After they hatched their plan to blackmail Scottish Football League clubs into voting Newco into the First Division, Stewart Regan, Neil Doncaster and David Longmuir might have paused to wonder what reaction they would receive.
You better believe they didn’t anticipate the reaction today from Clyde and Raith Rovers. Rovers chairman, Turnbull Hutton, told BBC Scotland’s Jim Spence, “If we are at the stage of bending rules and accommodating, threatening and blackmailing, we want to give it up.”
“Bending rules… threatening… blackmailing…we want to give it up”.
Hutton went on to suggest heads should roll at the SFL, SFA and SPL. He’s the first from within the football establishment to call for sackings but he’ll not be the last.
An extensive statement by Clyde FC concluded, “The papers include a proposal to allow a Newco to enter the 1st Division. This is contrary to the rules of the SFL and nothing within the papers justifies this proposal.”
Regan, Doncaster and Longmuir will now be contemplating that their bully-boy tactics will fail. SLF clubs will vote against their recommendations and SPL clubs will not stop promotion from the lower leagues based on merit. It looks like abject failure of leadership.
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As an Irishman I am often embarrassed by the ‘nod and wink’ culture in local and national government, not quite widespread corruption, but a culture of favours nonetheless. However, thankfully Irish sport appears clean. You can go to a match, whatever sport, on a Sat or Sunday and the best team will win. When I look across the short stretch of water to Scotland, I am frankly astounded. Cheating, corruption and bigotry, clear and loud from the sport of the nation. How this can happen in the UK in this day and age, I do not know. I despair for our Scottish bhoys, it is disgusting from afar, I can only imagine what it is like to have to live in such a society. Keep the faith. HH
vote NO to toxico
Eurochamps67 on 30 June, 2012 at 17:15 said:
Canamalar
I tend to ignore your posts, I find it better that way.
However when you abuse very good Celtic men, like BJMac, just because their viewpoint differs from you then I do wonder what motivates you.
I have never, not once, tried to have you removed from the site at any time.
I am 100 percent pro democracy and free speech.
Anyone who has ever spoken to me will struggle to understand your statement re my alleged (declaration that hundead tax evasion was not a profound issue).
When did I make such a declaration?
I have no idea what thought processes you employ.
I do know that your intimidatory assertions are not the musings of a wholesome Celtic man that I would wish to acquaint.
May therefore ask you to accept that in future I wish to have no further correspondence with yourself and would respectfully ask from using my name on this very fine blog.
EC67
Go back and read the conversation, the abuse was not started by me at no point did I questinhis mental health or his allegance.
What I have noted is everytime I get int an argument with one of you hypocrites, the rest are soon in there ignoring the discussion and trying to make it personal, as you know I have no problem with that and never will have , trick being when I’ve bitch slapped your champion you all try and make me out the instigator.
You were asked could the unpaid tax led to the death of british soldiers (how profound does it need to be) you said NO
thats when you and the peewee supportes assoc began trying to have a go at every contentious thing I said, in fact it got so silly, things I suggested were ridiculed only to be raised a couple of weeks later as a good idea ffs.
As for using your eurochamps67 thanks, look forward to bating you with that in future.
eurochaps
eurochump
•-:¦:-•** -:¦:- sparkleghirl :¦:-.•**• -:¦:-• on 30 June, 2012 at 17:11 said:
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon..!!..Truth and Justice HAS prevailed
Given that the first game is against Aberdeen, the obvious choice is “Celtic welcomes Scotlands second most sucessful ever existing team”
jungle jam67 on 30 June, 2012 at 17:13 said:
I don’t think the SFL can be accused of failure yet …?
‘crushed nuts?’ ‘Naw, Layringitis!’ on 30 June, 2012 at 17:15 said:
LLLLLLOOOOOLLLLLL ………..
What about
NIGHT IS DARKEST JUST BEFORE THE DAWN
The most incredible thing about this farce is how quickly it has spiralled out of the control of Doncaster (and, sadly I suspect, Regan). Every time Doncaster has tried to frame the debate to favour RFC/Sevco, he has met resistsance from fans and now chairmen. His cack-handed attempt to bully clubs really needs to work or his position is absolutely untenable.
Indeed, I suspect it already is. There now seems to be fewer and fewer ways to get Sevco into any league next year. The SPL have said no and it looks like the SFL are about to say the same. Added to that the still to be resolved BTC result and player registration issues, and I honestly think the chances of any football at Ibrox in the coming season must be rated less than 50-50.
Now we have a potential new development. Refugee players are signing for foreign teams, but who holds their registration? If the SFA doesn’t sort this pronto then FIFA will be forced to get involved. The last thing anyone at Hampden or Ibrox wants is FIFA’s beady eye coming to rest on this fiasco. Yet to hold off FIFA, the SFA (led remember, by the “Great Administrator”) will be forced to acknowledge that Sevco has no hold on the registrations and will thus effectively confirm the death of RFC and crystallise the uncertain legal position of the would-be Club12…
With all these twists, turns, corruptions, and unforeseen consequences, this whole saga would have made a perfect series of The Wire…
“Senior Hampden source tells #c4news cannot see how RFC were allowed to play last season at all. Doesn’t believe they met finance criteria…”
Alex Thomson’s tweets yesterday re ‘senior Hampden source’ casting doubt on Rangers’ eligibility to obtain a Club Licence last year were rather intriguing.
We have by now a clearer picture of the failure of governance at Rangers through the David Murray/ John McClelland/ Alastair Johnston/ Craig Whyte years, albeit we await further definitive details from the judgement of the Tax Tribunal. Essentially, over a period spanning 2 decades, the means that Rangers used to sustain its football operation utterly disregarded the requirements of both corporate governance and football regulation. While the scandal related solely to payments and procedures within Rangers, we could hope that it was contained internally.
However, the revelation that Rangers paid former manager Souness via EBT while he was manager at Blackburn Rovers confirmed for the first time that the scandal had become external. I understand that RangersTaxCase and Alex Thomson have further information on the extent of payments to Souness and also to Walter Smith, and look forward to the details being revealed, but it is now clear that the Rangers ‘toxin’ had leached out of the club by 2001.
The compelling question now is: How far did the toxin spread?
Was it contained within the ‘outer circle’ of former Rangers employees, however inexplicable such payments may appear? Or did it extend beyond that outer circle, and contaminate senior figures in the Game in Scotland. The contamination does not relate solely to payments from Rangers’ offshore trust, but more subtly perhaps, the behaviour of individuals in positions of influence.
We know that Rangers’ Executive Chairman John McClelland was an SPL Board member during the startling ramp up of EBT use from 2003 to 2005, and was himself a beneficiary of the scheme.
We know that Rangers’ Chief Executive Martin Bain was an SPL Board member 2008 to 2011, coinciding with the receipt by Rangers of the HMRC assessments on the EBT scheme, of which he was himself a beneficiary.
We know that current SFA President Campbell Ogilvie was simultaneously an SFA Director and Executive Director and Company Secretary of Rangers, and was a beneficiary of the scheme.
These parallel functions of course present a profound conflict of interest for each man, at once implementing a scam on the Game to disguise a fraud on the Revenue, while owing specific legal duties of care to the Game being scammed.
So far, so shabby.
Thomson’s tweets yesterday indicate a doubt on the part of a ‘senior Hampden source’ that Rangers were eligible to hold a Club Licence last season, thus disqualifying them from participating in European competition, and perhaps Scottish Football too. Is this doubt grounded in a retrospective review of the licence qualifying criteria given what has emerged recently? Or was there a ‘blind eye’ turned by the SFA’s Licensing Committee to information in the public domain at the time of the Licence application? In this respect the ‘Wee Tax Case’ represented a fundamental failure against at least one Licence criterion.
The proposals to the SFL clubs this week make it plain that should the SFA conclude the outstanding Disciplinary issues against Rangers with either suspension or expulsion of Rangers from the SFA (perhaps the only sanctions remaining available to the SFA following Lord Glennie’s Judicial Review) that the Game will face ‘financial meltdown’.
Concurrently, the SPL has adjudged Rangers to have a prima facie case to answer in respect of SPL rule breaches on player registration, the outcome of which will confirm that the club fielded ineligible players in upwards of 400 SPL matches. The only possible disciplinary outcome given such a sustained breach of SPL rules, corrupting the completion as it did from its inception in 1999 to 2011, is expulsion from the SPL.
As a consequence, the SFA, as the authority responsible for implementing FIFA’s Rules on the Registration of Players, will be required to act on these breaches of FIFA rules. Again, expulsion for what amounts to Championship fixing is inevitable.
Curiously, the SFL, this week asking its members to vote to admit the Sevco Rangers club into their top tier, has the same issue given that its League Cup competition featured dozens of ineligible Rangers players through the years, and further claims by Hugh Adam that its ‘Premier Division’ competition during the 1990s was similarly bent through the use of ‘off the books’ payments to players by Rangers.
The scale of it all is breathtaking, and were the rules of the Game to be applied, Rangers FC would be expelled from each Governing body in turn, before we even consider the extraordinary breaches of faith and duties by co-serving Directors.
But according to the SFL/SFA/SPL circular to clubs, “Rangers Terminated or Suspended’ will cause “Financial Meltdown”.
To avoid this meltdown, it is proposed by the Executives of the combined SFL/SFA/SPL that the rules of the Game are not applied to Rangers, and that the clubs effectively rewrite the rule book to permit what remains of the club to compete at the top of the SFL.
In effect, according to the Governing Bodies, the Rules of the Game CANNOT be applied to Rangers or the Game’s finances will ‘meltdown’.
The corollary question this raises is: For how long have the Governing bodies been so unable to apply the Rules of the Game to Rangers? Is this a new epiphany, or a longer standing recognition?
When Rangers submitted their allegedly ineligible application for a Club Licence in 2011, did the SFA recognise that Rangers failing to participate in Europe would cause the club to fail, as it subsequently did? Were the Rules ignored to avoid ‘financial meltdown’ then?
How far did the toxin spread?
Did this recognition extend back to the period following the disintegration of Murray International, hitherto Rangers’ source of continuing funding? Was the season of ‘Honest Mistakes’ some absurd, dutiful reaction to the recognition that should Rangers fail, Scottish Football would melt down?
Was the ineligible status of so many of Rangers’ first team players noticed prior to the SPL’s Inquiry commencing on 5th March? Was it noticed in an Audit as part of the SFA’s Club Licensing process some years ago? Was it noticed by the recent SFA Chief Executive Gordon Smith, who as an Agent had represented players on Rangers’ books through his Directorship of Prostar Management and other Agencies?
Beyond the duplicity of Ogilvie, McClelland and Bain, were Rangers’ irregular practices known to others at the SFA and SPL, others who chose not to address the matter, thus further contaminated the Governing Bodies with the Rangers toxin?
It is heartening that the Liquidators of Rangers plc will be instructed to examine all of the circumstances surrounding the failure of Rangers as a corporate entity. Equally, perhaps the detail contained in the Tax Tribunal judgement will reveal further connections, hitherto unknown.
What is likely to remain hidden from view though, is the full extent to which key influencers at the Governing Bodies were aware of Rangers’ conduct and circumstances, and how this affected their behaviour and their decision making in applying the rules of the Game to that club.
What we can say with certainty now though is that the people holding office at the Governing Bodies are unable or unwilling to apply the Rules of the Game to Rangers, despite the breaches being fundamentally and profoundly corrupt. The SFA and SPL, despite having outstanding disciplinary cases against Rangers that will, in all other circumstances see the club expelled from the Game, are intent to delete the cases provided the SFL clubs accept the Sevco Rangers into the SFL’s top division.
The Rules of the Game cannot be applied to Rangers.
When the rules cannot be applied, the Game itself is broken, and we can say now with some certainty that the Rangers toxin has spread beyond the club, its former employees and Directors of the Governing Bodies, and contaminated the very Game itself. The Office Bearers of the SFA, whose FIFA mandate requires them to “protect and foster the Game” in Scotland, and “protect it from abuses”, have contrived to do the contrary, to the point where the Game is stricken.
It is for this reason that a thorough clear out of the Office Bearers in the Governing Bodies is now a prerequisite to the Game recovering from the poison inflicted upon it by Rangers. The dissolution of the Governing Bodies is perhaps appropriate.
Clear your desk Gentlemen, the bus to ignominy departs shortly.
GB banner first day of the season…
rear-end of 4 horsemen going off into the sunset…
“your day came and went”
or
“job done”
:)
The Comfortable Collective on 30 June, 2012 at 17:32 said:
Brilliant ……the GB could have a few banners at this rate
I said last week this hair brain nonsense would not get any purchase in the minds of the rational (non Hun) fan mind. At the end of the day Fan’s own football – time for those supposedly leading Football to be reminded – Go fans/internet bampots Go!
need some staycation holiday tips.
last few years we have stayed at home for the summer due to taking elderly mother in law with us, and to be honest ive enjoyed it every bit as much as foreign.
this year I fancy Western Highlands, Skye or the Dornoch firth.
i like the lodge / cottage type holidays anyone recommend places to go.
cheers.
Promosing words from these clubs today, good to see.
Turnbull Hutton on the radio
Via @CelticResearch on that twitter.
Paul,
I agree with the sentiments that you express here.
However, I am disappointed and a bit confused at the behaviour of Regan and Doncaster. Particularly Regan.
I welcomed their appointments – seemingly based on merit – and they were ‘outsiders’ who hopefully were not tainted by the funny handshake culture.
Early indications were that Regan was appalled at what he saw going on inside the sfa. He seemed keen to get rid of the old mason’s network.
So, what has happened to him? With Ogilvie unable to understand the basic premise of conflict of interest, there was a golden opportunity for Regan to argue for a mandate to push on, on his own.
Like I said, I don’t understand what his motivations are at this point. Can anyone clarify?
Roddick Ferrer 1 set all, Murray wont start til about 8pm at this rate.
Le Havre AC statement issued earlier:
Beset by serious financial difficulties, the Scottish club Rangers FC will finally not be the enemy of Le Havre for the stadium opener on July 12.
Beset by serious financial difficulties, the Scottish club Rangers FC is no longer included in the official calendar of the championship of the first division of Scotland 2012-2013.
Given the large uncertainties about the future of the Scottish club, all the summer friendlies planned by the Rangers are canceled. The Scottish club will not take part either in tournaments planned in Southampton on July 14.
http://www.hac-foot.com/actualite/match-inaugural-du-stade-oceane-ce-ne-sera-pas-les-rangers.html
Top Corner
Awe, that’s the one ……..if they choose that one, I will NOT be able to watch the game …… I will need medical attention
GB …….. GET IT DONE, OR YOU WILL HAVE ME TO ANSWER TO
Paul
Have to say im really surprised and delighted at the same time that so many Scottish teams are against this farce especially when you consider not 1 mention of Celtic or the old firm
I still live in hope that we have an opportunity to clean up domestic football and establish the fabled, long-hoped-for level playing field. The key requirement for restoring the game to good health remains the same – we must excise the cancer which is at the root of the problems so it is heartening to hear more and more clubs expressing the view that they not longer regard it as a benign tumour.
Might I be so bold as to draw attention to a blogpost from this morning which starts and ends with the position that there is absolutely no argument in favour of any form of Rangers being allowed to participate in Scottish senior football next season?
http://henryclarson.wordpress.com/2012/06/30/when-theres-no-room-left-in-hell/
Canamalar.
Just read your last post on previous article. Having apologised to you (ok you were not aware I had at the time) for digging you about the use of your alcohol analogy after your stating you were not aware of BJmac’s fight with alcohol and your subsequent machiavellian proclamation I note you now stand by your analogy. Whether you used it with or without the knowledge of BJmac’s fight is now moot as you state you feel it now has more meaning than when it was just an unfortunate analogy on your part previously.
Seems a bit cruel.
MWD
‘Welcome to the Thunderdome’
That’ll do for the Dandy Dons
HH
praecepta on 30 June, 2012 at 16:29 said:
Doc is Neil Lennon on 30 June, 2012 at 15:36 said:
thomthethim CQN (genuine) Badge Wearer on 30 June, 2012 at 15:36 said:
Apologies for the delay, needed to feed the kids.
The foreseeable future is indeed in Scotland, we do therefore need to accommodate every other club. They have to be able to compete on a level playing field, it’s what we want.
I wholeheartedly agree when this mess has played out Celtic will take the lead, democratically, and the game will adjust financially, any further casualties will be responsible for their own downfall. cut your cloth!
Now to read Paul’s article.
MDW,
apologies, I mis read your apology, and you can stick it.
The issue was not if the argument was misplaced or unfortunate analogy, it was that you accused me of deliberately setting out to raise it because I wanted to attack an alchoholic.
Again the analogy is\was perfect to make my point regardless of the state of the mans issues.
And if we have to dance around their sensibilities of every problem everyone has, in fear of having it thrown in our face as premeitated assault, then debate is dead, regardless of the motives .
ask eurochump67
Looks like Phil Mac Giolla Bhain got it right again. Alex Thomson has been tweeting that his mole at the SFA admits Rangers shouldnt have been playing football at all last season since they didnt meet financial criteria. I seem to remember the mainstream media (Darryl King in particular) rubbishing Phil’s claims that this was a newsworthy story worth pursuing last year. Hardly anyone supported Phil’s position at the time (even amongst the Celtic support there were few takers). The only disappointing thing was after a brief flurry of activity Phil seemed to let the matter slide. In the fullness of time it should still be seen as a great scoop. Well done Phil kudos to you. To his many doubters GIRUY.
Turnbull Hutton was a straight talker in his United Distillers days. A really good speaker, his peers listen to him. I’m pretty sure that continues with his football peers.
He, along with the outstanding statement from Clyde ( and many others recently, such as Petrie) show that there are many leaders in the Scottish game.
They just don’t -as yet – have the positions of power.
Game of thrones analogies are trendy at the moment. I can’t remember the quote from Varys in detail, but along the lines of who really holds sway over the people, is it the king, the religious leader or the extremely wealthy man. Answer, whoever the people believe has the power. It looks like everyone knows who no longer has the power.
The rangers are living – barely! – in interesting times.
Banner, sorry REM.
It’s the end of the Huns as we know it, and I feel fine!
TBB
Another excellent piece of work.
EC67
gallagher on 30 June, 2012 at 17:40 said:
Bit sheepish …….???? ……..LOL
weeron @ 17:38
http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/?p=9693&cpage=2#comment-1479335
Same here.
I’ve tended to give Regan the benefit of the doubt, perhaps for too long, because I could see the strength of an argument that he might be having to play a long game against enemies within. But the more time has passed, the harder it has become to hold on that interpretation.
The fact that Ogilvie has seemed to be bullet-proof throughout this saga (metaphorically speaking, of course) is only stimulating speculation about the nature of the apparent hold he has over those who ought to be able to undermine his position.
MDW,
the analogy was not aimed at an alchoholic that was unfortunate I do admit that, but the analogy stands regardless.
So far, and heres the sting, no one has took the analogy apart and discredited it ,which would have been a much better argument, and as you know (Ihope), I am always open to correction.
I can only assume that in the context of the discussion, there is nothing wrong with the analogy, therefore all the objections to it being used are purely at a personal level, I know eurochump67 and philistineboy’s objections are at a personal level since I outed eurochump67 as tax dogder
All this saying No to newco bodes well for the future of football in Scotland. Great news. Let the right heads roll; may their replacements exercise their office with responsibility and integrity.
gallagher on 30 June, 2012 at 17:40 said:
What about a picture of a sheep standing behing a bhun ……. With the bhun saying
ACT NATURAL
ACT NATURAL
AAAAACT NAAAATURAL
Canamalar,
seeing as you are open to correction,
its MWD you are replying to ;-)))))
El scorcho on The Algarve, have to get my cqn fix, just spotted someone with The Hoops on at pool, need to introduce myself & have a large beer.
The sooner that mob are in the juniors the better.
Hx2
Gordybhoy64,and I thankyou for that :o)
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon..!!..Truth and Justice HAS prevailed on 30 June, 2012 at 17:47 said
Aye right ;)))
Mair like a wolf in sheeps an awe that!!!
HH
That’s fair comment Canamalar.
Consider my apology stuck.
Didn’t think I’d see the day I’d be adding you to my Kojo list.
MWD
Gordybhoy
Careful
Too right Paul:
An abject failure of leadership and the corrupt propegation of singular interests over integrity. Heads should have rolled long before now…