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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do we have to call him PaulLXVII from now on?
When is a contract not binding?
When you once again want to slope the packman.
dena29
davidopoulos
;-)
HH jamesgang
davidopoulos
Tried to post earlier. Great blog recipe but it seems to lack the goat meat I associate with your culinary adventures!!
HH jamesgang
James Forrest
Let’s hope that it comes to pass and hunnites are laid lower than the serpent’s belly. And the Timmites prosper despite supping the magners Apple juice in the offie of Eden.
HH jamesgang
This contains very offensive material
https://twitter.com/scotzine/status/603592065197461504
davidopoulos..
Never send a letter to Rome ( or anywhere else in Italy ) The Italian Postal Service are world leaders in that losing mail thing.
Sack the ouija board…
Not sure if been posted already…..
videocelts.com/2015/05/blogs/latest-news/barcelonas-hoops-tribute
With all the Banking scandals, & equally deplorable business scandals like Enron, Halliburton etc why is the USA Justice department & the FBI taking great interest in a sport they hardly play or take much notice of ?
-good interview on BBCR4 PM show with Alec Jennings, who has been digging for dirt at FIFA for many years.
…because the bribes were paid in US dollars the FBI can get involved; he also says that the FBI agents who came over to London to speak to him went to more than a few ‘soccer ‘ games; so they can see the hold the game has.
Worth catching on the ole iPlayer.
Snake eyed Ogilvie’s mirthless smile……………..pure evil………….
Oh well, didn’t work anyway:(
‘The Italian Postal Service are world leaders in that losing mail thing’.
-apart from obscure blue beat 45s…
videocelts.com/2015/05/blogs/latest-news/barcelonas-hoops-tribute
Maybe this time.
jamesgang
17:40 on
27 May, 2015
davidopoulos
Tried to post earlier. Great blog recipe but it seems to lack the goat meat I associate with your culinary adventures!!
HH jamesgang
——————————————————-
Don’t you worry, I’ll devise a goat meat sausage recipe just for you!!
Ah give up, kids not in :((
6 of the FIFA 7,to fight extradition to the US,Switzerland might help them here…
sipsini … see if this works …
http://videocelts.com/2015/05/blogs/latest-news/barcelonas-hoops-tribute
sipsini …. as Jamesgang said yesterday, I’m just a big kid at heart obviously!
FIFA has 1.5 Billion Dollars in cash reserves.
Sounds like a good ole fashion shakedown by our American cousins to me.
cv
http://videocelts.com/2015/05/blogs/latest-news/barcelonas-hoops-tribute?
Is that what your tyrying to post sip?
They never learn do they? Another daftie SEVCO fab with a great idea judge for yourself:
William Duff SAYREVILLE, NJ about 1 hour ago Liked 4
Rangers invite Indian & Chinese film makers to Ibrox, all expenses paid, give them the VIP treatment then we offer free use of our properties to shoot films at during the Summer on condition they make reference to our Club by it’s real name etc.
If we had a Chinese or Indian Player he could feature in these films and the exposure of such a thing for us would be huge, we’re talking billions of people.
We feature as a set, the good-guys, the club making it’s way to the top, the club overcoming adveristy, Slumdog Ranger?.
Offer to host a Bollywood Premier in Ibrox. Get the biggest stars to be our best friends, the returns are self evident. Bollywood gets extra resources and friends in the West, we get extra exposure, fans, publicity, friends from their countries.
If it became a popular thing we could perhaps sell the use of the facilities to the highest bidder.
It might all sound far fetched but Bollywood has used corridors at Glasgow airport and places in Glasgow have been Philadelphia for Bradd Pitt and Halle Berry to stoat about.
Oh stop it, my sides are splitting.
burgas hoops…
Yip, sure was, ta mate. HH
Hi Mike in T.O.,
A Western cousin here. Don’t mean to come across as picking at your recent posts. I do enjoy reading your posts.
Genuine question: I’m no admirer of our PM and as you’re a lawyer and will know more about libel than I ever will, are you close to the line on this?
All the best
CanajunBhoy
Mike…
Cheers to you tooo mate.HH
davidopoulos
;-)
HH jamesgang
nah…. fair comment. besides, with the duffy trial and an upcoming election, I think he has a lot more to worry about than me. Then again, with him, Trudeau or Mulcair likely ending up as new PM, all canadians have a lot to worry about!
Mike…
Jamesgang is the perfect human analogy of a kid in a very big mhans body…don’t tell him but he’s a great drinking buddy :))
My friends in Celtic, Jamesgang,
“There’s a few on here who think they’re God,”
——————————————————–
Do you mean Guardians of Democracy or Gathering of Dafties.
Meanwhile across the water @ Greyskull ; Gardeners on Demand seems apt :-)
HH.
sipsini … mum’s the word. From his posts, I would think he would be a good lad to meet for a drink/blether … Hope that I can manage that sometime.
Mike,
Good one, LOL.
leftclicktic
Ironic Klaxon Alert – liked that.
The FBI remain silent on corruption and fraud on Wall Street, crimes so big time they shoved the USA and then the world into a recession/depression.
Only reason they jump up and down on FIFA is that FIFA have cornered the market in the exploitation of football/saccur.
Exploitation is supposed to be America’s specialism.
Sporting cartels in NFL/NBAMLB/MLS with colleges corrupted by a compliant NCAA when financial doping of college sport is uncovered.
Bit like the SFA, hammer Livingston, Gretna and Airdrie but make excuses and allowances for deidco/sevco.
Enjoying all those Transatlantic Sessions.
HH
Murdoch(17.51),
Indeed. Certain American Senators are gunning for Russia’s World Cup. Meanwhile, the mess in the Ukraine continues to take innocent lives.
Sorry, name changed and ran away last night. Not had time to get on today. Reading back now.
Captain Beefheart
The International Monetary Fund, a global lender in which the U.S. is the single biggest contributor, pledged up to $18 billion in loans to prop up Ukraine’s nearly bankrupt economy.
The E.U. has meanwhile approved an aid package worth an additional $15 billion.
All this going into one of the biggest corrupt goverments in the world.
greenpinata
I like Gathering of Dafties!
Makes me right at home!
MiT
I look forward to you sharing a pint (well 3!) with sips and I in the Blane Valley.
In other biblical news…….Blair will resign as Middle East peace envoy. Oh the gnashing of teeth, wailing and conflict that will now follow……
HH jamesgang
ginger
22:43 on 26 May, 2015
Super Sutton
How do you change your name
I’m on iPhone
——-
Ah, there is a wee trick to do it on iPhone / iPad.
Tap the address bar at the top of the screen. The address will get highlighted and a window will pop up showing your favourites and frequently used.
Drag that window down and you will see extra options, Add to favourites and Request Desktop Site.
Tap on the request desktop site and the browser will now show you the same as if you were on a PC.
If you are logged in then you will get a black band at the top with your current user name in white at the left hand side.
Tap your username. That will take you to your user profile where you can change the nickname, and then choose the nickname as your display name.
Hope that helps.
hebcelt
15:11 on
27 May, 2015
oldtim67 how you doing? Wish you had posted that earlier I would have stuck a few quid on it. Enjoyed the craic on Sunday, see you next season. Hail Hail Hebcelt.
Sorry for the late answer. I’m glad you missed my tip it lost and badly at that. It’s nice to meet a few bhoy’s for a drink, and your welcome to join us anytime. and yes, see you next season.