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.
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Good morning
Great article Paul,as always concise,consistent and clarity brought to a topic that the MSM just fail to deal with or ignore.Chucki is on the share sale.Mr whippy with the ignorant hordes.
Thanks to all who welcomed me yesterday tho i dont quite understand your comments St.Stiv!
Hail Hail
Tooting Tim
Goosy’s post is at 00.52 on that site.
Strange stuff, if true.
Tooting Tim – re; Goosy’s post. wow. It will be interesting when some of our more legal/accountancy based readers dissect that post.
An Tearmann 11:07 on 11 September, 2012
It has been traditional for new bloggers to be questioned as to whether they are in fact of sevconian tendencies. I think St.Stiv’s post was a roundabout route to the same query.
Anyway, are you a hun?
S
Statement on the day of the agreement
“There remains, however, an outstanding issue with the SPL regarding EBTs. As we have proved in the last couple of months we will stand up to any challenges that face Rangers and will continue to fight for the Club’s best interests.”
Charles Green
We’re no coming – right CSC
The SPL really don’t help themselves. This is their statement from 7th September.
“The Scottish Premier League today announced that the independent Commission to inquire into alleged EBT payments and arrangements made by Rangers in relation to players during the period from 2000 until 2011 will sit on Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 September.
The hearing will be chaired by Lord Nimmo Smith and will consider submissions from parties on various procedural matters. It will not be a hearing of the merits of the case.
The other members of the independent Commission are Mr Charles Flint QC and Mr Nicholas Stewart QC.”
Why do they mention EBTs? They should only be concerned about improperly registered players. SIMPLES.
THE BATTERED BUNNET 10.11
Reading your post fairly gave me a nipple erection so it did !
Well said.
On another note, checked my email after the match and was informed by Amazon that due to demand my Downfall book will not be delivered on time but I will get it before oct 4th. I was really raging. I made a complaint and they have now wavered the delivery charge – five pounds seventy five pence – anybody in same situation you know what to do.
Great post Paul, thanks.
Hail Hail.
Today should see an ostensive definition of the Sevco Huns
Once that emerges we will see some Hun on Hun action . Craven facilitating and accommodating only delayed the guff that is to come.
An Tearmann
11:07 on 11 September, 2012
_______________________________________________
Welcome m8.
Now, you know I’ve got to ask you….
wi a name like that I’ll no bother :o)
Hail Hail
Wee Andy Murray’s well deserved success is partly due to the appointment of I.Lendl as coach.
A lesson there for the SFA when they have to appoint a replacement for C.Levein, who is completely useless.
Goosy’s piece on Fern Trading Ltd certainly makes interesting reading.
Fantastic post Paul, just what we needed to see, what is galling is that MSM are not questioning CG on anything he spouts out, they just give him a free reign, pathetic, thanks God for Celtic blogs like CQN etc.
I think I may wait until Andy Murray is a Sir before buying his history, on second thoughts, Sir Gus does not sit nice with me!
Hail Hail
DBBIA – I don’t think Lendl is a very good football coach. In that respect he’s just like Levein.
All of TBBs posts erect my nipples.
I am barred from the ole Gazebo lest I put someone’s eye out.
GUS1969
11:17 on 11 September, 2012
_____________________________________________
Do you think that Celtic Fc/PLC should ban the MSM ?
Hail Hail
Charles Green on Good Morning Scotland: “It’s very very clear that we’ve never been a member of the SPL and therefore as far as my consortium is concerned the SPL have no jurisdiction over us. You will also have seen the statement from Duff and Phelps who were a member of the SPL but the SPL threw them out …”
Spot on. New club and old club are seperate. You were never a member of the SPL – so how the hell can you claim to have won SPL titles??
http://soundcloud.com/celticresearch/cg-gms/s-ya9Uz
Congratulations Paul. You are in top form with that article.
Mind you, if you had written it in pidgin English I would still have loved the content!
TTLT- Ivan Lendl has publicly stated that when the Andy Murray job is finished he’d love to coach FC Banic Ostrova, his home town team.
He says that coaching footballers can’t be that difficult if levein gets paid to do it.
So its legal recourse for anybody who says ‘The Rangers’ who’s separate company ‘Sevco’ does not have the history of ‘Glasgow Rangers’ who’s separate company was,erm…..
A pathetic attempt to get the huns on his side,I would love to see a joint statement from as many club fan reps as possible saying they don’t recognise the discount buying of a football clubs history,it beggars belief that Celtic,Aberdeen,Dundee Utd to name a few played fair in order to challenge the huns for over a hundred years so that some scrote could walk into Scottish football and buy every cup and title ‘won’ by a club who eventually died for what? 5.5m quid?
It’s an affront to the history of Scottish football that there is a price and a meagre one at that put on its history.
The fact that its taking fan media to put this into context is also shameful on the Scottish MSM.
No-one who has followed the Rangers story will be surprised to know that Fern Trading Ltd is a subsidiary of Octopus and has as its registered address:
20 Old Bailey
London
EC4M 7AN
No surprise that this is also the same trading address as Ticketus.
Things might be about to get a bit more interesting. Excellent find from Goosy.
Mort
Charles green in the red tops with a remarkable statement that the huns were ejected from the SPL
Not one challenge from any MSM to tell Charlie that they weren’t actually ejected from anything. They folded. Simple as that. End of story. No debate. Finito.
I’m starting to hear voice’s inside my head again !!!
The wall’s are closing-in !!!
I can hardly breathe….
Away oot a walk till its Celtic time again.
laters….
KevJungle
I suppose you have to ask where you stop, do we ban them all? Not sure that would work, maybe better for Celtic to make sure they defend the Club on their website whenever they feel they have been wronged. I hope we are building a case against the cheating of oldco and we go public with that.
What do you think?
Hail Hail
Tootingtim
Can you post it? I can’t seem to find it.
Anyways, emb’dy looking for something fresh to revive the spirit- ‘Diversions #2’ by the Unthanks, with the Brighouse and Rastrick Brass Band.
Beautifully sung and played, very English, very Northern [ songs about colliery disasters and racing pigeons]but probably the best thing I’ve heard all year.
Wonderful stuff.
GUS1969
11:28 on 11 September, 2012
_____________________________________________
I think that you’d better prepare yerself for a LLLLOOOOOOOONNNNGGGG wait. imo
The marshmallow-marauders who run our club
only ban old geesers for telling the type of truth
that they find rather uncomfortable. imo
Off oot this time.
Hail Hail
laters
MORT 1106
Strangely enough,the FAREPAK fiasco is tied up with HBOS and the same coterie who were in charge of corporate lending at the time.
They recently agreed,following a court case,to submit,without acceptance of blame or wrongdoing etc,around £6m (I think) to the liquidators.
It’s all part of the OPERATION HORNET affair,where it will only need one person to crack under the strain,but they are holding up well.
I suspect you knew all that-it’s local to me in Swindon,where FAREPAK were based,and the alleged misdeeds took place in Reading,just along the M4.
Time for The Spanish Inquisition,methinks…….
Gonna need a bigger Gazebo
Does anyone know when BDO take over?
Paul67
There were so many Terry Butcher OG’s in his statement last night and radio performance today, I will not stop smiling for a week.
THE rangers have never been a member of the SPL. You hear that bares?
He should be more worried about the FIFA Tribunal, a world ban will affect the profits substantially.
good song shady
So….Thinking Caps On !
We Must Come Up With A ‘Celtic’ Song,
In Praise Of Our Conquering Hero….
Sir Andy Of Murraystoon….
It Receives Little Mention That Andy Sleeps Under A Framed No.7 Shirt Once Worn By Henke….Each And Every Night..
Wherever He Finds Himself On His Travels….
And That A Jimmy Johnstone Faberge Egg Is Always Secreted In A Special Zip-Up Compartment Of His Racquets Bag…
Whenever He Battles The Foreign Pretenders, On The Court Of Dreams….
Yes….Andy Is As Big A TIM as They Come
He Even Chose The Name,’Aloysius’….
When He Had His ‘Confirmation’, Over In Spain….
So….Playmates….Search Around For A Song Whose Lyrics Could Be Adapted…
Don’t Leave It To The Dreadful Green Brigade….
Who Have Inflicted The Tiresome And Most Tedious JCGE….On Us….
I….For One….Had QUITE Enough After About Two Renditions Of This Nauseous
Mono-Synaptic ‘Pop Ditty’….
And It Should Be The Amateur Meteorologist Section Of Our Support….
Conducted By Celtic’s Handsomest SAAB Driving Supporter…..
Who Should Have The Honour Of Introducing Our New Anthem….
To The Green Legions Of ‘Paradise’….
The Honour Of That Fine Family Name…
“Murray”….
Must Be Reclaimed From The Odious Distaff Branch In Ayrshire….
Who Have Brought Nothing But Shame,Corruption….And Hatred….
To Our Dear And Pleasant Land….
Scotland Expects….
BMCUW
Yeah, think it was Lloyds aswell (is that part of HBOS now, hard to keep up) that gave up some money.
Still a bit to go but I don’t think the banks will own up for something like this. PPI misselling has cost them loads, if they are ever found guilty of the corporate lending “scam”, things will be a whole lot worse.
Mort
KevJungle @1028
Thank you!
HH!!
Thegreenfaerie
No timescale yet. D&P still have work to do but not sure what they are doing apart from counting the cash.
I doubt it will be before the end of the year.
Mort
You can’t call me a mook…
Brogan Rogan Trevino @BroganRoganTrev
This is just brilliant– spot the difference? The one and same….. http://pic.twitter.com/CPe9ogp1
If you have time, listen to the link posted earlier by Gordon_J
CG getting hot under the collar.
Link as below.
http://soundcloud.com/celticresearch/cg-gms/s-ya9Uz
An arrogant, arrogant, ar$e of a man.