I hear the SFA had asked for clarification on Craig Whyte’s alleged disqualification as a director, without getting confirmation one way or another, since the issue was initially brought to their attention by the landmark BBC documentary, Rangers: The Inside Story. Rangers disclosure to the Plus Exchange (where the club’s shares are traded) on Wednesday that this specific BBC allegation was correct, was the information the SFA needed before they were in a position to act and apply a Fit and Proper Person (FPP) test to Whyte.
Dramatic though it sounds, failing a FPP test, in itself, is only likely to cause superficial damage to a club or its owner. An owner would need to resign as a director but he could allow the other directors to continue running the business, or he could appoint a proxy to take control of the business, which is often the way controllers run football clubs anyway.
What is of more interest, however, are matters likely to be disclosed as part of the SFA investigation. The Association would require Mr Whyte to explain what he did to be barred from holding a directorship for seven years, something the BBC lawyers would be able to question Whyte on in the witness box, should he actually sue, instead of repeatedly threatening to do so.
Of most interest to the SFA will be Rangers financial submission for their Uefa licence, which enabled the club to be nominated as Scotland’s participants in this season’s Champions League. A condition of participation in Uefa competitions is that no debts to tax authorities due on 31 December the preceding year remains unpaid on 31 March.
In September HM Revenue and Customs gained permission from the court to freeze £2.3m of Rangers money in connection with an unpaid tax bill. The principle element of this bill has not been disputed by Rangers. The SFA will now be keen to establish if any part of this bill was in connection to taxes due in prior to 31 December 2010. If it was, Celtic were entitled to be Scotland’s Champions League representatives, when overcoming the likes of Malmo stood between them and a £15m pay-day.
This is a legal minefield for the SFA chief exec, Stewart Regan, who has my sympathy. Things are about to become interesting.
While we are on the subject of that £2.3m tax bill, HM Revenue and Customs are due to get their hands on the cash after Friday next week, the last day Rangers are able to dispute the debt. If Rangers enter administration prior to that date, the cash would revert to the administrator and the club’s secured creditors would be entitled to it.
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canary bhoy says:
2 December, 2011 at 20:18
2nd best post of the day after James Forrest. You too are a hero, sir.
One Gordon Strachan, there’s only one Gordon Straaachan!!!
Billy McNeil signed both Gordon Strachan and Steve Archibald during his tenure as Aberdeen manager.How good would we have been if he had brought both to Celtic,instead ?
In fact,I recall a headline in the Evening Times stating that Gordon Strachan was moving from Dundee to Celtic for a mere £40,000.
Since Gordon has made clear in recent interviews that he has further ambition to manage a club,we should be pushing the boat out to bring him to Parkhead as “Director of Football”…not necessarily a full-time post. We should be happy to get whatever input he is willing to provide.
His humour and personality could do wonders for the atmosphere,and he certainly has the measure of the Media.
Scouting for talent should be a major role,with the proviso that he is to ignore players shorter than 5’8″(or 68.0001DBBIA equivalents).
It would be tragic if such an individual with encyclopedic knowledge of the game is lost to Scottish football.
I would expect that his TV career as a football pundit and commentator will take precedence,as he is very accomplished and entertaining.His analysis and summarising is spot-on(now that he is not just sticking it to the LL).
Reminds me a wee bit of his mentor,the Great Ron Atkinson.
I’m sure that if Celtic showed goodwill and could accommodate his outside interests,it would be a beneficial arrangement for both parties.I would not expect that the financial considerations would be uppermost in Gordon’s mind,but he should not be expected to lose out by working with Celtic.He has shown that he is an honourable chap,leaving both Celtic and Middlesbro’ without seeking any financial compensation. c.f. Mowbray,Dalglish…who should never have had the cheek to show their faces at Parkhead ever again.
So go on Dermot,sort it out,and we will have our top scout spotting talent whilst he covers the Euro Championship for ITV.
Ignore the Kestrel Drinkers,Kojo abusers,and their devil-dogs.
;-).
Strachan is in our history books as one of THE most successful managers ever!
I really hope that one day he will grace our corridors once again as director of football.
A really funny interesting guy with an abundance of football knowledge AND a winner.
He ranks alongside MON on my book
Can i just pop in to say, Haribo TangTastic sweets dont go with Stella.
Just incase you get the urge
Paddy ;-)
CW has not
1.paid the small tax bill
2. been to confession
3. front loaded his war chest
4………
hail hail
SFTB
I can only speak for myself.
I have been honest and explained why i found it more difficult to accept him than others.
He had a GIRFUY attitude when beating us.
I would have loved him to have been a Celtic player.For the third time tonight i will use the word magnificent ,when describing him as a player.
For the record i do not hate Gordon Strachan.
I was against his managerial appointment.
He did MUCH MUCH MUCH better than i thought that he would do as a manager.
I thought that he wasted a considerable financial advantage that we had over Rangers.
I now think that he will be a Celtic man till, the day he dies ,and will take the club to his grave ,with a part of his heart being green and White.
My original point was that he was disliked by many Celtic supporters as a player,and the lad who made the post about him was being attacked for basically saying that.
If i met Gordon Strachan tomorrow i would be comfortable saying to him ,what i have just said to you.
There is no hatred there ,just basic human nature.
I don’t hate anyone on this earth.
Too many come on here and pontificate about being real Celtic supporters ,yet don’t actually go and support the team,even when they have the ability to and the opportunity.
Most dissenting voices are labelled Huns,the irony is galling.
TT
Jobo, cheers! I reverted into lurking mode for a wee while. Just been a busy life this past few weeks. Might even make a music- night come back later? Hail hail sTICks
Árd Macha says:
2 December, 2011 at 20:19
OK, if you come down for the New Year, I’ll hold off on the Cruelty Man.
My boys will be around for the NY, so a few pints, in good company, would be my preferred way to kick off 2012. That and top of the League!
The Singing Detective:
I am gutted he wasn’t appointed Scotland manager. He was, and is, perfectly credentialed. He has top level experience in England and Europe. He has won trophies in Scotland, which Craig Levein NEVER has, and never will. He has dealt with big name players and personalities, and he is a dream to interview, with every word he says capable of generating headlines. He has thrived in a high pressure, high expectation environment and is well liked and respected … I could go on and on.
Had he managed any club OTHER than Celtic he would have been shoe-in. And that’s why Scotland’s circle of mediocrity won’t be broken any time soon. Stewart Houston, Jim Jeffries or Billy Davies for our next national coach, depending on which one isn’t at the huns.
Kilbowie Celt
Brilliant.
TT
fergus slayed the blues says:
2 December, 2011 at 20:25
He He – Mr Whyte must feel like General Custer without the Indian trialists.
I don’t know how much he is getting paid for the ‘gig’, but it ain’t worth it!
fergus slayed the blues says:
2 December, 2011 at 20:25
Paddy ;-)
CW has not
1.paid the small tax bill
2. been to confession
3. front loaded his war chest
4………Patched up his differences with his tailor.
Aye – City Cash Tailors for the older audience.
Kilbowie Celt
Mind the effin language. I copied and pasted. This is one I’ll have to learn. First class sir.
Hail hail
sTICks –
good lad! Have best intentions at the moment of joining the music night but the Cobra has already found my liver and the Shiraz is just about to follow. I’m A Celebrity,,, might sober me up though.
Jobo
Good evening, friends in Celtic.
Make no mistake the peepil and all who support them in whatever guise are our sporting enemies, and had we found ourselves in the position they are in currantly, they would be burying us under 6 feet of shengus. Not to mention the bitter hysterical pantomime that would have been played out in the meeja.
Please Celtic, use the ‘hose’ strategy and may hell mend them.
HH
jt –
oops, sorry for getting all ‘surname’ on you there. I’ll be using ‘Alistair’ and ‘Lennon’ next…
However, your tank tops are far better than cardigans!
Jobo
TinyTim
any thoughts on a place to eat walking distance from edinburgh castle for a family – burgers etc
thanks
I wonder how they’ll get to Regan
Matt McGinn’s Incredible Brechin Beetle Bug is
on in Rutherglen town hall on 7th & 8th December.
Last performed by the 7:84 group 25 years ago.
James Forrest.
I’m actually glad that Gordon was never appointed as Scotland manager…that job is a poisoned chalice.
It might have been an exciting challenge in the sixties and early seventies,when there was an exceptional pool of Scottish talent,but not in recent decades.Nowadays,squads get decimated by dubious call-offs,especially by the Huns.
I’m sure that on reflection,Gordon is rather glad that he never got the Scotland post; his league treble with Celtic and the CL campaigns were more than adequate compensation.
Gordon applied for the Scotland job way back when Berti Vogts got it. As usual Gordon wanted to do it his way by totally changing Scottish football down to youth level. The SFA said no ta. The same process was repeated before Walter Smith was appointed. I beleive Gordon made a statement at that time that he didnt think the Scotland job would ever be for him.
Tiny Tim
You have always been consistent and honest in admitting to a “just can’t like the guy” approach to his Celtic management period.
Too many others hid behind excuses. For the record, I don’t think it was a “celtic-minded” issue nor do I feel that all the Strachan haters “dislikers” had the same explanation as yourself.
To this day, I still find it puzzling that so many had a prejudice against him. Prejudice, in the sense that they predicted he would fail and be bad for us and, that prejudice held even against the weight of evidence he produced over the next 4 years. He never won the majority of the crowd round and it remains puzzling to this day why that prejudgement was so harsh.
You show it yourself in the line:-
“I thought that he wasted a considerable financial advantage that we had over Rangers.”
He won 3 out of 4 titles and failed 4iar by the length of midge’s tadger’s smallest hair. He got us twice further in CL than we had managed under the contrastingly loved MON. That’s some failure!! I’ll take that failure rate and 75% of SPL titles contested all the way to my grave.
By the end, the “dislikers” were able to justify the “sack Strachan” by arguing that the football was not pleasing to the eye. They were right about that but wrong about so much else.
whitedoghunch says:
2 December, 2011 at 20:41
My daughter and fiance run the Aspen bar and Grill in South Bridge,
If you tell them I sent you, you might get a wee discount.
We’re in for an amazing six months in the spl, it’s going to be a rollercoaster ride, the DR have ensured a reaction from rangers this weekend against the dons, craig whyte is as shrewd as hell (is he an undercover celt or out to make a couple of million?) and we’re going to strengthen our squad !
CW has not
1.paid the small tax bill
2. been to confession
3. front loaded his war chest
4. Patched up his differences with his tailor.
5. sued the BBC
6. .
thomthethim says:
2 December, 2011 at 20:47
thier website is unavailable ?
Whitedoghunch
Grassmarket.
lots to choose from there.
For a meal try Angels with bagpipes,on the High Street,straight across from St Giles Cathederal.
Iv’e been twice in the last month.It was very good.
TT
Since taking over ragers CW has not
1.paid the small tax bill
2. been to confession
3. front loaded his war chest
4. Patched up his differences with his tailor.
5. sued the BBC
6. .
WDH
Not for burgers,but possibly for another day.
FAO WDH
TT
Met young Aiden McGeady tonight on Fat Bhoy Slim night out.
Loved him as a player with the tic and s real good Bhoy off field.
Noel90 get your Bhoy to call Paul for a CQN interview.
MWD
MWD –
did you get voted out first?
Jobo
fergus slayed the blues says:
2 December, 2011 at 20:52
Since taking over ragers CW has not
1.paid the small tax bill
2. been to confession
3. front loaded his war chest
4. Patched up his differences with his tailor.
5. sued the BBC
6. Blinked
7 .Took his joke eyes off(the springy one`s)
share
Craig Whyte … The Final Word (For Now)
There are so many aspects to this guy that it’s increasingly difficult to know where to start with him. I know a couple of things, though, from the way he has behaved since taking over Rangers. First is that he neither cares about his reputation or that of the club. His conduct throughout, since before the takeover itself, has been the kind of ruinous bad public relations from which careers in business do not recover. How is any company he runs supposed to represent itself as a model of good business with the lurid headlines he has generated since taking over at Bigotdome? How are other companies going to have faith in his ability to save them from financial disaster if they are using his very public behaviour at Rangers as their guide to his practices and abilities?
His reputation as a businessman of probity will not survive his time as head of Rangers. Evidence suggests he has always conducted his business affairs in this shoddy fashion, but before now that was all low-key, under the radar stuff, and not generally known outwith certain business circles. Quite how he can repair the damage done to his reputation by the lacerations of recent months escapes me. Which makes me wonder how much he cares.
I know too that he has little or no wealth, in the sense of even tens of millions. There is zero evidence of it, and there would be, and should be, if he was the kind of businessman he claims to be. Unless he is the ONLY businessman of major means who has gone to great lengths to hide evidence of his successes whilst his failures are all over the papers, those successes are figmnets of his imagination.
What does it mean, in context? It means, knowing he cannot move on in business FROM Rangers that he intends to make Rangers his One Big Deal, the one every fly by night Del Trotter wannabe dreams of. Rangers is the means by which he retire with the kind of wealth he presently does not have.
The question has long been asked, where did he get the money to buy the club? I have long argued that it came from the Rangers fans. By whatever convoluted means, he obtained his £18 million financing by promising commercial companies or lenders the opportunity to cherry pick revenue streams at the club in the event his takeover succeeded, and now that he owns the club he has assigned that £18 million debt to himself … which is his pot of gold.
Not bad for a man who bought the whole shabby mess for a quid.
He had two principal plans when he made the deal. He hoped for Champions League income so he could use it to keep the fans onside, thus paying for his revolution. When it did not happen he was forced to go to plan b, which was to ride out the storm until the FTT returned its verdict. Now even that plan is hanging by a thread, and there is no Plan C. In the meantime, his reputation, and that of Rangers, is being destroyed.
It is possible – more than possible – that he will suffer another directorship ban as a result of his multiple failures of corporate responsibility thus far. That would, to all intents and purposes, end his business career. There is little doubt in my mind that Rangers will have a new chairman, and probably a new owner, six months from now, as I cannot personally concieve of any scenario where he stays beyond the FTT.
His talk of a long term plan is pure fantasy, and anyone who believes, in their heart of hearts, that he has any goals beyond the here and now is mad.
There is one issue arising from his golden parachute which, to my knowledge, no-one in the media has talked about at all, or perhaps even realised.
In the event of administration, Whyte and others will be at the top of the preferred creditors list. Between him and the other people on that list, the money which will need to be found just to pay them will be significant, somewhere between £12 million and £20 million if estimates are correct, and they’ll be in the ballpark.
No-one, to my knowledge, has even ASKED YET where that money is coming from. Let’s err on the side of caution, and call it £12 million to buy off Whyte and the other preferred creditors. Where’s that coming from? There’s only one place that it CAN come from … the wholescale selling of the first team squad. Whatever way this ends, with Rangers in the third division or in the SPL, the reality of the situation is that somewhere between £12 and £20 million will have to be found from within the company before HMRC or whoever even gets as much as a penny of what they are owed.
If Whyte is in this for the long term it’s possible he will waive that money in order to make a CVA and a pre-pack run more smoothly, but HMRC will fight that tooth and nail, and even if everything went smoothly, Whyte would have personally written off a fortune he does not have.
If you accept that he has no interest in trying to make a horse-race of the Rangers job, and with the vast mountain of greviance and anger he is building up amongst every commercial debtor etc I don’t see how he could do it, long term, even if he wanted, you have to accept that he and that £18 million will be heading for the hills.
The damage that alone would do to Rangers is virtually incalculable.
But hey, a poll on a Rangers website says 80% of the fans still have faith. They are truly inspirational. They are The Peepil right enough.
Mrs baldie calling…
back after 10.30…
Jobo
SFTB
“By the end, the “dislikers” were able to justify the “sack Strachan” by arguing that the football was not pleasing to the eye. They were right about that but wrong about so much else.”
—————————————————————————————————————-
I would fall into the niche and couldn’t agree with you more.
Overall i was wrong about many things concerning Gordon Strachan the Celtic manager.
TT
Motherwell v Hibs Friday night football experiment
Abondoned at half time
Thomas Cook now confirmed that they will fly a plane to Italy after all yea haa……!!!!