Is British football in complete disarray? (Part One)

One would have to say on recent evidence the only answer is on overwhelming yes. The owners of clubs have been in the headlines recently with the Glasgow Rangers and Portsmouth going in to administration this week, but the players create their own headlines for other reasons. Perhaps the most bemusing matter of all is that the powers that be have allowed these situations to arise, and continually keep dragging the beautiful game that is loved by millions in to the gutter. 

And these are not the only guilty parties!

The top of the bill this week has to be the demise of Glasgow Rangers. For one the two biggest clubs in Scotland, the future looks decidedly bleak. Since Craig Whyte took control of the club in May last year, the debt is rumoured to have increased by approximately fifty per cent. It was said to be around £49 million at the time of the takeover, and depending on who you believe it has escalated to around £75 million at the time the administrators were appointed. Bearing in mind that Mr Whyte took control of the club from Sir David Murray for £1, (it was indeed one pound!) on the basis that the clubs debt issues would be resolved, it does seem utterly ridiculous that the debt has allegedly increased by £26 million instead!

Craig Whyte

All of this on top of the fact that it is now being questioned whether Mr Whyte should been allowed to take control of Rangers in the first place, due to previous issues revolving around bankruptcy in previous businesses that should have prevented Mr Whyte becoming a company director. Since taking control of the club earlier in the week, the administrators have admitted that £24 million pounds has not been traced. This money was raised by advanced sales of Rangers season tickets for the next four years that were sold to Ticketus.

In a statement yesterday Mr White said he was '100% confident' that there has been nothing untoward during his tenure. He also added 'I wish to state categorically for the record now that I personally have not taken a single penny out of Rangers since I became chairman and have paid all my expenses from my own funds.'

'Today, I learnt that my predecessor, Alastair Johnston, has urged the Crown Office to order an investigation into my takeover of the club.' 'Again, I have absolutely nothing to fear because any fair investigation will prove that I have always acted in the best interests of Rangers and have been involved in no criminal wrongdoing whatsoever.”

I would hope that if only for Scottish football's sake that the issues get resolved satisfactorily, but I how this situation has been allowed to happen all parties involved must be the deeper issue.

more to follow...

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