Charlotte catches all in her web
The mainstream media, football administrators, football club directors, former football club directors, together with the executives from PR companies, are in a new space this week.
Many of these people have spent over 20 years controlling all important aspects of the media in relations to football in Scotland. Some have established a culture of dependency and fear; at the left of the telephone, or the click of a mouse, they could destroy reputations.
Most of these types backed Craig Whyte when Sir David Murray endorsed him as the right sort to buy Rangers, a situation which remained in place until administrators were appointed last year. Since then they have acted in unison to demonise Whyte, who has been painted as the solely responsible for the downfall of the football club.
Now, thanks to the industrious Charlotte, every underhand conspiracy is in danger of becoming exposed.
Find yourself in the dock over sectarian chanting? Don’t dispute the fact, simply allude to links which didn’t actually exist between the son of a Celtic director and the head of an anti-racism unit. The fact that some think there is an apparent scandal in the son of a Celtic director having links to an anti-racism campaigner is a bizarre thought. There were no links, but why shouldn’t there be, it’s anti-racism were talking here, which football clubs really should have affinity with.
And Oldco Rangers printed this rubbish in a submission to Uefa! Good grief.
Stewart Regan finds himself with a position to defend. One of his responsibilities is to ensure clubs are licenced correctly for Uefa competitions. I am not too exercised with him coordinating a response to this issue with the club concerned, but his assertion that Rangers were legitimately licenced for season 2011-12, despite the Discounted Options Scheme, or Wee Tax Case, seems more than odd.
In order to gain a Uefa licence clubs must have paid all social taxes due by 31 December no later than 31 March. Rangers advisors, Grant Thornton UK LLP, called Rangers £2.8m liability, which was unpaid by 31 March 2011, a “potential liability”, which was subject to discussions between the club and HMRC.
In quite simple terms, a club can call any liability a potential liability, however, this particular liability was very real. If the SFA allow Uefa rules to be circumnavigated by such a self-certified dismissal they are failing their duty to the game.
Mr Regan, the fact of this matter is that the liability was real. What evidence did you see to convince you otherwise? What processes are in place to ensure that a rogue SFA executive cannot rubber stamp a licence when one should not be granted? Can a club simply say “We’re all right, this stuff is under discussion” to make the SFA look the other way?
SFA president, Campbell Ogilvie, was secretary and director of Rangers during the entire operation of the Discounted Options Scheme. He was on the SFA board with oversight duties for ensuring clubs meet Uefa licensing standards when the club were issued with their 2011-12 licence, and he is currently seeking re-election to his post.
If Rangers were denied their licence for 2011-12 Celtic would have been eligible
The chat from PR companies is perhaps the most alarming, for them, of course.
Right now there is a campaign underway to ignore Charlotte. Any journo who takes on such an influential group of interests might is facing down some of the most influential people in the media industry. Here’s a thought for you: I reckon only circa 10% of available material has been looked at. Charlotte is not going away and neither is wee Craigie.
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By common consent, the latest CQN Magazine has been voted the best yet.
For a proper read of the magazine cick here. Use the navigation buttons at the bottom to flick through pages or zoom in.
Order Heart of a Lion with your personalised Father’s Day card here:
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