know as Newcastle fans why he hasn't just stumped up the cash yet to become owner. They aren't in the Scottish Premier League yet. Ash doesn't like to part with his money until he is good and ready, so to own Rangers this season isn't something he is interested in. Just in case they manage to mess up promotion. He already has Derek Llambias in place and is just waiting for Rangers to officially be in the top flight again until he strikes.
For us, his inevitable ownership of Rangers will hopefully come with him releasing his stranglehold on our club with his interests purely focused on getting Rangers into the Champions League. Where he hope his Sports Direct empire will get the publicity he craves. Something he has given all hope on with Newcastle Utd as he has pretty much battened down the hatches and is totally contempt at having a Top 10 finish in the Premier League to keep the revenue it brings ticking over.The Deloitte Money League released yesterday just shows how impressive the revenue streams are in being a Premier League team. Albeit an also-ran. I went into why these financial results are a total disgrace for our club which you can read here.
Now if Ashley has any sense then he will be open to offers to NUFC right now, to see what price he could possibly get in the summer if nothing else. There are small rumours around that Dubai based investors are having a look at Newcastle and that informal talks have been made with Ashley's representatives. Something that will always be flatly denied by the club if ever asked, so unless you were sat at the next table, rumours is all they will remain.
We know how Ash works. He's tight, he's cheap, he only gets his wallet out when he wants (reluctantly). He sold off for himself £117m worth of Sports Direct shares at just 2.6% the other day and it doesn't take a financial insider to work out what it is for. Directly or indirectly, his takeover of Rangers.
Now interestingly he has loans held against Newcastle for a very similar amount and whether this has something to do with it would take Columbo or Murder She Wrote to try and put together, so I wont bother going into that. All I will say is it wont take anywhere near that much money to take control of Rangers so why he decided to sell so much, which decreased the value of Sports Direct shares in the process, is up for debate. Is he prepared to right off our loans to make the club more viable to sell?Everything is up for debate but what I have no doubt over is Mike Ashley will not allow any other
consortium getting in the way of what he wants. He wants his Sports Direct brand plastered all over Ibrox on a Wednesday night in the Champions League. He has even made moves to own Ibrox which tells you everything you need to know. Once Rangers are confirmed as a Scottish Premier League side again, Mike Ashley will be owner come the first game of next season. No doubt about it.
All we can hope for is come the first game of our season, he has already sold us to someone with a shred of ambition or is at least in publicly open talks to sell to best suitor. It's the only thing we as fans have to look forward to, because as long as he is here, we will never reach our full potential. Ever
Follow me on Twitter @ToonBano and now on Facebook ToonBano
Sadly...your knowledge of the Scottish game is sadly lacking.
ReplyDeleteThe chances of the Glasgow Club being in the top flight next season...are ,currently,remote.
Also if they suffer another insolvency event..as is distinctly possible,they will be "banned" from Europe for years under the rules.
There's a lot of water yet to flow under this bridge.
Hold on to your hat.
Clearly a TIC fan, if you want to know the latest on RFC ask one of them they have become experts trawling every site to make comical comment's, worry about your own club, how many euro cups have to been knocked out of this season, knocked out of one of them twice, that must be a record worry about your own clubs boys, we'll sort our's!
DeleteYou got that right ! no troll like a wee Declan Troll .
DeleteThe author is obviously unaware that UEFA has specific rules on advertising in the Champions League. Only official UEFA sponsors are allowed to advertise at every clubs' grounds that participate in the competition.
DeleteIt would be cheaper and more beneficial to his Sports Direct to just become a Jersey Sponsor for a Scottish club, say Celtic who will obviously bring more revenue than any new club.
Mike's Sports Direct wouls receive more coverage and revenue with a middle of the table club in the EPL than any Scottish club who participates in Europe.
This article reeks of desperation, hope and apparent delusion.
Or is the author actually a follower of the SPFL's newest club, I wonder?
Yes I am aware, we were in the Europa League a couple of years back and had to cover up the sh*te. Well if he is going to become a jersey sponsor....it will obviously be Rangers.
DeleteDesperation - absolutely. Hope - always. Delusion - not so much
M.Ashley will never write off £10.00 debt never mind over £100millions worth.
ReplyDeleteMost of what you have just written is mere speculation and hope more than it is fact.
At Rangers he is in for one hell of a fight if he thinks he can just walk in here and take-over ,as up here most fans won`t just sit back and take it up the rear.
We have a lot of wealthy fans far and wide and there is a few of them joining together to put up a fight ., so M.Ashley will not take Rangers as easy as he took Newcastle.
There is very little chance of Ashley ever owning Rangers. If you had kept up with the story at all, you'd know that he is being run out of town by Rangers fans & also shareholders who have now invested more into the club than Ashley has.
ReplyDeleteThat said, the comment above from the first anonymous poster is a lot of shite.
I cant see anyone stopping Ash unless they actually buy the whole club themselves. Ash will only buy anyones shares he has to. The cost of which is small change to him. These fans and investors are merely in for a quick buck for when the inevitable happens...Ash owning 100%. Just my opinion obviously....
DeleteIndeed I thought as much...
You're missing the important point, Toon, that the wealth Gers fans who have outmaneuvered Ashley look to have tied up a block of more than 50% of the shares (they are guaranteed at least 46% through their own purchases and fans blocks alone) - meaning Fat Mike can't buy up the requisite amount to exert the influence he wants.
DeleteWell we shall see what Ash does next. He doesn't give up easily.
Delete....whether he 'can' or 'cant' money talks.
Deletewell said
DeleteMoney only "talks" if it's allowed to.
DeleteMy point is that the percentages are far more important that wealth. It doesnt matter if Bill Gates comes into the frame - if the opposition have over 50%, then it's immaterial.
Correct Sir ! but dont you go ruining it for Timothy ?............got nothing else to look forward too ! .
DeleteVery simply, he will not be allowed to take control at Rangers.
ReplyDeleteI am well aware of his richly-deserved reputation as a bully who "gets his way" - but this is not NUFC we are talking about - it's Rangers, and the RFC fans are at boiling point. The recent heated demonstrations are nothing compared to what will come if he gets away with what amount to legalised theft.
More importantly, however, the fat b@stard has seemingly been outmaneuvered by a group of extremely wealthy Rangers fans.
Ashley's lackeys who currently sit on the RFC board, and therfore have effective control of the club, will be voted out at an EGM which will occur within 7 weeks.
As an EGM has already been called, the current board cannot undertake to utilise assets, such as Ibrox and Murray Park, as security against loans. This was Fat Mike's gameplan - which has now been blown clean out the water.
The lack of noise coming from the current RFC board is testament to the fact they have nowhere to go and no Plan B.
RFC is very much on its way back to the fans.
Unfortunately, NUFC fans are stuck with the hideous Fat Mess until they grow a collective set of balls and undertake mass boycotts/protests etc... Good luck to them.
The above reply is another of those rival fans from the east end of Glasgow who are besotted about all items regarding The Famous Glasgow Rangers. In fact they are so besotted that they have become experts in all negative aspects of the club. We at Rangers laugh at them. They are to be pitied.
ReplyDeleteChampions league advertising is not possible at any club, EUFA have sponsorship agreements in place, preventing clubs from selecting their own advertisements on champions league nights.
ReplyDeleteTrue UEFA have rules. We had to cover up Sports Direct signs for Europa League games. However there is nothing stopping him sticking his logo on the shirts and renaming Ibrox completely (I believe)
DeleteNUFC fans discuss ashley and the plight of RFC with RFC fans and the walter mittys from the bheaast end come in all knowing and imperior .. you couldnt make the brass neck fuckers up in a disney story ""
ReplyDeleteToon Bano
ReplyDeleteNewcastle have put up with Ashley for years and rolled over to his every whim,but he is dealing with a club now who are up for a battle.Your prediction that he will own Rangers by the start of next season, is I think is maybe you hoping he has found a way out of United
Once he has control. Rangers fans will go through similar stages we did. However, I think Rangers fans are missing something. If Ash gets you into the Champions League and balances the books.....what the problem? We hate him cause of his lack of ambition. He has gave up on us, he wont on you. Its an easier task
DeleteHe isnt interested in CL exposure. It is a red herring.
DeleteHe is interested in securing the commerical revenue streams of one of the biggest clubs in the world.
RFC fans will not allow it, for they realise that Fat Mike doesnt need a succesful RFC - he only needs their impressive merchandise revenue tied into onerous contracts heavily weighted in his favour.
He is a cunt who is only out to enhance his own/his brand's wealth.
Fuck him and all those who buy his bullshit.
how can u say they have a remote chance of going up. The likelihood is that they will go into a playoff with the second worst team in the Premiership, if they finish second which they should do.
ReplyDeleteSo you'd suggest that RFC wouldnt have a 'remote' chance of beating the 2nd worst team in the Scottish premier league?
DeleteA farcical suggestion, particularly when one considers that they've already knocked Caley Thistle and Motherwell out of cup tourney's this season....
Methinks you're a bheast or a diddy team supporter. Either way, you've an impressive chip on your shoulder.
what makes you think they are good enough to be second a long way to go yet
DeleteThe post i replied to made suggested the best we'd end up doing is playing 2nd bottom in the SPL, ergo I wen't on this assumption.
DeleteWe are currently sitting second, a good few points clear of Hibs with a game in hand - therefore thats what makes me think we're good enough to finish second.
Clearly your speaking from a club that has never been in the Champions League. CL football only permits official sponsors billboarding etc so Sports Direct won't get a fleeting glance on the TV even the logos marked out by seats are covered. So that isn't his plan mate sorry. As a Celtic fan I'd love to know what his long game is I think its much the same as what you guys are suffering from and that's good old profiteering. CL groups stage money isn't that great compared to EPL annual income its like 10-15 mil and not guaranteed every year due to number of qualifiers Scottish teams play. Its all about shirt sales and advertising revenue I think.
ReplyDeleteWe've been it twice but never mind. I realise you cant plaster billboards but I dont know of any rule that a sponsor cant rename a stadium...which he is desperate to own. The all round package of Rangers is what he wants for the price he would pay. CL revenue with the overheads RFC will have is a no brainer.
Deletethere is an interesting situation developing in that the owner of Dundee Utd is in advance talks with an Australian soccer club oddly enough called Newcastle Jets to purchase the club subject to the SFA giving their permission as this comes under the dual ownership rules now if the SFA allow this to go through then the door is wide open for Ashley to buy RFC watch this development very closely
ReplyDeleteBaldie Thompson's pipe-dreams (the owners of the Jets have already laughed off mention of his involvement) is completely unrelated.
Deletethe reason there is the dual-ownership issue is related to the conflict of interest which may arise given the two clubs could meet in the european arena.
as you will have no doubt realised, Dundee United and Newcastle Jets could never meet in a competitive match.
Naming the stadium doesn't work on CL nights unless it is the name of an official Uefa sponsor. The Emirates is called Arsenal Stadium for example. Why don't you check these things before posting?
ReplyDeleteRangers fans/minded have over 50% now, hes left it too late, the one chess game hes lost, all the board will be out by this time next month when the egm comes up (including ashleys cronies)
ReplyDeletePlus if you look at the yellow bar on skysports right now you will see your article has been squashed lol
Unlucky GeordieBhoy,your still stuck with him lol ;)
He's lost the battle for Rangers for two reasons. One
ReplyDeleteThe SFA have a voluntary but legally binding declaration from Ashley which legally limits his shareholding to 10%. His lawyers have already been advised that the COURT OF SESSION in Edinburgh will uphold this. He could try the case but that would take minimum 3 years and are likely to uphold Uefa's position that this is entirely a matter for the SFA.
Two He chose the wrong fight and the wrong people to ally with. The Easedales and the grossly incompetent Somers are poison. The leaked e-mail from the latter confirms he has breached several regulations covering the fiduciary conduct of directors and he could be facing a ban from holding any for a stated period. They were also outflanked and outfoxed by the combined efforts of a fanbase they alienated and more foxy true blue money men with a determination this time to secure the future of the club. The Easedales also have, in Jack Irvine, the most evil and detestable PR. incompetent in Scotland
The Ashley camp must also be aware that they are one formal complaint away from the Secretary of State for Business suspending the Club Board pending a full DTI investigation into the running of the Club over the period since the Whyte purchase. Their are so many skeletons in that cupboard that they dare not risk that!
Best response I have had for a while. Can I ask for arguments sake Ashley were to make an offer for the club that was deemed too good to turn down...could he in anyway shape or form take control of Rangers? For argument sake. Even if its a 1% chance?
DeleteAs many other posters have said,he cannot own any more than 10% and it's not possible for him to gain control with an offer made through a third party either,that kind of stunt just won't work.
DeleteEven if he squeaked in with a vote at the EGM,it will only delay the inevitable,the support will stay away,there will be no season tickets sold in the spring and his already tarnished reputation will sink even further down the toilet.
the 50% the fans have is an emotional investment as keith jackson said, we dont need HIS money, the mans a sleeze
ReplyDeleteOoooops. Ha ha ha
DeleteRFC fans do not own 50% of shares they own 38.33%.Sandy Easdale who is on board with Mike Ashley owns 26.83 and Mike Ashley himself 8.92% for what you could say a combined total of 35.75% so dont go counting your chickens just yet RFC fans
ReplyDeletecorrection, dave king & the three bears own the 38% the rangers fans alone own 10% that is adding together the separate 1% rangers first and the RST own, and individual rangers fan investors such as, sir walter smith, ally mccoist, and just normal fans, adding all that on top of felix magaths 1% and people like kieron priors percentage, rangers fans ( minded people ) have over 50%
Delete"The Deloitte Money League released yesterday just shows how impressive the revenue streams are in being a Premier League team. Albeit an also-ran"
ReplyDeleteWhich is why Ashley wont sell. NUFC is a cash cow and free advertising for SD. Your statement above rubbishes the rest of your article, cant you see that?
Well course it doesnt. The article is about Rangers. What he does regarding us is pure hope rather than expectation. Hes down on record saying he is willing to listen to offers from proper sources and he will look at it in 12 months time. If he owned rfc it could speed up the process.
Delete