Two important issues to discuss today, Exploiting Hillsborough and Tax Justice Network. Do you think newspapers are above exploiting the Hillsborough tragedy? Think again.
Exploiting Hillsborough
Last year Celtic announced they received permission for safe standing at Celtic Park from the start of next season. The club hasn’t spoken about the matter since then, but season ticket renewal information was published yesterday, including details for those in what will become safe standing areas.
Some sharp-eyed operator spotted an opportunity. A bereaved Hillsborough mother was called, information put to her which led her to believe Celtic HAD made an announcement this week, before commenting “It’s insensitive to announce that right at this time, a week just after the verdicts”.
Readers were then treated to comments from Peter Lawwell to hammer home the point, “Celtic has worked tirelessly on this issue and we are delighted this permission has finally been granted”.
That comment was made in 2015, but was printed in the context of being made a week after the Hillsborough inquest. If you want a Celtic comment contemporaneous with the Hillsborough inquest, you’re out of luck, none was made. A comment was taken from the past, dressed up as new – and insensitive to the Hillsborough tragedy – then put to a bereaved mother.
This beggars belief. This coverage did not happened by accident, it was planned and executed with a clear objective to undermine Celtic, and the chief executive in particular. It was a vile act.
Tax Justice Network
Tax Justice Network (TJN) are an international activist think-tank who push to “‘change the weather’ on a wide range of issues related to tax, tax havens and financial globalisation”. They train journalists on how to cover illicit finance and tax havens, and last year launched The Offshore Game, a look into football ownership and transparency. Their testimonials are impressive:
“TJN has done more than any other organisation to put fiscal justice at the center of the policy agenda. Tax issues should not be left to those who want to escape taxes! Changes will come when more and more citizens of the world take ownership of these matters. TJN is a powerful force acting in this direction.”
Thomas Piketty, author, Capital in the Twenty-First Century
“Founded at a time when tax was a Cinderella subject, the Tax Justice Network was one of few voices challenging the status quo. Since then, its energy and international reach have greatly magnified its influence as the issues it championed moved up the political agenda.”
Vanessa Houlder, The Financial Times
“In some ways I feel responsible for TJN’s creation since I suggested in a 2000 OECD Observer report that civil society needed to have a stronger voice in the international tax debate. Well, over these 12 years it certainly has achieved this, moving tax issues up the political agenda.”
Jeffrey Owens, former head of tax, OECD
“The Queen has asked me to thank you for your letter of 4th November from which Her Majesty has taken careful note of your comments and concerns about taxation and offshore financial secrecy.”
Queen Elizabeth II (cough)
So that’s the OECD, The Financial Times, the Queen and Tam Piketty. When a body with a list of testimonials as authoritative as the TJN turn their focus on Scottish football, we should all take note. Yesterday evening the TJN released their report into the SFA, Rangers and governance in Scottish football, entitled ‘Doing SFA for Fair Play?‘
Their extensive report’s conclusions are:
Issue 1 – The SPL inquiry into rule breaking at Rangers
The first concerns the judge-led Commission set up by the SPL into alleged rule breaking by Rangers in the run up to their collapse.
The Commission considered whether Rangers should be stripped of a series of league and cup titles. The documents reveal that the then President of the SFA, Campbell Ogilvie, misled the public and the judge presiding over the inquiry, which led them to make a material error of fact in their judgement.
The fact that Mr Ogilvie (former Rangers director and SFA president) had previously been one of the longest serving officials in the history of Rangers Football Club clearly raises questions as to the motive behind his statements – since the inquiry’s own findings imply that, in full possession of the facts, they would have to have reached a different decision and possibly have stripped titles from Rangers.
Issue 2 – Rangers’ licence to play in Europe 2011/2012
The second issue concerns the grant and retention of a licence to play in Europe to Rangers in the 2011/12 season, when the finances of the club suggested it was on the verge of imminent collapse.
UEFA rules are clear that in order to get a licence to play European football a club must prove that it has no overdue payables to tax authorities. Our analysis of the evidence shows that Rangers clearly had an overdue payable as defined in the UEFA rules and could not have met that test.
However, regardless of this, the SFA did grant Rangers a licence. Although the SFA were informed by Rangers of an on-going issue concerning a large tax bill, they accepted Ranger’s erroneous argument that this did not break any UEFA rules.
It appears that the SFA did little to test the explanation regarding the status of the bill given by Rangers, and subsequent correspondence reveals an unhealthy degree of co-ordination between Rangers and the SFA over the PR around the decision.
As history unfolded, Rangers were knocked out before reaching the group stages of the Champion’s League. Had they managed to achieve victory in the qualifying rounds, they might well have gained the resources they needed to keep the company afloat and pay the overdue tax bill based on Champions League income, thwarting the very purpose of UEFA FFP Articles in respect of overdue tax.
Instead, Rangers went into administration and other Scottish clubs were denied a chance to play European football. That was not only unfair, it came at a cost to those clubs. Also, had Malmo and Maribor, not won their qualifying games against Rangers, for them, the consequences of this breach in the fair play rules would have been far more serious.
On the SFA
Regulators also have a duty to ensure fair play, over and above the usual rules that govern competition between companies. To ensure that competition stays on the pitch and doesn’t retreat behind the closed doors of the boardroom, regulators must make rules to ensure clubs do not gain unfair and unsporting advantages over others.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, in order to execute these functions, a regulator must itself be fair. To preserve the integrity of the system, the regulator must be beyond reproach, and behave in a way which does not produce any suspicion that that they might be exercising their power unfairly, in favour of one team over another.
It is on this last point, that The Offshore Game team have serious concerns about the behaviour and conduct of the Scottish Football Regulator, the Scottish Football Association (SFA).
In conclusion
The two cases that are dealt with in this report, which have nothing to do with the matter under consideration by the criminal court, call into question whether the SFA can be considered a fair and impartial regulator of Scottish football.
This is a question that the SFA has, thus far, flatly refused to answer. And that itself points to a much bigger question: is the SFA an organisation capable of fixing itself and adopting the required standards of transparency, accountability and fairness that fans of Scottish football deserve?
The evidence presented in this report does not amount to proof of corruption, and we do not allege corruption at the SFA. But the evidence does strongly suggest that the SFA is unable, if not actively unwilling, to ensure fair play. Major changes in personnel and governance structures will be necessary if the SFA is to show itself fit for purpose.
The first step to restoring confidence would be for the SFA to engage with UEFA over the clearly misleading returns Rangers’ submitted to them in order to get a licence to play European football in 2011.
Secondly there needs to be a fully independent inquiry, including substantial fan representation, to assess the role of the SFA and the actions of key, senior staff in respect of each issue outlined in this report; and with a mandate to learn from more accountable sports authorities in other fields and to recommend sweeping governance changes to the SFA if deemed necessary.”
No attempt was made by the SFA to tidy up their reputation, they refused to engage with TJN. They are not the first sports body to recently avoid examining issues of financial probity, but in the current climate, this line is becoming increasingly difficult to hold.
On a related matter, more work has taken place on the Resolution 12 issue than anyone will be able to quantify. Unable to go into any detail, I marked your card on this last month and can do so again now. The process does not have long to go.
My expectation is that the TJN report will reach Uefa today, irrespective of whether the Scottish media collude to suppress such a story. The ducks are aligning.
Thank you to everyone who donated to our Mary’s Meals appeal yesterday. “Gerry”, who won the Magners tickets, hasn’t checked his email yet!
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NegAnon
If you trust BRTH(3.39pm) then take a timeout and get to Celtic Park on Sunday.
You and every other Celtic supporter deserve it.
HH
A question for one of our financially astute people
What was Celtics turnover last year ?
What was Celtics profit last year ?
And how much did Celtic give to charity last Year ?
With the end of the SNP’s majority government at Holyrood, the Offensive Behaviour at Football Act is now on the verge of being repealed. At last.
http://thecelticblog.com/2016/05/blogs/the-snp-majority-is-gone-time-to-end-this-offensive-act
BRTH @ 3.39pm
Thank you for further reassurance that Res12 and the PLC are “still in play”
We know that SFA and its cronies will do everything to stop it proceeding and, so, IMO, we need to garner as much support behind it as we, the Celtic support, can. Popular campaigns in the past have succeeded .
Look at the Ratner Empire. It fell because the mass refused to buy his products after the Gerald guy’s faux pas. It wasn’t what he said but the public reaction which killed his business.
We should not sit idly by and wait for the Board, nor bump our gums on a blog but get involved eg spreading the two reports of yesterday. HH
Paul67
Libel has to be
1. False
2. Published
3. A) likely to expose a person/organisation to hatred, shame, disgrace or ridicule
B) injure a person/organisation’s reputation or cause them to be shunned or avoided
C) damage a person/organisation in their occupation
If the newspaper report linking the safe seating at CP announcement with Hillsborough used a non-contemporaneous quote and passed it off as contemporaneous, then there is a strong case for libel IMO.
Hard to tell now, since the paper’s website seems to have taken down the original “news” story.
I wonder why they did that. Maybe their lawyers read it.
Enjoy the rest of your birthday!
At the risk of sounding reactionary, on here, my son & I shall be at Celtic Park on Sunday just like almost every other home game for the last three seasons, since he joined me as a ST holder.
We will cheer on the team to victory, I hope, over Aberdeen. Naturally, the sun will shine and we will enjoy a great day.
We shall, incredibly no doubt to some on here, be renewing our ST despite our disappointment with the management, the Board and Peter Lawwell.
We will do this because we are Celtic suppoerters.
Some of you want to try it sometime.
Or you could just be so feckin holier than thou and right the world. If that’s what you want, do it but please stop boring the tits off the rest of us. BTW, I’ve got hunners of principles if any of you want some.
I don’t drink cider and I don’t gamble but I don’t give a flying fudge if we are sponsored by them so long as we have the best sponsorship deal in the history of Scottish football.
Now for some beer. Wonder if PL would get M&S meal for £10 to sponsor our shorts and Leffe to sponsor our socks?
HH
When I read the other day about how some Hillsborough campaigners were going to visit Celtic Park I was thinking about how proud I am of the club’s support of the Liverpool fans over the disaster. We hosted a match to show solidarity with them not long after the tragedy, in defiance of the lies and slander that were already being slung their way, and in different ways we have publicised their campaign for justice over the intervening years.
I don’t have adequate words to describe my disgust at the story that we have somehow been insensitive for opening a safe standing area, which is entirely subject to post-Taylor health and safety law. It is beyond the pale, the lowest the media have sunk and frankly I don’t think it is possible to sink any lower. Surely it is simply time to ban that rag from Celtic Park. Shame on them. Please don’t buy the rag and don’t click on it.
Season tickets renewed, late birthday present for my wife every year! Even worse for her is if my bro (despite reassurances at his meeting with Peter Lawwell recently regards a number of issues) goes through with his “not renewing” stance she gets to sit next to me!
Poor woman…………
Safe seating = safe standing
Apologies.
Neganon
So I withdraw my money from Cetic.
Then what?
Will that alter DD* holding?
Will it alter democracy within our club?
How long would I need to go without Celtic?
Do you think a boycott works-akin to 94?
How would you buy out dermot?
Would it maybe not be better to get active and disapply him?
Do you think it could destabalize Celtic long term (in a shareholding sense-better the devil you know)
Do you see any benefit brought to Celtic by DD/PL? In my opinion we have been solid and stable since 1994 and that covers the banking tick boom til chaos in 2008.
HH
Has anyone tried to contact the ticket office today? If so, did you actually manage to speak to anyone? Giving up now. That’s 3 hours and counting and not managed to speak to a soul. Choose option, now choose blah blah, ‘ sorry please call back later’
Fekk it.
It has everything to do with the rules of evidence and the legal advice given to the club at this time.
There is however a workaround.
The club are fully engaged re Res 12 and the ball is in play.
I’v been telling them this for ages, but! No one believes me? Strange.
Connaire
I do indeed know how difficult that would have been for you given your past allegiance to a particular political party.
I bet you feel better for it! :-)
The future of the OBaF Act is undecided but we do now have somethings to work with. Losing Michael McMahon is a blow because he’s been easily the most vocal and active opponent of the Act within Holyrood.
However, there are two new factors to consider which give me hope.
James Kelly’s election means that the issue will again be raised in parliament. This is hugely important in light of the second factor, the SNP no longer have a majority.
Now, as Weeminger has pointed out, it would be easy for them to keep the Greens in line with the promise of Land Reform. However, Harvie was one of the first MSPs to openly state that his party would repeal the Act. We’ll be reminding him, and all the other party leaders of their manifesto promises.
A major concern of mine it that the Act is removed from the statute books only to be replaced by their stunningly absurd SACRO scheme!
What needs addressing is the ridiculous notion that legislation is required which targets football supporters separately. Targeted policies against football supporters alone is illiberal and descriminatory.
Supporting your team is not a crime.
twists n turns on 6th May 2016 4:13 pm
drop them a quick email at tickets@celticfc.co.uk and let them know the difficulty you have experienced.
They’ve gone over and above any time I’ve emailed.
Hopefully they’ll be able to help you out asap.
HH
Happy Birthday Paul, Thanks for being the port in a storm. When everyone is calling for heads and conspiracies you keep the head and the course, though at times I can’t always see where you are coming from. I know you have the best interests of the club at heart,
Hail Hail Mate and Have a great day/
Keep up the good work.
KLV
Re Rome.
The Scavi tour is an absolute must do whether you are religious or just interested in the history and archaeology.
Get your ticket via on-line application. It is not dear but places are very limited due to the very tight passageways in the necropolis which is under the crypt which is under the Vatican.
The tour ticket got us into the necropolis first. It is fascinating to see all the old tombs stacked one on top of another within a family plot. At the end, through a narrow slit in the necropolis you can see the bones claimed to be those of St Peter.
Then we got immediate entry to the crypt. When we entered, the first tomb we saw was BP Charlie. Then we were escorted into the Vatican a bit later in the morning when it had quietened down a little. Definitely the best way to see it.
Bring on Sunday – weather is forecast to be good so hope we see a good match and get a win,
Happy birthday to Paul.
Traditionalist
Tyvm. I will do that.
Cheers
WEEMINGER on 6TH MAY 2016 2:29 PM
‘Wings Over Scotland (who I’m aware is now totally discredited on football matters)’
###
On football matters?
I presume you’re referring to his comments about the Hillsborough disaster.
You think that was a football matter?
You’re a moron.
Twists N Turns
If you are trying to renew the link below works fine:
http://seasontickets.celticfc.net/?utm_source=celticfc&utm_medium=tktmenu&utm_content=menu&utm_campaign=1617st
If something else, sorry cant help, ticket office closes at 4PM Friday I believe
Twists N Turns
Call 0141 230 1967 and select option 1.
Vale bhoy
Terrific post. Well said…
twists n turns on 6th May 2016 4:21 pm
no probs – good luck
HH
HAMILTONTIM on 6TH MAY 2016 4:17 PM
I was listening to Shortbread earlier. There was some kind of ‘let’s have a heated debate’ type programme on with an audience and a panel of politicians, one of whom I think was Kelly.
A member of the audience asked the panel which one of their opponent’s policies they would adopt. Quite a good question.
Kelly said he’d choose the Tory proposal to abolish the OBF Act, which was a bit of a cheat because it was also Labour policy, as you know. I think the discussion confirmed that every party other than the nats had a manifesto commitment to repeal the Act, so hopefully something will come of it.
Personally I’m looking forward to Holyrood setting a budget (the one thing they are obliged to do each year) and the SNP having to rely on the Tories to get their tax proposals through.
Paul,
Happy Birthday!
Excellent lead article regarding the Tax Justice Network report which deserves the widest possible circulation to assist in the exposure of the
Hampden cover-up … in the words of the song “start spreading the news” .
6th May – one of my favourite Celtic supporting days when we won the league at Ibrox (1967) and certainly my worst Celtic supporting day – losing to Feyenoord in the European Cup final in Milan (1970).
Regards.
My friends in Celtic,
Many of us will have seen or received an E-Mail from Celtic outlining our clubs support and acknowledgement for the 96.
Our club and support has a proud record for supporting the quest for truth and justice and most Merseyside people will know that. Certainly Liverpool FC will know that.
However one option to counter this dispicable lazy journalism would be for Celtic to take out an advert in the Liverpool Echo .
Surely it would be money well spent.
YNWA.
Res 12 will go all the way in my opinion. Too many legal eagles looked over it for there not to be a case, Patience. Also the Justice Network shows us that there is always someone watching. Too much money involved for the establishment club to walk away without a scratch.
The ball is well and truly in play, Don’t listen to the people who have nothing to say, They just make stuff up to seem important. Leave them to their lies, The Club leave them to it, The adage about “Never argue with an idiot” comes to mind. Leave them to their lies, no point in lower ourselves to their tit for tat childish nonsense.
I will renew next week and I trust others who see the big picture to do the same. They want us split they want us in fighting, again Divide and conquer. We unite over the next couple of years and they will be truly done. No matter what the sfa do, They guys will have their own battles in the coming months that sevco will have to fend for themselves.
Keep the faith Bhoys, Stand and feel your worth.
Hail Hail.
KLV
Thanks bhoys for the help/advice.
Greenpinta, what a great idea!
ERNIE LYNCH on 6TH MAY 2016 4:22 PM
Listen I don’t respect him on any matters, and haven’t for a long time. Way before the Hillsborough issue resurfaced. It was easy shorthand, nothing more. I’m supposed to be working, so I don’t always have time to consider fully what I’m saying.
However the survey he commissioned was carried out by a reputable company, and I’ve no reason to doubt it’s findings, although it was based round a a limited sample size.
The basic point about OBFA is this. Most people don’t know the detail of it and most won’t be that interested because it’s not going to affect them, and that attitude is commonplace on most laws I’d say.
As HT points out above for some parties it will be very important, and Greens may be one of them. It might not be so with others. So my example remains valid. If the SNP really feel strongly about keeping it in place I would not be surprised if they are able to strike a deal to prevent a majority voting against.
Personally I want it repealed.
Greenpinata on 6th May 2016 4:32 pm
Good suggestion – though I’m not sure how much traction the article(s) got in Liverpool.
If not a lot, I would avoid drawing any further attention to it and address any concerns on Sunday directly with the campaign reps at CP.
HH
THE GHOOD WILL PREVAIL on 6TH MAY 2016 4:02 PM
That is exactly how I feel too. I was at the post-Hillsborough Liverpool game at CP, and I was living and working in Liverpool at that time. Came up with a load of Scousers, and they were very moved at the solidarity they found with us.
We forged a bond with LFC and their supporters through those bleak days for them, and we have been solid behind the Justice for the 96 campaign ever since.
That’s why I am more than usually sickened at Level 5’s latest attempt to besmirch our club. This time, it’s bigger than their usual stock-in-trade of sly innuendo and unattributable rumour, which they can feed in to their tame monkeys on the DR, BBC and the Herald.
Dragging Hillsborough into their anti-Celtic agenda will backfire terribly on them. So long as the Club has the balls to nail them on it.
ERNIE LYNCH on 6TH MAY 2016 4:31 PM
What if Greens. or Lib Dems agree with their budget? There’ll be no need to rely on Tories whether they also support it or not.
WEEMINGER on 6TH MAY 2016 4:39 PM
ERNIE LYNCH on 6TH MAY 2016 4:31 PM
What if Greens. or Lib Dems agree with their budget? There’ll be no need to rely on Tories whether they also support it or not.
###
The only party at Holyrood that agree with the nats on tax is the Tories.
That’s why they’ll be relying on them to get their budget through.
This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.
Went up to vote last night, and approached the SNP representative who was there, looking mightily smug with herself.
A discussion ensued – well, I explained vigorously what was wrong with the OBFA.
She refused to even discuss the matter – went and hid behind the wee auld Liberal fella – she actually said “I’m not speaking to you – you are shouting” (two PC plods were within 10 yards, and had no problem with my tone of voice).
Labour chap just stood to the side chuckling.
Anyone else managed to get anyone from the SNP, when talking on a one-to-one basis, to support their own law?
Or even to discuss it?
HH
BGFC
An Tearmann I am aware it was the telegraph who published the story originally but where do you think that story “originated”. I find it kinda funny that you espouse it’s a smear on Scotland.
But not half as funny as your claim that I smear Scotland without foundation. Are you denying Scotland has a racial problem with Irish and Irish Catholicism? Are you saying there is no foundational evidence to such claims?
BRTH perhaps you can clear something up for me. Did Celtic refuse to take the issue to UEFA? Are you not now the ones taking it to UEFA? Did the club clearly explain why they refused to do it? Now I may not be a legal expert but I have some experience, if the case is ready to go to UEFA then the legal issues have been ironed out. Then it’s simply a case of who takes it. If there is a legal reason why Celtic can’t do it themselves I have no idea why that is difficult to explain or has to be cryptic? If there is a good and viable reason I am certainly happy to say I am wrong. But I don’t get the mystery.
GREENPINATA on 6TH MAY 2016 4:32 PM
It would be better to go after the newspaper that published the falsehood, the Daily Record, get an apology and retraction in the pages of that vile organ, then getthe Record to foot the bill for the same retraction to appear in the Liverpool Echo.
Only fair.
ERNIE LYNCH on 6TH MAY 2016 4:46 PM
Politics is a dirty business as you know. Don’t assume that compromises won’t be made. From all sides.
EMBRAMIKE SAYS “THE HUNS ARE DEID” on 6TH MAY 2016 10:42 AM
Feliz cumpleaños Pablo sesenta siete. Mantener el buen trabajo
Hope this translates as “Happy Birthday Paul67. Keep up the good work” Paul. My español is muy dodgy”
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