FREE-THINKING IS DE RIGEUR AGAIN

I see that phrase 'free-thinking' has started to pop up again on McMurdo's blog and elsewhere. The sheer lunacy of this particular phrase is obvious when you consider that The Peeppul tend not to have much at all in the way of thought going on in their skulls; how else to explain the surprise they express at every twist and turn in the Ibrox saga? When you're at primary school, you are taught, when reading, to absorb the details and make predictions about what might happen next based on what has already occurred. Most of The Peeppul probably slept through those lessons, having been up all night trying to practise playing the flute with six fingers on each hand.

The selling of a huge chunk of shares by Laxey should have come as not that big a surprise to anyone that paid attention to what happened at the AGM. The Peeppul are all banging on about Ashley being denied the opportunity to up his share in Bisto FC by the SFA. They say that this prevented Ashley from underwriting a new share issue but, as usual, they were not looking at the details. At the AGM the Easdales used their fistful of proxy votes to join Ashley in vetoing any share issue. Anyone with any sense would realise that this meant that Ashley was going to up his holding by purchasing shares from other shareholders; while the Easdales' vote pointed to some of the groups in the background looking to offload. No money was ever intended to be pumped into the ailing club; meaning that Ashley was obviously going to continue to drip-feed it loans.

McMurdo and his minions keep imploring Ashley to show his hand, not realising that he has already shown it. He refused to buy shares in the previous issue, preferring to get them from other shareholders and is working towards having a stranglehold on the whole shebang by being the biggest creditor. Surely all those 'free-thinkers' can see that? The sale of about 16% of the shares by Laxey shows that the institutional investors realise that the game's a-bogey and they're getting out quick. No wonder Somers was desperately sending out begging letters over Christmas! Unfortunately, most of the recipients of these e-mails, asking if they were 'okay for a tap',  believed that they were going to be sent a new Bisto jersey from Sports Direct!

Colin Kingsnorth, the Chief Laxative, has said that he sold the shares to the Three Bears "in order to let the Ibrox support take on Mike Ashley." What a load of pish! As if a hedge fund manager is going to sell shares in a company out of altruism! It looks as if he's doing a Chateau Charlie and just telling The Peeppul the shite he knows they want to hear. And, of course, being the 'free-thinkers' they are, they'll swallow every word! The reality is probably far more prosaic; the rats are getting to hell out before...well, you know the rest.

So what's going to happen now? Well, if you read the Daily Record, they're talking about "duel ownership" regulations, so, apparently, the Three Bears are going to have a sword fight with Ashley over control of the boardroom! They also bang on about the massive wealth of these guys; but these things are relative. They might have a lot more cash than you and me but, compared with Ashley, they're paupers. I can't really see them pumping money into this black hole and their offer to underwrite a share offer is risible. What it's all going to come down to is who can offer the best loans and which ones the shareholders vote to accept. Even if the Three Bears are allowed to drip-feed these loans instead of Ashley it means that Bisto FC will be in the unenviable position of two groups holding its assets as collateral. If, as seems likely, administration comes along, the whole kit-and-caboodle is going to be ripped apart at the seams. And, yet, many of those 'free-thinkers' are celebrating! Meanwhile, a blind eye is still being turned to this ailing beast trading while insolvent.

Further to what I was saying yesterday, McMurdo is now claiming that an amalgamation of forces opposed to Unionism, Protestantism, the Monarchy and even England have conspired, and are still conspiring, to kill Rangers (sic). There goes that sense of entitlement again! It's just like what I was speaking about yesterday, when they go to school and refuse to do any work and walk out the door at 16 not much wiser than when they started at 5 years old. I suppose you could, at a push, call that 'free-thinking'! But ask them why they didn't do well at school and you'll hear things like, "The teachers aw hated me!" or "Ah wiz bullied!" In fact, they'll clutch at any excuse to absolve themselves of responsibility. And the same goes for their dead club and their new one; it's always somebody else to blame. I guess that's what 'free-thinking' is all about!

So that's 2014 finished. All that's left is to desperately try and find something funny in 'Only An Excuse' before bringing in the bells! Here's to a happy and prosperous new year for all bampots and many more laughs at Bisto FC before it finally sinks beneath the waves! And Monti - get buying those books!

"Ahhhhh! Bisto!"