As Phil Mac Giollabhain boasted on Tuesday night of an upcoming series of revelations from Craig Whyte set to damage Rangers, his lack of discipline, and his haste to break a story made it crystal clear that he was being supplied information from the BBC in Scotland.
I had it confirmed to me early on Wednesday morning from a very good source that Whyte was set to appear on TV. Little was I to know that it would be the BBC.
When I did, and it appeared to be Chris McLaughlin, I noticed on various Rangers sites a broad assumption that he therefor was the leak to Mac Giollabhain
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While that is not impossible, and indeed very likely, it could be any number of people, either from Whyte’s team, or from the BBC Production team who recorded the interview.
My understanding is that neither Whyte nor his team did anything other than accept an interview invitation from BBC Scotland.
It stands to reason therefor, that someone from the production team, or McLaughlin himself is and has been colluding with Mac Giollabhain
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Of course many observers of Mac Giolla Bhain will remember his boasts on Real Radio following the Rangers versus Zenit UEFA Cup final, that he was involved in exposing rangers fans behaviour on the night with the BBC.
Quite how he could do that from his bolthole in Donegal is up for debate, and this raises the possibility that he was actually there.
If not, how could BBC Scotland work with him on their subsequent witch hunt?
I digress.
As I watched a very uncomfortable Whyte be interviewed by McLaughlin, it was evident that McLaughlin was well prepared, with a set of (sometimes leading) questions that have been the core of their agenda against Rangers since Whyte took over.
He was asked about his takeover, his financing of it, and the various pieces in the “takeover” jigsaw. Whyte looked unprepared, uncomfortable, and silly, as McLaughlin ran rings round him. Given that this takeover had already been the subject of a documentary, and that stakeholders David Murray, Duff and Phelps, and Charles Green had all issued statements to counter claims made in the programme, it was all a bit surreal, particularly as it seemed that the BBC simply wished the “right” answers to the questions that had been covered in that documentary.
Now that raises several other questions.
Why would Whyte agree to this? I think we all recognise that everything Whyte does is for Whyte, so why do the interview, why with the BBC, and why appear to go along with the line of questioning?
Could Whyte have been involved in the Documentary?
Strangely, Whyte seems a bit put out about something, and gives the impression he thinks he has been shafted.
Since this interview he has been ridiculed by the mainstream media, and lauded by Celtic supporters who spent 10 months slating him and digging dirt on him.
What concerns me is that if you set aside the fact that he’s a known liar, and that he made some statements and allegations without a shred of evidence, is that he felt compelled to make them. What could he possibly gain?
Is he jealous that Charles Green looks set to do what Whyte failed at, ie to buy the club at rock bottom, rebuild it, do a share issue, then swan off in to the sunset with a healthy profit and the kudos of rebuilding Scotland’s best known institution?
Did Duff and Phelps fuck him over?
Does he feel like the fall guy manipulated by David Murray and Duff and Phelps?
If so, that makes him dangerous
Do I feel sorry for him? Absolutely not.
Despite what he may claim, selling off such a high percentage of Rangers season tickets to Ticketus and thereby starving the club of future revenue for the period was not normal practice, particularly as he was increasing the cost base with new lucrative contracts for various senior players, with some of said players being rewarded with significant pay rises.
The transaction alone could actually have been an understandable a way to finance the club in the short term, providing his business plan could support the loss of revenue stream, by covering it with other revenue and also restructuring the club’s outgoings.
That he didn’t was this that was his real business failing, whether by accident or design.
Yes, we were led to believe that Whyte was a rich benefactor but we should have been more realistic, and should have heeded Alistair Johnston’s warnings to be vigilant.
Without dissecting every allegation from Whyte, his whole reasoning for the club becoming insolvent appears to be down to the club being knocked out of the Champions League, then the Europa Cup. Rangers were knocked out of Europe on 25 August 2011
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McLaughlin questioned Whyte on a statement he made in 15 September of 2011 that the club had a strong balance sheet, in reference to Whyte being outraged at former CEO Martin Bain freezing club cash in a dispute with the club.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2037527/Craig-Whyte-goes-offensive-attack-Donald-Bain-declaring-Rangers-wont-bust.html
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/271328/Rangers-chairman-Craig-Whyte-lets-rip-at-Martin-Bain
Whyte’s response was to ramble that in early September that was true but by the end of September it wasn’t.
Frankly it doesn’t add up, and many of his other claims have been fairly easily quashed by both Charles Green and Duff & Phelps.
My concern though is not just that Whyte used (or was used by) the BBC, and fitted in to their agenda to cause damage to the forthcoming IPO, but that he feels hard done by.
Quite why he has such audacity is unclear, but he’ll need to do more that mumble his way through an interview with no evidence if he wishes any credibility.
To my knowledge, none of his allegations refer to anything illegal, so despite the efforts of the BBC or Whyte to damage Rangers, Green, or indeed Duff & Phelps or David Murray they haven’t and won’t impact the club.
What they will have done though is strengthen the resolve of those within the club to starve the BBC of anything from the club, so we will have a strange situation whereby the country’s biggest broadcaster cannot report anything on the biggest football club.
Experience of recent developments should show them that Rangers ARE the news.
Rangers will grow and survive with or without the BBC, and it will be interesting to watch the BBC try and cope without the co-operation of the club.
If Charles Green remains in position, my money would be on the BBC to fold first.
I hope Green’s successor is as single minded and strong as he is.
Bill.
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