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Phil Mac Giolla Bhain
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Downfall: How Rangers FC Self-destructed Paperback – September 8, 2012

by Phil Mac Giolla Bhain (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars 226 ratings
Fundamental reading for anyone interested in the history of British football, Downfall - How Rangers FC Self Destructed contains a wealth of exclusive material as well as collecting the prophetic articles by investigative journalist Phil Mac Giolla Bhain. Phil gained the attention of notable writers such as James MacMillan, Professor Roy Greenslade and sports journalist Brian McNally - who compared his work to that of Woodward and Bernstein - by breaking the wall of silence of mainstream football journalism in Scotland, denouncing its corruption. With an introduction by Alex Thomson of channel Four News, Downfall. How Rangers FC Self Destructed has four sections which expose Rangers tax strategy and the luscious dinners for major reporters, as well as detailing the failure of corporate governance by the SFA and SPL and the culture of Ranger s supporters and how they failed to mobilise. The Fan's Revolution, when SPL fans held back from buying season tickets until they were sure their Chairmen would not let Rangers Newco back into the SPL, is documented also.
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  1. Print length
    352 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Frontline Noir
  4. Publication date
    September 8, 2012
  5. Dimensions
    5.12 x 0.83 x 7.87 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1904684262
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1904684268
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Frontline Noir (September 8, 2012)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1904684262
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1904684268
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.12 x 0.83 x 7.87 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 226 ratings

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Phil Mac Giolla Bhain

Phil Mac Giolla Bhain

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4.4 out of 5 stars
226 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Yoyogi
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Story of The Liquidation of Rangers FC
    Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    A very good read outlining the overspending, illegal tax scheme and eventual liquidation of one of Scotlands oldest football clubs. A warning about ego, lack of checks and balance and the arrogance of those who feel they must never lose. All happening with a press corps that were mostly more like cheerleaders than investigative journalists.
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  • cavansam
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic but sadly true.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent read very well researched. The story of how Rangers football club ceased to exist, and rose again as a cover version of themselves. History will probably repeat itself judging by some of the negative reviews.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Ozmick
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2014
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    ALWAYS LIKE TO READ A GOOD ZOMBIE STORY THAT ENDS WELL SO OFTEN...
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  • John McBrearty
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on November 25, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Excellent history of what actually happened.
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  • Ultra_Fox
    5.0 out of 5 stars Damning, devastating and irrefutable
    Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2012
    This is a tale that demands to be read, despite the predictable shrieks of disapproval from the terminally deluded.

    The disintegration of Rangers - a club with the biggest collection of domestic trophies in world football - has few parallels in sporting or even business history. As recently as July 2011, owner Craig Whyte was cheered to the rafters as he unveiled yet another league championship pennant at Ibrox. Those few brave souls who dared question his claims to "wealth off the radar" were immediately branded as "biased" and "traitors" - much like the author of this book is being smeared now.

    Once Whyte's history of involvement with failed, debt-ridden companies had been unearthed, raising serious concerns about the commitment to "due diligence" both at Rangers and the Scottish Premier League, the club was already on an irretrievable path towards its doom. Why did its fans (or indeed Whyte's fellow directors) not speak out? Were they kept in the dark? Or did they wilfully choose to ignore the mass of evidence that was already in the public domain?

    The author, while making no attempt to conceal his Irish nationalist allegiances, has nevertheless produced a devastating indictment of corporate sleaze and the culture in Scotland that allowed it to flourish for so long. Many of the contents, impeccably corroborated by several different sources, should be as much of interest to liquidators and prosecutors as to football supporters throughout the UK and beyond.

    Downfall is definitely a contender, even at this early stage, for football book of the season.
    43 people found this helpful
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  • Tony B
    5.0 out of 5 stars They Can't Handle The Truth
    Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2012
    This book is an accurate record of the disgraceful and perhaps criminal goings on at the club that used to be known as Rangers. Not only is it a damning indictment of the custodians and management of that wretched organisation over a period of decades, it is more importantly an even more scathing expose of the Scottish media who at worst largely colluded with, and at best chose to ignore what was happening at that corrupt club.

    The author has done British and Scottish football and sport in general a huge favour in laying bare the excesses and blatant cheating which was endemic in that institution.

    Make no mistake,there is much more to come over the next few months and years as the liquidation process continues and more of the corruption is exposed in what is already the worst scandal in the annals of sport in Britain.

    I would also urge people to ignore those already on here who seek to discredit the author via vile and unsubstantiated attacks on his integrity.

    They don't want the truth to be known because they can't handle it. The threatened violence to Sun newspaper staff when the book was due to be serialised is evidence of this.

    Help to expose and punish the scoundrels and cheats by buying this book.
    42 people found this helpful
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  • MightyMariner
    2.0 out of 5 stars Not well written
    Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    While this book gives insight into the murky world of Rangers finances over the last years and into the dodgy characters behind them it is not particularly well written and does tend more towards an agenda than a balanced account. As a Celticm fan I am no lover of Rangers but would really like to read a non partisan account of what has been going on. Quite funny that Amazon have assumed that as I bought a book about Rangers I would like to read others.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Beeegajay
    5.0 out of 5 stars A gift that keeps on giving
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 14, 2012
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    There has been negative publicity for this author prior to release of this publication. Indeed, there have been negative reviews accepted and posted here on Amazon PRIOR to release of this publication. If only those psychics had lifted their heads out of the sand a tad sooner, there may have been no need to write the book at all...

    I have actually read it - couldn't put it down once I started. Phil has a gift for setting out the complex, murky and quickly changing world of planet fitba' as simply as possible without condescending to the reader or ever losing sight of the need to tell the story.

    The book is set out in 4 main sections - Finance, Media, Fans and the SFA, each following a straightforward chronological path through his blog postings relevant to the topic at hand and the timeline of destruction of 'Oldco' Rangers F.C. (1872). Each page, each section is annotated with footnotes leading you back to the rabbit hole of internet links and postings on this story.

    Much of the material has been posted online, however the format of a book and the wisdom of hindsight make this a different experience again. More than one blog reads differently looking back than it did at face value at the time. He can be very subtle.

    A book by a blogger which encourages you to get back on the net and find out more.
    This book is about much more than football. There is a side to Scottish society which, sadly, has to be witnessed to be believed. This volume bears witness - no wonder so many wanted to undermine it's publication. In terms of financial collapse of an 'institution' and the online media which broke and analysed the stories it really is a tale of our times.
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  • K. McAuley
    5.0 out of 5 stars This book's having to be sold 'under the counter' in Glasgow... They really don't want this story told...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 14, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    First off I need to mention that the author is in fact a journalist, and as such reports the facts surrounding the events leading up to arguably the biggest scandal to rock Scottish (maybe even British) sport. Of course there are authors out there who could possibly have written the account in a more effective 'storyline' style, but that's not what this book is about, it's no story!!!

    The book highlights the systematic abuse of tax relief (EBT) mechanisms utilised to effectively introduce financial doping into the SPL. For over a decade this went unnoticed (ignored maybe?), and unpunished by the authorities who were in fact led by ex-directors of the disgraced club. It highlights how Rangers FC(IA) incorrectly registered players with those same footballing authorities due to 'under the table' (proven) side contracts and side letters to enable the board at Rangers to pay 'over the odds' salaries while cheating HMRC and the UK tax payer out of millions of pounds of revenue in the chase to win record breaking titles and trophies.

    All the negative (1 star) reviews on here come predominantly from fans of the now liquidated club, and as such are not true reviews, but more a typical attempt to undermine and discredit the content of 'Downfall'.

    I am in no doubt they must be embarrassed by the fact their shame has been highlighted and put out there for all to see. The slights on the author about "being a bigot who hates Rangers" are all totally rubbished when you consider it was the self same author who FIRST highlighted what was happening at the club and warned the Rangers fanatical support as to what was going on at Ibrox... these are the self same fanatics who ignored the author because he was a Celtic supporter who now resides in Ireland... Bigot?? Oh the Irony...

    The same fans who continued to sing their bigoted songs on the terraces, standing idly by, while their club died before them... The reason they are outraged is the shame that not only the club brought upon Scottish Football, but the shame of being a 'fan' while the institution they professed to love slowly sank in front of them, on their watch and they did nothing about it...

    Their great rivals from the East End tried in vain to warn them, but their arrogant belief that they were untouchable caused them to ignore all those signs, and they are, as well as their club, now nothing more than history...
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  • kenny edwards
    5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Insight into the Demise of Rangers FC
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 17, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Foreword written by Channel 4 Senior reporter Alex Thomson.
    Book endorsed and praised by Roy Greenslade, Professor of Journalism, City University London.

    This book is a series of contemporaneous blogs written by Mr Mac Giolla Bhain during the period when Rangers FC were descending into collapse and eventual fourth tier oblivion.

    As you can tell by many of the previous reviews of this book, the author is a figure of hate for Rangers fans, simply because he had the audacity to report truthfully as the drama unfolded. In fact, the author was so remarkably well informed that he clearly had sources within Ibrox who were giving him the inside track on developments as they happened.

    One has to say also that his blogs are suffused with sympathy and compassion for the rank and file Rangers fans who lost their beloved club through the hubris and wrecklessness of David Murray.

    In summary the author's skilled writing style, his access to impeccable sources of inside information and the gripping nature of the story makes this a superb read. I recommend this book wholeheartedly to everyone interested in the football business.
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  • TommyDeVito
    4.0 out of 5 stars shows up main stream media for what they are
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 11, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Really enjoyable read. You can dip in and out of it with it being written in short blogs.

    I'd say this book has the most diverse set of reviews out of every product on Amazon. Basically you have:

    (a) Celtic fans, and some sensible Rangers fans, who can come together and appreciate that all the info in this book was available to more main stream outlets, but was at every opportunity was rubbished and chosen to be buried. "JD: Can I just remind you phil, you're on live Radio, live Radio". Not to slow to mention the 'A' word when it came to Hearts recently.
    (b) Bitter Rangers (or should I say ex) supporters who chose to bury their head in the sand for years. Ok so the Author is an Irish catholic - making his view immediately tainted. You just wonder if the same story hand been written and researched by James Traynor (but let's not get ahead of ourselves) if it would have been more accepted and Rangers (IL) fans and the club could have been saved.

    Good book, 4 stars due to the fact that some of the blogs are a bit conceited
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  • omniblob
    5.0 out of 5 stars The unvarnished truth.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 16, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Read the 'blog at the time, but enjoyed re-reading the book, from the historical perspective. The cognitive dissonance displayed by the fans (and, undoubtedly, in some of the reviews) remains astonishing. A document for an extraordinary series of events.
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