McGeoch and business partner Paul Davies have been busy working on a takeover bid for the last few months. Around 10 days ago it emerged they had been using Collyer Bristow, the lawyers who helped Craig Whyte buy Rangers. In particular they had been using Gary Withey, who is currently the company secretary for Rangers.
It emerged yesterday that not only had Withey been used but in November he had been allowed to examine every Saints player's contract and quiz general manager Brian Caldwell. Unsurprisingly, this has not gone down well with the other directors - the ones who are trying to sell the club - and they have asked McGeoch to resign. This is not the first time they've done this but they have now added the caveat that if he doesn't go by Thursday there will be an emergency general meeting (EGM) - and as the selling consortium have a controlling stake in the club we can guess what would happen there.
Below is the statement released today by the selling consortium. It is in bold with my comments below:
"It has come to the attention of the Board of Directors of St Mirren Football Club Limited that a meeting took place in our Boardroom in November 2011. This meeting was attended by Mr Ken McGeoch, Mr Paul Davies and Mr Gary Withey, Company Secretary of Rangers Football Club Limited. *"
Interesting to note the directors were only recently made aware of what was happening in their own boardroom!
"During the meeting Mr Withey had sight of and inspected commercially sensitive documents of St Mirren Football Club. At one point during the meeting the Club’s General Manager was brought into the meeting and asked various questions including whether or not the Club used Employee Benefit Trusts (E.B.T.s)."
EBTs, for those at the back who haven't been paying attention, are what have got Rangers into trouble with the tax man and are the subject of the "big tax case". Was Withey asking about them just to ensure we didn't have them, or was there something more sinister?
"As a Director of the Company, Mr McGeoch had every right to inspect such documents. The Board, however, consider that his decision to show these documents to an Office Holder of another SPL club is a serious breach of trust and an error of judgement."
This is similar to what Mirren Mad said yesterday - letting an official from another club, whoever they are, look at confidential documents is inexcusable.
"In light of the information available to the Board, they have asked Mr McGeoch to resign his position as a Director of the Company with immediate effect. Should he fail to do so within the next 48 hours, we regret the Company shall be forced to call, at the Club’s expense, an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Company to consider this matter further."
At the club's expense? Do us a favour - we've got a hospitality suite we can use!
"*The selling consortium of St Mirren directors were not informed of Mr Withey or Collyer Bristow’s involvement with Mr McGeoch until January 2012, at which point it had concerns over the involvement of Mr Withey."
And yet they kept their mouths shut about it for another two months? We'll come onto the convenience of that later.
So it would seem Ken McGeoch - and his takeover bid - are done for. Either he walks away or he goes to an EGM and is almost certainly voted off.
What happens next? If I was McGeoch I'd go for the EGM. Whatever happens he's out, so he might as well force the meeting, make his case, explain himself and answer questions. Then he could, if he so wishes, turn the spotlight on the directors, dish what dirt he has on them (if any exists) and force them to answer questions in front of the fans. Effectively he can take them down with him.
But before he does that, McGeoch needs to answer two himself:
1. Why did you use Rangers' company secretary as the lawyer for your takeover, and why did you allow him to look at confidential files for another club?
2. Was there any intention from you or anyone in your consortium to turn St Mirren into Newco Rangers.
There is no hard evidence of the latter - and as McGeoch is a lifelong St Mirren fan I highly doubt that was his plan - although he hasn't categorically denied it. But if you're someone who doesn't believe in coincidences then there is certainly circumstantial evidence - he just so happened to use the same law firm that helped Whyte, who just so happened to appoint Rangers' company secretary as his lawyer, who just so happened to ask about EBTs.
But if you don't believe in coincidences you should be questioning these ones too. The directors have claimed they didn't know about the involvement of Withey until January, yet they kept that quiet until 10 days ago. This coincided with the 10000Hours CIC/co-operative suddenly ramping up their efforts - efforts the selling consortium have got behind, have taken equity in and now want everyone to back. This information, which very few people would know about, suddenly appearing nuked the only other credible offer in town and no doubt got a few more folk on board with the CIC/co-operative. And, as an aside, all at a time when SMiSA were asking their members to consider taking their £50,000 back from 10000Hours.
But we're getting into Old Firm level of conspiracy theories here. Regardless of what you think is happening, who you favour and what you think should happen, it can surely be agreed that something is not right. There is division in the boardroom - and that is where it should have stayed (assuming the directors knew there were meetings going on there). These problems should not have been aired in public, they should have been dealt with behind closed doors. Instead the reputation of directors who have been with the club for years is being trashed and the club is being laughed at.
Please folks sort it out - if not for yourselves then at least for the good of the club you all profess to love.
9PM EDIT: The BBC are now reporting McGeoch has offered to resign - so much for my EGM theory! The article can be read at http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17528646 Below is his statement analysed:
"As a lifelong Saint Mirren fan and board member for 14 years, I have been very disappointed by the sustained campaign to discredit my bid and remove me from the board."
A sustained campaign that started a week last Saturday? Admittedly that's only in public.
"The main objective has always been to secure the future of St Mirren Football Club and bring a level of success that the fans deserve.
"However, it's clear that the current board believe that the club should be taken in a different direction."
Tit for tat stuff really - my bid would bring success, the other one won't. No one can say for sure either way.
"Under the circumstances and the call for my resignation by the board, I would be prepared to walk away from the club that I rescued 14 years ago alongside Roger Lucas."
No idea who Roger Lucas is and McGeoch rescued the club with the other directors. However, this does confirm he'll go and isn't looking for an EGM.
"I can confirm that I will no longer require to be a shareholder and these shares are available for the board and R Atkinson to purchase."
So not only is he walking, he's selling his shares. Can't see him getting many takers from the board and Richard Atkinson doesn't need them for 10000Hours.
"Gary Withey of Collyer Bristow attended a meeting in the St Mirren board room on 25 November as part of our prospective bid for St Mirren Football Club.
"The meeting was a preliminary meeting before appointing Collyer Bristow as our legal representative and undertaking any due diligence work.
"Throughout our negotiations, all business has been conducted with full transparency to all current directors of the club, including seeking approval for the meeting with Gary Withey."
This is where it gets interesting. The board claim they weren't aware of Withey's involvement until January, McGeoch claims they knew before he'd even met with him in the boardroom in November!
"My prospective takeover with Paul Davies was solely about bringing long-term sustainability to St Mirren Football Club."
The final words, or the last part the BBC are printing at least, and again we can't really agree or disagree with that.
Interesting times!
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