Resolutions to be voted on at the 30 April meeting are proposals from the Scottish Premier League executive (Neil Doncaster). They have nothing to do with the Gang of 10 nor are they a Duff and Phelps/Rangers conspiracy. The resolutions are not set in tablets of stone and have no authority in their own right. The League has form in voting down executive resolutions, in particular overthrowing plans for a 10 team league last year, so, in theory, the votes could go for or against.
Neil Doncaster, being as thorough as he is, has almost certainly shared his plan with the man along the corridor at Hamden, SFA chief exec, Stewart Regan. He is also likely to have taken guidance from the Uefa executive, specifically CEO David Taylor, formerly of this parish. It would be unnecessarily lax to leave legislative loose ends before embarking on such a radical plan, so forget about any intervention by the SFA (cough) or Uefa.
Putting preconceived notions aside (if I can), the resolutions are flawed.
Asking for 8 clubs to vote for a Newco to be allowed into the league, but requiring 11 to vote for a financial penalty to be imposed for an Insolvency Transfer, is beyond ridiculous. The former provision – the gift of continuity to a defaulter – is easy to achieve. The latter – the punishment for defaulting – is unnecessarily difficult. Duff and Phelps will need the support of only one club – let’s say Dunfermline, who are brogue-to-brogue with them anyway and due to relegation will not be affected by the financial penalty, will vote with them. Why would Doncaster put such a high bar on setting financial penalties?
Arbitrary voting thresholds smack of gerrymandering. Can anyone explain this in any other way?
There will now be a period of debate between clubs; Celtic will oppose any provision for a Newco to enter the league. Duff and Phelps will be in the opposite corner. You can expect to hear wailing and gnashing from Rangers (IA) along the same ridiculous lines they have used ahead of the SFA hearings into the behaviour of the club in advance of, and after, Craig Whyte’s purchase of the club. On that occasion, Duff and Phelps argued that the actions of Rangers’ new owner, or the failure of the old board to conduct their business correctly, should not lead to a penalty on the club.
It doesn’t matter how lax or severe the proposed penalties, Duff and Phelps will oppose them. Anything lessening of the penalty is worth money to the proposed new buyers of Rangers, so let’s view everything Duff and Phelps say in pound notes.
Rangers have unpaid bills potentially running up to £134mm that’s medicine, operations, road repairs and Help for Heroes. Allowing them to ditch their history and start afresh, where owners profit by securing a floating charge over the stadium, where fans can continue to be provided with a team in the league, creates an unprecedented moral hazard. It rewards irresponsibility and would create a queue of clubs ready to do the same.
And on the point of ditching their history… I openly mock anyone who uses phrases like Hybrid Liquidation. You don’t get Hybrid Liquidation, Partial Liquidation or Liquidation Lite. You cannot buy or sell history, as Duff and Phelps tried (and failed, I think) to convince Rangers fans. Liquidation would mean Rangers Football Club, established in 1873 (or 1872 as they now claim), incorporated in 1899, is finished.
Just pay your bills and do us all a favour.
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MattE on 11 April, 2012 at 22:33 said:
So would the boycott continue until the newco Old Firm Huns are thrown out of the SPL?
And would the boycott include the Old Firm game?
I am still full of Jelly & Ice Cream but the mood seems to have changed with the SFA moving the goal[posts). Or is it the SPL, I am totally fankled with the colluding cheating scumbags with blazers, when I sober up one day I may do something about it.
I want us to beat the salt & sauce huns on Sunday, win the all green final or sheep final then turn our attention to Uefa and the cheating scum, this could be the last title we win fairly, if it is proven everyone is happy to watch huns win the title and that there clubs to lie down alamotherswell.
PS Well done Ross County you deserve your elevated position, on a fair and sporting level unlike others.
Sorry if grammar is bad as I said J&IC
Come on you bhoys in green!!!!!!
ernie lynch on 11 April, 2012 at 22:37 said:
Celtic are still newsworthy in European footballing terms, not least because of the impact of the travelling support.
But is that enough reason for anyone from outside to care about a newco getting straight back in?
ernie lynch on 11 April, 2012 at 22:29 said:
Ernie, Scottish football is already a laughing stock.
Sorry, i think you are wrong if you believe that too many would choose Celtic over the Huns – i am 100% certain that the same concessions wouldnt be being made were it us who owed £134m and not them.
I am all for principles but why should Celtic apply to the 3rd dvision when we have done nothing wrong?
The luxury of a blog is that we are able to make statements or suggestions on here with little or no regard to the potential consequences. The Celtic board do not have that luxury. Resigning from the league and/or applying to the 3rd division/England/Ireland could leave the club with literally nowhere to go. OUR history would be gone whilst guilty/filthy Huns carried on regardless. We would have our principles, certainly, but nothing else. Too big a risk for me, i am afraid.
We should firstly be supporting all the RFC groups who seek to oppose this and demand that existing rules are left in place.
Based on this at liquidation the membership returns to SPL and no relegation for DumplinFC. Rule 8.4
I fully support their campaign to keep the existing rules!!!!!!!!
HH
Emdae know where jabba is? Or declan for that matter??
Paul67
The reason for the 11-1 requirement for 2B is within the SPL’s articles of association. It is a change to the financial distribution of SPL revenues, so needs an 11-1 vote – at least that will be Doncaster’s reasoning. But you are right that it makes the vote absurd, 2A and 2B should be voted on together with an 11-1 vote needed for the whole resolution. The gerrymandering is in splitting the resolution into two parts and shows that the motivation is engineering a way to allow newco straight back in. But the MSM have duly jumped into line in reporting it as being a move to punish Rangers. The only minor hiccup in this orchestrated media coverage was the BBC website filing the story under Rugby Union.
gscbhoy (skint but NOT in administration) on 11 April, 2012 at 22:40 said:
So support Old Firm Celtic in a league that’s bereft of principle and integrity.
ernie lynch on 11 April, 2012 at 22:29 said:
The banks, broadcasters, UEFA and corporate sponsors have stood by and allowed this current situation to formulate. If there is an iota of intelligence they, like many in the Celtic support, will not be completely taken by surprise at today’s announcement.
Ultimately these groups will follow blindly on the coat tails of the chairmen of the SPL clubs, they have done it for years despite the reckless fiscal policy of many of the clubs.
If we walk they will let us, and it will be Celtic and its supporters who will suffer as a consequence of their greed.
After all that has been said on today’s vomit-inducing ‘announcements’,the residual feeling I have is one of sadness.
Paul67 et al
Time is, for Celtic to be part of the Zeitgeist. Time for us to lead. Time enough for us to at least offer some alternatives that proffered by Neil Doncaster. Rangers FC have brought their troubles all upon themselves. It is not the job of the SPL to bail them out. They gambled with their own history. And lost!
thomthethim on 11 April, 2012 at 22:34 said
For the moment, wait and see what Celtic are going to do,which I have said from the beginning, will be the decisive play in this charade.
Agreed.
However,the prime responsibility of the Celtic Board is to do everything they can to avoid compromising the continuing existence of Celtic F.C.
Supporters? All we can do is hit the hip pocket nerve of cheats.
row Z- lol,how thick are that mob?
sparkleghirl on 11 April, 2012 at 22:40 said:
”But is that enough reason for anyone from outside to care about a newco getting straight back in?’
Not on its own, but it is a consideration. Particularly for sponsors and TV companies.
I have a ticket for the semi and would boycott or walk out at half time or whatever is decided. The same if we get to the final.
Why would it be impossible for us to play in another league outside Scotland?
I live in England and about 3mls up the road from me a welsh team was playing Fleetwood, Ireland would be great craic….. Friendly away trips where we will be welcomed. If it takes a year I’d support my team all the way.
If we’ve been cheated since 1995 or so and they’re not adequately punished….. If we do nothing then We deserve what we get from Scottish football.
Make a stand CFC, make a stand Celtic supporters….. Or stop moaning and vote them in…..
Simples dot conned
V
Ernie – you’re avoiding the question! What happens to “non-Old Firm Celtic” after we go down to SFL3? Do we work our way back up to the SPL or refuse to rejoin it as it’s a tainted contest?
Simple questions that you MUST have thought through before posting your suggestion.
One final point to you and others who have posted on here today, some hysterically, about walking away from a competition that is clearly rigged…why walk now?!
It’s been rigged for feckin decades!
They blatantly cheated us in the times of our fathers and grandfathers when there was no live television and they’ve carried on doing it while the games are sent out live to a UK and foreign TV audience.
Did you actually see the Glasgow derbies during Mowbrey’s tenure?! It couldn’t have been more blatant, but we kept fighting and following our team.
And we will now, ignoring silly “Old Firm Celtic” jibes from hypocrites.
TTTT
Catch any replies tomorrow morning.
V
Bada bing
MSM are already helping by running the stories as additional punishment for thems. Expect viable devices to go to Donny Caster shortly.
HH
hamiltontim on 11 April, 2012 at 22:44 said:
”The banks, broadcasters, UEFA and corporate sponsors have stood by and allowed this current situation to formulate.”
What do you expect them to do?
Intervene?
That’s not their function.
Give them a binary choice, us or the huns.
ernie
For 130 odd years we played in a league where we knew that one of the member clubs operated a policy of religious apartheid.
Why resign now?
Evening Bhoys.
Could any of the legal guys answer a question for me. Could we as a supporters group bring about a legal action against this proposal? If so, would the best route be local/uk/european courts? I would be willing to donate towards the costs. Our very own “fighting Fund” perhaps.
ernie lynch on 11 April, 2012 at 22:40 said:
Ideally the threat of it all would be significant enough to alter the direction in which it all seems to be heading.
I don’t think I could set foot in another ground again if they pander to TFOD.
This would be sore as I love my away days with my mates.
Ipox would be top place to avoid.
If the hun coin means that much to them that tells me the loss of our honest money would be damaging.
First off I want to apologise to the blog for a few posts I have made in the last couple of days, I could have been more tactfull, but I still hold dear what’s in my heart.
Re the Spl and their rule changes.
Having clamed down a bit, I am at a loss as to how the club approach this, I see some posters calling for the club to make a statement, I would now be in this camp.
I do not believe that the club were not aware of the statement made today, we have a repreintitive on the board, he must have been party to the statement, if he wasn’t there is something far wrong with how the league is run, no laughing at the back, but you get my point.
This is a carve up of the highest order.
It’s looking like the support are the ones who matter, and we matter more than ever, supporters of other clubs have as much power as we do.
Imagine 1000 supporters from lets say Aberdeen not renewing their season books, that would hurt them big time, and by all accounts, that could well happen.
The supporters of all member clubs need to get organised to stop this sham.
Read this post again, this is from a mhan who knows what he is talking about.
praecepta on 11 April, 2012 at 22:17
Of course everyone is livid at the SPL proposals but I find it hard to understand the logic of those who would stop supporting Celtic, particularly when Paul has stated that the Club have the same view as the fans in this matter.
If someone broke into your house and stole all your money, would you then proceed to punch yourself repeatedly on the face ?
I can see any rangers fans reading of our supporters withdrawing their support having a right good laugh at that one. I will certainly be renewing my season ticket.
Ernie
Do you think – if we indeed applied to the 3rd division – that sky would scream no? That ESPN would cry no? That Uefa would cry no?
Do you think you’d be watching Gary Hooper etc plying their trade?
What are you willing to lose? What are you willing to risk?
This world just ain’t black and white mate. It’s full of grey. Some of that by others doing.
We are the one club the rest of Scotland would not miss.
U
Ode to a Traitor
The Big House must stay open,
The Huns are all a hopin’,
When Hector comes a lopin’
Oe’r the hill with guns a loading
His bowler all a sloping
Their silver for the groping,
That rescue is approachin’
Much like a handsome boatman
Who’ll throw them out a rope and
Carry them to shore.
And lo, their Hero’s sighted,
Bit specky , maybe dited
A man who Craigy Whyte’d
Grasp warmly by the paw.
For aid he offers tokens,
A ne’er a word is spoken,
For fear their pact be broken
And friendship be no more
Doncaster, may your name be
Cast down in terms of hist’ry
As low as men of mystery
Like Iscariot, but sure
Your thirty dirty shekels
Is proof that grasping nettles
Is for men of greater mettle
And scorn o’er you will pour.
TET
Fair play ya grumpy oul git!!!! :-))
tommytwiststommyturns on 11 April, 2012 at 22:48 said:
I think the threat of resigning would be enough, for the reasons I’ve stated.
If it came to it though I’d rather retain integrity than an SPL place.
You’d rather have a place in a corrupt SPL, as the lesser half of The Old Firm. Fair enough.
As for what happened when we were due to be promoted to the SPL, I’d cross that bridge when we reached it.
ernie lynch on 11 April, 2012 at 22:37 said:
Newsworthy and TRUSTWORTHY….!!!!
tommytwiststommyturns on 11 April, 2012 at 22:25 said:
Ernie – to be honest, I was hoping to illicit a more thorough response from you, as you’ve held this stance on the blog for quite some time.
So we go down to SFL 3….then what? Where’s your plan, where’s the vision?
——————————————————
Sounds like we are taking the huns penalty for them. Dont understand the logic of this move either?
HH
CRC
I will never stop supporting Celtic.
I will stop supporting the spl/sfa if these proposals are more than fantasy.
How do I do this?
That’s something I have to ponder.
TTTT
Early days for ideas, but, if an ‘alternative’ league was established by us inviting better run clubs to join us I am very sure that our ability to negotiate deals would see that league becoming dominant very quickly. That includes TV deals. The stinkin rump of decades of corruption would fail quickly and all those stinkin apologists would go with it.
That appeals to me more than continuing with the corruption just cos it’s happened so far.
I’d happily support pay for and follow Celtic in a new venture. But I’m no longer prepared to toss money to corruption driven by der hun. This is an opportunity that has not been available to out forefathers and we should make the most of it now.
HH
socrates mulligan on 11 April, 2012 at 22:51 said:
ABSOLUTELY
HT
Even the grandweans call me grumpy instead of granda.
Tis a term of endearment :>)
So the Huns Assembly are genuinely appalled that the spl would would shamefully make their club a laughing stock by by bending every rule in order to let them escape rightful punishment for years of cheating?
I won’t follow a hapless victim.
Priorities.
I`d rather lose the Scottish Cup than Fraser Forster.
ht
again tttt,
I answered that question some time ago;
rather than the sfl 3rd, we’d take the demotion spot to the 1st division therefore saving our new sfl partners any organisational headaches.
We negotiate a tv deal with the sfl and get chanel67 on the case.
We request the sfl rewrite the rule book to provide a fair and open structure and governance.
We then begin legal proceedings against the sfa and spl for loss of earnings.
I expect a few more genuine legal cases could be brought against them.
By the time the uefa ban on scottish teams is lifted I expcet both the sfa and spl will have been bankrupted, which will require the sfl to step in and take over the administration of scottish football.
simples really.