TWO posts ago I suggested it would be no bad thing if "Newco" Rangers were admitted into membership of the SFA, but had that membership suspended for one year, whilst matters arising from the liquidation of Rangers 1872 and the extended fall-out: alleged double contracts, Duff & Phelps' actions in taking the SFA to the Court of Session and so-forth were addressed.
Following the news of the plan to unify the SPL and SFL into a single "Scottish League" and the suggested implementation of a pyramid system, I now believe the call for a suspension of any club named "Rangers" from participation in Scottish football, until the hysteria has abated and calm, sensible decisions have been taken, is now to loud to ignore.
That Scottish football at "professional" level has for so-long been run by three different bodies - the SFA, SPL and SFL was a nonsense. I think, deep down, everyone knew it was a nonsense, but, entrenched positions had to be maintained, while naturally the turkeys were never going to vote for Christmas. I liked the suggestions brought forward by Henry McLeish's review body, but was amazed that those suggestions which were speedily implemented were pushed through so-quickly. I still felt the sensible suggestion of a single SFA running the entire game and the formation of the pyramid would never happen - there would be limits.
Now, thanks in no small part to the Rangers crisis, it looks like happening. HOWEVER, be warned, as we all know from bitter experience, rules implemented in haste are generally repented over at leisure.
Clearly, there are some within the Game here who believe Rangers are: "Too big to fail"; I am not so certain; however, the debate which has followed liquidation does indicate the club's importance to the economics of Scottish football.
The misdemeanours of the management of Rangers 1872 - Messrs, David Murray and Craig Whyte in terms of financial jiggery-pokery and the business of BDO, the liquidators appointed by HMRC. IF - and it has to be accepted there are grounds for believing this to be the case - then it is Murray and Whyte, their employees and agents, who must be pursued with the full vigour of the law, although it also has to be acknowledged, given the muddy nature of business waters, it could take years for charges to be brought and proper verdicts reached.
This has nothing to do with The Rangers FC, as Charles Green's consortium has called itself. However, as I have said before, if TRFC is indeed, RFC (continuing) then the Green group MUST be punished for the misdeeds of Murray and Whyte IN FOOTBALL TERMS.
If TRFC is an entirely new company, then it MUST start from scratch. The RFC SPL place cannot be theirs as of right (and the naming of 'Team 12' in the 2012-13 fixtures seems to indicate this is the view of the SPL).
The newco TRFC, as SFA/SPL/SFL rules stand CANNOT be admitted to membership. IF the men who walk Hampden's corridors of power consider them to be the rightful heirs to the legacy, however tainted, of RFC, then there is an argument for admitting them. Realistically, though the Rangers' fan base may be, in the memorable words of Ian Archer, brought back into common usage by the marvellous Rangers Tax Case blog: "a permanent embarrassment and occasional disgrace", that's a lot of bodies and a lot of cash to throw out.
As I have said, often, there is much to decide and not a lot of time in which to reach that decision. Better to start season 2012-13 with the status quo as far as leagues are concerned, whilst independent SFA-appointed tribunals look into matters arising, while plans are implemented for the new pyramid-under-pinned, all-in-one Scottish League, including TRFC, comes into being at the start of season 2013-14.
The question then would be: at which level would TRFC come in?
KUDOS to the Celtic fans who have come-up with suggestions for a name for the team which TRFC will put onto the park, when they are finally allowed to.
My favourites came from the following - the poster on Rangers Tax Case who suggested: "Trigger's Broom FC" and Phil Mac Giolla Bhain's 'I can't Believe It's Not Rangers'. Celtic-minded blogger PMGB also came up with a cracker for the ill-timed and wonderfully cynical Walter Smith-led potential saviours: 'The Magic Cardigan Consortium' - aye, the MCC, not exactly a body well-known for a modern outlook to running a sport. I also liked the suggestion of 'Swordsman' a well-respected and long-time poster on The Scotsman's "Rumour Mill" web forum, who, when the now-over-turned SFA ban on Rangers signing players was announced, suggested 'The Apprentice Boys' as the name for the virtual youth team it seemed Rangers would be forced to field.
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