Back in November 2010 Hugh Keevins was working at the Daily Record when his colleagues Keith Jackson and James Traynor introduced a little known billionaire from Motherwell to their readers. As a bonus Craig Whyte had wealth off the radar.
Within a couple of hours Internet Bampots had trashed the profile of Whyte, he had a very dubious business career but having a mortgage on a Highlands castle convinced the Record to stick with their man.
It would cost £30m to buy out Dave Murray with a front loading spending plan to maintain the success that Murray had achieved for the majority of his 23 year term as Chairman.
Alongside The Vow on the eve of the Independence Referendum in 2014 it is fair to say that the Record’s dwindling credibility has crumbled, these days just over 40,000 copies are sold each day. Circulation is falling 17% year on year.
Turning the clock back just under two months and Jackson presented another WORLD EXCLUSIVE, rather than a Motherwell born billionaire this time the deal involved the San FrancIsco 49GERS.
Owned by the York family, genuine billionaires this time, they have selected the 2012 Ibrox Tribute Act for multi-million pound investment resulting in a summer transfer splurge.
Anyone streetwise to the ways of the media laughed out loud when Jackson revealed details of the takeover, the ‘scoopster’ himself acknowledged previous inaccuracies on takeover issues as he broke the 49GERS story on the Record’s podcast.
With more than a decade to reflect on the Whyte saga it appears that Keevins has learned very little, he has been nodding through the 49GERS takeover even though Jackson has quickly moved on to 49ers Enterprises to Andrew Cavenagh and now an unidentified American consortium.
Despite two months of tumbleweed spiced up by the launch of a few classic deflection tactics most Ibrox fans fully believe that the takeover is running smoothly, all is about to fall into place.
With Celtic closing in on #title55 and on course for their sixth treble in nine years most bears are desperate for good news, even if it comes from the most dubious of financial experts, Jackson in the Daily Record.
They can’t even enjoy a potential treble winning season for being demented about Rangers being taken over. They are having sleepless nights at the thought of RFC having money and their easy runs to trophies coming to an end.
— Charles_Charlie_Charles🇬🇧🏴 (@RFC_number1) April 15, 2025
Why are they so fucking batshit crazy? Absolute dregs and lowest intelligence of all society
— Dov (@DovRFC) April 15, 2025
Keevins seems to be on the same wavelength as the Gullible & Deluded. Any garbage is welcomed to distract them away from Celtic’s domination, the lazy days of covering the O** F*** competing for honours is over, Celtic are Scotland’s Most Successful Club with the Ibrox Tribute Act locked in a battle with St Johnstone to be the best of the rest.
Since the fakeover story was launched on February 19 there hasn’t been a single item of substance to back up the WORLD EXCLUSIVE. The six biggest shareholders would need to agree to sell up to allow anyone to gain 51% of the club shares, only Dave King has spoken with virtually nothing published about Cavenagh and whoever else is involved in his consortium.
🤨 “I just DON’T believe it for a minute!”
Celtic fan Stephen clashes with Hugh Keevins over Rangers takeover! pic.twitter.com/71ZIHlFW6l
— Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (@ClydeSSB) April 15, 2025
Caller: Hugh, you hear stories off of certain people, I hear stories off of certain people, is that correct? Hugh you just hide by putting headlines in papers, I don’t, I tell my pals. Your stories are the same as mine, I hear stories, you hear stories
Keevins: And I will take your call when it happens and I hope that you will be man enough to call in when this takeover takes place, thank you and good-bye.
Gordon Duncan of Radio Clyde was happy to join in with Keevins mocking the caller, wearing his Sky Sports hat Duncan spent March 1 perched outside Ibrox following the ‘news’ that the takeover had been agreed in principal to buy up 51% of the shares with due diligence underway.
Unlike the Record, Sky Sports has kept a distance from the story despite that impressive scoop, six weeks ago
It is no coincidence that the story has tied in with the campaign to renew Season Tickets for next season.
Without the ‘takeover’ life would be extremely grim over Ibrox, someone might examine how next season is going to be funded with losses for this season on course for £25m. Last season losses were just £17m.
Only a full on austerity drive will get the club close to becoming sustainable but that would result in a massive drop off of interest in terms of tickets and merchandise sales.
For now no-one wants to rock the boat, all that is needed to shoot down the entire story is to put in a phone call to Douglas Park, the second biggest shareholder in the club.
Keevins knows Park from his time as a Hearts director in the eighties alongside Wallace Mercer but life is much easier mocking a phone-in caller than uncovering harsh truths that would instantly kill off all talk around the ‘takeover’.
Love a hun meltdown, me😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/E4qrHtiiz9
— Craig Whyte (@RIPRFC) April 15, 2025
The guy is right to be skeptical, not a single person from 49ers has said anything about a takeover.
Also not a single Rangers board member has confirmed any talks or that any of the present owners are set to sell.
Right now most people are going on Keith Jackson’s hearsay.
— 3rdFrame (@The3rdFrame) April 15, 2025
@shinjukushug Getting a bit hot under the collar at the thought the takeover of his beloved #Sevco won’t go through? Wether or not it does won’t matter because they’re fans are in for a gunk when the multi millions they’re expecting to be spent on the team doesn’t materialise! 👍
— Mk2 BIG MAVERICK🍀 (@Mk2Maverick) April 15, 2025
Hugh the hypocrite who knows nothing
— M mc fadden (@Mmcfadden17) April 15, 2025
What’s the chances of an admin. event and points deduction? Asking for the third placed team.
— John Whyte (@JohnWhyte83060) April 16, 2025
Doesn’t matter if it happens or not. Celtic will still dominate
— Yangnam_Style🇰🇷 (@YangGang123457) April 15, 2025
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