The entire football world should be delighted at the arrests of six Fifa executives in Switzerland this morning on warrants requested by US prosecutors. Fifa has successfully resisted reform, actively opposed transparency and supressed reports into corruption at the top of the world’s most lucrative sport.
No one will be surprised that president, Sepp Blatter, who was not one of the six arrested today, is deaf to calls for accountability at the top. He plans to stand in Friday’s election, no doubt keen to guide the Federation through its dealings with law enforcement agencies. Those arrested have yet to be charged with any crime, never mind successfully prosecuted, so Blatter has plausible deniability of wrongdoing on the part of Fifa, but under any properly constituted organisation he would step aside to let fresh blood reinvigorate the game.
The news that Swiss police are investigating the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process is even more welcome than the arrests. This investigation is separate to that being carried out by US authorities and may ultimately be more pivotal in freeing the game from the grasp of bribery and corruption.
Mike Ashley is getting his Rangers International PLC (RIPLC) General Meeting, on 12 June, at which, the directors of Rangers International PLC have decided to titillate shareholders with details of Rangers Retail Limited’s shareholders agreement, between the club and Ashley, although they note this agreement is subject to confidentiality agreements – and details appear to have been leaked today.
In an eye catching move, the directors of RIPLC are considering disapplying voting rights of shareholders who hold shares in other football clubs, in this case, Mike Ashley, who owns Newcastle United.
It’s worth saying this remains no more than bluster for now. They are “considering” disapplying rights and will lay out a “timetable for presenting a resolution for shareholders’ consideration”. I cannot believe they would be so self-harming that they would actually try to remove Ashley’s voting rights. Mike has the resources to destroy them in court, and it’s a tad futile to risk enormous legal consequences to disenfranchise someone when you and your supporters control the majority of shares. Ashley could easily circumnavigate any such act, should is be successful, but selling his shares to a trusted third party.
As such this element of the debate is futile, not even King is stupid enough to waste time and energy on it. He would lose heavily, and even if he won, Ashley would accommodate the outcome without breaking sweat. This is some tough talking but I’d like to see them try it (I genuinely would).
Two resolutions are proposed: the first by Ashley, that his £5m loan is repaid “as soon as possible”, in return for the release of security over RIPLC’s intellectual property, Murray Park, Albion Car Park and Edmiston House. Ashley is happy to hand this back, he’s a retailer, retail rights are what he’s interested in.
The second, proposed by the board, asks for shareholder approval to demand all of the club’s relationships with Sports Direct group companies, the loan, securities and the lucrative retail rights, are “renegotiated on a basis that is fair and reasonable”.
Here we get to the crux of the matter. Dave King told us months ago that Mike Ashley was a businessman, and that he would recognise the hand King dealt him and fold. The contrary view is that Mike Ashley is a businessman who will not be dictated to.
There’s a scene in Groundhog Day when lead character Phil, realising he can act without consequences, as even after death he’d pop up the next day as though nothing happened, drives onto a railway track.
Nodding to the oncoming train he says “I bet he’s going to swerve first”. Mike Ashley is the oncoming train. Trains don’t swerve. Groundhog Day looks increasingly likely, 06:00 will strike with an away day at Brechin under a provisional membership.
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BT
Happy anniversary to Blantyres Posh & Becks
Scott Allen is gash…..geeza break
Any of our kids….are better prospects.
Has naebody heard of Stefan, Broony, Nir
Scott Allen….nae chance, he would never play in our first team.
HH
F.A.B. Nice post but you should know by now Kev does,nt do explaining just Groundhog Day rants, I wish you luck. H H Hebcelt
Happy anniversary to BT and his better half!
HH!!
Scott Allen is not a bad player, but watching him in both games against team two names, I thought he held the ball to long, and to me that means he can’t pick a pass.
thebarcamole
09:22 on 28 May, 2015
—————————————–
Absolutely. Although the blue ribbon events in horse racing would be relatively free from corruption because of the vast amounts of prize money that can be gained by connections.
I am convinced that the bookmakers are up to their necks in the cheating.
You take for instance, say a Grade 5 handicap chase at Wincanton,with an even money favourite in the field – Maybe £2k in prize money to the winner.
There easily could be at least £2million being wagered on that favourite, online and in the betting shops – if the thing wins – the bookmakers stand to lose a cool £2million.
The race is only worth £2k to the winner – What’s to say that an individual couldn’t approach the trainer of said favourite – here chief, I’ll give you £20k if you stop your horse from winning that race?
To save liabilities of almost £2million.
Is that so difficult to believe that such a scenario may well occur?
HH.
Seems the SFA have learnt a lot from auld Sepp.
Duckers and Divers supreme.
No Accountability, Dodgy Referees, Conflicted execs etc.
I wonder if this need for clarity….will reach Scoddland.
Ha.
HH
I think VVD has been told he has to stay for the Champions league qualifyers and when they are finished he can then make up his mind wither to stay or move on.I believe that is a realistic scenario and allows us time to bring in new C.B.s.H.H.
16 Roads @ 09:36…
For sure, agree about the big races and the knock on effect re stud fees of/for the winners; just too much involved.
I am primarily resident in S.E. Asia and the buzz on betting is mostly to be gleaned from football…
My earlier CQN naps reference was that horse racing now is less Brighton Rock and that football stinks to high heaven with the ongoing bending of rules (where such rules exist) in favour of the inflential sides time and time again.
Appreciate the response, and apologies for any errors contained herein. I am on my not so smart phone and as yet have not mastered the art of checking back to change said errors.
Regards & Hail Hail
TBM
Whittaker gets it right
“Obviously they went bust, they had to start all over again in the Third Division. For my own career, I had to move on.”
Whittaker, is a naughty naughty boy, the team followers with many names will rare up at that.
green man
09:38 on 28 May, 2015
The hypocrisy within Scottish Football, and not just the SFA, is truly astounding…….how do you justify a ‘holier than thou’ stance when, for over a hundred years, every effort has been made to ‘destroy’ (or at least ‘suppress’ ) the Famous Glasgow Celtic in favour of oldco….
Most fortunately, and ironically, this lack of accountability in respect of oldco, (the favoured ones), where they were not held accountable for atrocious / suicidal financial management / rioting abnoxious supporters etc, resulted in their eventual demise ……and some Celtic Supporters want them ressurrected……..not to worry, sevco will not survive…
Two current buns I know some to me on Sat afternoon about Scott Allan.
They said he was a died in wool Rangers man ( which doesn’t matter to me ) and that he was murder during the 2 matches against Sevco ,and that he wasn’t good enough for The Rangers.
TT
Said to me,not some to me.
tonydonnelly67
10:22 on 28 May, 2015
Hello, Tony….how the devil are you….:)
tinytim
10:35 on 28 May, 2015
He’s actually no ‘deed’ enough for the zombies ….. :)
67heaven .. challenging the lie ..i am wee oscar…… ipox belongs to the creditors
Hi, I am good, I’m packing for my holidays heading out to Canada on Monday morning, stay there for a week with my daughter, the off to The Celtic convention in Vegas for a week, back to Canada for another two weeks, and then home to my new home that will all be made ready for me with my sister in charge, and my friends doing what they are told, so all in all, it’s a life changing month ahead :))
67Heaven
Hopefully, the Blazered HandShakers will be called to account for their crimes.
As for Sevco….they are not right in the head.
They truly believe their own lies.
The most stupid fans in world football.
They don’t know who they are.
But….They are not Rangers, that’s for sure.
Because as we all know….Rangers are Deid.
Hee, Hee
Hell slap it intae them.
HH
Top of the head stuff……..
If Allan Scodd / Scodd Allan is in fact a state registered currant
and there’s a “story” linking him to both Celtic and …..*cough*……… wainjurz,
then I’m guessin’ its hunguffery of the highest Level…..
and the dumplin’ has already pledged his allegiance to the klub he knows aw aboot
and will be used as some sort of triumph for the bootleg billy-boys cum next season.
Cmon the well. Intae these Neanderthals.
The Green Man
67 Heaven.
Interesting article in the DR
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/keith-jackson-baws-burst-fifa-5774902
which is a good one coming from Keith Jackson but presents an opportunity to push for change.
There is an important message in these two paras from the DR article.
“Or in other words: Yes, these World Cups may well have been bought by dirty money. Yes, the game might be corrupt to its Nike stockings. But so what? Move along now. There’s nothing to see here. We’re are FIFA – we do what we want.
How hopelessly out of touch are these people? How contemptuously must they behave towards the supporters of this game before the rest of the world finally stands up and grabs our ball back off them?”
Grabbing the ball back off them in terms of making the SFA accountable is what Res12 to the Celtic AGM of 2013 hopes to bring about.
Although the Res asked for UEFA to investigate the processing of the UEFA 2011 licence, by making it a resolution from small shareholders in a club, one of the motives was to make it difficult if not impossible for the SFA to refuse to answer questions not posed via the filter of club membership of the SFA and so send a message of wider accountability.
That battle is still being fought, but if it is won then our game at least will know that accountability can be achieved, although hopefully the lessons learned from the exhaustive and exhausting Res12 process will lead to an introduction of a much more responsive accountability mechanism.
Res12 might have had to use the UEFA 2011 licence as the vehicle to get the SFA to answer, but what RFC said to keep the licence, whilst needing confirmed, is now with the passage of time and events since, of less importance than the SFA actually answering the questions posed to them.
Who knows reasonable answers might put RFC and the SFA in the clear, but getting specific answers to pointed questions in itself would be a victory for accountability.
Having transparent accountable football governance is for the benefit of supporters of all clubs. Transparent and accountable governance WITH PROPER POLICING would have protected our game since 1999 when the lack of it allowed the ebt nonsense.
It would also have prevented the very questions Res12 wants answered because those doing the policing would know they were answerable for doing so as intended.
For where matters are on Res12 check
http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/?p=17395&cpage=16#comment-2587514
tonydonnelly67
10:48 on 28 May, 2015
….have you got room in your suitcase for me ?…….hahahahahahaha….have a great time…
The green man ………one always reaps what one sows …..HAIL HAIL
The average age of the FIFA officials arrested yesterday is 66.
It’s good to have young men in charge of the ‘beautiful game.’
HH!!
Next time Bomber stands outside Sevcodome shouting Where’s The Deids? Behind you John. They’re behind you!
HH jamesgang
Gary67
08:46 on 28 May, 2015
Traynor at it again.
Celtic are poised to engage Rangers in a tug-of-war for the signature of Hibernian midfielder Scott Allan.
————-
Or put another way: Sevco want him, Celtic don’t.
Sevco get him. Cue headlines about “Rangers” “beating off” Celtic for his signature.
Auldheid
In this day and age….its truly remarkable how these organisations are free, to basically bend every rule….in their own books.
The FIFA scenario, reminds me how the Corleone Family, in the Godfather films, built their respectability through olive oil companies, which made them ” respectable businessmen”…..and how they corrupted politicians with huge bribes.
FIFA….is a modern day Mafia
But….It can, and will fall…..just like the SFA.
HH
bognorbhoy & Mrs hebcelt
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPY Birthday,
BT and his good lady K ,congratulations to you both.HH
HAPPY HOOOOOOOPY BIRTHDAY
to
BOGNORBHOY
and
MRS HEBCELT
and a
HAPPY HOOOOOPY ANNIVERSARY
to Mr and Mrs BLANTYRE TIM
(Shell garage roon’ the corner far yer work,mate. If yer stuck…)
Hope you all have a grand old day.
Could the games at Paisley’s Ferguslie Park Sports Centre be due to safe-standing construction?
Big 24 hours for the cheats in the game THIFA and rankers
Hopefully honesty prevails
Britain’s Secret Terror Deals
Panorama
BBC 1 9pm tonight
British security forces have been accused of involvement in dozens of murders during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Reporter Darragh MacIntyre investigates allegations that the state colluded with paramilitary killers and covered up their crimes. He meets the families who have been fighting for decades to uncover the government’s darkest secrets and he confronts some of those believed to be complicit.
McDonald for 1st goal tonight v huns?
Got to worth a look at.
Mr Pastry
I wondered if we were perhaps getting new grass laid?
Our pitch has been in better condition than it was this season.
Now back from Spain and grand daughter has ‘fixed’ the iPad , I would like to thank all who forwarded daughter’s big footie from CP on Sunday. Just in case BMCUWP hasn’t mention it is her birthday today. Congratulations to all who share the date!
*Got to be
GlassTwoThirdsFull
11:21 on
28 May, 2015
My thoughts exactly.
Burgas Hoops
17/2 1st
13/2 last goal with wm hill.
Penalty to be awarded 100/30
Penalty to be awarded and scored 4/1
The other thing about Scott Allan should we be interested in signing him. Dylan McGeouch. I’m sure he would be interested in staying at Hibs where he gets a game rather than return to the development team with us. Swap deal?