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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Charles Green is only after money he does not want to lead THE Rangers out of the wilderness of the third division.He wants to sell the club on to the high rollers but no one wants his poisend chalice.He can kid the majority of hun fans that he is a good guy but anyone with a little knowledge can see right through the guy.The income over at Ibrokes is not good enough in my opinion to sustain the outlay the club have they were looking for league reconstruction next season to save there bacon.H.H.
Read that Goosy post twice now.
That is a belter!
Sir Minty better start trying the now to get that mobile up were the sun dont shine…
If, like myself, you sometimes think that posters on here are indulging in wishful thinking re Charles Green, listen to the link on Som mes que an club @11.40. The interviewer tries to ask pertinent questions but CG is so full of contradcitions the interviewer, understandably, seems a little confused whilst Charlie is like a Billy Bunter ramble ” I was never in the kitchen and when I was I didn`t see the cake and when I saw it I didn`t eat it and the bit I ate was very small…..” It is quite a strange interview o:-)
BENTHEBISHOP
Good to have you back,bud-sorry about last week.
Accidental,honest!
Rangers chief executive Charles Green claims “more than two” Scottish Premier League clubs have used employee benefits trusts.
The Ibrox club’s use of the scheme is the subject of an SPL investigation into payments to players .
Celtic confirmed earlier this year they established one EBT in 2005 .
Green would “rather not say” which other clubs he was aware of that had used EBTs, but added: “I have put my hand up and they should do the same.”
The SPL will on Tuesday have an initial meeting of the commission to investigate the club’s alleged use of dual contracts during the period EBTs were operated by the company that formerly ran Rangers.
The league has more than a dozen sanctions, including stripping Rangers of league titles, at its disposal should it be decided that the club broke rules about side payments.
However, no-one from Rangers will attend the meeting , with Green insisting on Monday that “neither the SPL, nor its commission, has any legal power or authority over the club because it is not in the SPL”.
And, speaking to BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme, Green contended: “There is no-one to stand in front of them, this should have been done when the SPL had jurisdiction, and they didn’t do it.
“You are allowed to have an EBT, you have to disclose it, and of course there is a whole raft of information that when these EBTs were being used they were disclosed.
“They were in the accounts, it’s public knowledge, Rangers were a public company, you can go on the internet and see the disclosures.”
Rangers, who were relaunched by Green’s consortium after the former incarnation could not be saved from liquidation, were placed in the Scottish Third Division after Green’s bid to take over the SPL share previously owned by the club was rejected.
And Green has suggested the Ibrox side may not seek re-entry to the top flight, should they be successful in progressing to and winning the First Division.
“Unless the SPL welcome us with open arms why would we go back there,” he added.
“Ten clubs voted Rangers out of that league, what makes you think they would want Rangers back in.
“It begs the question will the league still be there in three years’ time.”
The investors must be loving Green’s intention of not returning to the top league in the country.
What was that? Oh! it is all a scam and really a property deal…
If we win a diddy cup like the League Cup this season can we sell it to Sevco?
After all they do need the honours…starting from scratch an’ all.
Thanks for the Goosy posts!
Interesting indeed!
Has this anything to do with Barcabhoys post a couple of months ago re former employess having to emigrate to countries we do not have extradition arrangements with?
mmmm
Jabba: Enough is Enough! Unless its spaghetti bolognese, cheeseburgers, pies, fish and chips, pepparoni pizzas, lamb kebabs, chicken nuggets…then enough is never enough!
Brilliant summary of the current situation in Paul’s blog. Green’s statement has all the indications of having been written after a ‘taxing’ lunch.
Chucky Greens guff is like the desperate rantings of a condemned man as he climbs the gallows steps.
Mr Paul67,
One of your finest ever posts.
100% accurate.
The feelings I now have for anything to do with the old huns or sevco is one of stomach turning disgust.
Just when you think they cant disgust you anymore, out comes somethingelse to make your stomach heave.
Aberdeen Fans opinion.
Rangers and their fans think they are working magic. By saying so much and putting out a different agenda for every issue regarding ‘ex’ and ‘new’ Rangers they either have a retort for every dig aimed at them or simply hope that the web will become so tangled that everyone will become fed up and cease to care. Quite when Rangers are the same Rangers and Rangers are a different Rangers is dependent on the issue at hand. By the bizarre logic of Rangers fans, they are exactly the same club with the same honours and history but without the debts. A simple question with a very simple answer – if this were possible, why wouldn’t every club do this? If your answer is ‘because it’s not possible and any human that thinks otherwise needs their head checked and be prevented from reproducing’ then you are correct.
There’s no need for me to extensively sift through Green’s statement from today. Nothing can come close to describing the illogic of this latest statement which has put Rangers bizarre fans into another frenzy. The stand out comment from Green was: ‘The club ceased to be subject to the SPL`s rules when it was ejected from its league. Our lawyers have made that point repeatedly to the SPL in correspondence and yet our requests for an explanation from the SPL have been completely ignored. The SPL`s silence on these issues is deafening. The outcome of the SPL`s process will have no legal effect.’
Short story short, the SPL are the governing body for the titles Rangers won. Rangers are thus under jurisdiction from the SPL.
Green continued: ‘As far as I am concerned, Rangers Football Club has won a world record 54 league titles, and, whatever the decision of the SPL commission, these titles cannot and will not be taken away from us and our Manager Ally McCoist is in total agreement.’
Sorry Charlie, the titles are not under the ownership of Rangers. Ignoring the fact that the titles were won by the ‘old’ Rangers, the titles are those of the SPL. The SPL can withdraw a title.
And while we’re at it, shall we also ignore the idea that Rangers were probably and very most likely, given they are no longer members of the league, not invited to the hearing tomorrow at all and Green is on the defensive because we all know what’s about to happen?
All in all, Green is a clown. The Rangers fans that are taking his words for gospel are on a whole new level of clownery.
I found this in one of the replies to Alex Thomson’s Blog:
On the wider subject, unlike yourself and your fellow travellers, I have no problem with EBTs and certainly do not view their use in anyway as cheating or financial doping. You know well how many companies and wealthy individuals engage in tax-dodging schemes. Indeed, many of them have been given gongs and are very much part of the political establishment. Capitalism is an immoral beast but, hey, that’s what we’ve got. Singling out Rangers has simply been a device, albeit clever and highly successful, for those who hate the club with a passion to promote their agenda.
If the tax tribunal finds against Rangers then so be it. Like many others, they will have gambled on a tax scheme and lost. But please spare me the sporting integrity mantra. Celtic’s billionaire owner Dermot Desmond is widely known for paying pitifully low amounts of tax in Ireland where he holds much influence in establishment circles there. Indeed there was an almighty brouhaha on this in the Irish press earlier in the year. I see no mention of this on Celtic blogs or anyone suggesting their club should refuse his tainted shilling. And I don’t have a problem with that – they shouldn’t. In a capitalist world you play by its rules. But let’s not have double standards.
And, since you mention your background, let me do likewise. I was born into a LARGE family of Irish origin and trained to be a priest. I also eagerly followed my team – Celtic. But RTC and Phil Mac make me ashamed to be connected with them and their followers with hearts of darkness who are fixated on hating Rangers. Will you believe me if I also tell you there are a great many Hoops fans who feel like me and want no truck with their feeding frenzy?
However, if you wish to praise their agenda then that’s entirely your choice. But as an admirer of much of your work in other areas – I suspect we have similar political views – I feel you have made a huge mistake and been sucked in to endorse an odious and spiteful campaign that really had nothing whatsoever to so with integrity. That’s a professional judgement you made – though clearly I feel you got it wrong.
Finally, let me say this on RTC getting an Orwell award. Eric Blair must be spinning in his grave at this travesty. An Orwellian award for a blog that used censorship so sinisterly and frequently that even Big Brother would have been impressed? A blog that was an affront to free speech? And you wrote the citation?
Nevertheless, God bless…
Brilliant. You couldnae make it up.
‘A whole new level of clownery’.
Love it – I’m gonnae ‘buy’ it and use it!
HH!!
Paul67
Very good point on the ‘membership’ …..I would imagine one of the optional ‘punishments’ could well be to cancel the ‘membership’….
Just a thought but, if greengo owns the history, why would he not attend the Commission Hearing to protect his ‘investment’ ….!? ……..this is a major scam, and it will end with sevco losing membership….. Greengo will then sell the assets to developers and walk (no, run) away with a tidy little profit, if the Fraud Squad don’t catch up with him in the interim.
Interesting times……!!!!
Heads up anyone want a copy of Phil’s book Warerstones in Argyll st found a box this morning – behind the counter – girl told me she had personally sold 30 copies since yesterday
HH
You guys have got it all wrong. Rangers (as they still seem to be called) are Scotlands biggest club. They have done absolutely nothing wrong (well at least nothing that other clubs weren’t doing as well). They have been hounded by their bigotted enemies.(Regan knows this, so it would be totally unfair of him to punish them further).
Rangers are on the up and up. Just watch Sky sports news or read any of the sports pages of scottish newspapers if you don’t believe me…….it’s all down there in black and white.
Cut these good guys some slack for goodness sake!
The relationship between sevco fans and Charlie Green reminds me of the frog and the scorpion fable. Can’t for the life of me remember the ending.
Southside
Could there be a sting in the tail?
HH
Jamie SEVCO Murray sensationally claiming he won the US open..
Same house, same name, same tennis club..
Well done Andy Murray..
5hrs on court!
HH
Asonofdan…
“And while we’re at it, shall we also ignore the idea that Rangers were probably and very most likely, given they are no longer members of the league, not invited to the hearing tomorrow at all and Green is on the defensive because we all know what’s about to happen?”
I can see the requirement for a sedative coming on, once our wonderful meeja check that one out ……
Incidently, does anyone think the SFA / SPL are STILL desparate to get the bhuns back into the SPL as early as possible …….LLOOLL
WONKYRADAR
Still some misguided souls in need of enlightenment,from the looks of it……
Paul67 –
Good to see you back at your best, beating (in a literary sense only, of course!) the seven bells out of zombie fc and their acolytes.
I just wish the FTT would remove their digits and put zfc out of their misery, and they are a pretty miserable lot for sure. Then the SPL can turn all those tainted results into 0-3 defeats, and we can finally remove the titles stolen by zfc.
Urcyl
traditionalis88,
We discussed the threat of expulsion during the first civil case, I believe this is ogilvie’s final strategy, this is the Armageddon threatened and has been the long term strategy if their plans failed.
I think there is only one was to avoid national expulsion from international competition and that is to expel the club from the game before the case is heard in court, technicality being they are not a member thus governing rules don’t apply.
Ogilvie IMO has been waiting for this, to delay any such tactic to ensure the case is heard and the expulsion takes place, armageddon has always been their fall back plan, they have been threatening this from day one.
The capacity of the establishment club (latest mannifestation) and those in the establishment to suspend logic never ceases to amaze.
Keep up the good work Paul…
offwiththeirheadsCSC
SOUTHSIDE
This analogy along the same lines?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_ZBqpEUbik
Decent choon too……
2 points
1. If Charles Green claims The Rangers sevco franchise tribute act have won SPL titles then that means the SPL have jurisdiction over him and his club.
2. If they were given those titles (aye right) by the SPL/SFL and SFA, does that mean they nedd to apply to UEFA to get their ECWC of 1972?
Scottish authorities have no jurisdiction over Europe’s governing body so they cannot transfer that one surely?
So that means Oldco as newco cannot have won a European trophy.
Start telling that one to Sevco fans, it’ll make their heads explode.
Paul67
Podium not high enuff for you. Awesome and more Awesome!!!! HaiL HaiL. <:o))
My Dear Dear Seven Fishes And Four Steaks @ 12:07….
I Deduce ….From Your Moniker..
That You Are Unlikely….
To Be A Vegetarian….
I Think That This Is A Most Appropriate And Thoughtful Stance….
For Any Fair-Minded Vegetable To Hold..
I Commend You For Your Perspicacity….
A Fine Example To Us ALL !
(ThumbsUp?)
Andy Murray 5 hrs in court? I think wee chuckie cheeks will beat that no prob over the next few months? years? decades?
He’s a wee Yorkshire terrier so he iz!!
Sheik Chuckles Abdallah Green Aff-Maheid, leader of the Blue Brotherhood of Union Bears, issued a fatwā against all those who speak out against The Rangers- any criticism whatsoever will be requited with immediate unspeakable annihilation. Speaking yesterday in the Bridgeton Grand Masonic Hall he wore traditional Sevco garb with face partially hidden whilst phalanxed by various tattooed Sevconians holding their Heckler & Koch’s in their hands. He also issued various other fatwas that prohibits vaccination of children claiming it is a conspiracy of the Jews, Freemasons and Green ‘Fenian’ Martians. The paying of taxes as he declared it was the serfdom of Babylon. He also issued a fatwā prohibiting Alex Thomson from ever again writing on his blog about Rangers due in part to his writings encouraging acceptance of a possible alternative to mainstream media opinion.
The conference ended with a synchronised salute and recital of the line: “Death to all who oppose Sevco!” over and over until Ally McCoist stopped proceedings as he wanted a pie from Greggs across the road.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
12:59 on 11 September, 2012
SOUTHSIDE
This analogy along the same lines?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_ZBqpEUbik
Decent choon too…
——-
Haha, read Southside post and thought of this straight away.
Takes me back tojiggin aboot in Janey’s in Gourock in the late ’80!
‘You darn well I was a snake before you brought me in!’
HH
/Bishop B
Ian and Joe organisers of the Blackpool Convention , good listen.
http://www.spreaker.com/page#!/user/homebhoys/lostbhoys_podcast_142_pleasure
Ma big pal thinks this Green sevco relationship is gonny end in tears.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Foahtz9xnw8
Canamalar
Yeah, yhings are hotting up again and they want to cause as much destruction as they can in the process – the language on hun sites is threatening already, if they really are the same club you have to wonder why is there no elation like there was when other clubs in precarious financial situations have been saved from extinction?
Charles Green has won them over because he is all they have left and they want to believe he’s the saviour. He’s done a good job of this so far but in time even the huns will realise what his game was…and, as before, it will be too late. Except this time there’ll be no fallback, no selling the ‘business, assets and history’ to someone looking to make a quick buck.
Any new Rangers will have to be distinguishable from the dead club and start from scratch, groundsharing with whoever will have them.
They honestly believe title stripping is their biggest remaining concern at this point in time!
HH
wonkyradar
The reply to one of Alex Thomson’s blogs that you highlighted is truly staggering;
-from a large family of Irish extraction,
-entered training for the priesthood
-singling out R*ngers for criticism just an agenda for those who hate the club,
-I followed (followed?) -note the past tense- my team Celtic,
-RTC and Phil Mac make me ashamed to be associated with them (what – no mention of CQN?!),
-There are a great many hoops fans who feel like I do,
-It is an odious and spiteful campaign,
-RTC winning the Orwell prize is a travesty
Who wrote this?!
Certainly not the Bummer, Jardine or McCoist!!!
Maybe it was the whiskered bigot- when he had some spare time from defending some of the most odious members of Scottish society?! Or in between ludge meetings with RC Ogilvie and J Ballantyne?! Or maybe it was WC Melville?!
Don’t know – but what I DO know is that it is NOT someone with any shred of integrity!
Or a Celtic supporter!
HH!!
wonkyradar
‘I see no mention of this on Celtic blogs or anyone suggesting their club should refuse his tainted shilling’
‘their club’
Celtic fan my erse!