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All talk in the media over the past few weeks have been aimed at those clubs who are in millions of pounds worth of debt in Scottish Football, with the notion that if Rangers are not welcomed back into the SPL that these clubs will go out of business. That these clubs need a Rangers Football Club. Dundee United are reportedly in £4 million of debt, Hearts have £24 million of debt and Kilmarnock are in £11 million worth of debt.
This financial strangulation, especially on clubs like Kilmarnock, are now hitting sporting integrity. It seems that when rules are broken by other clubs then they should be punished, but when it is the 140-year-old institution Rangers Football Club then some club chairmen and mainstream media journos state that they should be treated differently to stave off other clubs heading the same way.
There are still plenty of questions to ask on the current goings-on at Ibrox and the fiasco is certainly not ever yet. But questions must be asked of these clubs who NEED Rangers in the SPL. Rather than working within their own means, they rely on the income from one club to run their club? Is this not financial mismanagement at its best? Who runs their club based on games against one club?
When David Murray entered Scottish Football at the second time of asking with Rangers, after Ayr United rejected his advances, he financed a campaign to buy domestic and european glory. The domestic glory came and went, the european glory never turned up over his 20 year tenureship. His financing of the club, with the bank's money, hit Scottish Football hard. Other clubs in the league had to spend out with their means to try to challenge the threat of Rangers and when Celtic came out of their own financial mess and rebuilt thanks to Fergus McCann aka 'the bunnet' they began to attract top players who demanded top wages.
But at no time did Celtic run the club centrally around Rangers Football Club. McCann instigated a business model that not only helped rebuild Celtic to become title challengers once more, but to attract top players and 'trade' without building up huge debts.
Any club that does not work to their own business model and relies on the income built up from playing against one club do not deserve to be in existence at this level.
Scottish Football may be at its lowest level in years, but we have a significant amount of young players breaking through the ranks now thanks to the lack of money in the game. The Old Firm were targeted by the media and clubs alike as the culprits for forcing our young players out of the game by bringing in foreign imports. Yes they brought in foreign players, so did the likes of Kilmarnock, Aberdeen, Motherwell, Livingston and Hearts to name but a few. Hearts themselves had the full FBK Kaunas side on their books on loan at one stage. All clubs are to blame for not bringing through the youth.
Walter Smith in his two stints at Rangers, was never a man who brought through youngsters when he could simply buy the finished product - unless his hand was forced. His first stint was certainly devoid of youth stars breaking into the first team as regulars when he had tens of millions at his disposal, buying the likes of Laudrup, Gascoigne and co. Yet Walter was never targeted individually for ruining the youth development in the Scottish game? Why not?
Sporting integrity from the times of Murray entering Rangers disappeared when the title was being bought year in year out, with other people's money. But at a time when Scottish Football needs a boost on the park, the club chairmen led by the likes of Johnston care more about their own pockets than their fans opinions.
If you check the results from a survey conducted recently and looking at the results from Killie supporters, Johnston is so out of touch it is unreal.
When asked if Rangers were liquidated and reformed as a Newco, should they be allowed immediate re-entry into the SPL? Just over 93% of those voting stated their opposition to re-entry. 50% of voters also stated that they would turn their back on SPL football if Rangers were welcomed back in with open arms.
In fact those voters from EVERY club - bar Rangers - in the SPL saw over a 90% opposition to Rangers being welcomed back into the SPL as a newco. How many of the eleven club chairmen would actually back their fans stance and vote against a newco entering? I would expect Celtic to vote in favour of a Rangers newco entering the SPL not because of sporting integrity, but because they know that their own sponsorship deals and the pull of the Old Firm game rely on Rangers in the SPL. Again commercial benefits pissing all over sporting integrity - it makes me sick.
If Rangers were relegated when they returned, would these clubs block their relegation because of the commercial benefits of a Rangers in the SPL? In fact if Rangers did not have any financial issues and finished bottom of the league - would these clubs block their relegation?
With the likes of Johnston at the helm of their club, you could bet your mortgage on these stuffed suits changing the rules to suit their own selfish needs. In fact if they could have their cake and eat it they would, and they have the cheek to blame the Old Firm for Scottish Football's woes.
Johnston, told BBC Scotland this afternoon: "Members see the commercial benefits of having Rangers, even as a newco. The clubs are mindful of a sporting integrity aspect but the commercial benefits may outweigh that."
Michael Johnston has over the past few seasons shown that his stance differs significantly from his own supporters, even risking the safety of his own fans by willingly selling tickets to Rangers fans for home sections of Rugby Park and failing to implement segregation. So Johnston's comments shouldn't be much of a surprise, but to state that commercial benefits may outweigh sporting integrity is not only disgraceful but it is shameful.
Do the SPL and the Scottish FA think the same as Michael Johnston? Do they put commercial benefits before sporting integrity?
If they do and the other club chairmen back Johnston's stance then they are bringing disrepute on the Scottish game. They will do more damage to our game than a Rangers newco in the Third Division.
At the time of writing this article, we have two polls running on the site. The first asks Should a Rangers newco be welcomed back into the SPL? 89% are opposed to them entering the SPL. Our second poll asks would they as supporters turn their back on the Scottish game? 88% stated that they would. Says it all really.
Where will the clubs be with no fans watching the game? You can certainly kiss goodbye to these much sought after commercial benefits, in fact you can kiss goodbye to your club also. With Johnston's £11 million-in-debt Killie side one of the first to go belly up.
This financial strangulation, especially on clubs like Kilmarnock, are now hitting sporting integrity. It seems that when rules are broken by other clubs then they should be punished, but when it is the 140-year-old institution Rangers Football Club then some club chairmen and mainstream media journos state that they should be treated differently to stave off other clubs heading the same way.
There are still plenty of questions to ask on the current goings-on at Ibrox and the fiasco is certainly not ever yet. But questions must be asked of these clubs who NEED Rangers in the SPL. Rather than working within their own means, they rely on the income from one club to run their club? Is this not financial mismanagement at its best? Who runs their club based on games against one club?
When David Murray entered Scottish Football at the second time of asking with Rangers, after Ayr United rejected his advances, he financed a campaign to buy domestic and european glory. The domestic glory came and went, the european glory never turned up over his 20 year tenureship. His financing of the club, with the bank's money, hit Scottish Football hard. Other clubs in the league had to spend out with their means to try to challenge the threat of Rangers and when Celtic came out of their own financial mess and rebuilt thanks to Fergus McCann aka 'the bunnet' they began to attract top players who demanded top wages.
But at no time did Celtic run the club centrally around Rangers Football Club. McCann instigated a business model that not only helped rebuild Celtic to become title challengers once more, but to attract top players and 'trade' without building up huge debts.
Any club that does not work to their own business model and relies on the income built up from playing against one club do not deserve to be in existence at this level.
Scottish Football may be at its lowest level in years, but we have a significant amount of young players breaking through the ranks now thanks to the lack of money in the game. The Old Firm were targeted by the media and clubs alike as the culprits for forcing our young players out of the game by bringing in foreign imports. Yes they brought in foreign players, so did the likes of Kilmarnock, Aberdeen, Motherwell, Livingston and Hearts to name but a few. Hearts themselves had the full FBK Kaunas side on their books on loan at one stage. All clubs are to blame for not bringing through the youth.
Walter Smith in his two stints at Rangers, was never a man who brought through youngsters when he could simply buy the finished product - unless his hand was forced. His first stint was certainly devoid of youth stars breaking into the first team as regulars when he had tens of millions at his disposal, buying the likes of Laudrup, Gascoigne and co. Yet Walter was never targeted individually for ruining the youth development in the Scottish game? Why not?
Sporting integrity from the times of Murray entering Rangers disappeared when the title was being bought year in year out, with other people's money. But at a time when Scottish Football needs a boost on the park, the club chairmen led by the likes of Johnston care more about their own pockets than their fans opinions.
If you check the results from a survey conducted recently and looking at the results from Killie supporters, Johnston is so out of touch it is unreal.
When asked if Rangers were liquidated and reformed as a Newco, should they be allowed immediate re-entry into the SPL? Just over 93% of those voting stated their opposition to re-entry. 50% of voters also stated that they would turn their back on SPL football if Rangers were welcomed back in with open arms.
In fact those voters from EVERY club - bar Rangers - in the SPL saw over a 90% opposition to Rangers being welcomed back into the SPL as a newco. How many of the eleven club chairmen would actually back their fans stance and vote against a newco entering? I would expect Celtic to vote in favour of a Rangers newco entering the SPL not because of sporting integrity, but because they know that their own sponsorship deals and the pull of the Old Firm game rely on Rangers in the SPL. Again commercial benefits pissing all over sporting integrity - it makes me sick.
If Rangers were relegated when they returned, would these clubs block their relegation because of the commercial benefits of a Rangers in the SPL? In fact if Rangers did not have any financial issues and finished bottom of the league - would these clubs block their relegation?
With the likes of Johnston at the helm of their club, you could bet your mortgage on these stuffed suits changing the rules to suit their own selfish needs. In fact if they could have their cake and eat it they would, and they have the cheek to blame the Old Firm for Scottish Football's woes.
Johnston, told BBC Scotland this afternoon: "Members see the commercial benefits of having Rangers, even as a newco. The clubs are mindful of a sporting integrity aspect but the commercial benefits may outweigh that."
Michael Johnston has over the past few seasons shown that his stance differs significantly from his own supporters, even risking the safety of his own fans by willingly selling tickets to Rangers fans for home sections of Rugby Park and failing to implement segregation. So Johnston's comments shouldn't be much of a surprise, but to state that commercial benefits may outweigh sporting integrity is not only disgraceful but it is shameful.
Do the SPL and the Scottish FA think the same as Michael Johnston? Do they put commercial benefits before sporting integrity?
If they do and the other club chairmen back Johnston's stance then they are bringing disrepute on the Scottish game. They will do more damage to our game than a Rangers newco in the Third Division.
At the time of writing this article, we have two polls running on the site. The first asks Should a Rangers newco be welcomed back into the SPL? 89% are opposed to them entering the SPL. Our second poll asks would they as supporters turn their back on the Scottish game? 88% stated that they would. Says it all really.
Where will the clubs be with no fans watching the game? You can certainly kiss goodbye to these much sought after commercial benefits, in fact you can kiss goodbye to your club also. With Johnston's £11 million-in-debt Killie side one of the first to go belly up.
