Posted on Wednesday, 25th January 2012 by Oz Chris

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“I don’t want to talk about it”, no I am not about to burst into a Rod Stewart song, I am referring to what is happening in what seems to be the most long drawn out affair ever to have hit Scottish football. 

My earliest recollection of the coming to light of the Rangers financial mess was a week when it got mentioned on one of the very first Lostbhoys Podcasts. I remember sitting in the pub, headphones on and laughing out loud to the amusement of the bar staff at Chris McGuigan praying that they wouldn’t go out of business quickly and that they would disappear slowly and very painfully, well he certainly got his wish on the slow part.

So that puts the date when things started to go horribly wrong for them about three years ago. Since this time and up until a few weeks ago, those that proclaim to be journalists failed to do the basics of their job. Not only were they failing to report on a story, they were missing the chance to stand out as reputable tradesmen exposing a massive event about to hit Scottish football, some to this day are still trying to avoid talking about it, all in an effort not to mess up their tit bits of transfer news in the close season and after match access of what would appear to be the players of their boyhood hero’s. The irony being that if they did do as they should, a ‘Gers For Change’ would probably have been formed and paved the way for a real White Knight to have entered and saved the scene.

For our part in all of this, we also in general failed to talk about it, if you had the cheek to put your head above the parapet and utter anything to do with the Rangers financial woes, the esteemed Scottish journalists had already laid the groundwork for you to be painted as the villain. We were constantly told not to worry about what is going on elsewhere and get our own house in order and despite what we may think of the press in Scotland they did their job and that is exactly what we did with the exception of a few. As I write this I see a perfect example of a media complicit Celtic supporter on my Twitter timeline from  a guy who does nothing but bag Phil Mac Giolla Bhain, tonights quote is ‘God bless mad Phil, he’s like a cantankerous old bassa retelling yarns from yesteryear’. We do tend to be like sheep and follow what is perceived to be the public opinion as written in our newspapers, failure to comply would lead to public ridicule and human nature dictates the outcome thereafter.

So we have now reached the point in the saga where the truth is out, reporters are willing to talk, some have even become tax and financial experts while others who are trying to save face are attempting to hide behind some new libel laws they have invented. The decision for them to talk at this time has now has not passed me by. As I have said, like it or not public opinion is swayed by what they write. Every one of them are now laying the path for a soft landing and the return of a new team in blue to play at Ibrox or at least somewhere in the City of Glasgow under a name yet to be decided. No Celtic without Rangers, no Scottish football without Rangers, you’ll be a League of Ireland before next season starts, we have heard it all before, remember that old adage, if you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.

Again we are complicit to the press demands and by us not talking about the crisis in Govan we allow the alternative view not to be heard. I listened to Beyond The Waves after the St Mirren game on Saturday, Graham Wilson (the host) by way of natural discussion verged on talking about Rangers, in the live chat room the media complicit acted as expected and whether he meant to or not Graham changed the topic to appease them. Between Lostbhoys, Homebhoys, Celtic Underground and any other podcast have you may have listened to how many times have you heard the words “Lets not talk about them”, I am no different from anyone else and I agreed at the time. Now its different.

Now we must talk about it, what happens next with them does affect us and in a very big way. We must debate out loud the pros and cons of no Rangers and direct the agenda as we see it, we through our media, regardless if its a podcast, blog or message board need to be heard and heard loudly.

In addition to the press, we now have the head of the SPL, Neil Doncaster looking to soften the blow for them using a precedence from an irrelevant case abroad and trying to shoe horn it to fit the Ibrox situation. If you have ever wondered why we suffered from so many Honest Mistakes over the years the answer is there for all to see. If those at the SPL believe that for them to exist they need a strong Rangers and this appears to be the case, the integrity of any decision they make goes out of the window on that basis.

As it stands at the moment, regardless of the tax case outcome I do not see how a Rangers old or new can compete next season without a massive rule change. I stand to be corrected on these dates, but to the best of my knowledge by the 31st March, might be May, regardless, clubs have to submit to the SFL their financial’s that show they should be able to complete their fixtures the following season. How can current Rangers do that when as per company law they cant even have an AGM due to their accountant not signing off their books. If we are to believe what we read elsewhere by those in the know, the tax case isn’t going to make that much of a difference to their day to day running, they are in bother whatever the outcome. As for a new Rangers taking their place Paul Daniels couldn’t magic up a team that quick.

If we were to have a rule change to make it easy for them, can you imagine what is going through Mad Vlads brain with that outcome. Talk about setting a precedent, he will think he has died and went to heaven and thats not even giving a thought to the owners of the clubs like Kilmarnock who are also up to their knees in it. (Thats not a reference to fenian blood by the way).

For the integrity of our game we must insist that the rules as they stand are upheld and talking about them is the only way this will happen. I am also sure that you will enjoy it given the mess. Payback for the 90’s.

Hail Hail

Oz Chris  (twitter @cmcmon and fpr podcast and website updates @TheLostBhoys & @HomeBhoys)

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