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?
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proudbhoy on 8 June, 2012 at 08:54 said:
Have you asked the foxtrot people to contact them for you? That’s how I got Setanta when I got it put on.
Hope you get there.
Born 67
There will be no more Disney Channel or CBBC in my house for the next 3 weeks. I ‘m reclaiming the telly.
Particularly looking forward to seeing our Georgios tonight… hope there’s a bit of a breeze blowin’ in Warsaw tonight to emphasize his flowing locks.
MonTheEurosCSC
Foxtrot = foxtel
‘Horrible wee scroat of a village.’
In Ayrshire? Are you sure?
Anyways, I’m with ole Mr Johnny Clash in lookin’ forward to reclaimin’ the TV from the usual diet of stultifying misery that is East Enders.
The most scrofulous wee settlements in Scotland must surely be in Lanarkshire:
Glenboig
Gartcosh
Wishaw
Airdrie
(thumbsup)
Morning…..
I recently bought a TV from Currys so I now have their promotional deal of ‘ £10 cashback for every England goal ‘ around my neck like a noose, every time they score if I cheer it will get tighter.
I now fully expect them to win 1-0 every group game courtesy of og’s, as they don’t count.
Then in the KO stages do a ‘myth’ and play for penalties.
So England win the EURO’s and I get heehaw from Currys.
Can national team’s use EBT’s??
LET ENGLAND LOSE 11-10 EVERY GAME!!
I know what BDO stands for. It referrs to the fat lady who is warming up especially for the huns.
Watch out, there’s a Big Dame Offstage.
DiCanioWasADream on 8 June, 2012 at 09:21 said:
proudbhoy on 8 June, 2012 at 08:54 said:
Have you asked the foxtrot people to contact them for you? That’s how I got Setanta when I got it put on.
Hope you get there.
Born 67
Sure did, on hold 40mins, rang foxtel back to tell them and they said its outta there hands.
Just got email from setanta saying we can see u tried to order setanta online but didn’t finalise it ..blah blah what’s the problem. Email sent so waitin game now.
Polands green an white
Scotland; the bestest scrofulous wee country in the World.
Chairbhoy on 8 June, 2012 at 08:41 said:
Goodly, slightly overcast morning in The Chilterns…
RobertTressel @ 07:40,
Interesting viewpoint on Dave King.
My take on the Third Man is he probably had a greater input over the piece than we know of.
However I believe you are correct as far as a dyed in the wool Ger goes, he is the true fan in the parcel, and he ponied up with the cash.
Yet there is no chance of D&P excepting his claim and granting him creditor status. He raised this issue a few months ago (and if it had any chance he would have vigorously persued it then) BlantyreKev clarified a post of mine by stating it had little/no merit.
In my opinion the aul’ bluenosed philanthopist left it ’til now because he knows the games-a-bogey and is posturing for posterity.
——————————————————————
Alarm bells ringing …….Paul67 or any accountant types????
Not sure how the numbers stack up legally ie does the big tax case bill of £24m, which they have appealed against at the FTT, get included for the 75% creditor CVA acceptance barrier keeping Hector the main player?
Is the SA tax dodger trying to do a Leeds Utd with his £20m claim and tip the balance against them?
boredars@elesswiththehunsshenanigans.csc
Also did Ticketbus not strangely accept creditor status recently?
Are they stacking the deck against Hector?
BRTH
Great post last night,its time for the SFA and the huns to make public who the ‘gonzago’ board making the decisions on contracts etc were,Regan must now surely come under pressure to validate Ogilvie’s comments.
1.Who made the decisions then?
2.If Regan doesn’t out them,he must go.
3.If Ogilvie is a big fat liar and there was no others……….
Also Green’s £8.5m loan for the CVA,….
Is there a Leeds Utd type pattern emerging ?
Here we go again with the up n down mood swings,
Milan based rumor mongers claiming .
Gattuso’s agent is in ongoing talks with Scabbiosa Scrofolosa..
Scabbiosa Scrofolosa have given Gattuso guarantees.
Gattuso wants to sign for Scabbiosa Scrofolosa because he wants to play a role in ” restoring the fortunes of the Club “.
Might be utter guff but if true –. the implications are many .
90 degrees ——– way down south
Dontbrattbakkinanger – Suggested slogans for the Scottish Tourist Board:
“Scotland: The Thinking Man’s Northern Ireland”
“See Scotland And Diet”
“Bugger Off, We’re Full”.
(thumbsup)
Wishaw – God’s Playground
tomcourtney @ 09:43,
I really don’t think we have any concern on the Dave King front, firstly he has called for a rejection of the CVA & requested that nobody purchases season tickets.
Then his £20M was put into shares that are worthless and can’t be traded, plus he was an Exectutive Director, he has little chance of securing creditor ststus and D&P will only accept this through a Courts verifiction which even if successful will take to much time.
The TicketUs status was confirmed by the Court.
Also and I’m not on firm ground here, I believe that D&P did not include the BTC funds as they viewed this as under appeal, HMRC could argue this money is due now. Making them far and away the biggest creditor.
The CVA will fail, BDO will be appointed then for RFCia the games stop and things get serious.
Hail! Hail!
South of Tunis@09:54
‘Gattuso’s agent is in ongoing talks with Scabbiosa Scrofolosa’
‘Might be utter guff but if true –. the implications are many’
Your latter statement is correct
Smoke + mirrors for the deluded bears
If Dave King is the answer, what was the question?
WikiGemmell- I don’t kno if you answered my question from yesterday.
Jan 1928, Celtic 9 Dunfermline 0, J.Mcgrory scores 8. Attendance ‘3,000+’
Is that attendance accurate?
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon on 8 June, 2012 at 10:08 said:
Which individual has beem duped out of the greatest amount of money by Sir David Murray?
Italian radio reporting that ——–
Some of the Dutch squad were subjected to racial abuse whilst training in Krakow yesterday. [ members of the public having been admitted to watch the training ]
Van Bommel took the squad to the other side of the pitch [ where they could not hear the abuse .]
The Dutch FA have reported the matter to UEFA and expect UEFA to do something about it.
Van Bommel quoted as saying —— ” UEFA say one thing and then do another “.
Radio man couldn’t resist reminding the audience that Manchester City were fined more for being late in Porto than Porto paid for some of their fans racially abusing some Manchester City players.
On the subject of the more scrofulous parts of Scotland – my kids are keen on seeing the Olympic torch relay as it makes it’s way through the salubrious suburbs on the Southside of Glasgow this afternoon. I told them to forget it as the chances of the torch successfully getting through both the Badlands of D&G and then the darker parts of Ayrshire without being stolen/melted down/smoked have got to be slim.
Airdrie: I Can’t Believe It’s Not Jurassic Park! (thumbsup)
Ole Johnny- that’s a very harsh view of Shangri-La.
Gordon J, is the question “who is the biggest tax cheat in south africa?”
SffS
Gordon_J @ 10:08,
Exactamundo…
He is seen as failing the F&P test.
He can’t spend any money as SARs have ceased his cash.
His investment in R@ngers is all but worthless.
Posturing me thinks.
Hail! Hail!
Shangri-La??? What, the barren wastelands north of the Solway mudflats? Turn it into one big windfarm I say.
Another Italian radio station ——-
The Dutch FA have withdrawn their complaint re ” monkey chants directed at black players training in Krakow ”
UEFA spokeswoman quoted as stating that there will be no UEFA investigation re the incident because UEFA have accepted local claims that the monkey noises were simply a protest re Krakow not being one of the the host cities —
Chairbhoy on 8 June, 2012 at 10:07 said:
Hope you’re right Chairbhoy, I just don’t trust the bhuns, somethings afoot….
Maybe paranoia’s returning or it’s a sign of early dementure arriving to bugger up my retirement.
Tryingtobuyaboattosailoffintothesunrise(goingsoutheast).csc
Have the hun player wages been restored to original figures or will they even be paid at all this month? Surely the big L has to come before pay day…
HH
The usual B##stards are
turning it into one big windfarm.
Steve Clarke takes over at West Brom. Hope he does well in his first managerial job
trad88
all back on full pay as of 1st June
Good morning from a sunny (at present) D-land.
BDO:
Billy Does Oblivion
Big Deep Orifice
Bye Dirty Orcs
BTW
If Duff n Duffer did try and gerrymander the vote to have hector with less than 25% so they could push through the cva, when the BTC verdict is announced they ‘d be back to square one with hector have 100% of the debt due and he’d kill them in seconds.
I’ll try again.
Do we know DEFINITIVEY that RangersFCIA were in fact paid their full prize money for the recently finished season ?
Anybody ?
KK-Was the money not to be allocated to Scottish teams they owe money to? (too big a list to post :})