It would be easy to hedge my bets and hope to curry favour with any of the new potential owners by being nice to them, or remaining silent. I leave it to others to flash their petticoats. I'm going to keep on plugging the Blue Knights.
The Blue Knights have the business competence to run the club. They know the finances inside out and have studied them for years, they known what is possible. They have not promised hundreds of millions, their plan are safe and practical. They have been the most open about their membership, they are not obsessed about their own positions - and in fact have an open door policy to have all with the best interests of the club to join them as equal partners.
THE PROBLEM WITH INVESTORS
You can't make money out of Rangers unless you do a lease-back of the stadium or sell off other land assets. The accounts tell you that.
You simply can't make a decent return on your money any other way - the accounts over the lat 20 years show that we need around £5million a year cash injection over and above our normal income - the share issues subscribed to by David Murray himself, Joe Lewis and Dave King prove that.
I'm not an accountant but having studied and taken advice on our finances for years I am led to one conclusion - anyone who "invests" for a return is either a fool or an asset-stripper.
THE OTHER BIDS
BILL NG - a respectable gentleman of means by all accounts, of that there is little doubt. But who are the other members of his consortium? "Plugging into the Asian market" is pie in the sky unless you are one of the big teams in the English Premiership. Using Rangers to boost Singaporean football? That's not the role any Rangers fan sees the club fulfilling. Has Bill been a Rangers fan for 10 years or 40 years? - his PR people seem a little confused over the 30 year gap.
After David Murray and Craig Whyte we would literally have to be mad as a support to actively welcome an absentee landlord operating from the other side of the world.
BILL MILLER - We know virtually nothing about the American and what we read in the press is not goof. Alleged links to Andrew Ellis, plans of a "newco" route, etc, and a dreadful PR mean he has absolutely no feel-good factor.
BRIAN KENNEDY - It's obvious Brian Kennedy is looking for a bargain and is happy to see if he can pick one up. He' engaged for a long-time now with the Blue Knights and has been helpful but he has also been very honest with the fact that he likes to be in sole control. That's just his way of doing business.
His track record at Sale Sharks and Stockport County has been that of a ruthless but benevolent dictator.
My main worry is simply the distrust of ever again having one man in sole control of the club. His business interests catch cold then Rangers get the flu.
THE HONESTY OF THE BLUE KNIGHTS
From the start they have said that if the numbers don't add up and they can't form a credible plan they will walk away and let others go forward rather than see the club stagger like Portsmouth from one set of under-financed owners to the next.
They have been open with the fans and invited the major fans groups to join the consortium and to sign off on the very final document that will seal the deal after due diligence.
We know who the leading Blue Knights are - you can check their wealth and their bona fides.
THE STANDARDS TO MEASURE BIDS BY
After all we have been through with David Murray and Craig Whyte I am incredulous that Bears would be taken in by vague promises of jam tomorrow from overseas buyers of whom we know next to nothing, or a Hibs fan!
We need openness, we need certainly of funds, we need credible owners who have a track record in Scottish business, we need Bluenoses who are not looking for a quick buck and a regime committed to good corporate governance.
SUBSTANTIAL, RESPECTABLE AND PROVEN
The Blue Knights tick all the boxes.
The do not promises the earth.
The are looking for your support by asking you to dig into your own pockets to save The Rangers.
The online objections to the Blue Knights are mostly juvenile - the idea that they "have no money"; the idea that Paul Murray and Dougie Park were acolytes of David Murray; the idea that Ticketus can be wished away.
Online hysteria gives a distorted view of support for or opposition to any bid. Some websites have changed their backing (such as it is) four times in the last two months in a desperate bid to curry favour - here's the bad news boys - unless you are credible your 'backing' isn't credible.
My 20+ years of involvement in fan organisations, running a fanzine and then a massive messageboard like Followfollow.com mean I can perhaps read the genuine mood of the punters better than most (I can of course be mistaken) - and be able to suspend my own prejudices and preferences.
I believe that the Blue Knights enjoy the support of the vast and overwhelming majority of Rangers fans.
We all now need to unite behind the one credible bid put together by Rangers fans that will deliver success via hard work, hard cash and a sharing of responsibility so that never again can the club be run on the whims of one man or the club stare liquidation in the face.
Ticketus, Duff & Phelps, the bank, the SPL, the SFA and all the rest of them need to get that message.
Source: FOOTYMAD
