Scottish football needs Rangers - Alex Salmond
Picture: Jane Barlow
FIRST Minister Alex Salmond said today that the survival of Rangers is crucial for their Old Firm rivals and the rest of Scottish football - a view Celtic were quick to refute.
Mr Salmond was responding to the financial crisis engulfing the Scottish champions after they went into administration on Tuesday.
The Ibrox club were forced to call in administrators Duff and Phelps over an unpaid tax bill of £9million, accrued since Craig Whyte’s takeover in May.
Salmond told Sir David Frost, in an interview to be broadcast on Frost over the World on Al Jazeera English: “Obviously HMRC have got to pursue, in the public interest, taxation.
“Equally, they’ve got to have cognisance of the fact that we’re talking about a huge institution, part of the fabric of the Scottish nation, as well as Scottish football, and everybody realises that.
“The most die-hard Celtic supporter understands that Celtic can’t prosper unless Rangers are there.
“The rest of the clubs understand that as well. Therefore you have to have cognisance of these things when you’re pursuing public policy.
“We’ve certainly been arguing to HMRC on one hand, and indeed to Rangers, to for goodness sake get a settlement, get a settlement and a structure over time whereby Rangers can continue because Rangers must continue for the future of Scottish football and for the fabric of the country.”
But Celtic countered this claim in a statement in which they insisted their financial strategy was not dependent on any other clubs.
The statement read: “We are very disappointed with the First Minister’s claims that Celtic ‘need’ Rangers and that Celtic ‘can’t prosper unless Rangers are there’.
“This is simply not true. In a series of interviews given just three days ago, we made it abundantly clear that Celtic has a well-defined strategy and a business plan independent of the fortunes of any other club. That remains absolutely the case.
“The predicament of Rangers is clearly a serious and complex matter with a whole range of possible outcomes.
“However, we are extremely well-qualified to make our own position clear and have no wish to see this being misrepresented for political reasons .”
Speaking about Rangers during a visit to Scotland, Prime Minister David Cameron told the BBC: “I want that club to survive and to thrive.
“It has an extraordinary history. It has a very special place in many people’s hearts in Scotland and no-one wants to see that club disappear.
“So I hope that HMRC will work as closely as they can with the administrators to try to solve the problems, to try to resolve the issues.”
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Comments
There are 80 comments to this article
Page 1 of 6
Ryan Dior
Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 06:46 AMsalmon!! there he is again looking to be seen to care about scotish football, why does he not sergest that the players take a 50% pay cut as indeed all clubs should, small wonder it, like salmons ego is going down the pan! Ryan Dior WriterActor
famous15
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 10:21 PM#77 quite right,what has this to do with David Cameron?
rsullivan
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 08:22 PMScottish football needs supporters who will support their local team and help to restore balance in the various leagues.When a large % of money is concentrated on the Old Firm,I wonder how plong provincal clubs in the Spl can survive with gates of a few thousand.It must be disheartening for players to play in stadia developed for a non-exiustant market.Why bother when you are snubbed by local supporters who have gone elsewhere to support tribalism?These people have no pride in their local community possibly where they earn a living.Rangers and Celtic have sucked the lifeblood out of provincial clubs.I admire those people who carry on for the love of the game and their community.You deserve more respect.Tribesmen stop insulting your local team and community,spend your money where you earn it.
Tam O'Banter
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 06:52 PMWhy does he have to stick his neb in everywhere? Concentrate on the economy and jobs for crying out loud!
HeatherMacinnes
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 04:05 PMTotally spot on @ 61& now they'v found spell check & noo there using the big words FEK,THIS I; Mn OFFF !
Rab haw
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 12:38 PMNo swear words but comment is removed is this the same moderator from the same paper that sang the praises of that well known banker when he spoke against independence. That same banker honoured by the Liebore party but now castigated by them for political convenience.
Rab haw
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 12:35 PMThe question that should be getting asked here are why Celtic are so upset about these comments which lets be honest about it have been said by hundreds of people this week including a fair amount of Celtic supporters is it their own fans they are trying to confuse? Would Celtic be still at the top if Rangers did not run into trouble ? can they only flourish if Rangers are weak? It is time they stop and think have they made any real progress or are they just benefiting from Rangers troubles? How will the present Celtic team fare in Europe next year?scotland needs in football terms a strong Celtic and Rangers otherwise football will end up in the same position as the conference league.
Rab haw
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 12:13 PMIs Ireland desperate to rejoin with the UK ? aNEL
Rab haw
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 12:11 PMComment removed by moderator
Centurion2
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 12:01 PMWhat a load of tosh we are hearing from politicians over the possible demise of a football club with 250 employees, the same number as is involved in the problems of Donaghy's. Many thousands more people in Scotland attend Church every week than attend football matches, so what's the big deal with one club having to reform or disappear?
anel
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:42 AMIn post 64 Rab Haw "its a dying breed of selserving maggots." How dare you talk about the SNP like that.
StephenGash
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:40 AMScottish football might need Rangers but English football doesn't. So let's not have any more talk about "the old firm" moving to England.
anel
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:38 AMDear Mr Salmond is at it again. Pontificating and trying to make political capital over matters he should basically leave alone. He is now advocating HMRC go easy on Rangers, let them of. While I presume he will be saying go after everyone else? Or does he now believe the already bent rules should only apply when he thinks they should. Evident again that Alec thinks he knows everything worth knowing about anything he cares to prattle on about. Oh and without any question he knows he is absolutely right. Like Fred, Ireland the tiger etc. etc. The last thing Rangers need just now is the kiss of death of Alec Salmnod's support. Personally I hope they survive, but only just. Their management for many years has been irresponsible to the business, as so often in football. It needs a touch of reality.
Nellie
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:24 AMOf course Celtic need Rangers because there's no other teams that are as consistently good as them. If they did not have each other to play against the standard of the one left would fall. Nevertheless, I agree with 66 picasso - the bigotry in which the fans of both clubs are steeped deserves no representatives in football. If they cannot evolve beyond dinosaur, to be like Liverpool and Everton (also once divided by sectarianism - now the fans travel to games together!) then roll-on the demise of both clubs.
picasso
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:12 AMRangers and Celtic only exist because of bigotry, tribalism and hatred! Wouldn`t mind seeing them both go out of business, and leave football to the teams supported by real football fans.
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