Campbell Ogilvie was an executive director of Rangers for the first five years of their Employee Benefit Trusts and during their earlier illegally-executed tax avoidance Discount Options Scheme. He received a ‘loan’ from a Rangers EBT, which he has not repaid and is not expected to repay, and recently described his company responsibilities during this period to a friendly journalist as being administrative, and then legislative.
He has been a director of the SFA for 22 years and is now president.
During the period when Ogilvie was director of both Rangers and the SFA the club illegally registered dozens of footballers with the SFA. All directors are responsible for actions of a company, executive directors especially so. Those who represent themselves as having administrative and legislative roles, absolutely so.
SFA chief executive, Stewart Regan, yesterday defended Ogilvie’s shameless refusal to resign by offering a defence which echoed Rangers ‘Craig Whyte acted alone’ defence, which was comprehensively dismissed by the SFA Judicial Tribunal.
Regan said, “We have had very clear feedback that the president was not involved in any letter or correspondence with regards to player EBTs.
“We are all aware of businesses being run where you have one owner and operator running the club and a number of directors sitting below. The way this process has been managed, a lot of this correspondence was done much higher up the chain than Campbell Ogilvie.”
This is cringe-worthy nonsense and gets to the heart of the lack of corporate governance at the SFA. Mr Regan is not qualified to assure us that Mr Ogilvie has no case to answer. That is not a judgement for him to make and is certainly not an inference that can be made on the basis of private comments from Mr Ogilvie or other former Rangers directors similarly contaminated by this issue.
Before the chief executive can state as fact how Rangers conducted their business, and the limited involvement of Mr Ogilvie, some form of inquiry must have taken place. No such inquiry happened.
“We have had very clear feedback”, said Mr Regan. Who is “we”, was it an independent panel that received this feedback, or did Mr Regan deal with this personally? Who gave the feedback? Was Mr Ogilvie subject to the same independent scrutiny as anyone else in the game, from Neil Lennon to Craig Whyte, or was this passed off with a handshake?
Mr Regan’s failure to recognise the serious corporate governance failures in his conduct is alarming. We don’t need this guy to know the offside rule but he has to understand good corporate governance requires questions against your president to be openly and independently investigated.
When these are our standards, what else is the executive turning a blind eye to?
Mr Regan was careful to limit his claim on what Mr Ogilvie was not party to. “We have had very clear feedback that the president was not involved in any letter or correspondence with regards to player EBTs” sounds like a substantial piece of information but it’s not.
This only claims that Mr Ogilvie did not author any side letter or contract relating to an EBT, which is not in doubt. The important issue is clearly Mr Ogilvie knew dozens of players had EBTs, he knew football players’ remuneration is subject to detailed written contracts and he knew all money paid to a player, from any source, in relation to football, must be detailed on his contract and registered with the SFA.
For Rangers players’ EBTs to be consistent with SFA and Fifa requirements they would need to be completely discretionary, an optional extra the players were unable to rely on. Mr Ogilvie, the Great Football Administrator, knew all of this.
Instead of good corporate governance we appear to have a self-certified president – we know Mr Ogilvie did nothing wrong because Mr Ogilvie said he did nothing wrong. He is at once, a Great Football Administrator and unaware of the football administration actions of the company he was legally responsible for.
Ogilvie was an executive director of Rangers. It was his responsibility as a director of Rangers to ensure that the club contracts and legislative responsibilities were conducted in a proper manner. He was simultaneously a director of the SFA. It was his responsibility as a director of the SFA to ensure the Association was run in an even-handed manner, that one club – his club or any other – could not load the dice.
Regan went on to say “Since February 14 he has had no involvement at all in any board meetings, any decisions or any meetings with the club.”
It is reassuring that he has withdrawn from an important part of the legislative process of the SFA but his prominent participation in yesterday’s AGM confirms that his influence in other areas remains.
Regan added “[EBTs] are illegal if they are used knowingly in an incorrect manner. That is something we are still waiting for facts on. But I am satisfied that Campbell has discharged his duty of care. He has done everything we could have asked of him and, so far as his integrity is concerned, he is a man with many years as a highly respected administrator across the game of football in Scotland.”
“So far as his integrity is concerned….many years …. respected administrator”. Those words may bring to mind all those years Ogilvie was at Ibrox while Rangers sectarian signing policy was in place.
Regan dismissed calls for his own resignation, no doubt confident he can self-certify his performance.
I am hugely reluctant to open a political debate, but does the painful lack of accountability and scrutiny in Scotland not alarm you? The actions (inactions) of Ogilvie and Regan would never be accepted in England, where structures exist to hold officials to account. As a relic from Rangers sectarian signing policy days, Ogilvie would be regarded as an embarrassing dinosaur, he would never be made president! The ability for officials to state facts without an inquiry would never be tolerated.
We look more like a rotten borough than a country with the mechanisms necessary to nurture a successful state. Where’s your voice now, Mr Salmond?
942 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- ...
- 25
- »
pauloantony
Pretty good summing up of the situation , but what do we do about it ?
Hail Hail
Big Mike. I understand your frustration fella but I wouldnt bet your mortgage on them being properly punished for there cheating.H.H.
Last few days = the calm before the storm.
They have run out of time
They have run out of money
They have alienated any friends they had
They have been fighting losing battles on too many fronts
They are at each others’ throats
Sit back,relax and enjoy the show
Joe no offence mate but I am veering to medtim version. Hail hail!
medtim
You’ve obviously taken your meds today!
HH
FourGreenFields on 7 June, 2012 at 19:10 said:
Typical huns they are blaming on HMRC, i.e. the penalties and the interest..
Another excellent article Paul67.
I’ve never expected the coup de grace to come from a Scottish organisation like the SFA or the SPL, imho put your money on the FTT,HMRC or FIFA pushed nudged and cajoled by our very own Paul67, the RTC blog,Alex Thomson, Paul McConville,Phil Mac and the plethora of intelligent and articulate bloggers who’ve written so informatively and eloquently on this subject. Summer’s on its way Jelly and Ice Cream all round.
HH
Big Mike. I understand but there are no positive signs that they will be finished completely none at all.I just hope you are right and I am wrong.However,I see no signs that your backing the winning horse. H.H.
In the immortal words of Jeff Goldblum:
“God creates Man, Man destroys God, SFA creates dinosaurs.”
Prediction: Rangers go into liquidation announcement to be made during the France v England game on Monday (ko 17:00pm).
SlipitinundertheradarCFC
I will predict on here now that the review panel will suspend them from the SC.
£750,000 for £14 million of tax avoidance.
Corrupt and a scandal, the SFA will never change.
Big Mike on 7 June, 2012 at 19:24 said
I’m with you and medtim, don’t know why bhoys are getting spooked. A week today the CVA fails, enjoy and watch the meltdown:)
can I have a rasperry on that
sorry about that,sound like it dont I
starry plough
Blaming everybody but themselves , as usual .
Hail Hail
Joe Filippis Haircut on 7 June, 2012 at 19:28 said:
No positive signs that they will go bust???
4 Million debt increase since Feb..
A CVA proposition which has no chance of succeeding..
The mangy cur huns all suing each other to see who gets the carcass..
Go to the fridge Joe and fill yer glass..
Their club is finished…
There’s nothing Regan of Doncaster can do about that..
starry plough
Wish I had your confidence .
Hail hail
….with Ally Lamont in place chic’s legacy is assured…..
Aye!
They go Kaboom – we go to English league and live happily after.
Patience increases the joy.
merseycelt
hey hey.
Maybe lying in the sun all day and swimming in the sea helps to maintain a positive disposition.
I am as aware and angered as others regarding the quite blatant agenda being pursued by so called unbiased administrators of our game.
However,I am a wee bit surprised at the level of negativity at the moment in some quarters.I am convinced that,despite the efforts of their “friends”,we are now approaching the end game for the huns.
They may “win” the occasional battle (eg not being punished by the sfa for going to the C of S) but they need to win ALL of their battles and that ain’t gonna happen.
Now,nurse,it’s time for more meds!
Ogilvie’s motivational speech at the Luj at Hampden ends by him paraphrasing Marx:
“We have nothing left to lose but our Fine Wine & Succulent Lamb.”
With that Regan, Donkey, Dazzle, Britney, Wacko Jacko, Dawell, Jabba & Chico all rise with a “Red Hand” salute to the High Wizard of Mount Florida.
Paddy Gallagher
God how I hope your right.
Hail Hail
The SFA:
“There, as nowhere else, you feel a total absence of the spirit: herds of men who cannot count past three, herds more who cannot get past six, scorn for pure science and demoniacal respect for the present. And the terrible thing is that the crowd that fills the street believes that the world will always be the same and that it is their duty to keep that machine (rfcia) running, day and night, forever.”
Apologies to Federico Garcia Lorca for plagiarising him!
LiteratureForAll CSC
:-)
How do you punish an ex football team?
mic1888 says no to cheats charter no to zombie r*****s on 7 June, 2012 at 19:17 said:
Any offer should recognise that the club
cannot be run on purely business principles.
The club has a “soul”, a history, and a
tradition going back 140 years. Our children
and grandchildren are entitled to the same
legacy that our father’s and grandfather’s
bequeathed to us.
============================
That’s 120 years of naked sectarianism + 20 years of cheating
=================================
I dare say the KKK would be making a similar argument for the preservation of their own history!!
starry plough. I sincerly hope your correct but this administration has gone on far longer than expected and there outgoings although reduced still have not been culled as they should be to benefit the creditors.In this country they will be allowed to return as a newco all the posturing at the moment is to see who the key players will be.While when I see them boarding up the big hoose and there name reduced to history books I will tread warily.H.H.
Mississippi’s burning.
Did you see the far right scumbag on Greek TV slapping a female Communist Party member for the world to see?
Scum is as scum does.
Rumours that he is part of Charles Greens consortium are as yet unfounded.
Scottish football might survive if they are put to the sword, it has no chance if they are not.
Its got to be time soon for Celtic FC to stand up and declare the SFA-SPL not fit for purpose. I cant see any other to bring these corrupt organisations to heel.
Of course we will then be subject to the full force of rage and hatred like weve never seen before.
As the great philosopher, the “Schnozz”, Jimmy Durante, said many years ago about the SFA:
“Dese are de conditions dat prevail.”
The SFA will do SFA about that mob, I full expect them to walk away scot free (praying I’m totally wrong)
HH
Starry Plough – agreed. I think that’s it for them now.
I accept there will be desperate twists and last minute turns to come as it gets closer but the important issues have not disappeared.
It’s going to end with a whimper and not a bang.
Too many hurdles now and too much publicity for those in power to ride roughshod over.
There will of course be some kind of Hun in Scottish football whetger it’s in division z or not, time will tell.
But I am starting to believe that this is them finished, or as close to finished, as we could have possibly hoped for.
Mind you, like most people who have lived under a dictator, i will not sleep tight until I can see the body.
There is a tiny tiny tiny part of me that wants them to survive for a few years paying their bills and living within their budget so we can see them struggle mid table before disappearing of the face of the earth…
Paul67
Over the last 20 years Ogilvie has been one of two things; complicit or incompetent.
Either way he should not be SFA President.
If they survive to appease the other SPL teams bank managers and bankroll them with the rangers £, we resign immediately and deprive them of the CELTIC £
Joe Filippis Haircut on 7 June, 2012 at 19:39 said:
Expected by who Joe, Motherwell were in administration for two years if I remember correctly, the administrators themselves are currently under investigation for their actions!!
KTF
Bundoran Bhoy
Only if we let them , we must fight them and we must win .
Otherwise football in this country is finished .
Hail Hail
Administration ain’t what it used to be!