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.
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REPOST
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS says:
17 February, 2012 at 13:21
Fair play to my buddy,he disnae want to discuss his club’s imminent demise.
He thinks there are far funnier things out there,and suggests a look at this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g45KtHN37bo#
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He might be right for a minute or two!
Good thinking Paul!
I sent an e-mail to Regan yesterday but copied in UEFA and so far no response from either. Everyone seems out there depth on this one except our board and long may that continue,
Here’s the e-mail for what it’s worth
Dear Mr Regan,
I have been somewhat dismayed to see the Scottish Football Associations lack of action on the unprecedented statements made by Conservative, Labour and Scottish Nationalist politicians in recent days, who openly admit to attempting to influence tax authorities regarding the on going dispute regarding Rangers failure to pay the correct amount of taxes
As I’m sure your aware there are few things that FIFA and UEFA take a dimmer view of than state interference in football matters. The rules are clear – and they have been contravened.
The “Scotland needs Rangers” argument is clearly a popular one in certain circles, but to come at the cost of World Cup qualification for Scotland, and European places for teams operating correctly would be such a gross injustice, the game in this country would be damaged beyond repair. As someone who has invested thousands of pounds in the Scottish game over the past 10 years, incorrectly believing it to be contested on a legitimate level playing field please don’t allow another sporting travesty to happen, as I would be unable to spend another penny on our game.
Yours sincerely
RobertTressell – I look forward to one day having to explain to my Celtic-supporting grandchildren what a “Rangers” was. :)
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one. (thumbsup)
Fabric of Scottish society
The Sky deal
Institution
The Old Firm
John Yorkstone
David Cameron
The Uefa Cup Final in Manchester
The ‘Big’ House.
The livelihood of people who work for Rangers…
Just some of the snippets and people I’ve heard over the past 48 hours.
These fools will not let that club leave the succour that is the SPL never mind observe their liquidation.
The biggest existing metaphor for greed and amoral existence I’ve witnessed will go left unchecked.
In these days of austerity, the politicos and the money psychopaths need the populace distracted by the last gravy train (Bar the pretence of reality TV) – professional football.
And HMRC will buckle. I am sure of it.
And Govan’s Hoi Polloi will go arm and arm down Copeland with proof, if it were ever needed, that they are indeed the peepil.
And Hearts might go next and they might even say – but you did it for them!!
And the reply will be – So what? That was them.
A free pass. Google eyes as the bogey man and a return for ironsides and his cronies (Although they will affect humility in taking up their positions again) and as they shut the boardroom doors they’ll be wetting themselves through laughter.
Dove e Bain?
We should ask ourselves one question – If our board had been so wrecklessly pound foolish and were in the same position – do you think any of the above people would be riding to the rescue of Glasgow Celtic.
Curse them. Curse them all. They’re making a mockery of everything, not just football. And people like Yorkston and Peat will be there to say that whatever the cost it is worth it…
Sad days. Sad days indeed.
U
Email sent to Regan copying in Fifa!
There is no danger of Rangers getting off Scot free with a £0 tax bill. The issue has been reportes on the national TV networks and also is the subject of daily coverage by Sky Sports News. It is well entrenched in the public domain and any businesses/Football clubs who have had to fold recently because they had an action brought against them by HMRC would have recourse to law. Stop panicking. The English broadsheets and media would be on this story like a flash.
Cameron made similar comments in Parliament afew weeks ago re. Portsmouth having to be saved. Today they are in administration. Politicians can say a lot of things. They will not pursue this matter. It could open a can of worms that calls their judgement and morals into question.
It is simply indefensible for any political leader to intervene against the interests of the country to save an institution that has broken the law by a deliberate strategy of tax evasion (illegal use of EBTs) and theft (misappropriation of PAYE and NI contributions from May 2011 to date). There is also the question of theft of £5million VAT in respect of season ticket sales for the next 3 or 4 seasons.
Imagine you are David Cameron on the election trail and a desperate Labour Party trying to gain power. How simple it would be on an open debate on television to discredit DC as being the PM who supports criminality. How could any Tory politician present their economic manifesto to the country without being hopelessly tradduced by standing idly by while Rangers evaded punishment over failure to pay their Income Tax.
EKBhoy 13.23. How could you forget The Murray? I can also add the toilets end of The Charlie bar :o) Hail hail sTICks
Just emailed Regan & UEFA as follows:
Mr. Regan,
I wish to protest to the Scottish Football Authorities and to UEFA, regarding their stance over the blatant political interference in the ongoing Glasgow Rangers administration case.
Both the Scottish First Minister and the UK PM have made supportive statements about Rangers. That is fine and wholely understandable; HOWEVER the statements were couched in such terms as to apply direct pressure on HMRC, in order to to have them “go easy” on a club that has quite frankly cheated the UK taxpayer over a long period of time. The full extent of this cheating and tax evasion still has to be ascertained but your organisation and UEFA have rules that exclude political intervention in matters of this sort.
My question to both organisations is “what are you going to do about it?” Failure to provide satisfactory answers will lead to the deathknell of Scottish football and will not be understood by the many people who seek only fairness.
Respectfully,
GerryBhoy
The Narrowbhoat Tim – It looks like an angry walrus
(thumbsup)
Margaret McGill
wow is that really the case Margaret? I thought it would have just involved our FA and our teams ? Now if that was the case England would certainly have something to say about that
Roddybhoy
Paul67,
If there are serious moves afoot to provide State Aid then I suggest the best route to go down is to alert BIS and the European Union. The UK government is very sensitive to illegal State Aid – they took great care to “ok” it with the EU before providing support to the banks – and I can’t accept that they would allow a Scottish SME to be supported in this way.
Any or all Scottish clubs are entitled to challenge such an award as being anti-competitive. No need to go via the SFA, although UEFA’s bizarre rules about Government intervention add another strange dimension to this, which I admit, I don’t fully understand.
However, this situation needs to be brought to the attention of the Celtic board as well as other like-minded SPL clubs immediately.
Good call, Paul. Emails sent.
Their inboxes will be in meltdown !
Govan branch of Greggs closes, punters outraged
(thumbsup)
This govt interference is a serious risk to Celtic. Peter Lawell should intervene – NOW
Greece given suspension by Fifa
European champions Greece ignored repeated warnings, say Fifa
Fifa has suspended European champions Greece and its member clubs from international competition because of government interference in the sport.
World governing body Fifa said the Hellenic Football Federation had broken rules on “the independence of members and decision-making in each country”.
It means Greek clubs and officials are banned from European competitions.
And it jeopardises Steve McClaren’s first game as England boss – a friendly against Greece on 16 August.
The suspension will be in place with “immediate effect and until further notice”, according to a Fifa statement.
HFF spokesman Michalis Tsapidis said the federation was shocked at the verdict.
“It is something that was not expected,” he said.
“There will be an emergency press conference on Tuesday at our headquarters at midday when our president Mr (Vasilis) Gagatsis will give our official reactions and news of what steps we plan to take.
“Fifa’s ruling deals specifically with the independence of the national federation but it is a very complicated issue.
“We, of course, hope for a quick and favourable solution to this problem for the good of Greek football.”
Fifa said that it had issued several warnings to the HFF to guarantee, by a 15 July deadline, that the running of football in the country would be free from political involvement – but this had been ignored.
If Greece have been suspended by Fifa, we would want to speak to Fifa and the Greek Federation to clarify the situation
FA spokesman Adrian Bevington
In particular, Fifa cited a proposed new Greek law on professional football leagues in the country that “constitutes another example of interference from the government in football affairs”.
Sports Minister George Orfanos drafted the law shortly after the conservatives came to power in 2004, and the Greek FA claim it compromises its independence.
Orfanos had repeatedly publicly pledged to revise the law but never did.
Therefore, the statement added, “the Fifa Emergency Committee has determined that this suspension is necessary”.
Orfanos expressed surprise at the ban and said he would seek contact with Fifa president Sepp Blatter on Tuesday.
Orfanos told state-run NET television: “We explained our positions to Mr Blatter at a meeting in Zurich on 29 May, and he assured us he understood our view.”
Orfanos said the Greek FA, which receives state financial support, has undemocratic voting rules and lacks transparency.
“The HFF does not observe the laws of the country,” he said.
“We want more democratic voting rules – rules that apply to all other sporting federations in Greece. If they insist, state protection will be withdrawn.”
The HFF released their own comunique, accusing Orfanos of “playing with fire”.
“He is leading Greek football to international isolation and placing it outside the international soccer community,” read the statement.
“Instead of fully freeing Greek soccer from state intervention, (Orfanos) has legalized state intervention and sidelined the federation, with no concern for the consequences that have been explained to him in detail.”
Under the suspension, the likes of AEK Athens, Olympiakos and Panathinaikos will not be allowed to compete in the Champions League or Uefa Cup next season.
Greek FA chief Vassilis Gagatsis, who has repeatedly clashed with Sports Minister George Orfanos over the non-independence matter, refused to comment on the suspension.
Meanwhile, the Football Association’s director of communications Adrian Bevington said that he would seek clarification on the matter to find out if England’s friendly against Greece at Old Trafford could go ahead.
“Obviously, if Greece have been suspended by Fifa, we would want to speak to Fifa and the Greek Federation to clarify the situation,” he said.
Awe_Naw
That is dated 13/02/2012
This is what was dated 14/02/2012
Paul Clark and David Whitehouse, both of Duff & Phelps, the corporate financial advisory firm, have been appointed Joint Administrators of Rangers Football Club, as of today, 14th February 2012.
The appointment follows a petition for administration presented to the Court of Session in Edinburgh today by HMRC following the non-payment of circa £9m PAYE and VAT following the takeover of the Club in May 2011.
Paul Clark, partner, Duff & Phelps stated: “HMRC have been working closely with the Club in recent months to achieve a solution to the Club’s difficulties. However this has not been possible due to ongoing losses and increased tax liabilities that cannot be sustained,”
“We are working together with management and its major creditors including HMRC to achieve a solution to the financial problems which will ensure the ongoing survival of the business, which is of paramount importance to all concerned,” he added.
Paul concluded: “We would like to take the opportunity of thanking the fans for all their past and present support and hope we can rely on them in the future. Rangers has a long and proud sporting tradition – one we all wish to see continue. All stakeholders involved with Rangers are working hard to ensure the long-term future of this national institution. We will be making a further more detailed statement later in the week,” he added.
Mort
Summa of Sammi…. says @ 13:23
OCTOPUS PRESS STATEMENT ON TICKETUS
17 February 2012
Octopus Investments would like to clarify the position of Ticketus with regard to the current Glasgow Rangers coverage.
Ticketus is one of the many entities into which Octopus Protected EIS invests. Ticketus has purchased tickets for Glasgow Rangers games for a number of seasons in advance, as it has done for a number of years previously with the club.
Ticketus does not lend money; Ticketus is the owner of assets – the tickets. Octopus is continuing to work with the administrators and Glasgow Rangers on this matter.
Summa
Sorry to say I had to check their website to see if what you posted was true.
And it is!
See: http://www.octopusinvestments.com/press/news.html?newsId=363
At face value this is a staggering admission: are they saying they have no security for their ‘loan’?
FF
RANGERS manager Ally McCoist claims he has not even contemplated the prospect of quitting the Scottish champions, insisting yesterday: “We don’t do walking away.”
Running away from the police is another matter. (thumbsup)
R@ngers pub names
The Busted Bear.
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire says:
17 February, 2012 at 13:36
There is a far simpler and less time consuming way to make sure
The rotten mob don’t get all their own way.
Sign the bloody petition, 100000 signatures gets the subject discussed
In the UK parliament
Duly signed!
Gerry
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo says:
17 February, 2012 at 13:39
Duff & Phelps
The Rangers Football Club Plc : Latest Position13/02/2012
Current PositionThe directors of The Rangers Football Club plc (“the…
Greenwells Glory says:
17 February, 2012 at 13:25
Paulus XLCVII, Salve salve;- Bennedicamus te, How does it feel to be drinking sweet wine from the cup of vindication? You have been on absolutely sparkling form of late and have added gereatly to the general sense of merriment and myrth. Your critique of Alex Mugabe was particularly devastating; I do not like him or his side kick wee Granny Mutch (AKA Nichola Knitted Knickers) and as for his drunken dunce of a justice minister (allegedly) ? well lets just leave it. A very interesting statement from Ticketus with respect to not holding tickets but having security or words to that effect. Even more so when taken together with the Duff bros statement about our hero possibly not having the floating charge. Hmmmm as you are wont to say. Lastly, No surrender Johnstone?
Hee hee hee you’re a not a very naughty boy, you’re the messiah.
BTW is Cousin in or out?
Minty and whitey’s rangers phoenix
Greenwells
Ceterum censeo, Ibroxio delenda est
share
Emails sent to SFA,Stewart Regan,Uefa and Alex Salmond.
jtsTICks says:
17 February, 2012 at 13:41
Ah the Murray Bar, last time I was in there , they wouldn’t serve me because they thought I was the polis (just had a haircut that morning), one of the regulars recognised me from footie days and I got served.
The well known local builder and their mates have sorted that bar at least once!!
Bhoys in any help in what to write in this emails would be appreciated.
Comical Ally news conference on SSN, he’s feeling more positive than he has at any time in months and the league title race is not over.
Ticketus – so they’re not creditors. But they own Rangers Season Tickets. Question of course would they own Newco Season Tickets ?
Henr1k,
Could you please contact me via e mail or my facebook page with your name and the town/city you live in?
Cheers
If they get bailed out then every club may as well throw in the towel season on season just let them hold the trophy up as what’s the point?
jock steins celtic says:
17 February, 2012 at 13:13
Paul 67 is this a spoof ?
anyway they still owe 24m to Ticketus, 9m for PAYE, plus all the other debts. even if the big tax case disappeared they’d still go under IMO
The Ticketus payment is a scam to prevent HMRC becoming a 75% creditor…..
Paul 67
I’ve been saying here on YOUR wonderful blog that, the protestant majority of this country will, by way of the ‘secret’ handshake, conspire/circle the wagons/etc… to get the huns off the hook!
It pains me to say it but, no pain no gain!IMO!
Scotland IS the huns, the hns ARE Scotland!
I still can’t believe the amount of fans who are unaware of that fact ?
The Celtic board/PLC/hierarchy have put on a good public stance so far. IMO!
But privately….even they know whats coming over the hill ???mmm
Hail! Hail!
Snake Plisskin,
Yes, this could get very messy. A bit of scaremongering amongst the English would do no harm at all though.
There is no way that HMRC will do a deal.
Some have said that they will accept some of their cash rather than risk getting nothing, but this is not really about the money for them. It’s about hammering home the principle that football clubs are not above the law when it comes to tax.
They want to show all other football clubs who owe them money, or who might come to think that not paying tax is a good idea, exactly what can happen.
Songs For Sunday:
ROY WOOD AND WIZARD REMIX:
Oh, I wish it could be Christmas every day,
When the Taxman comes and puts the Huns away (Harmony: Get them tae F***!),
Oh I wish it could be Christmas every da-ay,
Cheating Huns in administration
Doo-doo-de-doo
Cheating Huns in admin-i-strationnnnn
(Jail them all!)
Repeat until sick with schadenfreude.
Paul67 – Email sent it is a disgrace we have heard nothing from the SFA – a disgrace but not surprising!
Laughing out loud in the office at the pub names – chap walks past – great site that!
Sorry can’t remember who said it think it was you Hamiltontim – best and worst game – Partizan Belgragde exact same for me loved it and then hated it! Best atmosphere I think I had experienced up until that time! Been a right good few atmosphere’s since!
hen1rik – Bhoys in any help in what to write in this emails would be appreciated.
DEER SANTA
GONNAE NO LIT THE RAINGERS GO INTAE LIKWI- LIQA- ehhh, DAE A MIDNIGHT FLIT.
AH HUV BEAN A GOOD BEAR THIS YEER
WATP
“HENR1K”
AGED 47 1/2
(thumbsup)
Son of Warsaw – so no one holds 75% of debt ? which means an impasse ?
No probs mate.
philvisreturns says:
17 February, 2012 at 13:54
Bad, bad man.