down the CVA/liquidation route.

He bluntly says, “It was absolutely unavoidable. Any other commentary is just spin.”

I have to say that businessmen of my acquaintance who are no slouches in business themselves all say the same thing. What Whyte did was what any rational businessman would have done – take the company into a process where it could be cleared of tax liability and free to trade without the awful burden of the EBT mess hanging over it.

What people need to remember is that Craig Whyte didn’t cause the EBT problem. His decision to put Rangers into administration was arguably the right one in the long term.

Sadly for him, he did it when it was too late and he himself had run out of money trying to trade his way out of a bad streak of fortune.

Whyte is very open about his own mistakes in the entire matter, as can be seen in his recent BBC interview.

He was not so forthcoming when asked if he had any relationship in an investment capacity with the present Rangers regime, either through a front or investment vehicle. He was also equally tight-lipped about persistent rumours he had helped procure a loan to fund Charles Green consortium’s takeover at Ibrox.

But you can’t grudge Whyte’s decision to keep some cards close to his chest; he has had months of savage abuse heaped on him for what he feels was a necessary act, akin to like-saving surgery – the excising from Rangers of the cancerous fiscal mess of the Murray years.

Will history record Craig Whyte as a Rangers hero to some who will look less passionately at what has transpired in recent times from a longer perspective say, twenty years from now?

Or will he go down in history as the bampot who almost destroyed Rangers?

I don’t know but I will say this: Craig Whyte promised two things: 1) A period of great pain which would result in: 2) A much stronger and fitter Rangers.

He certainly delivered the first.

And, if you like the present Charles Green regime at Ibrox and you believe Craig Whyte brought them to the club, then you have to concede he delivered the second.

His own tenure was marred by bad business decisions like running out of money and also by miscalculating the backlash over placing the club in administration.

But maybe his biggest downfall was putting his faith in Duff and Phelps, who he clearly feels have betrayed him.

Craig Whyte – Rangers’ saviour?

You decide.

[WVB 2,560]

I have said it before, and I'l say it again (and again).

David Murray caused this.

Whyte did what needed to be done (Arsenal shares notwithstanding).

Businessmen like that are ruthless bastards & liars.

Our club is no longer at the mercy of HMRC, and we are having a wee tour of Scotland whilst we regroup.

Personally, I bear no major grudge towards Whyte.

I remember a conversation I had with Minstral some months ago which ended along the lines of, "I'm not sure what Whyte is up to, he's a slippery caaant, but look at where Murray has brought us. It will take a slippery caaant to get us out of it. I reckon we'll be a stronger club at the end of this".

Not too far off the mark I'd say.

[Jonok 1,245]

I have said it before, and I'l say it again (and again).

David Murray caused this.

Whyte did what needed to be done (Arsenal shares notwithstanding).

Businessmen like that are ruthless bastards & liars.

Our club is no longer at the mercy of HMRC, and we are having a wee tour of Scotland whilst we regroup.

Personally, I bear no major grudge towards Whyte.

I remember a conversation I had with Minstral some months ago which ended along the lines of, "I'm not sure what Whyte is up to, he's a slippery caaant, but look at where Murray has brought us. It will take a slippery caaant to get us out of it. I reckon we'll be a stronger club at the end of this".

Not too far off the mark I'd say.

Fair comment, Murray was mostly to blame

[El Carpintero 546]

Whyte was the scapegoat for Murray ruining us.

[The Godfather 75,157]

Murray and Whyte can fuck off, both have made their mark on the football club and both nearly destroyed it with their actions.

Whyte gambled on CL football to keep the club ticking over and did not have a plan B, that is suicide in football especially Scottish football where there is hee haw money if you are not in Europe.

Murray sold us out, he went back on his word and got rid of us as soon as he could which meant a guy liike Whyte being let loose to cause mayhem.

We might be stronger in the longer terms but years have been taken from many of our lives I'd suspect from the stress and fear of where our club was going during those dark weeks and months.

[WVB 2,560]

I can imagine this thread going down well on Swallow Swallow.........

[AlBear. 8,499]

I got to, he budgeted with money we didn't yet have, and just stopped. Fuck the cunt.

[JM1872 3,814]

The highlighting of the last lines was bad on the eyes, fuck sake.

Anyway, reading that, it once again draws attention to Duff and Phelps part in this.

[elephants stoned 2,994]

While we have finaly got a fairly stable footing now we musnt forget how close to death Rangers FC came and Whyte and Murray are both responsible for that, i cant and wont forgive or forget either of them and their bloodsucking ways.

[AlBear. 8,499]

I have said it before, and I'l say it again (and again).

David Murray caused this.

Whyte did what needed to be done (Arsenal shares notwithstanding).

Businessmen like that are ruthless bastards & liars.

Our club is no longer at the mercy of HMRC, and we are having a wee tour of Scotland whilst we regroup.

Personally, I bear no major grudge towards Whyte.

I remember a conversation I had with Minstral some months ago which ended along the lines of, "I'm not sure what Whyte is up to, he's a slippery caaant, but look at where Murray has brought us. It will take a slippery caaant to get us out of it. I reckon we'll be a stronger club at the end of this".

Not too far off the mark I'd say.

How can you say that like a boast? This has hardly begun to play out and more details will come to light that may either prove you and whyte right or prove that whyte was a dirty, rat bastard who saw a chance to buy The Worlds most succesful club for a £1, pay off the bank debt with future ST money, with-hold PAYE/VAT and invest nothing.

[WATP-FOREVER 5,231]

I enjoy BMMC, but I don't believe the correct questions were asked. He claims that whyte now offers a straight answer to a straight question, but if the questions are incomplete, what's the use.

what about the arsenal shares.

what about the deficit of 27m (tickectus) and the 18m to lloyds.

how come the staff contracts were reduced by 70% - and he's still pleading poverty.

the quick deletion of the tax defecit as he claims would never happen - not for the btc, stc, or his non payments.

why did he not force discussion with the spl/sfa re vat/ni/tax - if murray created the catastrophe, then whyte made it happen.

[ForeverBlue_Since91 2,895]

Not to sure about this Imran character after reading this. Starting to think Whyte isn't talking shite. He says he's knowing this imran guy for several years and Whyte contacted him about this takeover.

Then Imran phones up Green and talks him into being our CEO after Green said no at 1st.

Seems like Whyte was lying when he was going on about he went out and got Green n co.

He said he never went to Green directly it was all through this imran guy.

[Chef 436]

Cut whytes air stream off.

[Blumhoilann 6,715]

So it's now D&P's fault? Originally wasn't it Lloyds banks fault because they promised him an overdraft if he paid off the Clubs debt,then reneaged on it.Whyte is throwing mud in the hope some will stick to help him gain sympathy when Ticketus get him to court.

[AlBear. 8,499]

He lied and lied and lied. But now he's telling the truth ffs

He's under investigation by police, being chased by ticktus for £20 million, and is he still being sued by D&P for £25 million as well? The bastard is a cockroach. Rangers will be prosperous because of us not because of this little fud

[OLE SUPER WILBERT 2,475]

SCUM!

[ForeverBlue_Since91 2,895]

So it's now D&P's fault? Originally wasn't it Lloyds banks fault because they promised him an overdraft if he paid off the Clubs debt,then reneaged on it.Whyte is throwing mud in the hope some will stick to help him gain sympathy when Ticketus get him to court.

Things are starting to add up though. Especially when he talks about Imran Ahmad. I remember reading about how whyte had connection with zeus capital at the time Green was taking over. I don't think Green has any connections with Whyte but Imran Ahmad does. And i'm no to sure what to think of that?

No one really knows much about Imran Ahmad as he works behind the scenes, i hope he's being watched like a hawk.

[WVB 2,560]

How can you say that like a boast? This has hardly begun to play out and more details will come to light that may either prove you and whyte right or prove that whyte was a dirty, rat bastard who saw a chance to buy The Worlds most succesful club for a £1, pay off the bank debt with future ST money, with-hold PAYE/VAT and invest nothing.

A dirty rat bastard who was hand-picked by the CHIEF dirty rat bastard.

As I stated, I blame David Murray. 100%. You can fall for another of his smoke & mirrors ploys, but I'm not going to.

Its hardly a boast.

[Shane 338]

Just to say, we are canvassing for questions for a followup: info@thecoplandroad.org

[Phil 1,150]

What was the reasoning behind selling the arsenal shares and where did the money that 'got sent to the wee amateur team in England' end up?

Whytes a crook, a liar and will never be back to Ibrox as i for one wouldn't let him on to edmiston drive unless hes devoid of life.

Pissed me off reading that.

[AlBear. 8,499]

A dirty rat bastard who was hand-picked by the CHIEF dirty rat bastard.

As I stated, I blame David Murray. 100%. You can fall for another of his smoke & mirrors ploys, but I'm not going to.

Its hardly a boast.

That quote makes you sound deluded.

Just because I don't trust the rat scum that DID this to our club doesn't mean I absolve David Murray. You comment about this like you have inside information, do you?

[ForeverBlue_Since91 2,895]

No one ever seems to ask Whyte about the Arsenal shares and that shitey wee pub team in England or wherever they were from?

[ForeverBlue_Since91 2,895]

Who is this Bill McMurdo anyway? He surely can't be a Rangers fan? If any Rangers fan had the chance to speak to whyte do you think the cunt would still be able to speak?

[Jonok 1,245]

The highlighting of the last lines was bad on the eyes, fuck sake.

I dont know why it came out like that, I tried editing it but the same thing happened again.

[Edmiston Drive 3,846]

Phrase I used on here over a year ago..............he is playing a cute game..............this was not my thinking but what I was told.

The very nature of these guys is sailing close to the wind........if it works then they are quids in, if not, move on to the next deal.