I really wished you hadn't posted your photo's Don. No offence meant, there are fantastic as always, it's just makes my efforts feel a bit.....meh in comparison.

1.Geoff Goudie & Calum Jaffray - Subaru Impreza


2.Colin Grant & Michael Cruickshank - Skoda Estelle (getting it wrong)


3.David Wilson & Dave Robson - Ford Escort Mk2

So back in Scotland and with the Rangers situation, the administrators held what could only be described as the most pointless press conference I've seen.

Basically they can not, or will not say, where £24 million of money from Ticketus has gone to, the £9 million in PAYE money was put back into running of the club and yet they still made a loss of a reported £10 million from the month of May 2011. Also they still want to take on a player at a reported £7,500 per week wage despite being in administration (good luck getting that one around the rules, but will not be surprised if the SFA/SPL bent over backwards for them). They also state that it's highly unlikely that Rangers will go into liquidation, despite a possible tax bill of roughly £55 million (low end estimate) to £75 million (common reported figure)

One things for sure, it will be an interesting next couple of weeks and I think there will be some strange stuff reviled about going on's in the board room of Ibrox.

Quote from RiseAgainstMe! :

This, I did not know. Thanks

Still, you'd think the lower leagues would invite them pretty quickly, that with that many fans behind them they'd be able to cut a deal. Because even after the fallout of all the glory-hunters, there still have to have a bunch of people who have spent their entire lifes as a part of the club, and couldn't bear to see it die off completely. And I wager that would make them very attractive to the lower leagues on several levels.

This is not a straightforward assumption as there is a huge number of factors to take into consideration, also I didn't word it correctly when I said invited into the league.

In the case of the SFL needing to find another team to make up a shortfall, they invite proposals from other sides, then they select from that pool

Now if a Phoenix Rangers club is to be formed they may be able to submit and application to come back into the leagues but then again they may not. A lot depends upon whether they can meet SFA regulations on being a club and there are a lot of criteria just to meet that level before even thinking of being a SFL club. The biggest issue a new Rangers would face is the stadium, I would imagine Rangers being wound up would involve the loss of Ibrox.

The most recent example I can give is the Gretna fiasco back in 2008 (I think). Gretna came from the bottom of Div 3 to the SPL in back to back season, bankrolled by a sugerdaddy. However he feel ill towards the end of the season and sadly lost his life to his illness. The problem there was that he was Gretna's main funding and it was all tied up with him so Gretna went bust. Now a fan base restricted the club and called themselves Gretna 2008 but where unable to even be in a position to put in an application to come back into the leagues for a number of reasons.

All of the above is likely to be academical though. The events yesterday seem to indicate that it is not the HMRC that hold the ace's in this case but Craig Whyte, the current owner of Rangers FC. By Rangers getting their petition in ahead of HMRC's they have been able to appoint there own administrators. If they HMRC had won the attempt to put their chosen auditors in then liquidation could have been a possibility and while it still is a possibility, it's lower down the list. I fully expect them to come out of adminstration somewhere down the line, but unsure when and how.

Sorry for the wall of text, but it's not a straightforward case.

Quote from RiseAgainstMe! :

I can't see either Rangers or Celtic completely ceasing to exist in some form. Even if they are shut down completely, you know a new club will spring up in the exact same place, with the exact same fans, an almost identical name, and wearing the same colors. And where there are large numbers of fans, there is money. Would be a different club structure, but it will still be Rangers, since the persona of teams is tied into the fanbase and area so much.

See: AFC Wimbledon

Yeah but if Rangers where to go out of business then they would return as a new club but would most likely have to start from outside the Scottish leagues. We, unlike the English setup, do not have a pyramid system. The Scottish leagues are a closed leagues and teams are invited into the league at the lowest levels. This could mean that a if the worst was to happen (and it's getting more and more likely after today's development) the Glasgow Rangers play in the Junior Leagues. A huge change in the whole of Scottish Footbal.

Quote from CSF :

Yep. 100% correct. Let's hope County don't throw away the lead they have just now. Would be good to see a fresh face in the SPL, especially as it's a properly run club.

It was not that long ago that we found ourselves looking at admin as well. Only by the grace of McGregor who continue to fund the side as he does just now allows us to continue. If he was to leave, could we still play at the level we do?

Anyway onto today's development.

HRMC to ask the courts to put Rangers into administration

Quote from DeKo :

You're right, if what you're wanting is the death of Scottish football, then it is the best news ever. However, if you're not a ****ing idiot, Rangers going into administration is good for no-one. Best case scenario, Celtic win everything for the next 10+ years and no-one gives a **** about Scottish Football anymore. Worst case, Celtic will go down the pan just as bad as rangers and the rest of the teams will be right behind them.

Because Scottish Football is all about the Old Firm isn't it....

Rangers going to the wall would affect the SPL and SPL only....not the whole of Scottish football as you arrogantly think. The SFL which get next to no money from the TV deal as it currently stands will still continue, and the teams there are much better placed to deal with a sudden change in finances than any SPL side.

Scottish football needs a restructure but recent discussions to increase change the top league in Scottish football was hindered because of the over reliance on the Old Firm. In fact it was Rangers and Celtic who suggested it to go BACK down to 10 teams because they could cut costs and get more TV money for themselves....to hell with what the fans want.

I've worked closely with my local side Ross County via fans days and knowing a few insiders...the amount of stories I've heard of promising young players going to the Old Firm and then being wasted is a crying shame. The brightest in a dull pack of players we have just now in our national set up have had NO involvement with the Old Firm (Snodgrass/Goodwillie/McArthur/Morrision/Fletcher/Rhodes and my local boy Cowie)

Scottish Football will survive with one or both of the ugly sisters missing, it will not be easy and other casualties will occur (Hearts & Dundee being possible candidates due to previous history) and it will take time...but to say that if Rangers go then so does Scottish football is wide of the mark.

No real change of the blocking rule, but a change in the interpretation.....which is pleasing.

Philosophical shift on blocking

Hopefully this should prevent the disaster that was Toronto (i think :shrug from last year happening again

X2

Quote from BlueFlame :

No idea. Was an insane crash, don't know if anyone was injured either.

Going by the comments no serious injury although the co-driver (or Navigator as they call them down under) stayed in hospital overnight. I would imagine the other car went the same way as well although ending upside down. No footage of that one although apparently there are some photos somewhere.

Scary stuff

Quote from Crashgate3 :

ok, some of the sound effects aren't quite right, but oh, the memories! It makes me want to get the Amiga out of the attic.

For anyone too young to remember Lemmings, click the link and aquaint yourself with some gaming history

http://static.tibaco.nl/games/4/244/index.html

Damnit

I have a solid week off and had plans damn you......PLANS. There now a distinct chance my fire chimney will not get cleaned this week and may go on fire.

If i have firemen on my roof cooking hotdogs from the inferno then you sir are too blame.

Quote from DeadWolfBones :

I still don't understand why the NFL sends the worst matchups to Wembley.

Didn't you guys have to suffer through Tampa Bay Bucs games for like 5 years in a row?

No, the NFL where not that cruel....they only sent them over twice but where thinking about getting them set up for the next couple of years for as the home side.

I can see why we don't get a better match up as it would almost be impossible to take a match-up like a Jets v Pats divisional match up as neither team would want to give up the home game. So we have to make do with the likes of the Rams and the Bucs.

Watch most of the reg season and post season games incl the Superbowl, I'm a big fan of the sport and have been for the past 7 odd years. Raider Nation fan and have just booked tickets to see the International game at Wembley later this year which see the Rams come over as the home team to play the Pats.

I have also played for the Highland Wildcats in what was then the BAFL (British American Football League) but only for 1 full season Just too many injuries for me to carry on, but I now take photos for the team at most home games. Our youth team had won the British Championship last year as well.

Quote from -NightFly- :

finally found the right thread eh?

I don't know what you could possibly mean....




.....

Quote from boothy :

What content do you have?

More or less full content bar the corvette and LMP car along with a the Cup car. Track wise missing the newer tracks after SPA and some of the bigger ovals that wasn't often used in the truck.
I let my sub run out a month after the release of the NTM first time around.

Tempted to resign up for a month and give it a try, may as well since I have the wheel out for rFactor 2 at the moment. Any further advances on what's improved/stayed the same/got worse from any regulars before I part way with a few quid for a months trial.