Tomorrow’s SPL meeting is something of a formality, albeit as dramatic as a formality can be. The main scheduled action of the week is underway at Hampden right now. We hear that after issuing threats to exclude 20 SFL clubs from future access to the top two divisions in Scottish football, SPL and SFA chief executives, Neil Doncaster and Stewart Regan, will face irate SFL chairmen.
In mitigation of the criticism coming his way, Mr Doncaster is offering your money, in perpetuity, to buy votes to allow Sevco to gain direct access to the First Division. If passed, they would probably enter the SPL next season, close to debt free, while Celtic carry peak debt of around £35m after playing by the rules and not qualifying for Champions League football during the last three seasons.
In short, if Mr Doncaster manages to persuade the SFL chairmen to back his plan, Sevco will become by far the strongest team in the SPL a year from now.
The plan has been rejected as wholly unacceptable by an impressive list of clubs with no association whatsoever with Celtic, many of whom exist hand-to-mouth and whose vote against will cost them considerable income.
Doncaster’s part in creating this shambles cannot be underestimated. He perpetuated the myth that “Rangers” should and would be in next season’s SPL, allowing people to invest in an undeliverable strategy, including Charles Green.
Mr Doncaster is an employee of the company Celtic are an equal-twelfth shareholder in. His actions are wholly incompatible with sporting meritocracy. As Celtic shareholders we call for his resignation and, if this is not forthcoming, demand he faces a confidence vote.
“Without fear or favour” was the promise from Stewart Regan when he told us he would apply the rules evenly as the Rangers saga unfolded. In advocating rules are torn up and replaced his words are laughable.
His assertion that the actions of Campbell Ogilvie over Rangers EBTs had been investigated and that Ogilvie was found to be without blame was misleading. It is our assertion that the actions of Mr Ogilvie were not investigated at all and that Mr Regan spoke to protect his ally, who remains in position despite being “heavily conflicted” according to Mr Regan, and the SFA being in desperate need of a strong and active president.
Mr Regan is now wholly compromised and must resign or also face a vote of confidence. Two years ago he joined a dysfunctional organisation. He had a great opportunity to make a name for himself as a successful troubleshooter. Instead he’s made matters worse!
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The Grauniad reporting that they have discovered a huge bison in Switzerland.
Fin75 on 4 July, 2012 at 10:32 said:
hen1rik on 4 July, 2012 at 10:28
Aye very good…..and what sort of mud did poor Kev fling at our board/club?
Geez peace
You geez all piece.
So since you are the expert in knowing why our board are remaining silent why dont you let us all know why this is and instead of doing your usual with personal insults why not try and give a straight answer.
What justification can there be for further delay? There has been the 2 weeks preparation time for this meeting. Any information that is required should be to hand – If not the application of newco is incomplete and should be thrown out.
“SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster told BBC Scotland that he expected the meeting to be “keenly contested”.” – It’s not a game – what is being decided is the future of the entire sport in Scotland.
The SPL clubs that have announced their decisions in advance have effectively already spoken – No Newco in the SPL. Therefore Newco need to go and talk to the SFL and seem to gain admittance – If and where the SFL choose to admit them is nothing to do with the SPL. Take the vote, send them to the SFL, and let them decide whether to admit or not. What is so complicated?
Kev they’re experts matey lets here the experts thoughts.
Philvis
Coulsfield
hamiltontim – You’re wrong here there are many on CQN who can vouch for the profession of Pfayr.
Of course they can, just ask him. By the same standard of proof (NB – that’s a legal term, PF Ayr), Nigeria is full of princes who are desperate to get their money into your bank account.
It’s like me coming on to CQN pretending to be a surgeon, and then extolling the virtues of phrenology as the study of kittens and transorbital lobotomies as a cure for the common cold.
Not everyone in the legal profession is impressive, but even the humblest of trainee solicitors has the basics of Obligations drilled so far into his skull that making a howler of the sort Mr. Ayr specialises in would be unthinkable.
Perhaps he should concentrate his aspirations on more attainable goals than the legal profession. Basic literacy would be a good start. (thumbsup)
Fin75 on 4 July, 2012 at 10:32 said:
hen1rik on 4 July, 2012 at 10:28
Aye very good…..and what sort of mud did poor Kev fling at our board/club?
Geez peace
__________________________________________________
When will the penny drop ?
” what sort of mud did poor Kev fling at our board/club?”
It’s NOT OUR club!!!
After countless share flotations…..WE are no more in control of
OUR club than we were when, Kelly and White owned the club!
Deal with it – CSC
Fin75 on 4 July, 2012 at 10:10 said:
It’s the same script everyday – negativity about the hoops.
And it always seems to be at the same time – just as blog kicks into life each morning.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
2010 Never Again
It’s as predictable as it is orchestrated.
Disruption, division and then rule. British foreign policy at it’s insidious best.
Jack Irvine would indeed be proud…erm!
hen1rik on 4 July, 2012 at 10:39 said
Personal insults to nameless and faceless blogger….hmmmm I’ll need to have a think about that one.
I have never claimed to be an expert or have any insight to what our board are thinking…..I am not Uri Geller.
So jog on and take you faux outrage elsewhere…..sorry I forgot PLEASE.
Eric Sykes RIP
“Without fans who pay at the turnstile, football is nothing. Sometimes we are inclined to forget that.”
Jock Stein
Fin75 on 4 July, 2012 at 10:10 said:
I could not agree with you more ……. They are trying their best to get Celtic to react, in the mess they have created all by themselves, in order that they can blame / criticise Celtic………..unfortunately, some Fholks, like Kevjungle, are taking the bait …….. Our Board are ‘playing’ this SPOT ON ……. Leave them to sort out their own mess
Let’s re-cap;
they have no squad
they have no money (they may ru notu of money soon)
they have no licence for professional football
the SFL seem less than eager to get them
8 SPL clubs have publicly stated no to a new company, the majority after fan opinion was taken
several points come up from this;
if you don’t think we will vote no tell me what would our motive be to vote yes in any circumstance but especially given the current situation? (Some have said Desmond’s love of money, but let’s be real here without them we have a greater chance of making money with the Champions League potential all but secured if we play anywhere near to our abilities in the domestic league, that’s the biggest financial picture).
what would the behaviour of the other SPL clubs say about the power of Lawell as a persuader if he had been pushing the case for a newco in the SPL?
does anyone REALLY believe we would want them straight back in?
Thus far we have made one public statement, on May 10th, today should see a vote on whether any newco (not just the current one being pushed) can drop straight into the SPL. To my mind no matter what happens today there will be a statement from Celtic because something will have happened, either the vote will have taken place and a decision taken, or the vote will have been postponed and that would be something worth remarking upon.
Up until now we have been quite right to stay silent.
To my mind that stance was justified fully by John Brown and his outburst yesterday, he has been desperate for us to say something, anything because it writes his next speach for him, in the absence of anything solid he simply made stuff up and in the process made himself look very foolish to any right minded person (I know, I know).
For the past week the huns on forums all over the place have been peddling the line that we were their biggest supporter in the SPL vote, that there was zero evidence of this was simply brushed aside, to my mind this has been classic FUD stuff (and both meanings apply), all they have been doing is muddying the waters and attempting to create strife.
Don’t listen to it. If the SPL follows it’s own procedures and the club chairmen are good to their word today will see a resounding NO vote.
After that it will fall to the SFL and the SFA and the most important thing could be the latter. How they can circumvent their own guidelines to award a full membership without the neccessary financial information will be interesting.
Oh and don’t think UEFA aren’t watching.
They aren’t involved because despite all the ink and hot air currently nothing has changed or been announced.
But if the SFA try to short circuit their rules I would expect a reaction.
If the dual contract issue goes against RFC(L) I would expect a reaction and not just from UEFA but from clubs that faced RFC(L).
Remember we are only at the start of act 2, this one has a long way to run.
‘kick the big boy when he’s down’
Alan McLaren’s insight on the current situation on Talksport.
Stupid Stupid double hun.
Whither the cash strapped scrofulous New hillbillies the day?
An absolute embarrassment if the SPL delay the vote. Think Turnbull Hutton has the right idea, lets just shut the bloody thing down and start a new league based on fairness and following the rules.
Sick of all this cowardly procrastination.
Fin75 on 4 July, 2012 at 10:42 said:
hen1rik on 4 July, 2012 at 10:39 said
Personal insults to nameless and faceless blogger….hmmmm I’ll need to have a think about that one.
I have never claimed to be an expert or have any insight to what our board are thinking…..I am not Uri Geller.
So jog on and take you faux outrage elsewhere…..sorry I forgot PLEASE.
share on F’book or Twitter
I knew you just couldn’t help yourself, away back to follow follow I’m sure they’ll welcome you with open arms.
Finding the Higgs boson ‘is like a new signing’ -Prof Mark Hateley.
KevJungle – Murdo 78/87 on 4 July, 2012 at 10:41 said:
It’s NOT OUR club!!!
——————————————————————
You could not be more wrong.
Without fans, Celtic are nothing.
Without customers Tesco are nothing.
Without us, this blog is nothing.
Get it?
If not. Remember shares are only pieces of paper (or electronic serials). they only represent the perceived value of the club..
No fans, no club, no shares.
Follow the trail.
If the SPL delay the vote and pass the buck on to the SFL,they should do the same,pass it back.
Sounds like a big game of pass the parcel at Hampden today again. Back to you SFL…
2010 Never Again
Respect once again to The Battered Bunnet
……………………………………………………..
The Battered Bunnet on 30 June, 2012 at 17:34 said:
“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.
R.I.P.Eric Sykes :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQy_ceTBtjs&feature=youtube_gdata_player
KevJungle – Murdo 78/87 on 4 July, 2012 at 10:41
You are deviating from your original brain fart earlier this morning……c’mon you can do better that that surely?
“Without fans who pay at the turnstile, football is nothing. Sometimes we are inclined to forget that.”
Jock Stein
Philvis
No idea what drives you to attempt to discredit me so ardently
I do a very good job of that myself …have a happy day
67Heaven ..The Board are playing this ” Spot on..”
Yes they are.
Speak softly and carry a big stick.
We`re the stick.
If there is no vote today regards SevCo 588, then it is with the agreement of all the SPL chairmen. The clubs who had agreed to vote ‘No’ could have forced the vote to go ahead by weight of numbers. The fact they haven’t shows their bluff has been called. The vast majority of the clubs want SevCo 588 in the SPL
July 4th 2012 will be the date that is marked on the grave of Scottish football
RIP Scottish football
philvisreturns on 4 July, 2012 at 10:41 said:
Behave yourself……not like you to be hurling personal insults
Imatim and so is Neil Lennon on 4 July, 2012 at 10:47 said:
>>>
One of the best posts ever re. this ‘situation’.
HH!
AndyM
great post. this part of the saga can surely only have 4 weeks maximum to run
hen1rik on 4 July, 2012 at 10:44 said:
Ooo….have I upset you?
“…away back to FF”……thanks for that indepth response.
I think I might just cry now…..
PHILVISRETURNS
I think I prefer the affable Philvis,of Philcave-lined-with Mrs T-portraits of yore.
This new you just isnae you,it’s like being told that Santa….oops,forgot that kids read this.
I think your gentleman’s gentleman has stolen your log-in,possibly in revenge for the punishment you meted out to him recently when he missed your wake-up call.
Chin up,old bean,and smile!
Doncaster must be muzzled,unless of course he is speaking on behalf of the whole SPL incuding Celtic.He stated on SSN that all options must remain open and in the next sentence insisted there were only 2 options i.e.SPL or SFL1.
It is disgraceful that his sophistry is being allowed to fill the vacuum left by Celtic’s continued silence.Celtic were absolutely right to bide their time but that time is NOW.
We as a support need our club to confirm their position publicly and emphatically.Sevco cannot be allowed,against all the rules,to enter SFL1,with effectively a guarantee of promotion to the SPL in season’13/’14 thus re-admitting them to the top flight DEBT FREE in a year.
SFL1 this season with Sevco would be an abomination with a pre-ordained outcome.The inevitable coronation of Sevco as champions and their promotion to the SPL would be unforgivable.Celtic cannot agree to this and must say so NOW!
Was it the Battered Bunnet that came up with the crucial question: For how long have the Scottish football authorities been unable to apply the rule of law to Rangers? That sums up decades of that feeling of being all but certain that we have not been treated fairly.
roy croppie on 4 July, 2012 at 10:47 said:
Sounds like a big game of pass the parcel at Hampden today again. Back to you SFL…
Good. The longer it goes on the less chance they have of getting in somewhere on time.
with all this practice of passing the buck will Scottish football now be classed as technically good!
Fin75 on 4 July, 2012 at 10:51 said:
hen1rik on 4 July, 2012 at 10:44 said:
Ooo….have I upset you?
“…away back to FF”……thanks for that indepth response.
I think I might just cry now…..
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