Four years ago on this very day, Rangers were refusing to comment on a story, probably raised by their own PR people, that they were linked with a lower league footballer.
He had previously been linked with Celtic.
His name was Jamie Vardy.
In the end, they opted to sign Francisco Sandaza.
Affordability had a lot to do with it, that and Ally’s talent as a scout.
It had been a busy end to 2011 for them, with the club in constant court-battles with various individuals and organisations.
They’d submitted a flimsy, transparent set of “accounts” which hadn’t even properly been signed off by an auditor, and although the evidence that they were sitting on top of a volcano was everywhere, the club was robustly denying that administration was in the offing and the media were scorning everyone who suggested it.
The Internet Bampots knew better and were saying so.
Clubs in good financial health simply didn’t find themselves in front of the beaks every week because of unpaid bills, or deficient service contracts.
These things don’t come about when you’re being run right and able to meet these obligations as they come due.
Yet it was the Vardy story and the Sandaza story that were the headlines in the papers.
A club that was skint was looking at bringing in more footballers.
Ergo, how could we be expected to believe they actually were skint?
Skint clubs just don’t do that kind of thing.
That convinced their fans and much of the media that everything was okay.
31 days later, the roof fell in on them all.
Today’s story, about Sevco being hauled into court over an unpaid bill to their Wi-Fi supplier, at a time when they are again looking at various lower league players, reminds me of that, and of that time.
Sure, this year’s accounts were signed off on, but they showed an eye watering loss, something the legal representative from 802 Work Limited was at pains to point out during today’s court case, which will wrap up on Friday with the judge deciding whether or not to ring-fence £300,000 from the company accounts, in case it goes bust waiting for the actual trial.
If you were trying to fictionalise the goings on at Sevco you couldn’t come up with anything that touched the bizarre nature of their reality if you worked all night tripping out on the finest Hollywood screen-writer’s cocaine. It really is that crazy.
The SFA, who should be all over this, would rather focus on the throwing of flares and resurrect the old concept of “strict liability.”
I’ve just posted a piece on that for Fields, and you can check it out at the bottom of this article by clicking on the link.
These people will do anything not to have to confront the elephant in the room.
Sevco is like an airplane running on vapours.
The crew has ditched everything from the baggage section, and they’ve hoisted out all the hand luggage.
Now someone’s suggested that they rip out the seats and get rid of them as well.
Before long they’ll be collecting the gas in all the cigarette lighters and emptying the small change out of their pockets and tossing it out with the spoons and the coffee cups.
No matter.
Without a huge influx of fuel, it’s going down.
These things gain a momentum of their own after a while, which is why so many institutions that run into financial difficulty can never manage to pull themselves out of it.
That’s doubly difficult to do when the company itself is in the public eye and its every tremor is recorded in the media, as is the case here.
The PR at Ibrox is abysmal for a start; even if their version of this is true – that the company didn’t give them a Wi-Fi network that is up to snuff – no reputable organisation would have allowed this to get as far as a courtroom, with all the negative publicity that brings.
Who would voluntarily do business with a company that behaves this way?
You’d want paid a huge sum up front at the very least, and insurance of some kind.
How could it possibly raise money?
Where do you even start trying to convince the City this is a viable business, even if you had serious people in charge – which they certainly don’t?
This is a doomed enterprise, and later on this week I’m going to crunch some numbers and do a really in depth piece over on Fields about why even SPL football won’t save them from their certain fate; administration at the very least and probably something worse.
For now, let’s consider that a club that only months ago was boasting that its finances were “the envy of world football” is due in court on Friday to find out if a judge is going to freeze £300,000 in assets as insurance against them going bust.
Scottish football needs Financial Fair Play regulations like never before … the SFA would rather tackle the scourge of flares.
If this seems familiar it’s because it is.
Those who won’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.
To read SFA Strict Liability Proposals Are A Direct Threat To Celtic click on here.
This is a doomed enterprise, and later on this week I’m going to crunch some numbers and do a really in depth piece over on Fields about why even SPL football won’t save them from their certain fate; administration at the very least and probably something worse. James i really really hope that wee paragraph is true,go for it pal!!
‘Carry On Sevco’ starts the New Year the way they left the old one. In court and giving all Tims a laugh. As Skint-Co stumbles on, trying to get ‘other’ peoples money, to pay ‘their’ bills. A RRM, first out the taxi, last into the bar. HH
If they lose the case on Friday, surely others will FOLLOW FOLLOW, and want their money protected to, putting a financial squeeze on them that they can’t take. There’s also a storm coming their way called Big Mike. Make sure your not caught out and have plenty ice cream and jelly in.
HH
Absolutely laughable
It’s Virgin who provided the internet. I don’t think they will be happy with adverse publicity. Another court case?
money is already ring fenced James (31 December). Current case is to see if it continues to be.
I can’t handle any more jelly and icecream,even my flipflops are getting tight for me ????
every bad day for Sevco(formerly rangers il)is a good day for me…jelly and ice cream at the ready HH
Just reading your excellent piece James from sunny Tenerife. As usual the powers that be do nothing. Can you tell me what Lawell does within the SFA. Indeed, I may be wrong but surely he must be raising questions within the SFA?
Great read , but what ever you say the gullible can’t be swayed , its in ther blood to believe any one they believe or told are of a higher rank in society , this is bred into them in the lodges , its simple they are the people that do what ther told to think
Apparently dragging Scottish football through the gutter on a seemingly weekly basis through the courts does not constitute bringing the game into disrepute.
That’ s it in a nutshell, they are bombproof, protected by complicit football authorities and a media that cannot bring itself to face the facts.
Of course these are the same people who will turn with the tide and try to convince us that it’s all the fault of the SFA for giving King F&P status, completely ignoring their own part as senior cheer leaders for the convicted criminal.
The £2.5m shortfall forecast in the accounts would not have included the legal bills which are arriving in droves with plenty more to come.
For those that missed it there was also a reference in the accounts to player sales helping to reduce the shortfall to the £2.5m forecast……….any offer of £500k plus will see Waghorn on his way with Kenny Miller filling the main striker roll.
Level 5 will punt this as an example of Warbs adding value and an astute move by the club.
The only thing doing the bouncy bouncy are the cheques signed by Sevco .