Struggling Rangers Urged To Leave Scottish Football

[Bothwellbear 1,392]

Struggling Rangers urged to leave Scottish football to fulfil massive potential

A FORMER Rangers business advisor today warned the Ibrox club won't recover fully from years of corporate vandalism until they qualify for the Champions League - or quit Scottish football.

Matthew LindsaySports Journalist

Thursday 02/04/2015

The Glasgow giants revealed they had made a loss of £2.89 million after tax in the second six months of 2014 when they released their interim financial results on Tuesday.

The half-yearly figures were, despite being an improvement on the accounts posted during the catastrophic reign of previous regimes, described as "disappointing" by interim chairman Paul Murray.

Murray and his fellow directors, who took over at the EGM called by major shareholder Dave King last month, are working to get the SPFL Championship club back on a firm financial footing.

They have agreed a £1.5 million interest-free loan with the members of the Three Bears consortium - George Letham, Douglas Park and George Taylor - for short-term working capital.

And, in his statement in the interim results, Murray confirmed that existing and new investors had been lined up to plough more money in as part of their medium and long-term funding plans.

Yet, David Bick, the chairman of Square 1 Consulting and a football club takeover specialist, is adamant Rangers need to explore other options to recapture their former glories and fulfil their enormous potential in the future.

Bick advised a senior official after Rangers were placed into the Third Division back in 2012 - but they were both helpless to prevent the Ibrox club haemorrhaging millions of pounds and going into financial freefall.

He said: "I was asked by a friend of mine to help. He was a very straight chap and well respected in the City. I told him: 'You've got to get these guys out!' The only person I spoke to at Rangers who I had any time for at all was the manager, Ally McCoist. The rest of them? Dear oh dear!"

Financial expert Bick, though, believes the figures released this week are encouraging and feels with significant investment by King, Letham, Park , Taylor and others Rangers can put their off-field troubles behind them.

He said: "The interim results aren't that bad. A loss of £2.6 million isn't bad at all. In fact, it shows that in the last six months of last year the club was probably being run fairly prudently.

"But the club needs serious investment - and to be run by some straight people. They raised over £22 million at a share offering in November of 2012. That should have done the job. But, sadly, that has been tossed away.

"Rangers need the right set of people in charge as well as investment. The supporters are behind the new regime and this is positive. But my question would be: 'Do they really have the money to do the job?'

"Somebody needs to keep putting money in to keep it going. I imagine this crowd that has come in can keep it going. But can they do much more than that? Do they have sufficient funds to make this club motor again?

"Over the last 20 years I have heard a lot of people say they will put money into a football club. When push came to shove, not all of them have. But this regime has said they will put money in - and if they do then they could be looking at the sun rising again."

The interim results showed that only 24,589 Rangers supporters - a drop of over 10,000 - had bought season tickets by the end of last year due to widespread unhappiness at the running of the Ibrox club.

Bick predicted that the majority of the fans getting firmly behind the new regime will increase that number significantly and help alleviate the financial problems the Govan institution has wrestled with for years.

"I can remember coming up to Ibrox for a game against Elgin when Rangers were in the Third Division a couple of years ago," he said.

"It was a freezing cold afternoon in January - and over 46,000 fans turned up to watch their team get held to a 1-1 draw by part time opponents! That drove home to me how loyal and devoted Rangers fans are.

"If they are backing the new regime they should come flooding back. Season tickets sales are an important source of revenue and that will help. But going forward it won't cut the mustard or make a huge difference."

Sports Direct tycoon Mike Ashley, who owns nearly 9 per cent of Rangers, has security over Albion Car Park, Edmiston House and Murray Park as well as the registered trademarks after loaning them £5 million earlier this year.

However, Bick is confident the influence of Newcastle United owner Ashley, who also received a further 26 per cent of their retail operation in return for his loan, won't hinder Rangers

He said: "I don't think Mike wants to own or run Rangers. His only interest is in selling his shirts and his shoes. I'm not sure that's where the focus of attention should be for the new people in charge."

Murray revealed the new Rangers regime has set itself a target of 2022 - their 150th anniversary - to be make the Ibrox club the dominant force in this country once again and be competing annually in Europe.

Bick feels the gulf between Scottish and English football - which widened when the Premier League agreed an eye-watering £5.136 billion television rights deal with Sky and BT - mean they could have to look further afield to progress in time.

He said: "Rangers need to get back into the Premiership, win it and get into the Champions League. Qualifying for the group stages of that competition will bring in £15 million. Clubs get more for making the group stages than they do in the knockout rounds.

"At the moment, the net worth of the club is almost the same as the stadium and the training ground. The club is only turning over £13 million which is next to nothing. With their fan base, they should be turning over £100 million.

"You can't run a top flight club these days on the numbers. The disparity with the Premier League in England is now enormous. Yes, Rangers needs serious investment. Yes, Rangers needs to get back up into the Premiership. But Rangers is going nowhere. If they are confined to Scottish football are they able to make a case for serious investment?"

Never going to happen

[BridgeIsBlue 66,666]

Nothing we already know of.

[Goianegra 4,704]

If we were going to attempt it, it should have been 3 years ago. No point in competing in all 3 lower leagues of Scotland then jump to the bottom tier of English football.

[MosesMcNeil 1,664]

I'd be very, very happy to see our club leave Scotland.

[TMB 14,167]

If it was ever oing to be attempted it should've been 3 years ago. It's too late now.

[rosco_g88 73]

I'm with the rest, this should have been done in 2012 and we should have explored absolutely every option.

I still don't think its 100% in the future and I would sacrifice European football in the short term for it.

[rosco_g88 73]

*100% impossible

[Gaz52 11,837]

Surely he doesn't have any clue of what funding we currently have?

[BigAmo'sThighs 848]

As good as it would be, Rangers are a Scottish team, winning Scottish titles is what we do, better than any other team. We should stay here and get back to winning things again, get a good youth set up, develop players and strive to play a high level of football, possibly even a switch to the summer, the fans and T.V companies alike, will give us money if the product is good enough. We need to ensure all clubs have a similar set up, play young, talented players, playing attacking, open football.

I can't see both happening anyway. Scottish Football will continue to slowly die if we don't drastically change the format, structure and outlook.

[nachothelegend 1,932]

I'd be very, very happy to see our club leave Scotland.

Me too mate I was desperate for that when our licence was removed.

We would have been much more advantage moving South to lower Leagues with almost 5-10,000 English fans coming yo Ibrox for a Day.

We would have benefited.IMO.

[OneDavidCooper 2,505]

Is truggling worserer than struggling?

[jonnysidparto10 37]

Is truggling worserer than struggling?

Much worse

I'm more worried now than if been for the last 3 years!

[SteveEarle 9,887]

Your amn right it is! These ast few easons have been a oyal attle!!

[Bears r us 31,000]

Your amn right it is! These ast few easons have been a oyal attle!!

No offence to the Bothwellbear, but this did make me

[one55 1,510]

no thanks. if rangers left scottish football then that'd be it for me. we are a glasgow/scotland team. yes we're proud to be british and all that but this is where we were founded and have spent the last 143 years.

[SeparateEntityMyArse 54,363]

If only

[Adoniram 1,919]

A couple of points he made really stood out.

He said: "The interim results aren't that bad. A loss of £2.6 million isn't bad at all. In fact, it shows that in the last six months of last year the club was probably being run fairly prudently.

But my question would be: 'Do they really have the money to do the job?'

He said: "I don't think Mike wants to own or run Rangers. His only interest is in selling his shirts and his shoes. I'm not sure that's where the focus of attention should be for the new people in charge."

[cushynumber 25,178]

I think first and foremost we have to get out club sorted in Scotland. However taking the long view I think options have to be looked at because if they dont we are just acceptance a long slow slide into oblivion. The sky/EPL is still a great black hole sucking everything toward it - though I noticed that given the cost Sky are now paying for football rights they have had to slash costs and staff - that may be the start of the bubble about to burst - if it becomes unsustainable

I dont know what the answer is to be honest but we have to assess options at least.

[Da Kool Blue 139]

I don't think we need to leave Scottish football at all, as there is still a lot of room for growth in Scotland, if the right people are in place to do the job.

What we need is competent chiefs of our governing body, who will stand up to the TV companies and not accept lowball offers, which further devalue the product. The sort of men who will go after our share of TV money from BBC, taking legal action if needed.

[siddiqi_drinker 14,635]

I don't think we need to leave Scottish football at all, as there is still a lot of room for growth in Scotland, if the right people are in place to do the job.

What we need is competent chiefs of our governing body, who will stand up to the TV companies and not accept lowball offers, which further devalue the product. The sort of men who will go after our share of TV money from BBC, taking legal action if needed.

When you are trying to sell a shit product you already have your back to the wall and it puts you in a weak negotiating position. for the benefit of doibt Scottish Football is a shit product.

[The Godfather 72,863]

We aint leaving Scotland, sooner we realise this the better.

[Adoniram 1,919]

We aint leaving Scotland, sooner we realise this the better.

Not until the EPL collapses and Europe makes changes to save football. We are stuck in Scotland for the foreseeable future.

Now it's not very often i quote Liewell but he said something the other week about their finances which made me wonder. He claimed that the current TV deal could be scrapped because he thinks they would make more by having all their home games at 3pm on a Saturday. I did take it with a large pinch of salt but it does make you wonder. Would more fans come back to the games if they were played at this time and in the summer. I also have to say i think he would change his tune quickly the minute we return to the SPFL.

It is however a concept worth exploring because as things stand Scottish Football is only just better than Wales or the Baltic states in terms of appeal and revenue generation.

If we are to stay in Scotland then massive changes need to be made at all levels. The fans have to be listened to and if they want to stand, or have a beer, or want prices cut then that is what has to happen.

Football is an entertainment business and has to start thinking and acting like one.

[A Gallant Pioneer 555]

We can't even win the 2nd division for crying out loud. Maybe when we are top dogs in Scotland again we can think about moving. Until then it's best we concentrate on domestic matters and stopping Celtics dominance.

[The Godfather 72,863]

Its in free-fall. Us getting demoted just speeded things up a little bit but every single year things have been getting worse in Scottish football, gimmicks like sell out Saturday and buy one get on free on tickets have been as effective as Boyd in front of goal.

The EPL aint going bust anytime soon, if you look at the figures it has grown every single year in the past decade and has just negotiated the biggest TV deal in football historyfolk crossing their fingers waiting for it to go boom best be prepared to wait a lifetime and more for that to happenthe figures tell their own story.

English football doesnt want us and nor should they tbh, we would be taking revenue away from other clubs and the EPL mid to bottom teams wouldnt be willing to lose 2 spaces to 2 fallen giants of Scottish football.

The only hope is a breakaway league from Nordic teams and the likes, although that in itself is a huge pipedream of its own. There is no easy answers to the problems we are facing and the heads of the game in Scotland really need to think of something fast otherwise we will be another welsh league only held aloft by two clubs who are supported on a massive scale.

CL qualification is the only way to make serious money in Scotland other than developing talent and selling on. Problem with that is its becoming harder each year to get to the groups especially since the quality on the park is at an all-time low for both clubs.

[nachothelegend 1,932]

Its in free-fall. Us getting demoted just speeded things up a little bit but every single year things have been getting worse in Scottish football, gimmicks like sell out Saturday and buy one get on free on tickets have been as effective as Boyd in front of goal.

The EPL aint going bust anytime soon, if you look at the figures it has grown every single year in the past decade and has just negotiated the biggest TV deal in football historyfolk crossing their fingers waiting for it to go boom best be prepared to wait a lifetime and more for that to happenthe figures tell their own story.

English football doesnt want us and nor should they tbh, we would be taking revenue away from other clubs and the EPL mid to bottom teams wouldnt be willing to lose 2 spaces to 2 fallen giants of Scottish football.

The only hope is a breakaway league from Nordic teams and the likes, although that in itself is a huge pipedream of its own. There is no easy answers to the problems we are facing and the heads of the game in Scotland really need to think of something fast otherwise we will be another welsh league only held aloft by two clubs who are supported on a massive scale.

CL qualification is the only way to make serious money in Scotland other than developing talent and selling on. Problem with that is its becoming harder each year to get to the groups especially since the quality on the park is at an all-time low for both clubs.

So your quite happy we didn't go to England then?