Charles Green, owner of “The Rangers Football Club Limited“, formed in May this year, yesterday released a remarkable statement yesterday, ahead of the SPL Commission into How Rangers FC, formed in 1872, registered football players for over a decade.
“In short, what was decided by the SPL membership is that Rangers was finished as a member of the SPL. Despite this, the SPL now see the new owners of the company, and the new company itself, which owns all the assets of Rangers FC – including SPL championship titles – as fair game for punishment for matters that have nothing to do with us at all.”
We dealt with the purchasing of history on here some months ago. Once we realised it was possible, I snapped up ancient Egyptian history, the period from the pharaohs until Mark Antony. I AM responsible for the Pyramids of Giza but any slavery which may or may not have been used in their construction is NOTHING to do with me.
No one complained about the use of slaves at the time and I am sure each pyramid would have been constructed whether slaves were used of not. If slaves were so necessary for the construction I am sure “we” would have built many more.
Mr Green seems keen to protest against the SPL process, however, he, frankly, fails miserably. He doesn’t “question the impartiality of the individual panel members” but assets “whatever decision they reach is a decision of the SPL”.
So that will be independent members reaching a decision for the SPL! I think he doth protest too little.
There is also a threat: “”To make it crystal clear, the new owners purchased all the business and assets of Rangers, including titles and trophies. Any attempt to undermine or diminish the value of those assets will be met with the stiffest resistance, including legal recourse.”
Charles Green took steps to undermine his new company’s claim on Rangers titles in a BBC interview in June when he said that if his CVA proposal was to fail (which it did) and Rangers were to be liquidated (which they are), “the history, the tradition, everything that’s great about this club is swept aside”.
“Legal recourse”, which is prohibited by Fifa and which the SFA accommodated from Duff and Phelps, acting on behalf of Rangers, will provide Scottish football with a further drama. We mentioned at the time that the true cost of the SFA being so accommodating would be a repeat performance.
Mr Green asks why the “football authorities do nothing to address an issue that was public knowledge for at least two years, and was reported in the Club’s accounts for several years”? I think I can help here. Sir David Murray, who owned Rangers during the duration of its Employee Benefit Trust years, categorically denied that the club issued players with second contracts which were not submitted to the authorities. He reiterated this point most recently on a Sky News interview in March.
The football authorities have no issues whatsoever with Employee Benefit Trusts, it’s player contracts they insist are registered. Rangers insisted they had no case to answer until the SPL set a deadline on Duff and Phelps to fully disclose the nature of the alleged second contracts.
Charles claims during those lurid weeks when the SPL and SFA were negotiating with Green, that Neil Doncaster “repeatedly stated he was not interested in stripping titles from Rangers”. If he had evidence of this, ANY evidence, it would be fascinating.
If not, we should dismiss this claim.
A curious barb is made in other directions, “Rangers was not the only Club in Scotland to use EBTs yet nothing was done and little has been heard about it”.
One more time, for Mr Green’s benefit, EBTs are not against football regulations whatsoever. They are entirely legal and permitted by the SFA and SPL. The SPL Commission is not investigating whether Rangers used EBTs or not, it will investigate whether or not all player contracts were registered.
Mr Green goes on to make varied comments against “powerful representatives from Clubs within the SPL…. who appear hell bent on inflicting as much damage on Rangers as possible”, and that some “clubs were placed in an invidious position and we believe their interests were not best served by those in more powerful positions”.
Let’s have some context here. If we were to make a list of those who inflicted most damage on Rangers, representatives from other clubs would scarcely merit a mention. Those who allowed the club to spend more than it earned for so many years, who introduced the perilous tax avoidance system, those who failed to make accommodations for HMRC’s claim when it was first made, and those directors who personally benefited from the EBT scheme all carry primary responsibility.
Then would come the cheerleaders for the disastrous Craig Whyte regime – those who last year campaigned for the takeover, including putting pressure on Lloyds Banking Group to accept the terms.
Rangers opponents were spectators throughout this period. Any suggestion that our club were anything but opponents to Rangers, and alleged victims of trophies won by illegally registered players, when they should have been campaigning on behalf of their rivals, seriously misreads what was an established Glasgow rivalry. Of course it would be the same the other way – and rightly so.
Despite clearly feeling strongly about the Commission, Green didn’t address the key point….
There was no denial of the central charge that for a decade or more Rangers fielded improperly registered football players.
Yesterday some people suggested Green had offered the Lance Armstrong defence but Armstrong denied he was guilty while refusing to participate in the investigation into doping. This is a different matter altogether. Green has offered up something for every conceivable paranoid condition without actually claiming Rangers are wrongly accused.
The headlines today are all about titles being stripped but that is not the main topic in play. More importantly, after titles are stripped, what punishment will the SPL Commission levy on the Rangers membership, granted to Sevco in June?
The sheer scale of the charge makes this question incalculable. The toxicity attached to that membership is untenable and no bogeymen at other clubs, at the SPL or SFA are responsible for that.
You can continue to read CQN Magazine FOR FREE, or can subscribe for £10 or £20 and our sponsor, Executive Shaving, who offer an enormous range of grooming products, are offering readers a £20 voucher for all £30 CQN Magazine subscribers.
[calameo code=0003901711e92eb7539d6 lang=en page=14 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
933 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- ...
- 25
- »
newco = new club = NO history!
oldco = old club = TAINTED history!
CELTIC = same club since 1887 = Proud and GLORIOUS history!
HH!!
Paul 67
Great article, especially the use of the Egyptian pyramid analogy.
I used to get annoyed at the huns’ protestations, it just makes me laugh now.
Was it a surfeit of patriotism with Andy Murray’s first grand slam win (which I missed) which brought out Chairboy’s 8 am. wonderfull final sentence :-
“The soul of Scottish football has been bought and sold for Englishmen to procure gold”
Must admit it has been brilliant how the previous masonic ex gers duped a couple to take over as heads (fall guys) of both SFA and SPL and didn’t they choose well. Or am I now just as paranoid as the rest here now?
Laugh or cry – laugh, as Kojo would say is always best!
Still inclined to agree with Andrew 67 though- much more deviousness yet to come.
miki67
09:49 on
11 September, 2012
The msm won’t say it. I will.
———-
Ditto.Nail on the head amigo.
Paul67
I appreciate your comments re. the severity of punishment required for such staggering breaches of the rules, but surely you must ask yourself, ‘Why did the SFA grant them membership in the first place if they knew (as they MUST have done) of the existence of the double contracts?’
If the SFA allowed transfer of membership (remember, this was long after Mark Daly’s documentary and the Sun article revealing the existence of double contracts) under the condition that Green’s consortium accept punishment following the SPL investigation, I can’t see them revoking it, as you imply by your ‘untenable’ remark.
Then again, this whole saga has suggested there is no limit to SFA bampottery.
Magnificent Paul67. When the sevconians muddy the water we need you to remind us of the facts and home truths for The.
Interesting that the rags are quoting the madmans rants without fanfare or editorial. Second adminstration event possibly. Time for the SPL to grow some and end this sham.
I still think we should buy Renton’s world championship. Not sure who owns it at the moment though.
Tallybhoy
10:20 on 11 September, 2012
_____________________________________
Perfectly put sir :o)
Hail Hail
Was Kojo in the crowd at the American open last night?
An excellent posting Paul – thank-you.
Cuts through the mis-information and hyperbole that was in evidence on the MSM’s radio shows last night.
I find it difficult to understand at times that a statement such as this, with so many innaccuracies and dis-information (the ‘punishments’, the EBT investigation, other peoples’ agendas against Rangers), are given space in the media without any form of critical analysis.
S
Taurangabhoy
10:28 on 11 September, 2012
__________________________________________________
Just to offer an example of the lack of ANY level of law that applies to the huns…
Where is Alex Thompson since the charges were dropped ?
Is AT’s disappearance indicitive of the anarchy that looks to be just around the corner ?
Green’s bluff and bluster is straight from the Crag White /David Murray school of scream and scream and then threaten because WATP.
Green needs time to get the share issue out so that he and other investors can ride into the sunset with the Huns money.
This clown should be asked to explain his comments. He either provides proof which will mean Doncaster and Reagan are casualties or shuts up.
Paul67
Good article.
The momentous decision announced yesterday by the Sevco Board to refuse to appear before the independent commission takes me back, directly to the day they delightedly accepted ‘back door’ entry into Scottish Football’s lowest tier.
The day the SFA/SPL granted the licence, and not yesterday’s irrelevant cry of ‘we surrender’ was the day Scottish Football, was finished for ever.
The present board, and Charles Green especially knew then, and know today that the prima facie evidence is irrefutable, and the investigation will inevitably result in retracted, and voided SPL titles, when the investigation is completed.
They were ecstatic after gaining the old licence with lies and fabrication that Sevco would be accountable, when they knew that the new company was off Scot free, and up and running.
They escaped the hangman’s noose, they are a new company when they want to be, and Rangers by decree of MSM.
top class paul
the MSM have not learned
as do sevcos fans
a timely reminder
KevJungle
Alex Thompson was only investigating Rangers re the EBT scheme and his investigations have ended. He’ll make a follow up piece when the verdict from the First Tier Tax Tribunal is known but until then, I think he’s working on oter stories including the ongoing troubles in Syrria.
Mort
Think AT blogged a while ago that he was off the story…
Mort
10:39 on 11 September, 2012
____________________________________________
Aye, we’ll see.
“Sevco were only granted a licence to play by the SFA, on condition they co-operated fully with an inquiry into EBT/Dual contracts”
Is that true or false?
TootingTim
10:40 on 11 September, 2012
Think AT blogged a while ago that he was off the story…
____________________________________________________
The huns have not been liquidated so
the story is incomplete imo.
Only saying
Great article Paul. Says it all. Not that it will make any difference to the reality deniers. Fanatics are resistant to reason. Events will just have to take their course. Nothing else will do.
Everything will be revealed in time.
HMS Sevco has a torpedo with the name “Green” scribbled on its warhead heading straight for its starboard…plop plop plop…
Alex Thompson is manning the Record hotline so that keeps him busy and Hugh Keevins is in Syria reporting on the Geonicde that is happening to those poor people. That is why neither are reporting on the Sevco saga.
Oh wait!
The commission has been set up to investigate rule breaking. The rule that was aledgedy broken was the use of undeclared dual contracts by RFC Plc. Rules relating to declared payments are not only SPL rules, not only SFA rules, not only UEFA rules but are FIFA rules and as such must be adhered to worldwide.
The legality or otherwise of properly or improperly administered EBT’s is not an issue that can be ruled upon by the commission as that is a matter for the FTT(T).
The punishments available to the commission should RFC Plc be found guilty of systematic rule breaking by failing to provide details on a vast number of players remuneration through the use of dual contracts are all pretty severe and are rules, I must add, that all clubs – including RFC Plc – agreed to abide by as condition of membership.
If a punishment is met out by the commission then RFC Plc would have recourse of appeal to the SFA. Should said appeal fail RFC Plc would have further recourse to take the matter before the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Should that appeal fail then any punishment for these rule breaches would be fixed. Any further appeal to a sovereign court of Scotland would be met with further punishment from FIFA which could ultimately lead to expulsion from football.
If RFC Plc did break the rules for a period of time then of course there should be a punishment. There can be no logical argument against punishing the guilty.
What I would argue though is that any punishment must only be met by the guilty party. RFC Plc are ‘in the dock’ for these ‘crimes’ not Mr. Green’s company.
The possible legal recourse I can see for Mr. Green’s company should there be a stripping of titles from RFC Plc (which is by no means the worst or only punishment available to the commission) would be to pursue the administrators of RFC Plc for selling him ‘faulty goods’ or even ‘assets obtained through illegal means’.
Furthermore he may even wish to take issue that he was sold these ‘assets’ or titles at all. For it is clear to all that titles can not be bought and sold.
To any fan of Rangers football, under whatever guise, I would ask a simple question. Why would the owner of your club need to purchase the titles as assets if the club is indeed the incorporeal entity that needs no specific company to run its affairs as you have all recently claimed. That is to say: if this ‘Rangers Club’ is separate to ‘RFC Plc’ or to ‘Sevco’ then why would titles need to be bought and sold?
Finally, for clarity’s sake, let’s not beat around the bush…
If Rangers cheated by paying players without abiding by the rules then those players were not properly registered and were not eligible to play football games. The forfeit for fielding ineligible players is a 3-0 loss in said games.
To finalise this comment I would like to make it clear that this situation is all of Rangers own doing. No one forced Rangers into the drastic action. No one forced that club to break to rules. If it is difficult to come to terms with the possibility that a football club supported by thousands of people was acting against the rules for such a long period then I will understand their denial before the judgement. I will understand their need to believe in and proclaim the club’s innocence; as the embarrassment of having years of celebration turned into a tragic laughingstock will be harder to take than I can imagine. But I will feel no sympathy.
shady @ 10:32 said:
“An excellent posting Paul – thank-you. … I find it difficult to understand at times that a statement such as this, with so many inaccuracies and disinformation …[is] given space in the media without any form of critical analysis.”
C’mon, bud: where have you been these past few decades?
;-)
KevJungle
It can take many months between a liquidator being proposed and then officially being appointed. Even after this, it can be months, years in some cases, before liquidation is complete and the company dissolved.
Woolworths, for example, were placed in administration in January 2009 and didn’t go into liquidation until February 2010. The company is still in liquidation.
Mort
Allgreen
I agree with you, this is an opportunity for Green to make money and nothing more. Opportunity knocks….do you think he’s related to Hughie Green?
Good article Paul 67
Like tomtheleedstim and some other posters on here I am convinced that Green is provoking the football and civil authorities with his outrageous statements in the hope that action will be taking against him so that he has a get-out, being able to say: “in the circumstances it is impossible for me to continue in football in Scotland”.
Then we might see Charles the asset stripper or salesman or whatever emerge.
I think that his actions go beyond the rabble rousing required to sell season tickets, but then again I am assuming he is a shrewd operator and I may be wrong.
Right last from me been blog-hogging since the second set:))).
Read Part 3C of Downfall series by Desi Mond on The Etims (c wot I did there?) last night.
An excellent round-up. I’d forgotten how C Green emerged from a puff of smoke as it were…that piece reminded me how odd that was, and suggested a plausible reason for it…
Then I remembered this piece by Alex Thomson about a seemingly genuine, cash-rich poss. buyer that D&P ignored…..
http://blogs.channel4.com/alex-thomsons-view/revealed-rejected-bid-buy-rangers/1593
Strangely enough a CQNer bumped into AT on Baker St just before the interview, had forgotten all about it till now:)
UnseenFenianHandCSC
Mort
Phil Mac implied recently that unfortunately this particular liquidisation;) would take anything up to 5 years.
Will be a lot of fun along the way but I think most of us would prefer end game to be reached a bit quicker!
HH
Themightyquinn – I think Sevco were only granted a licence to play in Scotland if they agreed to accept all future punishments should Rangers be found to have cheated. They agreed to these terms in order to play in the SFL. It seems a little strange to reject them now.
The good thing is that this whole new chapter shows the SPL/SFA for the useless, deal making charlatans that they are.
Folly Folly
I know, I know – but I believe in Santa, the Tooth Fairy and the pixies at the bottom of the garden so I’m always hopeful that the media will one day operate with a little integrity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BihjWa47WuM
S
Mort
10:52 on 11 September, 2012
__________________________________________________________
I’ll believe it when I see it.
Stringer Bell
“Sevco were only granted a licence to play by the SFA, on condition they co-operated fully with an inquiry into EBT/Dual contracts”
Is that true or false?
Neither, the wording of the statement released by the SPL is totally ambiguous and open to legal challenge, which is where Charles Green’s statement and Sevco’s stance comes in.
Of course morally they agreed to comply, but looks like the SPL either deliberately or not, (probably deliberately in my eyes) have left the door open for them.
However, none of it matters as Paul67 states Lord Nimmo and the investigation will decide and whenever anyone decides’ not to appear in court, whatever court in any walk of life – it’s hardly likely to go in your favour.
I still maintain that it is all a big ruse. Sevco are screaming and kicking about these damn titles when they know full well that they don’t have any titles. Meanwhile, their outrage about this is whipping up the fans and helping them to part with their cash.
Subsequently, if any titles are stripped, they will react with fury but secretly heave a sigh of relief that no other more material sanctions have been taken against them (expulsion, for example). Then they will go on about their business whilst claiming that they still have the other 40 odd titles (which they won’t) and, in their hearts, the ones taken away.
So the fix is complete…it’s really the same old club but minus £134m of debt and minus a few titles.
Don’t believe all of Green’s bluster from yesterday. Do you really think he got legal advice?, did he really go see UEFA that time?, did he sign any of those players they had targetted in the Euros? Is there £30m in their bank account?
Misdirection and misinformation.
….and for the dedicated there is a post on ScottishFootballMonitor by Goosy from about 4am today which has intriguing info, possibly new…
The statement around the time that Sevco Scotland was granted a license said that the new club agreed to the penalties imposed in relation to specific offenses – the transfer ban. But it also said that the SPL reserved its position in relation to the contracts investigation – that to me reads as no agreement from Sevco.
Presumably Nimmo Smith will go ahead. And that will let him rule on whether the new club is indeed the same as the old club. Which could make interesting reading.
Thread on RangersMedia:
‘We are all Charles Green’
Get you screenshots now bhoys, before its too late! Will be funny to reproduce some of this stuff in the not too distant future:)
HH
traditionalist88
I would imagine that would be about right.
Farepack were placed in administration in October 2006 and subsequently placed into liquidation in October 2007. Five years on and they are still in liquidation. This is a particularly complex case in which the liquidators have worked tirelessly to recover funds for the benefit of creditors. It has taken them a while to get to the bottom of everything including court cases etc but are getting there and have recovered over £8m. (32p in the pound compared with nothing just before liquidation started).
The liquidators of Farepack are BDO. They are very good and while it might take a bit of time, more often than not, they get to the bottom of things and recover money for creditors.
Mort
Rangers fc
The biggest SCAM in football history …
Put to the 3rd division
But sponsored by the tax payer fir £130m
Not bad for a scam