Yesterday the Scottish Football Association announced an independent inquiry into Rangers FC which will report to the SFA board within two weeks.
While it is welcome that the enquiry is independent, it is gravely concerning that the SFA refused to state the scope of the inquiry or indicate if the final report will be made public. An inquiry into the Fit and Proper status of Craig Whyte is moot. An inquiry into last year’s takeover of the club, or how it has conducted its tax business before and after the takeover surely cannot report within three weeks of Rangers going into administration and before the outcome of the tax tribunal is known. So what are the objectives of the report?
The important question the SFA must address is whether Rangers FC improperly registered football players. Rules on the legal registration of football players are clear and well established. All financial compensation offered to players must be part of their contracts, copies of which must be lodged with the club’s national association.
This audio file contains information from Player’s Union representative, Fraser Wishart, who correctly tells Radio Clyde listeners that “in football you’re only allowed one contract, all your earnings from football have to be on that contract”.
The same audio file has excerpts of football journalist, Darrell King, repeatedly telling Radio Clyde listeners that Rangers players involved with EBTs “had two contracts”. This assertion has not been subject to challenge by Rangers.
The major question for the SFA is whether, as alleged by Mr King, Rangers FC played improperly registered players from around 2000 until the expiry of those contracts, some of which are likely to still be active. While they are doing so, it would be useful to extend the inquiry to examine recent contracts.
My primary concern regarding the inquiry is the role of the SFA president, Campbell Ogilvie, in framing the scope of the inquiry. As we reported yesterday, Ogilvie was general secretary and director of Rangers until 2005. He will be able to answer many of the key questions and, as president, will not only have been able to influence the scope of the inquiry, but will be one of the few who receives the report.
Any SFA inquiry into Rangers FC must report on the key matter in this whole business, the proper registration of football players. Any attempt to exclude matters which could involve Mr Ogilvie must be resisted and would show the entire activity up as nothing more than a sham.
The sporting penalty for playing improperly registered players is a 3-0 defeat in each game. Sion have already tested national and international authorities on this matter and are paying a heavy price for trying to gain an unfair advantage.
The stakes are high for Scottish football. The SFA must demonstrate transparency and the highest possible ethical standards when an inquiry into a member club involves past activities of its president. It also has a responsibility to fans and member clubs to establish and report any improper conduct at the earliest opportunity.
My Ogilvie should step aside as a matter of urgency in order to provide evidence to the inquiry.
In a gesture which tests the boundaries of the word magnificent, the Celtic fan who paid £5000 towards the Vanessa Riddle Appeal for the signed Celtic jersey we auctioned last week asked us to put it back up for auction again.
Auctions are a magnificent way to help get Vanessa the lifesaving treatment she needs but the cost of participating at the business end soon gets out of the reach of many fans. With this in mind, we have started an eBay raffle; you can win the jersey for the cost of a £1, or the entire purchase price of Rangers FC PLC.
There are no excuses to sit this one out, Vanessa needs your help, you would like to own a signed Celtic jersey, and you too can afford the kind of money Craig Whyte used to buy Rangers. Click here to participate.
Thank you for the dozens of response to the request for writers for CQN Magazine. I’m still working through them, will be in touch soon. Issue six, our Fit and Proper edition, is set to become a landmark collectors item. You can browse the magazine online here but you can buy your own hard copy by clicking on the link below. Fill your boots…..
You can support the online edition by making a discretionary donation here.
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(thumbsup)
top 10 ?
0000000
Hail Hail
Havingapartywhenthehunsdiex csc
Bhoys, there’s no shame in being the Buzz Aldrin or Michael Collins of the mission.
Some people are just born for greater things. (thumbsup)
Ah cannae keep up!
Top ten , now to read the article
lol hunston we have a problem
Blinkin’ flip.
Done it again!
PAUL67-gaunie stoap wi’ the interesting articles,my podium chasing is really suffering here…..
Podium places are for saddo’s.
Just outside the top half dozen is the place to be.
talk sport say mackay going to Japan from gurs is there not a rule about playing for 3 teams in one season? via 2 transfers
Friday March 2nd 2012
Irish Quiz
Venue: St Patrick’s Church Hall, Mayo Suite, St John St, Coatbridge, ML5 3HB. 7.30pm
Tickets £4 (Pay at door)
Enjoy an evening of fun and light hearted Irish entertainment. Why not enter a Team and test your knowledge of Irish culture, music, and history. The winning team take home the Festival Quiz Trophy. 7.30pm .Tickets £4 (teams should ideally have a minimum of 4 people)
*All proceeds from the interval raffle will be donated to The Kano Foundation*
No podium.
I think I can safely say that there is not a single sports journalist in Scotland with any credibility intact after the past months.
with so many articles Podiums are tainted !!
Paul67
Sure,you don’t want to hold onto this info
for 6 months or so?then you can scoop it
to the whole world ,like our esteemed Scot’s journos.
Hail hail
Paul – bang on.
If it’s not transparent and findings published surely there is little value in it, independent or otherwise?
As for 2 weeks, surely that would barely scratch the surface, or is a lot of the evidence already there but has been sat on?
Alternatively, you could get a lot of shredding done in a fortnight.
Can I add my admiration for the (presumed) Celt who bought the shirt and has asked for it to be raffled again.
Magnificent gesture.
philvis
You can take all your podiums, right, and throw them in the bucket ‘cos they’ve all been won by cheating!
Brianclough CSC
Whyte knight to pawn.
Cheque mate?
It’s incredible how quickly Rangers is starting to come undone, like a ratty old blue jumper full of holes and loose threads.
Financial recklessness
Tax evasion
Bizarre accounting irregularities
Administration
Assets being sold off or mortgaged
Allegations suggesting fraud
17 points behind Neil Lennon’s team
etc.
etc.
The Hidden Hand of Timmy is doing a fantastic job.
I would like to extend special congratulations to some of our Opus Dei friends working for Her Majesty’s Roman Catholics. I know that when Operation Trent 2 was launched back in the 90’s, nobody thought bringing down the Dark Tower would be this easy.
Soon there’ll be no Rangers at all.
(Maniacal Laugh)
(thumbsup)
twists n turns – Just outside the top half dozen is the place to be.
Soon to be known as “The Rangers position” (thumbsup)
From FF
“One thing i’m not understanding here.
I presume that they are saying if we are found guilty we cheated to gain the titles and they should be taken off us?
If we are found guilty we will be made to pay what ever is owed; I don’t get where the cheating part comes in, the tax will still be paid.
Am I missing something?”
No, not a thing…………..well, maybe a ha’penny.
Paul67 – someone needs to look at the ebay item. It’s adding quite a few quid for postage when I try and donate.
To my eyes, in pure sporting terms this is as big a smoking gun as the financial shenanigans are for the business side… for RFC (in administration) total catastrophe, for the rest of us a perfect storm
From previous(too many article’s Paul 67) :¬)))))))))))
St Martin’s Bhoy says:
22 February, 2012 at 11:59
Kev – sure it was posted on here a few times a while ago that the 1st team had made a significant donation to the appeal.
########
My apologie’s for that, I was unaware of that.
Would still be a good gesture from ‘our’ hierarchy who, aren’t short of a billionaire or two.
Further more, some clubs like to parade Army/Navy/Raf personnel on the pitch so, wouldn’t it be a good gesture to get Vannessa’s father to present, Scott Brown and, the rest of Lennons Lions with the SPL trophy ?
Hail! Hail!
hoopeddreams – You can take all your podiums, right, and throw them in the bucket ‘cos they’ve all been won by cheating!
Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with thumbs.
You can’t handle the thumbs. (thumbsup)
Paul
I think the terms of reference for the enquiry will be “leave every stone unturned”
In case it gets lost on the previous thread
I have good word for Source of Light 5.00 Lingfield
Philvis
Which right wing reactionary despot are you getting to sing the praises of today.
Good stuff again Paul 67
These peepil really have no sense of shame. The revelations get this worse by the day. None of which surprise me in the slightest. They have destroyed the game here.
Apologies to anyone i didn’t respond to last night btw
BT
cheers for that(from previous thread)
HH
Parkville tonight?
th
Philvis
philvisreturns says:
22 February, 2012 at 12:17
but in which division? THAT is the £75m question.
Impossible sure i heard Regan say something about rule changes…can anyone clarify?
What is the Stars – Which right wing reactionary despot are you getting to sing the praises of today.
Tonight, Matthew, I’m going to be…
Enda Kenny. (thumbsup)
KEVJUNGLE
Raising funds for Vanessa has not been done solely by Celtic fans,but by many people who have simply been touched by her plight.
To do as you suggest would run the risk of alienating many who might think twice in future of donating to any future appeal if they feel it has been championed by Celtic people.
Your idea is well-intentioned,but best left alone,IMO.
Would it be too cynical to suggest that it might be convenient for a number of parties to ensure that Rangers are relegated this season, thus avoiding any difficult and divisive decisions to come?
Impossible – I’m
GREAT ARTICLE PAUL ON FORM AGAIN
THERE DEMISE IS GOING TO BE HOPEFULLY
A LONG PAINFUL ONE
Paddy Gallagher @ 12:07 ,
good shout re the quiz. We’re putting 2 teams in 0 think it’s gonna be Trustees v Volunteers so should be a good night .
You going ? If so , give us a shout .
HH
Sanna
http://www.thekanofoundation.com