Ibrox side set to be “among the world’s wealthiest clubs”, as Celtic fans prepare for the worst
Eric Knott 
Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images News
I have no idea who Kasra Moradi is, or Amie Wilson for that matter, but after this morning’s latest article in the Record on the Great Ibrox Fakeover, I can see there’s one thing they’re both experts at.
Fake news.
So, let me posit one single question that blows the premise of their whole article asunder.
Are Leeds United among the wealthiest clubs in world football?
Because the San Francisco 49ers are the major stakeholders in that club.
Are they not?
Therefore they should be among the world’s wealthiest clubs, should they not?
Or is it just a case that the Ibrox club is so special, that if the 49ers take control, they’re going to plough megabucks into them, and not Leeds United?
I mean, do these people even think about the subject matter for their articles?
Or do they just make it up as they’re going along.
This article is complete fantasy speculation, designed to appeal to a certain audience.
And all it’s doing is building them up for an almighty crash back down to earth.
Leeds United are looking likely to return to the EPL by the end of this campaign.
They are currently 5 points clear at the top of the Championship, and unless there is a monumental collapse, by May or before, they should be back in the EPL.
So, let me ask this, if the SF 49ers become major stakeholders in the Ibrox side, as well as Leeds, which team do you think they’re going to prioritise major investment in?
The one that can barely compete with Celtic in the Scottish Premiership?
Or the one that just got promoted to one of the richest leagues in club football?
Bearing all of that in mind, take a look at this speculative garbage from Moradi and Wilson:
R*****s are preparing for a multi-million pound US-led takeover which will place them among the world’s wealthiest clubs.
Record Sport exclusively revealed last week the Ibrox club are at an advanced stage of the takeover, spearheaded by American business tycoon Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises – an arm of the famed San Francisco 49ers NFL franchise. The deal would see the group take dual control of both the Scottish Premiership giants and Leeds United, having completed their takeover of the English Championship club in July 2023.
There is a huge difference between preparing for a takeover and actually being taken over.
Not one representative from the SF 49ers has commented on the alleged takeover.
That’s kind of alarming at this point, don’t you think?
Surely someone from 49ers Enterprises has something to say about this?
As for Record Sport exclusively revealing all of this?
That was Dave King making a phone call to Keith Jackson and telling him to run with this story because it might be happening.
This paragraph made me laugh though:
We told you how the SFA have ‘no issues’ with the consortium’s sensational buy out proposal – which could see Leeds chairman Marathe take a seat on a new-look Ibrox board, with the deal expected to be completed by June.
Of course the SFA would have no issue with it.
They didn’t have any issue with a convicted criminal being declared a fit and proper person to run the Ibrox club back in 2015.
If they didn’t have an issue with that, they certainly won’t have an issue with a bunch of vulture capitalists taking over that club either.
Clearly the two intrepid Record Sports stenographers have researched very little when it comes to the level of “cash injections” the 49ers have put into Leeds thus far.
We discussed it in depth on Sunday night’s Trinity Tims podcast.
YouTube: The Good The Bad & The Funny
In the last transfer window, Leeds conducted £150 million worth of outgoing transfers.
The figure they spent on incomings?
The exact same as Celtic, £30 million.
So their owners made a profit of £120 million on player trading.
Does that look like a serious cash injection to you?
With a little bit of research, the intrepid stenographers at Record Sport would know this.
Clearly they haven’t though, as this paragraph perfectly displays:
The wealthy NFL giants have already plunged millions into Leeds in the English Championship and could do the same to turn around the Gers’ fortunes in the summer window. Yet, the club may need to work with a tight budget initially, with UEFA’s financial sustainability rules meaning Rangers’ spending on player and coach wages, transfers and agents fees is restricted this season to 70 per cent of a club’s revenue from this summer.
They have NOT already plunged millions into Leeds.
They have made millions from Leeds.
And believe me, the Ibrox club will have a long, long way to go, before they become profitable.
It will only be at that point that they will be able to spend large amounts of money on player transfers.
You also have to note the keywords in this article.
Preparing, could, may, would, expected, standing.
There is no certainty in any of the sentences, no concrete evidence that this deal will actually happen at all.
It is speculation, all of it.
And fantastical speculation at that.
Especially when you’re peddling the bullshit that 49ers Enterprises have ploughed millions into Leeds United.
When it’s actually the opposite.
The article finishes with this:
The York family own the 49ers and have an estimated net worth of 5.8 billion dollars, equivalent to around £4.73bn, according to the latest figures released by Forbes Magazine at the end of 2024. That places them just outside of the top 10 in the richest owners worldwide. According to Statista, here’s a look at those who make up the top 10 in terms of their net worth, with Rangers’ new prospective owners trailing closely.
The estimated worth of the York family is meaningless.
It’s meaningless because even if they do take over the Ibrox club, UEFA FFP will ensure they must live within their means.
Just like Leeds United, they won’t be ploughing millions into the Ibrox club.
They’ll be looking to make it profitable first and foremost.
And just like Leeds, they’ll be wanting to establish what they can MAKE out of the club.
Not what they can plough into it.
These people are in business of making money, not throwing it into a black hole.
Which is exactly what the financial basket case in Govan is.
Just look at the club at the list of the top 10 richest clubs in the world in the Record article.
Newcastle United has owners worth £718 billion.
Has that made a difference?
They haven’t even come close to winning an EPL title since they were taken over.
If any of this was true or accurate, Celtic fans would be preparing for the worst.
The days of the Sugar Daddy are over.
UEFA FFP rules have ensured that.
Yet the SMSM is trying to convince Ibrox fans that they’re going to be amongst the richest clubs in world football?
What utter garbage.
Just like Leeds United, if the Ibrox club are the subject of takeover, they will become an asset on 49ers Enterprises’ portfolio.
Their value as a club will be dictated by the revenue they can generate as a club.
Assets are designed to generate profits, not drain them.
The very definition of an asset is this:
An item of property owned by a person or company, regarded as having value and available to meet debts, commitments, or legacies.
At this moment in time, do you think the Ibrox club is capable of meeting any of those criteria?
No?
I didn’t think so.
They’re sleepwalking into this one.
Just like they did when Craig Whyte arrived on the scene.
We’re warning them, but they won’t take heed.
That’ll be the rock they perish on.
Again…
Desperate murmurings from Ibrox and their faithful scribes. This would be a poor investment for the 49ers group with the huge debt at Ibrox plus the multi thousands of confetti shares out there. Rather than invest millions it’s more likely that asset stripping is on the cards.
That said it would be good to play a new team instead of New Rangers 2012.
The Glasgow 13ers in tribute to the age of the club.
Comedy gold the club that keeps giving
Y’see , selling all of those blue pencils and ‘ Bazza mugs ‘ on match days have paid off for theRangers board …big time ! Just watch how finances flourish inside Ibroxland now , when the head coach and two of his minions are newly installed , with letters of distinction after their names ….EBT’s !
The only winner out this would be The Lying King….. I do wonder what his share price will reduce to come sale time?
HH
American owners !!
Hicks @gillet liverpool
The Glazers man utd
Be careful what you pray for !!
GREAT
KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK
THIS IS BETTER READING THAN THE DAILY RANGER
AT LEAST YOU TELL THE TRUTH AS I SAY AGAIN KEEP IT GOING AND RUB IT IN WITH THE TRUTH
WELL DONE
Pay the victims of celtic BC
I see another Rangers fan is concerned about victims but only the ones they think are linked to Rangers fan Torbets CBC..not interested in the Royal paedo or the COE in the news today or the COS apologising to the abuse inquiry…or The Gasl telling the Rangers fan abused at Ibtox to see the club in liquidation.
Timplosion….
Bob
says:
25th February 2025 at 4:45 pm
Pay the victims of celtic BC
————-
We will follow suit after the victims of Dunn and Neely are compensated along with the families of the 66 who your old club put into a death trap.
The York Family are devote Roman Catholics. Wonder if the will want to add St Francis to the clubs name.
As a Celtic fan living near Leeds, I can heartily concur with your article. After failing to get promotion last season they sold three of their best players to balance the books. Good financial management, but no pandering to the supporters. They are doing well this season, but I expect them to yo-yo up and down as usual. No world beaters here. The media love to build it all up then knock it all down, can’t wait for the truth to sink in!
The records coverage is predictable and boring. Most Celtic fans know how the media works in Scotland and it has never favoured the club set up to help the poor in the East end of Glasgow.
If this 49rs stuff is to happen it will happen. Listening to the ramblings of rangers supporting scribes is not for me.
Celtic fans should check out of the story and focus on the team and the potential treble. There are months of speculation to come before any of us get a clearer picture of what it may or may not look like. Lets focus on the reality of the here and now.
A potential treble to add to our trophy haul.
Piling on the agony, shutting out the noise HH ☘️☘️☘️
You lot are obsessed with goings on at Rangers. I wonder, is it concern? Is it worry that when Rangers are able to spend, Celtic may not enjoy the success they’ve had at the expense of Rangers’ downfall in 2012?
Regardless of all of that, a few suggestions to take heed of…
1) Get a real job. This journalism is poor at best. It’s embarrassing that you are a grown man writing these sorts of articles. 2) This site is called Read Celtic. Why not make the content… about Celtic?
3) Last one… maybe stop posting stuff like this online. If the proposed takeover goes through you’re going to look like even more of a t*t than you would usually.
Yours,
A tax paying citizen, bored on a lunch break.
Hello Ross, I have a real job, this is a hobby.