You see, I thought the definition of the word 'deadline' was 'The latest time or date by which something should be completed'. But, given the multiple deadlines that Duff & Phelps have set, then allowed to expire, when trying to negotiate with the playing staff over wage cuts, and with prospective owners, I'd begun to doubt my understanding of the word.
To be honest, I have so little trust in what Duff & Phelps say that, were they to announce that grass is green, I would feel the need to open my back door and look at my garden to make sure (of course, if you have been watching football regularly at Fir Park over the last few years, you may have forgotten what grass looks like).
However, it's not just Daudling & Procrastinating who are at it. The Scottish Premier League had yet another meeting yesterday to try to come to an agreement on what on earth to do about Rangers, and, after six hours they came to the decision that...(drum-roll please)...they wouldn't make a decision until their next meeting on 30 May. It was claimed afterwards that this was at the request of the Gers, who didn't actually send a representative along.
Whether this is true or not, there are two ways of looking at this delay. It could be good for the Bluenoses - Dunfermline, whose chairman John Yorkston has probably been the most vocal in terms of advocating punishment, have been relegated and so will be replaced at that meeting by newly promoted Ross County, who cannot be any less supportive of the 'newco plan'. Delaying things till the end of the month might also give Bill Miller ample time to complete his takeover - if newco Rangers already exist by this point, it would be very difficult for the SPL to then punish them for a so-called 'Insolvency Transfer Event' retrospectively. In fact, it might be difficult for the SPL to punish them at all, especially if they (as it seems) have little stomach for throwing the book at the club in the likely event of liquidation.
On the other hand, there is plenty of scepticism out there (amongst non-Scottish journalists, of course - the Scottish ones have already successfully removed their heads from the rectum of Paul Murray and inserted them into the back passage of Miller) about just how realistic the American's takeover plan is. Rangers still have the Big Tax Case and the Dual Contracts saga hanging over them. I can hardly see Miller buying the club if there is a risk he will be landed with a £75 million bill from the Revenue a few weeks later. His 'incubator' plan sounds like complete b******s...which probably means it is. The SPL's decision to delay their meeting might, in fact, be an attempt to save themselves from making a decision at all.
Rangers' money will run out soon. If nothing concrete is in place by June, the players will leave en masse unless their huge salaries are restored. The tax tribunal result is due imminently (though we've been saying that since March), and so is the result of the investigation into their EBTs and dual contracts. The SPL is between a rock and a hard place - the clubs are worried about the potential short-term loss of income that would follow the demotion of Rangers (and, according to some rumour, under huge pressure from Sky and, in the case of some clubs, Lloyds bank). However, if they finally disprove the fable that is 'sporting integrity' by letting a newco Rangers back in with little or no punishment, there is a huge risk of a fan backlash. You only have to look at the attendances at every non-Old Firm ground in the country (except maybe Tynecastle) to see that home supports have already dwindled to the point that only the diehard fans are turning up. Even success at Motherwell, St. Johnstone, Dundee Utd and Kilmarnock have barely brought supporters through the gate.
At last week's Caley Thistle-Dunfermline game I asked a few people for their opinions and the reality was this - if a newco Rangers are given special dispensation, it suggests that the Old Firm have a divine right to be the two strongest and most successful clubs in Scotland, regardless of what they do. If the league is going to be manipulated in this way, then it is a sham. What would be the point of spending several hundred quid a year watching it?
It's difficult to know how many of those threatening boycotts are serious. I would be deeply upset by Rangers getting an easy deal, but could I really give up supporting my football club, even out of principle? I'm not sure I'm strong enough. But I feel strongly enough about the current situation that, when the letter about season ticket renewals popped through my door, I emailed Caley Thistle to ask for their opinion on the matter. I was surprised, and hugely, hugely impressed, when, three hours later, I got an email back...from none other than the club chairman, Kenny Cameron. Not a terse, polite, dismissive one-line message, but an 800 word response.
I won't print it in full here - whilst he hasn't said anything particularly controversial or damning, Mr Cameron presumably considered it to be a piece of personal correspondence so I feel uncomfortable about breaking any confidence of his - but here are a few choice quotes:
"If the Liquidation scenario were to transpire (apparently Mr Millers preferred option through his incubator company etc) it would be up to the SPL Board which comprises the Chairman, CEO, plus the current 4 Club representatives (Celtic, Dundee Utd, Motherwell & St Johnston) currently on the Board (ICTFC not being a member of the Board at this time) to decide on the inclusion or otherwise of a “NEWCO” in to the SPL. We can advise the Club reps of our feelings on this matter which will no doubt influence / assist them in their thought process but ultimately we will not have a vote on the day should the doomsday scenario arise for RFC"
"(the current sanctions) in our opinion fall way short on how a club can be dealt with should they be involved in an “insolvency event”"
"as a club we firmly believe that if you misbehave you should be punished and you should accept your punishment with good grace and move on"
"please do not believe everything that is said regarding the Rangers situation"
"The key to change within the SPL is the 11-1 voting system and if this were to move to an 8-4 or even 9-3 system we feel it would be a major step forward for the game in Scotland and what can be achieved in the future"
"we opposed the 10 team league introduction proposed last year, we knew that not only ICTFC fans but the majority of fans in Scotland did not want this to proceed and for once the 11-1 majority voting system currently in existence for this type of change worked in the favour of the smaller clubs or “rebels” as we are sometimes called in the press"
Make of that what you will, but at least one SPL chairman gives the impression that he gives a monkey's what his fans think.
L.
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