There’s an industry of deliberate misunderstanding in Scottish football (and on the pages of CQN). One of the last vestiges of this is the SFA’s fabled Fit and Proper Test. There is no test, never has been a test and in all likelihood, never will be a test. It was almost certainly a figment of some under-informed journalist, who provided the concept enough currency for it to endure in the imagination, despite many, many, people explaining reality.
To be a director of a football club you need to be Fit and Proper, you do not sit or pass a test.
It’s a bit like:
To do a job you need to speak English, you do not sit or pass an English language test.
If you accept the above job assuring your employer you can speak English, and you can’t, you are likely to be fired.
If you accept a job as a director of a football club, assuring the SFA you are Fit and Proper, and you aren’t, the SFA will ban you from football and discipline the club for failing to ensure a director was Fit and Proper before appointment.
This morning the incessant campaign continues to throw reputational damage on anyone who would be inclined to point out that Dave King contravenes the eligibility rules on becoming a football club director. This is different from being Fit and Proper, which is a subjective assessment, Mr King is simply ineligible.
The reasons for his ineligibility (he was a director of a football club which was liquidated within the last 5 years), and other matters, most notably, his 41 convictions for breaking the tax law in South Africa, and the blame laid at his door by the SPL’s Lord Nimmo-Smith report, make up material reason why the SFA may consider him not Fit and Proper to run a football club.
After targeting Peter Lawwell yesterday, the campaign today turns direct to the SFA, who are accused of allowing Craig Whyte to “bluff his way through the Hampden [non-existent] ‘test’ by simply filling out an official SFA form”.
As should be patently obvious to anyone with a dozen or more brain cells, the SFA form is neither a ‘test’ nor a certification of appropriateness from the SFA.
The obligation to ensure a football club appoints Fit and Proper directors lies with that club’s board. If the board fail in their duty to the game, the club is liable to sanction from the SFA.
So who was on the board which appointed Craig Whyte as a director of Rangers?
Our emerging heroes, the men who chased away the billionaire, Dave King and Paul Murray. As non-executive directors of Rangers they had a responsibility to the club’s stakeholders that their interests were being protected.
The Institute of Directors factsheet on the role of non-execs quotes the Cadbury Report, saying they “should bring an independent judgement to bear on issues of strategy, performance and resources including key appointments and standards of conduct.”
It was the Rangers board’s responsibility to instruct the necessary checks on Craig Whyte’s appropriateness to be a director of the club. They either failed to do this, or if they did, failed to act on the information, or withdraw their names from the club’s register of directors.
Sir David Murray may have controlled the majority of shares, but as recent boardroom events at newco demonstrate, there is a great deal non-execs, when in a majority on the board, can do to inhibit major shareholders if they believe the interests of other stakeholders are being jeopardised.
Non-execs are not there to wear the blazer and attend supporters’ events, they are the eyes and ears of the supporters, shareholders, employees and creditors who are not privy to the inner workings of the club. In this respect, Mr King and Mr P. Murray failed Rangers on a cataclysmic level.
They are, in every respect possible, perfect for the job of running newco. My prediction (no inside info) is the SFA will fold under sustained media pressure, set aside their ineligibility rules and allow Mr King and Mr P. Murray to work their magic one more time.
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Turkeybhoy
12:43 on
28 April, 2015
Good article Paul.I DONT think the SFA will go along with Dave King.Just a hunch.
If they did,and we had another disaster at the dead club,the chickens would be roosting outside the SFA offices
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There is no inherent threat to the SFA and its officials should they approve King & co – they would just absorb the flak as they always do.
They will also calculate that there will be less flak from a future “disaster” than a present refusal of King & co.
The FIVE YEAR rule should be sufficient reason to dismiss their application.
What’s the age group for the Glasgow cup? 19’s?
Half time 0-0. Celtic the far better team and have dominated. Their youth team is dreadful, although they look like they would give their senior team a run for their money.
http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/no-resolution/
0-0 half-time
half time ….
young bhoys dominating possession (dont know for sure, but would say we had more than 60% possession, alot around the sevco box), but we aren’t creating a lot of clear chances … hopefully, the pressure will tell, and we will make/take one of the chances.
Can’t get a connection to the game on CTV – almost certainly my fault as an elderly Luddite with a very old computer – so thanks for the updates gents.
Celtic have a good team on the park,it’s all Celtic but still 0-0 the lads have had about ten chances in the first half,and if they don’t win in the 2nd half it will be an injustice for the lads.
Is life passing us by?
Adios mes amigo
ex ludo
That’s a ludicrous suggestion – it is a pure dead brilyent basic wan, ken like.
Watching Barcelona on the android box. Could be double figures tonight. 2 mins into 2nd half 6-0.
LB
Barca having a Goal of the Season competition
6-0
Dena29: I hope you got sorted for Friday night. Various northern clubs have been good to me giving me a lift on their bus when I can’t get return flights so hopefully you;ll be able to attend with their help.
A lesson in how demolish teams that are vastly inferior and financially deficient to your own resources
second half started the way the first ended … young bhoys on the attack
I don’t believe that dave King did get his £20 Million back.
If I recall correctly, the assessment that formed part of his court cases in South Africa showed that he was to be taxed on £20 Million he received from Rangers PLC.
As I understand it, when there was an investigation into his money King had explained that he had invested £20 Million in Rangers PLC.
The tax man could not find where that investment money had come from and so allocated the sum of £20 Million against shares in Rangers PLC being effectively a taxable benefit received from that source.
I don’t believe King got the money which went straight into David Murray’s sky rocket.
Dave King, Joe lewis, the Bank of Scotland/ MIH — Rangers/ The Rangers/ whatever they are called have been living on crisis loans for years and years.
The only difference between then and now is that in the David Murray era of Rangers PLC the crises were cunningly disguised and no one bothered to add up all the sums of money obtained through overdrafts, share issues, business loans, personal loans, player sales, gate receipts, merch deals, and the like over the course of years and then ask ” eh where did all that go and why did you need all that money?” — until it was too late of course.
How come no one can find out any real info about King’s demonstrable wealth.
Remember he is a glib and shameless liar.
Is there not a trace of King getting £18 mil from MIM?
slip by the defender lets sevco in … nearly scored against the run of play
junior zombies made changes … seem to be coming into the game a bit more …. our passing and movement is not as sharp as the first half
Hamiltontim 17:28 on 28 April, 2015
That contingent “deemed” is, as you say, the enforcement edge of things other than the legislation. If he thinks it, then he has to consider acting upon it. Trouble is that he might be a Motherwell fan, have had no sleep, being served divorce papers or any other of many reasons for thinking the way he did when he saw these two lads. He could also just be trying to impress a colleague, (in this scenario often a woman) and even feel pressured because he didn’t lift someone earlier, or simply had the worst of a verbal exchange with the same two lads. Gawd knows.
On the face of what you have written today, then it looks a bit of a stretch to me.
I do take your point about the legislation now; I hadn’t before. If it is being used to target and criminalize football fans then fine. The nuanced bit of that line is when do football fans stop being football fans and become just knuckleheads on the sauce shouting football slogans to rouse up those across the street/in a pub.
I’ll still oppose the bill reasons that I outlined yesterday, but I see your logic in how it applies to any football fan being prevented from doing what other folk do with relative impunity. If you targeted Asian people in this way, the chattering classes would hyperventilate.
PickingontheweeGuys CSC
Hull 1 up v Liverpool
young bhoys starting to pick it up once again …still 0-0
Don’t know about you but I’ve always wondered what the Queen did on VE Day.
Thankfully there is an hour long programme on C4 tonight dedicated to answering exactly that question.
I’ve always thought that she got steaming on cheap sherry, woke up in a sleazy hotel in Soho next to a local pimp called Phil the Greek who had been taking photos throughout the night.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Did anyone see that deplorable headline on Record Online?
Jesus wept. These guys really are scraping the bottom of the barrel these last few weeks.
http://thecelticblog.com/2015/04/articles-and-features/hypocrites-with-typewriters
Is it just me who thinks this Sevco youth team lacks not one iota of talent? Eleven men behind the ball the whole game … and they could yet win this final …
celtic trying to play football , sevco defending and trying to hit on break. Celtic look hungry and stronger , i like how they are pressing the deila way.
stebhoy:
We need a goal. Or this mob will sneak this.
Bad feeling.
Dontbrattbakinanger
I’m sure it was recorded before the awful events in Nepal but ….
You never know with ol’ Nige
It is 36 years since I bought the Daily Record.
I apologise for my behaviour in the first 19 years of my life. Do forgive me.
good shot on goal by sevco, but nicer save by the tic keeper who dives to his right and pushes ball out for a corner
BRTH..
Did it not show up in the court documents the Glib received £17 million back. I’m sure I heard huns even saying so.
I’m probably wrong, but that was the word on the street.
Hrvatski Jim:
I saw the headline on one of the Celtic FB pages.
Still can’t believe they actually wrote that.
James Forrest
20:29 on
28 April, 2015
Yes, saw that on Newsnow Celtic. Promptly removed the DR from the list of publications appearing on the newsnow page.
That’ll do ! 1-0 the Young Hoops!
sevco keeper comes out and misses the corner …. humped home! 1-0 to the bhoys!
Get innnnnnnnnn Josh!
According to the MSM, Rangers were not liquidated…….they have been through an “insolvency event”.
get in there – great break from celtic from deep inside own half , shot resulted in corner , ball broke to young celt who rifled it low into corner. well played young lad who broke up play and stormed up the park to set us up.
sevco no.. 6 getting frustrated … afraid things could get tetchy.