The BBC today report that the Gang of 10 SPL clubs have agreed a plan to re-write the rulebook of Scottish football in order to parachute Sevco into the second tier of the game. They also report that Hibernian, Rod Petrie, briefed Charles Green of Sevco on their conditions to accept his company. These conditions involve paying Rangers football debts and fines.
The plan involved the most almighty reorganisation of the league structure in order to gain enough support from lower league clubs to entice them to agree to place Sevco in the First Division. They also want to take YOUR money in perpetuity to buy votes from lower league clubs, and have included a provision to allow them to vote for a share of home gates – all to establish a club called ‘Rangers’.
Crucially, the SFA, led by president Campbell Ogilvie and chief exec, Stewart Regan, have colluded in this scheme by not instructing the Appellate Panel to convene to consider Rangers punishment after the Court of Sessions told them to do so 30 days ago. It is expected the Appellate Panel will suspend ‘Rangers’ from football for a year when it convenes.
The Gang of 10’s plan would require Rangers to withdraw their objection to the initial Appellate Panel ruling but it would also require the independent judicial overview of Scottish football to end before action is taken against the club for illegally registering players for over a decade, or for improper use of EBTs to scape social taxes, both of which are likely to expel the club.
Disciplinary rules cannot be changed because ‘Rangers’ are about to be punished. Leagues cannot be restructured to allow a team bearing the name ‘Rangers’ an easy passage to the top. This is no longer sport.
The utter stupidity of this scheme is staggering. They are making plans with a man who owns a stadium but who cannot call on any supporters. They are about to wreck Scottish football for a company who have yet to establish their financial viability.
Your money is being bargained away by every club in the SPL apart from Celtic. Are you happy about this? Will you continue to pay for Sky TV or ESPN? Will you continue to buy tickets to attend away games? Will you ever attend a League Cup or Scottish Cup game again?
Celtic paid their bills and conducted their business fairly and properly. Be under no illusion, these changes will destroy the Celtic you recognise. Forget your Champions League trips, you’ll be scraping the bottom of the barrel with ‘Sevco Rangers’ in a few years. We cannot be exploited in this way.
It’s time the entire edifice of Scottish football was brought asunder, better that than be subject to random acts of destruction. I cannot support any operation funding this enterprise so I’m cancelling Sky Sports and ESPN.
374 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
I think we, as Celtic supporters, have been expecting this blatant display of Machiavellianism for quite a while. Whilst I applaud the supporters of the provincial clubs for standing up to a Newco in the SPL I doubt if their moral integrity will stretch to saying no to a share of money that does not belong to them –EG a percentage of money generated from the sale of season tickets to Celtic fans.
Just because we need other teams to enable us to play football does not mean Celtic fans have to pay toward the upkeep of every other team in Scotland, it is a ludicrous idea. How they could legally endorse this is questionable and would be open to all sorts of legal challenges. Now if they want a percentage of the money generated through sales of away tickets to the travelling support I would not have a problem with that. The more fans that travel away the more money the club receives. However this simply means that Celtic would be the main beneficiaries of any such plan so I can’t see this happening.
An equitable share of TV revenue – OK, perhaps sharing some of the money from TV coverage of European games –OK, percentage of gate receipts given to away team based on number of travelling support – OK. Sharing revenue from season book sales – never, never, never.
If the SPL, SFA or any conglomerate of money grabbing Capet baggers tries any underhand shenanigans or to take what does not belong to them remind them
“Beware, Beware of the thing that is coming, beware of the risen people
We will try it out with you ye that have harried and held,
Ye that have bullied and bribed.
Tyrants… hypocrites… liars!”
Apologies to Patrick P
‘Intensive talks with’ …’other crucial stakeholders in our game’
ie. SKY
HH
Richie
I knew you’d get it out of him in the end
HH
thejudge
great post and I find it sad that a lot of Celtic fans have fallen for the line that SFL 3 is their rightful place.
Old Firm fans every one of them.
The huns rightful place is their despicable place in the history books.
“Never won anything fairly ever. Died screaming and kicking and stinking of urine”
Hail HAil
opps sorry, posted twice :-( Sorry
Just a wee thought on the possible split of gate receipts. A simple solution would be to allow visiting teams to keep the monies garnered from thier support. So if any club brings a couple of thou to CelticPark they earn more than teams who bring a couple of hundred. They in turn would allow Celtic to keep the income from thousands Celtic supporters attending away games. Seems fair to me.
Sky and ESPN cancelled with a clear message to them that I will renew it again if the correct thing is done in Scottish Football and not some ‘carve up’ to support Zombie Rangers.
Season ticket in Paradise renewed already and happy with that.
Remember it was posted about the meeting in the hotel in Renfrew and we wondered what it was about?
ST MIRREN will vote to boot the new Rangers out of the SPL … after chairman Stewart Gilmour broke the news to Ibrox manager Ally McCoist in a secret meeting.
Express Sports can reveal that Gilmour arranged a hush-hush hotel summit with McCoist and new Gers chief executive Charles Green last week to tell them Saints would not back the liquidated Glasgow giants in their bid to stay in the top flight.
Gilmour’s decision to take a stand in the name of sporting integrity was made before a number of other SPL clubs – worried about the prospect of angry supporters refusing to buy season tickets – announced they would block the newco’s bid.
St Mirren supporters have also voted overwhelmingly to show the newly-formed Rangers company the red card through an online poll arranged by takeover bidders 10000Hours this week.
And Gilmour has revealed his mind was made up long before the results of that poll were known.
Speaking exclusively to Express Sports, he said: “As the temperature rises in the ongoing SPL newco saga, it should be made aware to all St Mirren supporters that I met with Charles Green, Ally McCoist and other representatives of the Rangers newco last week.
“I made it perfectly clear that our directors’ view was that our club would not be voting for a newco entry into the SPL.
“This meeting was held in confidential circumstances to allow both parties to enable the other to see their respective positions.
“A very positive meeting was held but the position of St Mirren has not changed and our stance of sporting integrity was maintained against the very pressing commercial arguments.”
Rangers were liquidated after running up debts potentially worth more than £130million – and Gilmour admits that exiling them from the SPL could send his own club into a financial tailspin.
Big-money SPL backers, including TV broadcasters Sky, have yet to announce whether they will continue to fund the league – leaving some of Scotland’s biggest clubs to sweat until early August, when the first batch of cheques are due to land on their doormats.
With a doomsday scenario that would see Sky pull the plug and leave St Mirren with an £800,000 hole in their budget still looming large, Gilmour has issued Buddies boss Danny Lennon with a temporary transfer ban.
He said: “Regrettably, the commercial and, hence, financial impact is still not clear to the club but we are very hopeful that this aspect will become clearer in the next few days.
“This will play a major part in the decision-making for the board of directors as to the way forward for the club in the short term.
“We are obviously hoping that our commercial and TV partners stay with the league through this very difficult period.
“Please accept that the club will be unlikely to be signing any new players until this situation is clear.”
hectormac on 28 June, 2012 at 15:42 said:
Any doubts as to why Ogilvie has been clinging onto his position of influence should now be dispelled.
How do we get rid of him?
>>>
There’s always the Mussolini option.
The cretin is acting in the interest of one group (there is no club left) and one group only. He is the creature of the bigots and does only their bidding,shamelessly, and with zero regard for football,with no regard for the sfa which he presides over even as arrest for criminal fraud creeps ever closer .
new article posted.
one thing that has come out in all this farce is the complete corruption of
football,at every level be it sfa/spl, uefa,or fifa, why will uefa /fifa not intervene?
because they are also corrupt, money rules the game now as i am sure dermot
and peter will confirm soon enough when the tantrums have died down.
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on 28 June, 2012 at 15:35 said:
Thanks for the reply.
As I said, I get my info from here, not bbc or anywhere else.
When Paul comes out with such a strongly worded article asking people to boycott certain business’s in support of Celtic’s right’s, I think it’s ok to question Paul and Celtic as to why we don’t appear to be doing much to defend ourselves.
Hail Hail
TopCorner
could it be because when you create a profile you are over writing the old profile with the same name ?
Time to move to I.E 9 anyway ;-)
Hail Hail
celtictom on 28 June, 2012 at 16:00 said:
I agree and Paul67 will tell you that I question that more than most.
Hail Hail
The Judge-A fine retort and post sir.I agree with most but as yet nobody has dismissed todays re-hashed rubbish.We have played a blinder so far,but we must be close to declaring our stance.HH.
Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on 28 June, 2012 at 15:04 said:
I had that album ! Thanks for bringing back the long lost memory (all be it a wee bit hazy :-))
ASonofDan – we don’t exist in a vacuum. Every penny of your season ticket money gets reinvested in Celtic and that will continue. Regardless of how they are run at this moment – these clubs are our competitors, we depend on them and that isn’t going to change any time soon. Why do you think it is that Stoke and Bolton can bring in top players we can’t afford? It’s on the back of the revenue generated by Liverpool, Manu, Arsenal and Chelsea. We have to get away from this ‘pull up the ladder’ mentality and get to grips with the fact that their weakness is also our weakness.
A more competitive league will bring more punters through the gate, sponsors will pump more money in and TV will see our product as more valuable. We will benefit in the long run but we are dominated by short-termism. What we are doing at the minute isn’t working, it hasn’t been working for years and it’s only going to get worse. Something must be done to improve the Scottish game as a whole and these type of scaremongering stories are not helpful.
Paul 67
Denia Bhoy @ 15.11 raises a good point, why do we have a link at the top of the page to the ESPN subscription website if our (CQNers) strategy is not to subscribe to ESPN?
Canalamar
I agree,regardless of the outcome a judicial review is required to sort this out.
What readers may have forgotten is that in.the Nov 2010 Celtic AGM ,Chairman John Reid spoke of having a judicial review (this was just after Doughigate) but Celtic reached an agreement with Regan to deliver the McLeish reforms.
Those only went so far and given recent performances more, much more needs to be done to make the SFA accountable to the supporters.
I’m not wed to how that is done, just as long as it is but it will definitely need external involvement with authority.
The Moon Boy
Perhaps there is a contractural agreement, perhaps techical. Why not trust Paul’s judgement and what he knows that we do not?
Keep the powder dry.
This is another attempt to draw Celtic out. Jabba rtied it when he accused Celtic of holding ticket money back from Der Orc—(that it didn’t stop RFCIA holding back money from a lot of other clubs never cross his brain cell). The Blue Knights, Billy Cowboyboots and the Yellow Avenger from the East.
All have gone the way of the dodo. Celtic will act–but at their own time and convenience. I imagine it will be across several fronts, and involve big hitters. It is a shame Paul McBride is not here to see this, but there are others as good being briefed. As an aside, I see Alex Thomson has removed his Sevco pages. Anyone any info on this?
As regards Broadfoot, I still have emails I sent him 2/3 years ago asking some pertinent questions. That I have waited so long for any sort of an answer tells you I have patience.
I still have patience. This story wil get bigger and bigger..
Keep the Faith.
Auldheid @ 16.16?
No offence Auldheid but that is a very poor response and in this case ‘trust’ has nothing to do with it.
Any proposal to re-jig the leagues would have a major impact on already negotiated sponsorship deals and media coverage.
Also the main inconsistency in all of this is that if the ‘gang of ten’ find that they have the whip hand as a result of the demise of RFC(I/l), why would they work so hard to re-establish them?
My guess is that Media House is briefing like mad (‘oldgold’ on RTC trailed today’s BBC story, many on RTC believe it to be a pseudonym of Media House), why? to draw fire from CW. Equally Bomber, his bizarre outbursts are basically peddling the ‘don’t buy an ST’ previously punted by the cardigan.
The comedy bid from McKenna, without an examination of audited accounts (remember them?), was withdrawn on the basis that, they identified a £30M black hole, add the ‘who owns the ST account?
Why, instead of communicating with employees in a normal, respectful way, did CG, Swally and Jandy threaten with legal action followed by accusations of ‘self-interest’ and exploitation of the situation, making it impossible for players to back down.
Who’s interest is best served by there being no viable football business at Hunstown B?
Who stands to make a pile of readies out of the hunmishambles currently unfolding down Govan way?
Follow the money!!
Oh dear where to start?
I cancelled Sky a little while ago nothing to do with the huns just bored with the EPL pash.
Renewed my season ticket since I am a Celtic supporter,that is one who attends matches.
I’ll be there at Celtic Park when the footy recommences.
Currently very bored with a number of things.
Bored with the constant going around in circles with the huns.
They are dead just let them die.
Bored with the MSM and their hun agenda.
Don’t read them.
Bored with Tims who want Celtic to cut our own throats to satisfy their own revenge agenda.
Bored with the boycott nonsense.
Why don’t you cut n paste the list from a hun site,save some time.
Bored with the flouncers and the bullies.
Maybe they should have their own site where they can bitch and greet at each other.
Bored with the flouncers and bullies 2.
Would I be correct in assuming that the majority of them do not attend matches?
Anyway off on holiday soon,will be back around end July maybe by then we can discuss Celtic?
In the meantime after the Euros finish I’ll have a wee footy break until there is some to watch.
HH
Whether the proposed Scottish football structure changes come to pass or not is of secondary importance.
What is of absolute importance is that someone is even trying this reorganisation scam.
Paul67 has set hares off on this one several times recently and given the supporting evidence in the press plus the lack of any comment from the games’ guardians, I assume there is substance in it.
That being so, the GAME is already over. It is already too corrupt. Even if the logistics defeat what is being proposed, the fact such actions are being pursued condemns those who govern our SPORT.
The McLeish report has been largely ignored for a long time, it seems because the priority of the custodians of our game has been to limit the damage caused by apparent demise of OldRangers since 2008 when Smith declared the bank was in charge.
Now we are expected to believe it is wildly important that the leagues are restructured and greater fairness is applied to the distribution of money. And this must be done with the utmost haste 4 weeks before the seasons starts.
The motivation is simply to shoehorn NewRanegrs into as high a league as possible with as minimal a penalty for past sins as possible.
And why? The financial impact ? – There will be winners and losers. Opportunities will emerge for many and some who have built their business model on playing a “Rangers” will suffer.
But no – it is “Rangers” preservation uber alles. I don’t even care why – do they hate Celtic so much? Is the preservation of what Rangers stands for so important?
The fans have spoken and the clubs have listened. A sensitive and canny governing Head would recognise the opportunity to ride this wave of unity to take forward the game on many levels – including a well thought out and presented road map to deliver action that will meet the McLeish principles.
Irrespective of what actually pans out, and it looks unlikely NewRangers will be ready to take their golden spoon, we must take whatever action is needed to break the SFA, SPL and SFL, to highlight the movers in this farce be they the obvious ones like Ogilvie, Regan and Doncaster, or whomever, and drive them from our game forever.
We need proper governance, simplified, stream lined, and independent, auditable, measurable, accountable, delivering value for money as a service SUPPORTING and FACILITATING the playing of professional football. It must be populated with independent people fit to fulfil the role given them and the rules and regs independently reviewed and rewritten by legal consultants. There are many more ideas e.g. outsourcing refereeing as a service; single governing body; outsourcing disciplinary processes etc etc.
Celtic account for 33% of the customer base and probably more of the income for professional football in this country. If we cannot force the end to this shameless criminal cabal then who can? The only leverage open to us is financial and we should withdraw financial support to the whole of Scottish football until the games governance is restructured as McLeish recommended.
Cos we ain’t got anywhere else to play and so we should make Scottish football the best it can be. Today it is absolutely corrupt from the very top. Improvement should be a relatively easy target to hit. That is the prize worth fighting for irrespective of whether it ends up being Newco, Oldco or Noco.
HH
TLK
Oh and could folk stop repeating the mantra about Newco in Div 3?
And when you see this presented as the solution, challenge it.
There is no basis in the rules for Newco in Div 3. Liquidated is dead.
Newclub = follow the rules for a Newclub.
Follow the rules. That is the only solution.
Follow the damn rules.
HH
TLK
Just out of interest, is there anything in the rulebook that allows clubs a vote of no confidence in Doncaster and Regan?
Paul
I have just read your piece. First chance today, unfortunately. I wish I could comment but I am raging and all I can say is leave the whole insidious mob to rot. That is guaranteed if Celtic are not there to prop them up.
H H
Fassreifen – you can’t put a price on integrity on 28 June, 2012 at 18:40 said:
Just out of interest, is there anything in the rulebook that allows clubs a vote of no confidence in Doncaster and Regan?
Is there a rule book? Doncaster and Regan rules seem to be the only ones in Scottish football and they begin with Rule 1 F*****k Celtic. Every other one backs this up.
H H
Question for our gambling experts
What odds would you give me thatrangers will be playing scottish league football next season (12/13)?
Gregory Ioannidis @LawTop20
If Dundee are promoted and a newco take their place, the club from Div 2 with a legal interest would be entitled to submit such interest
Im a tim, get us outta here. Hail hail