Quite apart from this week’s admission by First Minister, Alex Salmond, that he has been arguing with HM Revenue and Customs to “for goodness sake get a settlement” with Rangers, I continue to receive reliable assurances that HMRC are coming under pressure from all political angles to effectively offer state aid to Rangers FC PLC (in administration).
In short, if HMRC acquiesce, Rangers will have their debt zeroed and will be out of administration with only their 10 point penalty to show for years of financial doping.
Fifa guidelines explicitly prevent governments from interfering in football. State aid to any one club is about as explicit a contravention of Fifa rules as there can be. This jeopardises the places of Scottish clubs in next season’s European competitions and could lead to the Scotland national team being banned from the World Cup qualifying group, due to start later this year.
It is the SFA’s job to insist that all state intervention in football stops immediately. I urge you to write to the SFA chief executive, Stewart Regan, stewart.regan@scottishfa.co.uk
Celtic have an excellent chance of Champions League football next season and we don’t want politicians of any colour getting Scottish teams banned from international competition. The silence of the SFA on the subject, despite extensive media coverage, is very disconcerting.
It’s time for you to play your part in these important times.
Fancy writing something for CQN Magazine? Drop me an email and let me know what you would like to write about before you get started, just in case someone else has the same angle covered: celticquicknews@gmail.com.
There was some incredible late night action on the eBay action for the signed Celtic top in aid of the Vanessa Riddle Appeal. I’m stunned, check out the link below. You are pushing the reputation of supporters of Celtic Football Club ever higher.
Bid and help send Vanessa for the treatment she needs by clicking here. Only one day left.
If you would like to read CQN Magazine online (for free), click here. You can download a pdf of the magazine using the button at the top of the page, second from the right. Click on the link below to order a hard copy of the magazine.
You can support the online edition by making a discretionary donation here.
588 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
tues 21st
u17s
RFC v CFC at Murray Park, 7pm
James Forrest:
That is a great email. Well done and very good timing in sending it too.
Regans statement is good news, but, I am very concerned by his last paragraph:
Finally, I would like to reiterate the need to learn the lessons from this unedifying episode. It is essential that we work together to improve the overall sustainability and competitiveness of the game in this country. This is a matter that the Scottish FA is already in discussions with the relevant league bodies to address
This to me is indicates that the huns will get off with a slap on the wrist whatever the outcome of the inquiry.
Hail Hail
just out…
http://www.lostbhoys.com/2012/02/chris/podcast-131-live-and-let-die
Not a cat’s chance’s in hell of the hun being let off lightly – Celtic are prepared for every eventuality. There ies real anger at Paradise, and it’s right that there is.
As I read all the differing ideas regarding government intervention, with a view to helping rangers in their predicament,one thing is missing,it’s a glaring omission,one which,quite frankly,I’m astonished no-one else has highlighted before now.Where are the pleas from rangers themselves to be allowed to fulfill their obligations,without any help from other parties?,surely,an organisation of such “dignity”,would not entertain the idea of letting an outside group assist them,call me old-fashoined but,it has always been my belief,that everyone should deal with adversity with,”nobility”,especially an institution so steeped in these “virtues”.In summation,I remain confident,and indeed,anticipatory,of the statement from our beleaguered foe,to be left alone to deal with this latest “problem”.
bottom of the 3rd Division, at least
Strathclyde Police currently investigating official complaint from Celtic FC into comments made on referee Jeff Winter’s website.
It’s like the bit at the end of the film – the chief baddie is about to go down, but first viewers get to enjoy the demise of an less significant (yet more toxic somehow) villlain.
Hen1rik
You are some man for posting the belly rumbles on FF / RM
However the numbers you have included as very welcome.
I was about to post some figures that have been posted up on RTC.
You have the cash position when CW took over – £8mill in the bank.
The poster on RTC has a number for the cash position when he left – £4.5mill.
Explains a lot, suggests that they had more cash in May 2011 than I had envisaged.
My thoughts are that near the end of the season and SDM’s style would have had them pretty Skint without recourse to ant short term bank finance.
However SDM seems to have left him enough money to pay the May + June wage bill and probably enough to pay season end bonuses for the squad. I wonder how much money CW would have saved if Killie had fought enough for a draw.
However at least the full picture of the TFOD’s finances is starting to appear.
Starting cash = £8mill.
To this can be added –
Ticket money 2010/11 = Small
Player instalments outstanding = Substantial from memory.
TV / SPL / EUFA / Sponsor / JJB money – 2010/11 = Not sure of the timing.
Then we have the 2011/12 monies –
Player sales / instalments paid
Season ticket sales – 35K is my guess.
Individual ticket sales
TV / SPL / EUFA / Sponsor / JJB money – 2011/12 =
Odds and ends.
Money owed to SPL teams for tickets.
Money left in the TFOD = £4.5mill.
Any thoughts on how the club has managed its Cashflow?
Running costs of £3.5mill is a red herring.
Is this the figure if the PAYE / NI / VAT had been paid?
Paul 67
I would just like to thank you for providing the blog that, makes me feel like Gerry Marsden did when, he stood in the centre-circle of CP singing, YNWA in front of 60k of us and, Liverpool fans. The bit were Gerry say’s- “I LUV yeah, LUV yeah, LUV yeah!!!”
It’s taken me a while to, dispense with my(sack the board stuff) but, given the public stance taken by, PL especially, I now have the feeling that the whole of Timdom are, singing from the same hymn-sheet and, that makes beautiful music! IMO!
Hail! Hail!
has anyone had their email returned regarding marion.happ@uefa.ch
as i have
Finally …
The story of the TFOD having £4.5mill cash would seem to support the way they are acting – no big changes until Feb is out.
Players paid
Season tickets honoured.
No first day / week slash and burn of their cost base.
I think D+P get it.
Dignified end on Saturday then the chainsaw gets started up.
Just sent this to Michel Platini as requested. And fwded a copy to the SFA.
FAO Michel Platini
Dear Sir,
I am watching the emerging events surrounding Rangers FC with increasing concern. It seems increasingly clear that Rangers FC’s present financial troubles have been caused by years of financial activities that go way past bad practice and have been found to have been outwith the tax laws of the land. While no-one would seek to deny the considerable financial potential that Rangers’ large support offers to the Scottish league the stark reality is that this club has effectively cheated other clubs of cups and titles for over a decade through their complex system of tax-avoidance amounting to many tens of millions of pounds.
Against a backdrop of political disagreement over matters policy and constitutional between Prime Minister David Cameron and First Minister Alex Salmond it is striking that the only issue on which they appear to agree is the desirability of HMRC to ‘accommodate’ Rangers’ outstanding tax bill and attendant penalties in some way to facilitate a speedy rehabilitation of the club. This is being proposed despite the fact that many smaller clubs in Scotland who are facing the most pressing financial pressures have been left hundreds of thousands of pounds out of pocket as a result of the decision by the Rangers Chairman to place the club into administration.
The apparent haste with which these senior politicians are seeking to have Rangers extricated from their present (self-inflicted) difficulty in unseemly. I suspect that it is also however in direct contravention of FIFA rules preventing interference by state governments in matters of this kind. At this time it is vital that UEFA places these rapidly- unfolding events under close scrutiny to ensure that financial integrity and sporting fairness are preserved within Scottish football.
Yours sincerely,
Forget about Paul Murray.
Even now, reliable sources are saying Murray and Bain are behind this mess.
Surely not.
Even I don’t have that much brass…
NEW ARTICLE BHOYS…
………………………………………..
…………………………………………
ElDiegoBhoy says:
17 February, 2012 at 16:20
Just heard fire service have a vehicle on stand by in Balloch. Waiting for the candles on your cake.
Many happy returns.
Birthday Cake for ElDiegoBhoy
Clyde 1 NOW !
GOD BLESS ALL CELTIC SUPPORTERS!
No mercy! Strip ‘financial dopers’ Rangers of their titles, says Lennon
By Brian Marjoribanks The Daily Mail
Celtic boss Neil Lennon will call for Rangers to be retrospectively stripped of their ‘tainted titles and trophies’ should the crisis-stricken Ibrox club be found guilty of ‘financial doping’.
The Parkhead manager cited drug-cheat cyclist Alberto Contador as a sporting precedent, with the shamed Spaniard earlier this month having been stripped of his 2010 Tour de France and 2011 Giro D’Italia titles after testing positive for the banned substance clenbutorol.
Lennon is awaiting with interest the results of the tribunal into Rangers’ use of Employee Benefit Trusts (EBTs) between 2001 and 2010, which could land the Ibrox club a £75million tax bill.
And the Northern Irishman warned if it is proved Rangers ‘cheated’ him out of titles as a player in 2003 and 2005 – as well as Gordon Strachan’s team in 2009 and Tony Mowbray’s side in 2010 – by spending money they could not afford, he will be pursuing the matter with vigour.
‘A journalist recently used the expression ‘financial doping’ (in reference to Rangers) and, for me, doping is a sporting term for cheating,’ Lennon said.
‘And, in athletics, if you are caught doping, you are banned. Alberto Contador got stripped of his Tour de France win in 2010, so there are precedents there.
‘If it has had a direct effect on me in my playing days, I will come out and say something at that time.
‘As it is just now, it hasn’t been proved. But they (Rangers) are in administration for a reason and I am sure you guys (the media) will get to the bottom of it.
‘It’s not my business, not our club’s business, but it will be my business if it has affected me as a player or previous managers and has denied us titles and trophies in the past.
‘It’s all hearsay and hot air at the minute but, until the findings are out, we as a club won’t comment any more on it.’
It was put to Lennon that stripping the Ibrox club of their titles and cup wins retrospectively will not give Celtic the elation that comes with winning the SPL at the time.
He said: ‘It wouldn’t but it doesn’t mean to say that we won’t be angry about it.
‘And if we do win the title this season and people want to say it has been undermined (by Rangers being deducted 10 points and going into administration), I will have plenty to say about devalued titles over the years. That’s if we win the SPL, by the way.
‘I have great sympathy for my counterpart (Ally McCoist), having to go through what he is going through at the minute when it has nothing to do with him.
‘I have sympathy for the players too, obviously. And it’s a really tough time for a lot of people at the club but, while I have sympathy for them, I have no sympathy for a lot of other people involved.’
Lennon admitted the club’s supporters were unhappy with both First Minister Alex Salmond and Prime Minister David Cameron’s pleas that HMRC should work with Rangers to help them out of their crisis.
He believes the Celtic fans are left wondering why there was not such a clamour to save their team when it was on the brink of going bust 18 years ago.
He said: ‘There is more disquiet among the supporters (than the club). I think their view on it is that there wasn’t much help coming our way in 1994, so why should other clubs be treated differently.’
His comments came just 24 hours after Celtic issued a stinging rebuke to Salmond for claiming the Parkhead outfit could not prosper without Rangers.
If the Ibrox club do go bust, Lennon admits he would miss the rivalry and he claimed there was hypocrisy among people now claiming the Old Firm rivalry is good for Scottish football, with the first anniversary approaching of last March’s ‘Shame Game’ when he and McCoist famously clashed on the touchline.
Lennon said: ‘The club made its statement yesterday and I endorse that. We are talking hypothetically here because the administrator says there is a good chance liquidation will be unlikely.
‘But it (Rangers) would be a loss to football, that’s for sure.
‘The thing we would all miss (if Rangers die) are the games. World football would miss that because it is the ultimate derby game.
‘But the ironic thing is that last year we had the “shame game” and everyone was coming out and saying we don’t need the Old Firm. Now everyone’s saying we do need it. They can’t make up their minds.’