I WENT for this colour of font as it's the one on my palette which is approximtely half-way between green and orange. I do not wish to be accused of partisanship at this most-serious of times, as the SPL title race reaches boiling point.
I still feel the SPL are probably going to need that helicopter and there will be a few further twists and turns between now and the end of the season. Nobody should have been surprised at last night's events in Inverness. As I have said before, Celtic have the deeper squad, but Rangers have that solid cadre of playrs who have been over this course before - they have the greater experience of winning a tight title race.
You will still, however, not get me down off my fence. This race could tip either way. Nobody should, by the way, be in any dobt about how much it means to Neil Lennon; how much he cares and how deeply that desire for victory is, but I just wish someone would give this guy lessons in grace under pressure. It's a hard one to pull off, but he really has to learn how to take defeat with dignity.
THE football business is totally different from every other business and even though businessmen have always been involved in the financial side of the game for as long as football has been professional - the way things are done in business is not the same way as things are done in football.
Take this Rangers' take-over. In football terms, it has dragged-on for almost a whole season, but in business terms, things have not been going-on all that long. The guys who write on the business pages work to a totally different timeline from the guys on the sports pages. The 24-hours between one first edition and the next is a life time on the sports desk, it's a twinkling of an eye across the aisle on the business desk.
The take-over will be done, in time, probably with Craig Whyte winning - but, just ask yourself this: if you had worked for years to build-up a multi-million pound business and had to commit more than 50 million of those hard-earned pounds to buying one entity - would you hurry it up just to suir a bunch of over-paid hacks and several thousand supporters, many of whom are definitely from "the underclass"? No, me neither. I'd want all the Is dotted and the Ts crossed and I'd be making absolutely sure there were no nasty surprises which might cost me more, lurking in the small print.
Unlike Fergus McCann when he bought Celtic, Craig Whyte will not, I assume, have to toddle along to the bank and deposit a bank draft for upwards of £1 million seconds before the plug is pulled. In banking terms, Rangers are a viable entity - a household brand, with a loyal following, attracting customers and with more than sufficient assets to cover its liabilities.
The majority share owner is a willing seller, Craig Whyte is a willing buyer - the deal will be done, only not as quickly as some hysterical onlookers might wish.
And, supposing Whyte's deal breaks down - well the bank will simply impose further financial restrictions, which Ally McCoist, the fans and the Laptoployal might not like, but will have to endure, until someone else comes along.
Rangers might have to suffer a season or three of relative non-success, in reduced circumstances, but that club will survive.
I recall as a teenager reading an article in the business pages of a Sunday newspaper, which said there were four Rs in business in which it was worth having shares - Rolls-Royce, Rowntree, Reuters and Rangers. They wouldn't deliver spectacular profits, but they were gilt-edged companies which would always provided dividends on their shares.
Rolls-Royce, Rowntree and Reuters have had their ups and downs since, there have been take-overs and there has been re-organisations, but they are still big companies. Rangers have since become one-man's plaything and been, it has to be admitted, grossly mis-managed (off the field) for the past decade; but Rangers is still a brand worth buying into. Craig Whyte knows that.
I AM not holding my breath, but with the PFA and the SPL awards done and dusted there only remains the big one, the Scottish Football Writers Association's awards night and all the merit prizes will have been giv en out.
I am not a member, I was for one season, many moons ago, but on reflection didn't want to be part of a club that was more about ego massaging and brown nosing than improving the lot of football writers. So, I haven't got a vote. But, knowing many of those who do, I feat THE manager of the Year will miss out.
That man is Barry Smith at Dundee, whose achievement in sweeping-up the shit he was left to inherit by another example of the lack of direction at the top of that club, has been unsurpassed this season.
Had it not been for the 25-point penalty imposed on the 'Dee, his side would have won the First Division title. Of course, you might argue, if they hadn't had that penalty as a just cause to fight against, they probably wouldn't have won the league any way.
That's a debating point, what is beyond debate is - Dundee have had a marvellous season and Smith should win the award.
However, should Rangers win the SPL, then you can bet, the Laptoployal will vote en-mass for the other Smith as MOY.
JUST a passing mention. The SPL is still debating re-organisation. In less time than the SPL has been arguing, the Scottish Rugby Union has convened a working party - which has consulted all the clubs - has discussed what they heard - come-up with a plan and will put that plan to the vote at the SRU's annual meeting in June, for changes to EVERY league in Scottish rugby, which will introduce a revamped national league and regional league set-up from August, 2011 and a properly-constituted national pyramid system in August 2012.
Scottish football has been talking about a pyramid for at least a decade and has done nothing.
And they call the rugby players thick.
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