Double-jeopardy and cover-ups

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I see a lot of argument exercised over the weekend on the double-jeopardy issue. Holding an inquiry into an event, then holding another when you don’t get the desired outcome. I have sympathy to a degree with this sentiment, but only within limits. Tax cheats who successfully wriggle out of their responsibilities at a Tribunal, may be called to a second, third or fourth hearing.

This will feel like quadruple-jeopardy, but it’s correct and often needed for the law to apply evenly. It’s also worth noting that the Crown successfully convicted its first double-jeopardy case in November last year, following the Double Jeopardy (Scotland) Act.

For non-legal cases, such as the SPL Commission headed by Lord Nimmo Smith, there is no double-jeopardy law, either way, the SFA source trying to influence the media late last week into thinking there was, was getting ahead of himself. Any organisation can ask any question of itself at any point.

What the SPFL (formerly known as the SPL) must now ask, is was the Lord Nimmo Smith Commission fit for purpose?

Auldheid, writing on Scottish Football Monitor last year, published his correspondence to SPFL solicitor, Rod McKenzie of Harper MacLeod, suggesting crucial information, requested by McKenzie as part of his case on behalf of the SPL, was not disclosed.

The implication being that McKenzie was unable to reference the material he needed to successfully prosecute his case as the salient information was withheld by Rangers. McKenzie wrote to Rangers on 5 March 2012 asking for relevant information but allegedly did not receive documentation on EBTs Rangers had already agreed with HMRC were incorrect and liable for tax.

The SPL Commission concluded Rangers gained no sporting advantage from their EBTs as, although they found the club acted wrongly in respect of player registration rules, the Commission found that even if the EBTs had been declared, no tax would have been payable, so no sporting advantage was achieved.

We now know that a considerable amount of tax should have been paid (subject to appeal to the Supreme Court), which flips the criteria Nimmo Smith based his decision upon.

I suspect nothing will happen between now and the expiry of the Big Tax Case appeal notification window in early December. Should no appeal be made, the SPFL will need to consider its position.

Football, to a considerable extent, relies on clubs issuing information openly and fully to authorities when required. If a conspiracy to withhold information from an inquiry exists, and is subsequently uncovered, the authorities must consider what action is appropriate.

At the very least, the national association should not be privately promoting a cover-up.
Jim Craig and Brendan Sweeney will be on CQN live from 19:30 onwards on Wednesday to talk about the fascinating topics covered in Brendan’s new book, Celtic: The Early Years. You can ask questions on the blog and Jim and Brendan will get straight back to you.

We’ve held a few of these events before and they’ve always been great fun, especially when we get to chat with one of the men who won the Big Cup. And Brendan, of course!

Ladies, the unique event on the Celtic calendar, Ghirls for Good Christmas Lunch, is now open for bookings.  It’s a ladies-only lunch on Saturday, 12 December at the Kerrydale Suite, and I’m told the best day out of the year.  You can book tickets, or a table of 10, here.  No guys allowed!

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490 Comments

  1. TET

     

     

    I love both of them. Its been too long since us Ireland supporters had something to shout about. When Martin took over you just knew he’d do the damage.

     

     

    Extraordinary, absolutely extraordinary :-D

  2. Well done Ireland, that is some achievement beating Germany and Bosnia.

     

    Another game playing tomorrow of interest it seems

     

     

    MASH in Court of Session tomorrow :P1039/15 Pet: Mash Holdings Ltd for Judicial Review

  3. Get McGeady on loan in January with a view to bringing him home,he will need games if he wants to play in Euros

  4. Andrew Kerins Green and White Army on

    Gearoid I know that mate it’s the Lambeg merchants I’m talking about . You only have to look at their you tube clips

     

    10 german planes and all that cobblers

  5. Cowiebhoy.

     

    Gypsy Mick is vacating the caravan this morning and will post later when he gets back to civilisation.I caught up with him for a pint yesterday and there was much debate who the winner is.Tony Donnelly leads with 12 out of 14 which is the team plus 3 subs. However he named 4 subs.

     

    Now if you draw a parallel line with the huns and their EBT’s could this be regarded as an unsporting advantage. I’ll leave it to your good self to comment.

     

    At present there are 4 others with 11 correct.

     

    I’m going to leave it to Michael to unravel this ,you are correct we are a pair of aussie wallopers,

     

    I’ve got the Polo shirt ready to post and I’m sure the winner will appreciate their prize from a very hot peninsula.Hail Hail.

  6. Bada, from what I hear that’s about to happen :-) honestly got a text with that info at 22.12

     

    What about the new media diversion tactic, let’s talk about youth football and all its ills, try and ignore the cheating Huns :-)

     

     

    Hail Hail

  7. Tin hat on.

     

     

    I’m a bit jealous of all you ghuys, my many friends in Celtic and CQN who are quantifybly Irish in heritage.

     

    As far as I know I have no connection with the Emerald Isle.

     

     

    I only support Celtic by happenstance.

     

     

    While I have learned, mainly through ging to games, home and away, meeting CQNrs and reading CQN is some of the Irish identity of the club and I am caught up and converted to the cause(s)

     

     

    I know so little about Irish history and therefore don’t even begin to get involved although my sympathies are increasingly Republican and not just in Ireland.

     

     

    Therein lies one of the benefits of reading CQN.

     

     

    Howeva!

     

     

    i wish it was Scotland that was going through.

     

     

    No offense.

     

     

    HH

  8. Paddymacoz

     

    Not bad, only 2 days lot :-) it must Tues in Aussie land, and that Mick Bhoy said team to be announced Sunday :-))))

     

    Another guess then

     

     

    Boruc

     

    McGrain, Connolly, McNeil, Gemmell

     

    Johnstone, McStay, Murdoch, Lennox

     

    Dalglish

     

    Larrson

     

    Subs, Auld, Lubo, Burns

  9. Andy

     

    Was jesting. Their hatred and bile knows no boundaries. Don’t want them within an asses roar of us. They can keep their bouncys

  10. Skyisalandfill

     

     

    You dont have to be from Soweto to know apartheid was wrong. You crack on. Up the Irish! And her friends.

  11. I’ve just realised reading back thatI have a pretty strange way of written communication.

     

     

    I write like I was writing a letter.

     

     

    oh no

     

     

    night night timsom and HH

     

     

    Yours sincerely

     

     

    ………………………………

     

     

    Ps

     

     

    Maybe that’s why no one ever replies.

     

     

    Sob

  12. Skyisalandfill

     

    You have met and know us. You’re Irish and guilty by association.

     

    HH big mhan

  13. Herbo

     

    The day MoN got the Celtic job, I was watching the tv, he was on the steps of Celtic Park getting interviewed, Mrs TET walked in and asked what was wrong, the tears were streaming down my face, with delight, I don’t really think she understood :-)

     

    HH

  14. Gearoid

     

     

    My bhoy said to me tonight. Hope the 26 county and 6 county teams don’t meet in France.

     

    Hope you are well and we get a blether together soon.

     

    Hail Hail

  15. TET

     

     

    I was working in Tenerife. I knew I had to be home for the season starting. I missed Tannadice on the opening day but what a 5 years he gave us. A Celtic legend in my eyes.

  16. skyeisalandfill

     

     

     

    sure all them celtic saints visited all the important islands

     

     

    —————————————-

     

     

    A BRIEF HISTORY OF SPIRITUAL

     

    AWAKENING/REVIVAL ON THE ISLE OF SKYE

     

    BACKGROUND

     

    It is believed Saint Columba first visited Skye about 585AD. He was the patron Saint of the

     

    northern part of the island. The number of places that bear his name indicates the strength of

     

    his influence. Portree Bay was previously called St Columba’s Loch. A small island in the bay

     

    is called “Eilean Chalum Chille”. It is said that in North of Skye there were some thirty places

     

    of worship as well as monasteries dedicated to Columba.

     

    St Maelurba was the patron saint of South Skye. He founded a church in Applecross in

     

    673AD and for 49 years it is reported he – “carried the torch of Christianity in the Highlands

     

    and the Isles.”

     

    In 664AD the Synod of Whitney resulted in the disruption of the Columban Church. At that

     

    time it is reported that the Scottish Church, wishing to remain free from the domination of the

     

    Rome Catholic Church, went to Ireland and took with them “the Columban clergy of Skye and

     

    returned two years afterward.”

     

    In 794 AD Skye was devastated by the invasion of the Norse. In common with the rest of the

     

    Western Isles monasteries were pillaged and manuscripts burned or destroyed.

     

    About 875 the Norse came again – not as invaders but as emigrants fleeing the effects of

     

    revolution in their own homeland. These immigrants later formed themselves in to raiding

     

    parties to their old homeland. This culminated about 1098 when Magnus Barelegs, King of

     

    Norway reeked murder and mayhem among the people of Skye in revenge. The Skye/Norse

     

    connection can clearly be seen today in the abundance of place names with Nordic roots.

     

    There is strong evidence to suggest that many Norse settlers were converted to the Christian

     

    faith and stood strongly for the fundamentals of a pure form of Christianity.

     

    From 1098 the Hebrides, including Skye, Lewis, the mainland of Argyll and the Isle of Man,

     

    were ruled from Norway by vassal Kings and rulers until 1263 when Olave the Black, King of

     

    Man and the Isles, the vassal King, along with his superior King Haco of Norway, were

     

    defeated at Largs on their way to conquer of the whole of Scotland. The Hebrides, including

     

    Skye were ceded to Scotland in 1266.

  17. Cowiebhoy

     

    I’ll put you out your misery .OUR TEAM AS FOLLOWS . in a 3-4-3 formation.

     

    SIMPSON

     

    MCGAIN. MCNEILL. GEMMELL.

     

    MURDOCH. MCSTAY. BURNS. LUBO.

     

    JINKY. HENRIK. DALGLISH.

     

     

    subs x3 DOYLE. PETROV MCBRIDE

     

     

    All the best mate.HH

  18. jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ on

    Great response from Anton Leris who lost his wife in the Paris massacre on theI ITN news there!!!!

  19. DD

     

    Over for the Ajax game. Was going to try and make the BV beforehand. Defo get a pint.

     

    Hope you’re well skin.

  20. Sky, Met you once you are a top banana. No offence taken, by the way there is plenty of Irish in you. It’s what is in a person’s heart that counts.

  21. Wouldn’t have anyone who says the dead team don’t deserve to be punished for their years of cheating anywhere near our club.

     

    Stands to reason anyone with that mindset just doesn’t get our fans.

     

    HH