Despite one former Rangers chairman, Sir David Murray, denying his board issued second contracts to players which were not registered with the football authorities for a period of a decade or more, a more recent chairman, Alastair Johnston, yesterday accepted that the club were guilty of a “breach of procedure” over player payments.
This being the case, Celtic Quick News will not be so quick in future to blindly accept despatches from Sir David as unerringly accurate. If Mr Johnston insists procedure was breached, that’s good enough for us.
The only matter left is what course of action the SPL, SFL and SFA should follow. On all previous occasions when a club has been guilty of a procedural breach over the registration of a player, the result of any game involving that player has been awarded as a 3-0 win to the opposition and the club have been punished.
On assessing the punishment the SPL Commission looking into this matter will consider if Rangers acted with transparency, with information given openly and when asked, or if breaches were hidden, denied to have taken place, and only uncovered after redacted contracts appeared in the press forcing the authorities to set a deadline on the club.
Mr Johnston insists that “Rangers made absolutely no attempt to disguise” the use of EBTs. Attempts to disguise wrongdoing is serious. This claim is correct but is completely irrelevant to the SPL Commission, who are solely concerned with player registration, not whether EBTs were used or not.
Mr Johnston makes no comment on whether Rangers made an attempt to disguise issuing players with second contracts.
He goes on to say, “I suspect that the [SPL] commission will not pursue this avenue of investigation, but it would be interesting whether or not ‘selective amnesia’ would be exhibited by those executives/directors called to testify under oath about their ongoing familiarity with the Rangers scheme.”
The SFA president, Campbell Ogilvie was a director of Rangers for the first five years of the clubs EBT use and benefited from an EBT himself. Despite these revelations from Mr Johnston, Mr Ogilvie still walks the corridors of power, president of our national game. It would be remarkable to see him testify under oath about the scheme Rangers operated while he was legally responsible for their decisions.
Cynics may suggest that Mr Johnston infers that executives at other clubs were aware of Rangers use of un-registered second contracts. It would be quite astonishing if this was the case and an enormous breach of commercial confidentiality by Rangers.
Looking forward to Raith Rovers in the League Cup tonight. Should be an excellent opportunity for Neil to shuffle the pack and try a few things.
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Mort @ 16.16
Your attendance figures are using the Benfica figure as given on the BBC site and elsewhere of 53,373, which was wrong, but left uncorrected (just like the possession stats for at least 2 Celtic games – 42% vs Aberdeen – clearly wrong, 48% vs Benfica – UEFA official stat was 52%). Figure given elsewhere for Benfica game was 57,759, giving an average of 49,561.
The BBC average for Rangers is correct if you count league games only (if reported figures are accurate), which seems an odd figure to choose in a cup preview. Their average including cup games is 38,119. But I guess Rangers average being 11,000 less than Celtic’s doesn’t suit the MSM agenda.
Hey Wonky CG will never get that past his proof reader ,Surely he will have another go when he sobers up
Hail hail .
nothing without fans
good concise, factual post – top marks
fergus:
Gen up, this is more or less verbatim. I used only a little poetic licence on this one:
http://billmcmurdo.wordpress.com/2012/09/05/sporting-fairness-v-sporting-integrity/
Kilgore Trout
17:34 on 25 September, 2012
wonkyradar @ 17:07
‘Mac Ghoilla Bhain’s reputation as a credible journalist lies in shreds after being denounced by the Sun…’
Jings!
*******
Being denounced by the Sun is like a commendation.
Fergus:
You better no get lost in the schizoid nightmare of McMurdo’s perverse labyrinthine subconscious mind…its a scary place full of nasty little critters and sick monsters.
thomthetim
“being denounced by the sun is like a commendation”
couldnt have put it better.
I’m sure he was waiting with baited breath for just that denounciation
HH
10th anniversary of the No7 restaurant
celebrity speakers food/football/celtic related I could have thrown a hundred names at this.
I have been however been mailed by celtic offering me a 3 course fine dining experience- whatever that is with guest speakers called rimmer and lovejoy from something called sunday brunch £45.
where on earth in this fine city is it £45 for three courses worth eating
Ally McCoist: ‘You’ll never take away medals from players who earned them’
STV 25 September 2012 15:53 BST
Ally McCoist has rubbished talk of former Rangers players being asked to return their medals if an SPL investigation into rule breaches ultimately results in titles being stripped.
An independent panel will hear the case against the club having allegedly paid players outside of their contracts without declaring the payments to the league between 2001 and 2010.
Whatever the outcome, McCoist says the thought of retrospective action to change the destination of titles and trophies won will be a pointless task.
Asked if fans and former players would alter their view they had won the titles, McCoist said: “Of course they won’t. For my 50th birthday I got all my medals on a big plaque. So if anybody wants to come and take them they are more than welcome.
“You will never take away the medals from the players who earned them thoroughly.
“I think you can even look at the opposition, listen to the opposition. Whether it is whoever Rangers played in cup finals or the league, the players in the opposition are not interested.”
With the assets of the club being sold to a new company in the summer, Rangers find themselves in the Third Division and facing a climb back up the leagues to earn a place in the top flight.
McCoist though says the outstanding situation looms large and he wants it resolved promptly.
“The only stumbling block is this scenario,” he said. “I just want it totally out of the way so we can officially move forward, realise where we are and get our great club back where it belongs.”
http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/rangers/191812-ally-mccoist-youll-never-take-away-medals-from-players-who-earned-them/
Being denounced by The Sun is like a new signing- Mark Hately
Is the game played to a finish tonight.
MWD
Charles Kickham @ 13.00
Can you post the clip of Neil Lennon being mobbed by Donegal fans at Croke Park and being interviewed by RTE’s Joanne Cantwell ?
hankray
this one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yDyS5QbHYU
Evening bhoys, warm and windy on the hun free mountain.
Looking forward to seeing some of the young bhoys tonight.
Oh dear.
Lie after lie on snyde tonight
Chuck has made another statement…embdy know where I can source it ???
nothing without fans
yip your right the msm are pushing their own agenda regards attendance,some with t.v audience when they say 40,000 + more people watch rangers games, is that domestic football and audiences.
1.5 million watched us in one games in CL, but thats reported as a negative becuase a cooking show got more
swith that msm off, they are full of shite
hail hail
Found it.
CHARLES GREEN, Rangers’ Chief Executive, issued the following statement today:
He said: “Lord Nimmo Smith, chairman of the Commission set up by the SPL, has highlighted an extremely important issue in his recent judgement regarding the Commission.
“Lord Nimmo Smith has said that Rangers FC is a recognisable entity which continued in existence notwithstanding the change in ownership.
“He also stated that Rangers FC, the club, includes its owner and operator. The Commission has in effect ruled that Rangers and its history did not die on 14 June despite numerous reports to the contrary.
“This means that Rangers FC and its owner, i.e. me and my consortium, remained a member of the SPL even after the change of ownership.
“The bemusing part is that no-one at the SPL or SFA appeared to realise that. The SPL made the club (including its owner and operator) reapply to be a member of a league that the Commission says it was in already.
“If the Commission is right then the change of ownership was frankly irrelevant to SPL status. Nevertheless we duly applied and that application was rejected.
“We were also informed by the SFA that Rangers FC had never in its long existence been a member. That really left us scratching our heads because pride of place in the Boardroom at Ibrox is a framed and mounted certificate of membership signed by Jim Farry confirming that “Rangers FC is a full member of the Scottish Football Association”.
“So taking the Commission’s reasoning and our newly acquired framed membership certificate you would have thought, not unreasonably, that Rangers FC and its owners were in the Scottish Football family.
“You would have thought wrong. No we were told. We needed to apply for oldco’s membership! The SFA didn’t officially recognise Lord Nimmo Smith’s recognisable entity.
“That recognisable entity, Rangers FC, then re-appeared suddenly when the SFA demanded that we pay oldco’s debts despite there being no legal obligation to do so.
“The SPL then wanted Rangers FC and its new owners to admit guilt in relation to EBT breaches that had never been framed and accept five stripped titles.
“Rangers FC suddenly vanished again when UEFA informed the SFA that Rangers FC were due in excess of 300,000 euros for player participation in the Euro 2012 qualifiers, the SFA have refused to confirm that the monies are due to Rangers FC despite obligations placed on them from UEFA that these monies should be distributed to member clubs.
“If the Commission is correct about this recognisable entity then the SPL and SFA must be wrong in making that entity apply to join bodies it was already in.
“Maybe they should both appoint Lord Nimmo Smith to form a Commission to investigate and tell them who their member is.
“In our view the Commission chaired by Lord Nimmo Smith has been placed in an invidious position by the SPL.
“The establishment of the Commission is the most striking example of the chaotic way the fate of Rangers has been handled by the football authorities.
“As we stated previously, it is impossible for us as a club to participate in a process we firmly believe is fundamentally misconceived.
“We believe that most people would not think it right that a football authority that was willing to horse-trade league titles and cups for league status, should then embark on the course of action it has chosen in setting up a Commission. There is no clearer case of moving the goalposts.”
He said: “Lord Nimmo Smith, chairman of the Commission set up by the SPL, has highlighted an extremely important issue in his recent judgement regarding the Commission.
“Lord Nimmo Smith has said that Rangers FC is a recognisable entity which continued in existence notwithstanding the change in ownership.
“He also stated that Rangers FC, the club, includes its owner and operator. The Commission has in effect ruled that Rangers and its history did not die on 14 June despite numerous reports to the contrary.
“This means that Rangers FC and its owner, i.e. me and my consortium, remained a member of the SPL even after the change of ownership.
“The bemusing part is that no-one at the SPL or SFA appeared to realise that. The SPL made the club (including its owner and operator) reapply to be a member of a league that the Commission says it was in already.
“If the Commission is right then the change of ownership was frankly irrelevant to SPL status. Nevertheless we duly applied and that application was rejected.
“We were also informed by the SFA that Rangers FC had never in its long existence been a member. That really left us scratching our heads because pride of place in the Boardroom at Ibrox is a framed and mounted certificate of membership signed by Jim Farry confirming that “Rangers FC is a full member of the Scottish Football Association”.
“So taking the Commission’s reasoning and our newly acquired framed membership certificate you would have thought, not unreasonably, that Rangers FC and its owners were in the Scottish Football family.
“You would have thought wrong. No we were told. We needed to apply for oldco’s membership! The SFA didn’t officially recognise Lord Nimmo Smith’s recognisable entity.
“That recognisable entity, Rangers FC, then re-appeared suddenly when the SFA demanded that we pay oldco’s debts despite there being no legal obligation to do so.
“The SPL then wanted Rangers FC and its new owners to admit guilt in relation to EBT breaches that had never been framed and accept five stripped titles.
“Rangers FC suddenly vanished again when UEFA informed the SFA that Rangers FC were due in excess of 300,000 euros for player participation in the Euro 2012 qualifiers, the SFA have refused to confirm that the monies are due to Rangers FC despite obligations placed on them from UEFA that these monies should be distributed to member clubs.
“If the Commission is correct about this recognisable entity then the SPL and SFA must be wrong in making that entity apply to join bodies it was already in.
“Maybe they should both appoint Lord Nimmo Smith to form a Commission to investigate and tell them who their member is.
“In our view the Commission chaired by Lord Nimmo Smith has been placed in an invidious position by the SPL.
“The establishment of the Commission is the most striking example of the chaotic way the fate of Rangers has been handled by the football authorities.
“As we stated previously, it is impossible for us as a club to participate in a process we firmly believe is fundamentally misconceived.
“We believe that most people would not think it right that a football authority that was willing to horse-trade league titles and cups for league status, should then embark on the course of action it has chosen in setting up a Commission. There is no clearer case of moving the goalposts.”
Below from a Harry Hansome (Rangers Media) re: a twitter thingy by Raman Bhardwaj. Last couple of paragraphs, hunbelievable.
_________________________________________________________________
I don’t follow twitter at all so my comments are probably based on a bit of naivety.
If you wish to tweet and have people follow you then I would suggest you say what you think and try not to be suggestive in your comments.
If you wish to bait people and they bite rightly or wrongly then you are responsible, within reason, for instigating the response.
It’s well documented that Rangers fans are fighting back and will take no prisoners so why set out to wind them up.
This twit should come out and apologize for his tweet, it is obvious despite his protestations what he was alluding to.
I am a proud white protestant with many friends around the world of varying ethnic background and religion so don’t badge me because it suits your tweet.
You should be ashamed that you need to use religion or colour to up your TWITter account numbers.
Charles Kickham
Excellent. A quick strike, you’re one handy man with computers. Funny thing Pat Gilroy paid a visit to Neil at Lennoxtown last year for some tips and the Dubs did the business. Neil has the magic touch.
I see Fat Sally is now saying that no one would take his medais , a change from a
few weeks ago when he stated that nobody would take the titles away.
Did the fat one not say he would fight it ” tooth and nail ”
Whats with the change ally ?
Do the main players at the deathstar now know whats coming thier way
ref the statement of johnson with his ” administative errors ”
and they are well and truly goosed .
Good evening friends.
I had no hesitation in getting tickets for tonights game given the stance taken by Turnbull Hutton’s Raith Rovers during the summer just past. When booking my tickets online I also managed to get seats immediately above the tunnel giving me not only an excellent view of both goals but also, with a 180 degree adjustment, the ability to applaud the aforementioned Mr Hutton, if he’s there.
Please do come and say hello.
I thank you.
Jobo
weatherfreetonightCSC
SSB : Jakey radio givin’ credence to a bombastic asset strippin’ chancer from Yorks. Eejit voices. Idiot wind.
If this lot were actually to be taken seriously……
Abd as for Green….the lawyers must’ve seen him comin’ ; the prices they must be charging him for the most dubious advice you could imagine. And the stupid huns are filling his pockets to pay for his ego.The more they fill iPox the wilder his harebrained schemes get. He’s like a fairground hustler.
Only in Scotland. Who’s fleecing who, Chunky? He’s get taken like the arrogant pompous mug that he is.
Tet
I would have thought that one of the main benefits of living abroad is not having to listen to Scotland’s radio broadcast output.
On your other post, surprised it took Charles so long to pick up on this part. Unfortunately for him, nimmo’s not ruling on this.
S
My dear,dear,dear,friend.. The Singing Detective.
Hiya,palomine..
Delighted tae Greet and Meet ye.
Time fur a guid ole fashioned.. Non Sequitur or TWO.
Doncha Think?
Aye..it is..
My Favourite Singer.. at this time, which kin chinge…
IS…
That Guy , wi’ a most unfortunate choice in Foist Names..
To Wit:
DU DU.. Fisher.
Awe kidding aside,pal..
Du Du Fisher is the Greatest Livin’ Singer o’ Popular Ballads..
and..
to continue oan .. seein’ if Ah kin lay oan ye.. anither..
Non Sequitur..
My Favourite.. Author ..o the Moment.. which….which is always subject tae chinge,tae..
is
Bernard Cornwell.
Ah luv the type of Genre, in which he writes..
Historical Fiction..
as in .. his . Omnibus Adventures o’ Richard Sharpe.. and his… Novels set during the Hundred Years War…and his King Alfred Saxon Novels.. and his
American Civil War Fictional Hero. Starbuck novels.. and his.. Pre-Historic Novels.. Stonehenge..
Whita Towering Imagination.. Mr. Cornwell hiz..
Anywey..
Meanwhile, back at the Ranch..
Ah still believ the Obama will be re-elected..
Is that enuff.. Sequiturin’ fur ye?
Probably .. No.
Kojo
yer pal…who likes ye a loater.
Gotta go..
Nearly time fur the match.. and Ah still hiv some business tae tak care o’
Still, Laughin’
Big Nan 18:13 on 25 September, 2012
A subtle change of tact from Calamity. He has gone from “we won’t tolerate the stripping of titles” to “I’d like to see them taking the medals”.
At no point has there been any suggestion that medals will be taken off players – a costly exercise given that many of them are living in other countries. And it is virtually impossible to get them back.
The tainted titles will be removed from the records. A very public humiliation that is far more effective than going after trinkets few people get to see.
Wanna Live longer?
You sure?
I don\’t wanna live forever
Celtic under 20’s defeated Aberdeen 1-0 away today to maintain their 100% start.Atajic the scorer again.
dublinbhoy17:36 on 25 September, 2012:
>>>>
‘Swifter’ is an app you can use to watch flash content on if you’re using an apple product. It costs a couple of quid, but it means I can watch Celtic TV on the iPad.
My pc is like some steam driven museum piece, so I mainly just use the iPad, and access the pc to manage it.
And, no , I am not advertising. Just trying to make life easier. It was a cqn’er who directed me to Swifter coz I couldn’t watch Celtic TV on this tablet. Now I can……sorted.
This is a longer reply than I intended….
HH!
Steinreignedsupreme
It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Is tonight’s game played to a finish?
ET & Pens?
MWD
Haw Charlie,so what were you talking about saying the club and its history will die if you couldnt buy it?
Nimmo Smith’s telling you your the same club because thats what you keep trying to convince everybody of so theyll buy tickets,he’s telling you that so you’ll shut up and let him get on with his job.
Liquidation is death,you said so yourself.
shady
I know, I know, first time for a while….
I like the pain :>)
On CG’s statement, he actually makes some good points.
The powers have made a real mess of things, the sooner they are found to be corrupt the better.
Celtic starting XI to play Raith Rovers: Zaluska; Matthews, Rogne, Wilson, Mulgrew; McGeouch, Kayal, Ambrose, Forrest; Watt, Hooper (MH)
Subs: Commons, Ledley, McCourt, Wanyama, Forster. Kick-off in Paradise at 7.45pm. (MH)
Surprised to read earlier that John Donne’s family was related to the Glasgow east end fizzy drinks entrepreneurs, Dunnes.
No man is an Irn-Bru right enough.
As many angels as it takes to dance on the head of a pin are not going to stop rankers being found red-rotten guilty of all they are charged with.
That’s what’s sending Chunky into his wee legalese two-step.
Wonderful.
Now……football and The Bhoys.