Latest news with #Park
Glasgow Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Why Rangers fans owe ex-Ibrox chairman Dave King a debt of gratitude
Seeing Dave King, the then Rangers chairman, waiting to board a flight in Frankfurt Airport alongside dozens of Celtic fans as I returned from a Europa League play-off match in Stockholm back in 2019 was a downright bizarre, not to mention slightly concerning, sight. The improbable coming together of the two parties came, to pour further fuel onto an already combustible concoction, just two days before the bitter rivals met at Ibrox in the opening Old Firm game of the season. What could possibly go wrong? Quick, somebody call security! Mercifully, things passed off without incident. The Parkhead supporters, still elated in the wake of an emphatic 4-1 win over AIK which had secured their qualification for the group stages, were tickled by the unexpected encounter. King, meanwhile, appeared delighted by the attention. He happily posed for photographs, signed autographs, shook hands and chatted about the weekend fixture. Relations between the South Africa-based financier and Rangers fans have not always been quite so convivial. The scathing criticism which he has regularly aimed at his erstwhile associates on the board from afar since standing down as chairman five years ago have not gone down well in the Govan stands. Read more: There has not been a lot of love for Douglas Park, John Bennett and their fellow directors of late as Celtic have continued to dominate the Scottish game. Still, the very public potshots which their old ally has taken at them have not met with widespread approval. Quite the opposite. The general feeling is that his constant sniping has done nothing to help their cause and has even made them something of a laughing stock. He has tarnished his reputation. John Gilligan stated what many were thinking when he chatted to the media after being appointed interim chairman back in September. 'I just say to Dave, 'Please take it below the radar, behave like a proper shareholder, don't do what you are doing',' he said. 'It's just a shame because he is a great character and he had a massive influence on the club.' The narrative which King has consistently aired - that all was going swimmingly on the good ship Rangers when he, his work at his boyhood heroes complete, had sailed off into the sunset and his successors had shamefully taken their hands off the tiller and lost their bearings in his absence – was flawed. Those who came after him would argue they were left in the lurch, that they were forced to sort out the almighty mess they inherited, that he had high tailed it to the Highveld in their hour of need. Park and Bennett have certainly stumped up millions, tens of millions in fact, to keep them afloat since his sudden exit. (Image: SNS Group Craig Williamson) That came after he was 'cold-shouldered' – a punishment which meant that no company or individual authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority was allowed to act on his behalf - by the Takeover Panel for four years for acting in concert with Park, George Letham and George Taylor when he seized power in 2015. Would the majority shareholder have been able to continue in his role? Everything about the Glasgow-born, Castlemilk-raised businessman, it sometimes seemed, was shrouded in uncertainty. He was an enigmatic as well as an egotistical operator and then some. His tenure was beset by off-field legal wrangles, petty squabbles and internal strife. He was more mercurial than the flakiest winger who arrived on his watch. All of that said, there is a great deal that he can look back on and be immensely proud of. That day we bumped into each other in Frankfurt, for instance, he spoke stridently about ridding Rangers of the scourge of sectarianism. They had just been ordered by UEFA to close off 3,000 seats in the second leg of their Europa League play-off match against Legia Warsaw for the 'racist' behaviour of their fans in the qualifier against St Joseph's the previous month. The 'please stay away' statement which had been released sent out a very strong message to the 'FTP brigade' indeed. Chants about 'Fenian b*******' persist on match days. Still, King did not, despite the risk of angering a sizeable portion of the fanbase, shy away from the thorny issue. On top of that, he invested considerable sums of his own personal fortune, offset heavy annual losses, in an attempt to make Rangers a major force again domestically and in Europe. Read more: Bringing in Steven Gerrard as manager proved to be nothing short a masterstroke. The former Liverpool and England captain proved to be a huge personality who was unfazed by the scrutiny he was under, lifted everyone around him and drove up standards. The former Champions League winner enjoyed success on the continent and ultimately delivered the Scottish title. But most importantly Dave King, with a little help from Gilligan, Letham, Paul Murray, Park, Taylor and others, stepped up when Rangers needed him to and wrested control of the Ibrox club away from a despised and distrusted regime at a time when they were hurtling head first towards another cataclysmic financial implosion. The Scot has sold up his stake to a consortium of investors that comprises American billionaire Andrew Cavenagh and the San Francisco 49ers and severed his ties completely. But he will forever be owed a debt of gratitude for the important part he played in ensuring their survival. If he ever boards a flight to Glasgow to take in a game, he should be greeted as warmly as he was by those stunned Celtic fans in Germany.
The Herald Scotland
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Why Rangers fans owe ex-Ibrox chairman Dave King a debt of gratitude
The improbable coming together of the two parties came, to pour further fuel onto an already combustible concoction, just two days before the bitter rivals met at Ibrox in the opening Old Firm game of the season. What could possibly go wrong? Quick, somebody call security! Mercifully, things passed off without incident. The Parkhead supporters, still elated in the wake of an emphatic 4-1 win over AIK which had secured their qualification for the group stages, were tickled by the unexpected encounter. King, meanwhile, appeared delighted by the attention. He happily posed for photographs, signed autographs, shook hands and chatted about the weekend fixture. Relations between the South Africa-based financier and Rangers fans have not always been quite so convivial. The scathing criticism which he has regularly aimed at his erstwhile associates on the board from afar since standing down as chairman five years ago have not gone down well in the Govan stands. Read more: There has not been a lot of love for Douglas Park, John Bennett and their fellow directors of late as Celtic have continued to dominate the Scottish game. Still, the very public potshots which their old ally has taken at them have not met with widespread approval. Quite the opposite. The general feeling is that his constant sniping has done nothing to help their cause and has even made them something of a laughing stock. He has tarnished his reputation. John Gilligan stated what many were thinking when he chatted to the media after being appointed interim chairman back in September. 'I just say to Dave, 'Please take it below the radar, behave like a proper shareholder, don't do what you are doing',' he said. 'It's just a shame because he is a great character and he had a massive influence on the club.' The narrative which King has consistently aired - that all was going swimmingly on the good ship Rangers when he, his work at his boyhood heroes complete, had sailed off into the sunset and his successors had shamefully taken their hands off the tiller and lost their bearings in his absence – was flawed. Those who came after him would argue they were left in the lurch, that they were forced to sort out the almighty mess they inherited, that he had high tailed it to the Highveld in their hour of need. Park and Bennett have certainly stumped up millions, tens of millions in fact, to keep them afloat since his sudden exit. (Image: SNS Group Craig Williamson) That came after he was 'cold-shouldered' – a punishment which meant that no company or individual authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority was allowed to act on his behalf - by the Takeover Panel for four years for acting in concert with Park, George Letham and George Taylor when he seized power in 2015. Would the majority shareholder have been able to continue in his role? Everything about the Glasgow-born, Castlemilk-raised businessman, it sometimes seemed, was shrouded in uncertainty. He was an enigmatic as well as an egotistical operator and then some. His tenure was beset by off-field legal wrangles, petty squabbles and internal strife. He was more mercurial than the flakiest winger who arrived on his watch. All of that said, there is a great deal that he can look back on and be immensely proud of. That day we bumped into each other in Frankfurt, for instance, he spoke stridently about ridding Rangers of the scourge of sectarianism. They had just been ordered by UEFA to close off 3,000 seats in the second leg of their Europa League play-off match against Legia Warsaw for the 'racist' behaviour of their fans in the qualifier against St Joseph's the previous month. The 'please stay away' statement which had been released sent out a very strong message to the 'FTP brigade' indeed. Chants about 'Fenian b*******' persist on match days. Still, King did not, despite the risk of angering a sizeable portion of the fanbase, shy away from the thorny issue. On top of that, he invested considerable sums of his own personal fortune, offset heavy annual losses, in an attempt to make Rangers a major force again domestically and in Europe. Read more: Bringing in Steven Gerrard as manager proved to be nothing short a masterstroke. The former Liverpool and England captain proved to be a huge personality who was unfazed by the scrutiny he was under, lifted everyone around him and drove up standards. The former Champions League winner enjoyed success on the continent and ultimately delivered the Scottish title. But most importantly Dave King, with a little help from Gilligan, Letham, Paul Murray, Park, Taylor and others, stepped up when Rangers needed him to and wrested control of the Ibrox club away from a despised and distrusted regime at a time when they were hurtling head first towards another cataclysmic financial implosion. The Scot has sold up his stake to a consortium of investors that comprises American billionaire Andrew Cavenagh and the San Francisco 49ers and severed his ties completely. But he will forever be owed a debt of gratitude for the important part he played in ensuring their survival. If he ever boards a flight to Glasgow to take in a game, he should be greeted as warmly as he was by those stunned Celtic fans in Germany.
The National
5 hours ago
- Sport
- The National
Why Rangers fans owe ex-Ibrox chairman Dave King a debt of gratitude
Seeing Dave King, the then Rangers chairman, waiting to board a flight in Frankfurt Airport alongside dozens of Celtic fans as I returned from a Europa League play-off match in Stockholm back in 2019 was a downright bizarre, not to mention slightly concerning, sight. The improbable coming together of the two parties came, to pour further fuel onto an already combustible concoction, just two days before the bitter rivals met at Ibrox in the opening Old Firm game of the season. What could possibly go wrong? Quick, somebody call security! Mercifully, things passed off without incident. The Parkhead supporters, still elated in the wake of an emphatic 4-1 win over AIK which had secured their qualification for the group stages, were tickled by the unexpected encounter. King, meanwhile, appeared delighted by the attention. He happily posed for photographs, signed autographs, shook hands and chatted about the weekend fixture. Relations between the South Africa-based financier and Rangers fans have not always been quite so convivial. The scathing criticism which he has regularly aimed at his erstwhile associates on the board from afar since standing down as chairman five years ago have not gone down well in the Govan stands. Read more: There has not been a lot of love for Douglas Park, John Bennett and their fellow directors of late as Celtic have continued to dominate the Scottish game. Still, the very public potshots which their old ally has taken at them have not met with widespread approval. Quite the opposite. The general feeling is that his constant sniping has done nothing to help their cause and has even made them something of a laughing stock. He has tarnished his reputation. John Gilligan stated what many were thinking when he chatted to the media after being appointed interim chairman back in September. 'I just say to Dave, 'Please take it below the radar, behave like a proper shareholder, don't do what you are doing',' he said. 'It's just a shame because he is a great character and he had a massive influence on the club.' The narrative which King has consistently aired - that all was going swimmingly on the good ship Rangers when he, his work at his boyhood heroes complete, had sailed off into the sunset and his successors had shamefully taken their hands off the tiller and lost their bearings in his absence – was flawed. Those who came after him would argue they were left in the lurch, that they were forced to sort out the almighty mess they inherited, that he had high tailed it to the Highveld in their hour of need. Park and Bennett have certainly stumped up millions, tens of millions in fact, to keep them afloat since his sudden exit. (Image: SNS Group Craig Williamson) That came after he was 'cold-shouldered' – a punishment which meant that no company or individual authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority was allowed to act on his behalf - by the Takeover Panel for four years for acting in concert with Park, George Letham and George Taylor when he seized power in 2015. Would the majority shareholder have been able to continue in his role? Everything about the Glasgow-born, Castlemilk-raised businessman, it sometimes seemed, was shrouded in uncertainty. He was an enigmatic as well as an egotistical operator and then some. His tenure was beset by off-field legal wrangles, petty squabbles and internal strife. He was more mercurial than the flakiest winger who arrived on his watch. All of that said, there is a great deal that he can look back on and be immensely proud of. That day we bumped into each other in Frankfurt, for instance, he spoke stridently about ridding Rangers of the scourge of sectarianism. They had just been ordered by UEFA to close off 3,000 seats in the second leg of their Europa League play-off match against Legia Warsaw for the 'racist' behaviour of their fans in the qualifier against St Joseph's the previous month. The 'please stay away' statement which had been released sent out a very strong message to the 'FTP brigade' indeed. Chants about 'Fenian b*******' persist on match days. Still, King did not, despite the risk of angering a sizeable portion of the fanbase, shy away from the thorny issue. On top of that, he invested considerable sums of his own personal fortune, offset heavy annual losses, in an attempt to make Rangers a major force again domestically and in Europe. Read more: Bringing in Steven Gerrard as manager proved to be nothing short a masterstroke. The former Liverpool and England captain proved to be a huge personality who was unfazed by the scrutiny he was under, lifted everyone around him and drove up standards. The former Champions League winner enjoyed success on the continent and ultimately delivered the Scottish title. But most importantly Dave King, with a little help from Gilligan, Letham, Paul Murray, Park, Taylor and others, stepped up when Rangers needed him to and wrested control of the Ibrox club away from a despised and distrusted regime at a time when they were hurtling head first towards another cataclysmic financial implosion. The Scot has sold up his stake to a consortium of investors that comprises American billionaire Andrew Cavenagh and the San Francisco 49ers and severed his ties completely. But he will forever be owed a debt of gratitude for the important part he played in ensuring their survival. If he ever boards a flight to Glasgow to take in a game, he should be greeted as warmly as he was by those stunned Celtic fans in Germany.
Korea Herald
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Violinist Park Sue-ye wins prestigious Sibelius competition
South Korean violinist Park Sue-ye has won the 13th International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition, one of the most prestigious competitions for the instrument in the world. Park was announced as the first prize winner of the competition, which took place in Helsinki from May 19 to 29, according to the competition's website Friday. "I am so happy to have won the competition," she was quoted as saying by her agency, Mok Production. "It means a lot to me, and I was delighted to be able to communicate through my music to the very end," she said. Park received a cash prize of 30,000 euros (US$34,000) and was also rewarded with a loan of a violin by Giovanni Battista Guadagnini made in 1777. Minami Yoshida received the second prize, while Claire Wells took third. The 25-year-old became the second South Korean violinist to win the quinquennial contest founded in 1965 for young violinists under age of 30. In 2022, Yang In-mo won the competition. Born in 2000, Park began playing the violin at the age of 4 and made her debut at 16 with a recording of Niccolo Paganini's 24 Caprices. In 2021, her album "Journey Through a Century" was selected as the Editor's Choice and among the Recordings of the Year by Gramophone. In a phone interview with Yonhap News Agency later Friday, Park said winning the competition had not hit her yet. "I think it will take a few more days before I realize I've won this," Park said. "I have seen other South Koreans win prizes from afar, and I am grateful and honored to win this competition as a Korean." Park acknowledged that she grew up feeling the weight of expectations as a young prodigy, but she was surprisingly relaxed ahead of the Sibelius competition. "I told myself I should just go do my thing because I knew how hard I'd prepared for it," Park said. "I wanted to stay focused on my own music." Park said she picked up violin because she fell in love with the sound of the instrument as a child. After getting her start with a toy violin, Park said her career goal now is to have people keep coming back to her. "I'd like to become a violinist that people want to hear over and over again, after the end of my performance," she said. "I want to soothe people in ways that words can't and I hope people will feel happy after listening to my music. I want people to say, 'I loved the way you played,' even if they may not be able to express their feelings in exact words." (Yonhap)
Pink Villa
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Park Bo Gum reveals injury from action scenes halted GOOD BOY filming for over month: ‘Pushed myself too hard...'
The cast and creative team behind anticipated action drama GOOD BOY gathered in Guro, Seoul for a press conference on May 29. The event brought together lead actor Park Bo Gum, co-stars Kim So Hyun, Oh Jung Se, Lee Sang Yi, Heo Sung Tae, Tae Won Seok, and director Shim Na Yeon. They shared behind-the-scenes stories and insights about the making of the drama. Park Bo Gum talks about his injury Park Bo Gum, who returns to the small screen in his first major action role, takes on the part of Yoon Dong Ju. His character is a former Olympic boxing gold medalist who makes an unconventional career switch to law enforcement. Park described his emotional and physical journey while portraying the role of a determined rookie officer trying to find his place among seasoned cops. As quoted by Kbizoom, 'Action is something I've always wanted to do. Playing Yoon Dong Ju was physically demanding, but never mentally draining,' said Park Bo Gum. He shared that he was eager to prove himself and trained ahead of schedule. He hoped to be recognized as a serious athlete by the trainers. Despite rigorous preparation for the role, the actor admitted to suffering a minor injury during production due to the intensity of the action scenes. 'We all worked equally hard for over six months. But I pushed myself too hard and ended up with an injury that delayed filming,' he revealed. Support from cast Park expressed his deep gratitude toward the cast and crew, who supported him throughout his recovery period. 'Everyone, from the director to the staff, told me to rest, eat well, and focus on recovering. Thanks to them, I was able to return to filming in just a month and a half,' he noted. Although he was regretful for the hold-up, Park emphasized that he poured everything into the second half of filming. He said, 'I felt sorry, but I also ran full speed ahead without missing a day after returning. I'm incredibly grateful and apologetic to the team.' Park expressed that the experience left a lasting impact on him and hoped his genuine efforts would be evident in the drama. Oh Jung Se, who plays the series' antagonist, brought levity to the discussion with a humorous jab, 'As the villain, I was a bit uncomfortable because he came back from his break even stronger than before.' GOOD BOY premise GOOD BOY follows a unique unit of former top-tier athletes who are recruited into the police force through a special government initiative. Each member brings their own strengths into a system plagued by corruption and injustice. Instead of podiums and medals, they now face criminal investigations, personal trauma, and ethical dilemmas. The first episode of GOOD BOY will air on JTBC at 10:40 PM KST on May 31, with new episodes releasing weekly. For international fans, the drama will be globally accessible through Amazon Prime Video.
