Retiring SPFL chairman Ralf Topping addressed the issue of Rangers EBTs in the light of the recent Supreme Court ruling in an interview today with The Scotsman. It is clear he is well-briefed on what is ‘in the post’ for the football authorities in Scotland from “fans groups”:
“There are a lot of wealthy people who support football clubs who will fund certain activities around challenges. The authorities just have to accept it and be measured in their response.”
Topping told The Scotsman, their solicitor, “the finest in the land”, made sure they were “ready for any challenges subsequently”.
The SPFL would save themselves and everyone else a lot of time and money if, instead of briefing friendly journalists who would refrain from asking the pertinent questions, they would address the matter in hand.
Why did the SPL (now the SPFL) set the parameters for what became the Lord Nimmo Smith (LNS) Commission to examine from 1998, then, when it became clear Rangers would admit guilt for offenses between 1998 and 2000, change that date to run from 2000?
Why did the SPL not lead evidence to the LNS Commission on the five players Rangers admitted guilt to the First Tier Tribunal, for offenses committed during the period in question (after 2000)?
Why did the SPL not reserve the right to appeal the LNS decision, which was predicated on EBTs being executed legally, pending the HMRS appeal?
Other questions, like who made the above decisions and why, can be addressed later.
If only the SPFL would “be measured in their response”, if only they would respond at all! There has been no response to these questions, only prevarication, misdirection and evasion.
The more those at the top of Scottish football speak, the more they sound like Sepp Blatter, who for years set inquiries and boasted about his robust legal advice on the running of Fifa.
Frankly, Topping and his cronies are not in Blatter’s league. They are not career criminals, but their briefing of selected journalists while studiously avoiding the question every fan would like to see answered, increasingly looks like a cover-up.
Celtic’s call for action will be ignored by the SPFL and SFA, but that must not be the end of it. Just do the right thing, Ralph; answer the questions.
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;))))
I love this…. It’s such a JOY
TheCELTICWAY.csc
Posted Saturday at 06:57 PM
“Linfield fans travelling to Parkhead on Wednesday may be interested to know that Rangers FC have kindly arranged to put on a stadium tour of Ibrox for Linfield fans. The tour will last approximately one hour and will cost £10 per head. The tour will take place on Wednesday afternoon – a specific time will be confirmed later. ”
This tour is specifically to accommodate Linfield fans and Rangers will therefore require advance notice of the number of participants, in order to put the appropriate arrangements in place at Ibrox.
Linfield fan David Sales is co-ordinating the arrangements with Rangers and any supporter who wishes to book a place should contact David as soon as possible and no later than 12 noon on Monday. David’s contact details are 07533312043 or d_sales@sky.com
13 people like this
Bobby Sands – The Rhythm of Time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHWy-MyMAtw
Robert Emmet’s Speech from the Dock-Clancy Brothers & Tommy Makem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5Amf1RE0AA
We will Follow Brendans team with much Joy.
Any French Henry’s oot there at the mo?
Lets go bonkers CRAZY in Support of the Bhoys.
Something incredible is happenin’.
Shout Louder than EVER before.
The BMG game last Season pissed me off. No offence to the dudes from Germany… they just wanted to see their team. We had a stinker that night as well.
Round in 401 now and the dudes there on Saturday were funny and supportive… Spontaneously Supportive. I Really like that.
Very happy
Random shouts of “Come on the CELTIC”.
Magical.
Parting Glass-Makem & Clancy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqcdTinjKvA
Leonard Cohen – Kevin Barry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fg-yoozC4M
Leonard Cohen – The Partisan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGdLfHFZh4Y
Sevco
Leonard Cohen – Everybody Knows
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IfmiKnZi3E
Petec – Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6wBQELIO9E
U2 & L. Pavarotti | Miss Sarajevo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlmg0yzxKvQ
The Armed Man by Karl Jenkins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezFNIyyGT2o
Sanctus by Karl Jenkins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8VlZOg9iv4
Benedictus by Karl Jenkins
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibwxzxER_pY
Maria Callas – Ave Maria
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8KL63r9Zcw
Samuel Barber – Adagio for Strings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izQsgE0L450
The Moment I wake up…….
Outstanding year was 1988.
Crash Time.
“Make the Best whats given you…..”
BtB.CSC
Vatican 1600 (Allegri’s Miserere performed by the Tallis Scholars)
Composed by Gregorio Allegri. It was made strictly for the Vatican church for the Sistine Chapel during special services.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKj1iK2WKS8
Bolero – Maurice Ravel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r30D3SW4OVw
Mozart – Lacrimosa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1-TrAvp_xs
Air – Johann Sebastian Bach
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrVDATvUitA
Carl Orff – Carmina Burana
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEllLECo4OM
Petec
My views are very different to those you hold on these issues. I don’t necessarily respect your views although I fully accept your right to hold them.
Good morning CQN from a dry and bright East Devon.
Morning,IANBHOY.
Very pleasant here in Swindon too. A morning in the beer garden beckons.
Stuart Armstrong
Guy was an obviously talented middie when we signed him.
By the time of Ronnie’s leaving he was a failed left winger!!! No poo Sherlock
He’s class. If he goes I’ll be really disappointed as it’s great to see Scottish boys succeed as Bhoys. But he is replace-able in terms of input to the team. (Only Larssons, Lubos, Nakas and Bergets come into that category)
I’d be most disappointed for the player. West Brom mid table scrapping for an entire career (for eg) or the chance to dream and play in Paradise under twinkling Euro lights.
Money trumps fitba magic.
Dewy-Eyed-IdealistCSC
HH jamesgang
Clear blue skies here in north staffs this morning – looking forward to Paul’s next article – should be interesting according to winning captains (if i understood his comments right)
A walk to the chemist bekons.
I am the chief executive of Stuart Armstrong.He doesn’t eat kebabs he keeps his hair nice he studies law.
He deserves a decent contract
JAME S
I don’t know why he seems in such a rush. He’s just turned 25. Another two years with us-on much better money-and he will be an even better player than now.
Which means better opportunities down south.
I understand he is a smart lad. This isn’t the stage of his career to take a leap into the unknown,and certainly not with teams who struggle with the concept of football.
Reading back and, After all this time reading CQN, I’m still surprised by all the ill informed transfer “experts” who post on here.
Stuart Armstrong’s future will not be decided on a fan’s forum!
Eurochamps67
ModernDefinitivestatementsregardingcelticstrasferintentionsarerubbishCSC
Beautiful morning in Keswick.
But alas I need to head home.
Counting down the days to retirement.
I hope Stuart stays but to be perfectly honest I’m more excited about the new guys we’ve got to work with.
Shallow, I know!
Not convinced that Stuart Armstrong has the credentials to reach the very top of the game – but I could be wrong.
However, if it was his ambition to play for a “top EPL” club, then he would need to move to a West Brom, Southampton or West Ham type outfit as a proving ground and stepping stone.
The days of talent going directly from Celtic to Man Utd, Liverpool or Arsenal are probably over.
Only SA knows his personal motivation – but he is a bright guy, so I would assume that he knows that time is not necessarily on his side. For what its worth, I would assume he is leaving.
Morning Tims.
So who’s getting sold today???….
Enjoyed the game against Lyon on Saturday ( missed the GB though).
All our newbies looked comfortable in possession and willing to take the ball, as did Kouassi.
Looking good for the coming season.
H.H
Good Morning from a blue skied Amsterdam — in contrast to the grey skies and rain of yesterday.
I haven’t read back too far but there is much talk of Mr Topping, his own stated views on the LNS decision and sanctions, and the legal advice obtained from either a mighty, but non Arbroath based, solicitor or a QC of some standing.
There is also the John James articles to consider and the “revelation” that any appeal against LNS was effectively hijacked by Neil Doncaster, Stephen Thompson of Dundee Utd and the representative of Kilmarnock Football Club who all wanted just to move on from the Rangers debacle.
I have even heard rumours that the legal advice given to the SPFL is to the effect that no action can be taken against an organisation that no longer exists.
What a lot of baloney and bogwash. The position is clear.
1. LNS was asked to consider the registration of the players’ issue and nothing else. He did so, laid out a set of facts that relied heavily on all EBT’s being legal and some, but not all, of the testimony led at the FTT.
He did not consider all of the appropriate questions and was not supplied with key elements and information. Further, he applied a test of proportionality of punishment. In the case of FC Giannina, UEFA argued that there should be no proportionality test and this argument won the day.
In the same case, the court held that when considering an application for a licence, that application must meet some minimum disclosure and financial tests. If the application does not meet those tests then the position is absolute — the club concerned cannot and must not be granted a licence and so cannot be and should not be in the competition to start with and so what is the appropriate “proportional” punishment is irrelevant.
You cannot punish a club in a competition if it should never have been in the competition in the first place.
LNS did not address this issue and was never asked to address this issue.
It was presumed that RFC had, in fact, the right to be in the competition, had validly obtained a licence with no hint of fraudulent representation or misrepresentation at that key stage, and so the only issue was the proper registration of the players.
Even the decision here is flawed and I suspect that the question asked of the SPL wonder lawyer was “can this now be appealed or reviewed?”
No one is suggesting appealing disciplinary procedures that have already been determined on a narrow compass, what is being suggested is a review of all procedures and if necessary a review of how LNS was set up and whether that legal process reached a satisfactory sporting outcome?
Had Giannina been decided before LNS then to be honest there is every chance LNS would have been decided differently and a different legal approach would have been taken.
With regard to any suggestion that no action can be taken now because some entity or another does not exist, then this is clearly nonsense.
For a start, Rangers PLC with a specific company number traded as Rangers FC with the benefit of a football licence for many years. Technically that entity does still exist but it is in liquidation and is operated by a court appointed liquidator.
However, the status of this vehicle is altogether irrelevant.
At the start of each sporting competition, entrants, be they teams or individuals, apply to enter the competition and to abide by the rules of the competition. There are numerous examples of sporting bodies accepting an entrant only to later disqualify them later for breaking the rules of entry.
Further, at the end of the competition, the sporting body, having collated and tested the results of competition, declares someone to be the winner or champion. This is an award. It is not a negotiation, or a gift, or a bilateral agreement, but an award by a sporting body.
Again, there are numerous examples of a sporting body simply announcing that it has withdrawn that award. The IOC did not consult Ben Johnson and ask for his point of view about whether or not he should be stripped of his gold medal, they simply announced it.
Further, with all due respect to Johnson, whether he was living or dead made no difference to this announcement as was living at the time of the race.
In this instance, what is wholly ironic is that with Rangers FC had their tax scam been revealed and admitted long before it was declared unlawful by the supreme court, then RFC PLC may well have been “dead” and in liquidation long before some of the competitions in question had even been entered or ran.
The SPFL and SFA stances on this are undermined by completely flawed logic and any attempted application of the law based on flawed logic and incorrect facts will lead to a result that is no more than a “legal nonsense”.
Or in other words their thinking is a load of bull!
awe_naw_no_armstrong_away_anaw_noo
Like Gene mentioned, I’m also looking forward to whatever it was the WC was hinting at over the weekend.
Some decisive action re: challenging / reviewing the LNS commission from El Pedro and his CEO chums from the other clubs, mibby?
Me and Wee BGFC were mightily impressed by the two new Bhoys on Saturday – Ncham looks like he will be a cracking, and dominating, midfielder – great range of passing and very powerful.
The winger, Benyu, was much better than we expected too – keen to track back and tackle, which BR will like.
Very good first half, tailed off against a strong Lyon team in the 2nd after we made some squad changes.
It was so great to be back at Paradise!!!
HH
BGFC