After many years of speculation and debate, former Rangers owner, Craig Whyte, and founding father of newco Rangers, Charles Green, have been detained by police and are due to appear in court connected to the “alleged fraudulent acquisition” of Rangers assets, which were sold after the club failed to prevent a liquidator being appointed.
Joint administrators for Rangers, Paul Clark and David Whitehouse, then employed by Duff and Phelps, have also been detained in connection with the case.
Let’s get the rules clear from the off:
Anyone charged with a crime is entitled to a fair trial. They should not be subject to public comment which is likely to prejudice their ability to receive a fair trial. Don’t let anything of this nature appear on CQN.
You can discuss the issue, and you can discuss consequences of similar-sounding hypothetical cases, but unless you are cited to as a juror, don’t try to convict anyone.
The events surrounding Rangers liquidation and the subsequent asset purchase took place over three years ago. That this case has now found such momentum suggests the police are following a strong lien of enquiry, and have overcome whatever inertia which can sometimes affect white-collar crime.
We don’t know what is alleged fraudulently took place. The role of the administrators to carry out their duties on behalf of creditors is clearly established. That said, plenty of lateral is afforded to administrators (although increasing payroll by trying to sign Daniel Cousin raised eyebrows).
Exactly how Sevco Scotland Ltd (now The Rangers Football Club Ltd) were able to buy Rangers assets (for £5.5m) when the company who successfully bid for the assets was Sevco 5088 Ltd, has remained an open question since Craig Whyte claimed a controlling interest in Sevco 5088 Ltd.
Whatever the nature of the police charges, there is one overarching fact which Scottish football should be alert to.
Any company, football club or otherwise, which relies on assets that were criminally acquired to go about its business cannot continue to operate with those assets.
In this instance, the stadium, training ground, intellectual property, balls, nets and goalposts were all acquired by the company now known as The Rangers Football Club Ltd.
The consequences of this one are so massive several well-informed people suspected it would never get this far. But the day has come.
Even if all charges are dropped or allegations found to be false, there will still be immediate and real consequences. How would you, for example, go about raising money for a company with this hanging over it? Newco needs money, and they need to convince investors that the club did not start by criminally acquiring its football stadium.
Good luck with that.
I see in some places a fallacy persists that the SFA found Craig Whyte fit and proper to be a director of a football club. They did no such thing. The responsibility for ensuring Whyte’s fitness in 2011 lay with the Rangers board of directors, including Dave King and Paul Murray. The SFA have no powers to intercede or prevent a club from appointing any director it chooses.
Earlier this year Dave King took the unusual step of asking for prior-clearance that his appointment would not be found contrary to SFA rules (presumably due to his criminal convictions), before being appointed a director, but this was at King’s discretion. There is no SFA Fit and Proper test, the SFA do not clear or otherwise sanction any club director prior to appointment, this is the job of the club itself. Dave King, Paul Murray but most of all, Sir David Murray, take a bow.
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Big disappointment for me in Europe this year.
I can’t get to midweek games, the new job means I won’t be home many midweeks, so I can’t use the tickets. i love European nights at CP, but getting to CP on a Saturday can be difficult enough.
Family comes first, especially when Mrs Doc is lurking:-)
Cowiebhoy…
If found guilty of criminal and fraudulent activity, surely the FTSFA :-) will immediately suspend the team playing the Scottish leagues as The R. I would like Celtic to apply for the position in the league, which should become available, and enter our Youth Team, get them some valuable playing experience and reduce the loans, hopefully make them better prepared for breaking into the first team ? Hail Hai
>>>>>>>
Yer a bad mhan, haven’t thems suffered enough, afterall, it was everyone else that was to blame! Hail hail
Winning Captains
If your looking in
Are you aware of the ” a problem occurred and reloading ” being back on the iPad ?
throwing you out of the blog log in again ?
Been happening last couple of days
Hail Hail
SFTB
I have created two promises, really?
Knowing you like i do, I am sad you have made that allegation against me and actually want to believe it.
HH
CRC
Sftb I’m sorry but you and others are activel reinventing history.
PL started out with the phrase any money made in the rptransfer window will be reinvested in the team. Paul loved quoting that until we sold aiden mcgeady where this particular lie was laid bare. Then of course it became any money made will be reinvested in the club.
You like Auldheid are either reinventing history or essentially accusing posters of a mental illness because they are challenging your nonsense.
I challenge each and every one of you to any debate on this shit. It, fed up with your lies and half truths.
Bundoran Bhoy, good to see you post chief.
Hope to see you soon, and see you posting here much more.
And be aware, it’s going to be a competition, CRC got whipped last time, now it’s your turn:-)
CowieBhoy, try an App called AdBlocks, seems to be working for me.
Barlinnie’s Green and Whyte…
!!BADA BING!! on 2ND SEPTEMBER 2015 10:13 PM
Just seen pictures of a 3 year old boy , washed up on a beach in Bodrum, Turkey.Lost for words.A bhoy on here, I think , posted it earlier.Shocking world we are in now.
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Saw those heartbreaking images on Facebook. Life is cheaper now than it ever was.
Bada
There was more uproar about a feckin lion than a three year old Syrian child seeking refuge.
Auldheid & BRTH – Been busy all day and have only started on the 2nd article, but can I ask you a question RE Res 12 ? I’m sure you have said previously that the information you have was shared with senior sports journalists but until now was ignored, do you believe that KJ’s comment on twitter the other night about nuclear, mushroom clouds etc are the dots now being joined and an about turn in the SMSM is about to happen ?
Doc
Bring it on lol
p.s as long as CRC is last who cares hahahaha
See u soon buddy
Evening all, looking for some info…Want to book hotel in Istanbul for the game on the 9th and 10th Dec fur the game…Would like to be in along with other bhoys..safety in numbers and all that..thanks…
Sipsini
I hope this court case is over inside next 6 months
If found guilty, a team will have gained entry into the Scottish league system under false pretences
They would need to be thrown out, and teams can apply for the space available
Celtic need to find a way of giving our Youth more valuable game time, so apply to get them in
I genuinely hope never to see the International FC darken our doorstep, ever :-)
Hail Hail the Celts are Here
Those Sevco fans seem awffy upset about a couple of guys who mismanaged their – err – “holding company”…..?
Calm down – it’s not like they did anything to your CLUB, is it….???
I could say so much but I wont.
Doc/Bundoran Bhoy
Bet I sell more cufflinks that you both do together :-)
All for Wee Shay
HH
CRC
Set the Bears Free
I am not supporting Lawell or suggesting we just play Scottish players. I’m not really a fan of PL I just think football clubs need to re-examine who they are. If we re-invested £7 million into scouting and getting the best players from Ireland and Africa for instance, we might get better players than spending millions of players.
Yeah, I agree more should be invested in the squad, PL said he’d do that, and he should. My point though is give the boys we end up signing a chance. We sign so many players for big money then don’t play them. What is the point in that? Again, that is a strategic fault. A vision for the club would mean that ends.
I was living in Newlands in Glasgow earlier this year and thought I’d cycle down and see Celtic Dundee on a Friday night, cleared it with the wife, but then couldn’t justify spending £29 on a ticket. Does that mean I’m not a real fan? Well, to be honest, if we’re going to waste money on guff, why should I give them that much money? I could afford it, but I’d rather spend the time with the family.
I dunno, I love Celtic, all my family have been fans since my great grandfather came from Donegal, I’ll always be a fan and love them. I just want my club to go back to its roots and make it easy to support the team. Make it easy to love a team. That team in Malmo just seemed so soulless, no guile, no grit.
On another note, this is quality. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHTc_YQLFZ4
SFTB @ 9.30
What point are you trying to make?
We are lucky to be where we are and PL is worth more?
The world you live has too many cap doffers for my liking.
We are looking at crowds of 30K this season.
So if that is the case who do we sell to balance the books?
We are now well into a circle of despair with the future looking increasingly sterile.
The club is badly run from top to bottom.
From PL and his bonus to the continuous string of people who can’t work a cash register.
Standards are slip shod throughout the club and yet still they clap.
You ask how we can move forward, my view is do the opposite of the current “cash cow / bleed the support until the pips squeak / the Irish Raj and his money are sacrosanct” policy has a number of issues that need further work.
We need a growth agenda.
That is a real growth agenda and not a bonus growth agenda.
We need a turn to our roots and a focus on the charity side of things.
Target a £5mill pa income to our charitable endeavours.
Get the first team training back to the East End.
Put more focus on the youths / development team.
Increase their stature so that we actually know who they are.
Put a rocket up the GB’s erse.
Either they are CL class or they disband and return to the St Als common room where they belong.
Long hard season ahead.
It will now be full on sniping from the SMSM.
We need unity and hope not board AstroTurf telling us how lucky we are.
And while I am on it — P67 you should be ashamed of yourself for being the conduit of all this naked board propaganda.
Quick news no more — second rate board propaganda more like.
By god they zombies where a tad upset when Green &whyte came out of court today.:0)
And isn’t it lovely to laugh at the Huns. Dos that way we can pretend we don’t have our own major problems.
Unbelievable nonsense here tonight softball chief amongst them I’m afraid to say.
The need for cqn to pay back its masters never more obvious.
GLASSTWOTHIRDSFULL on 2ND SEPTEMBER 2015 10:33 PM
Those Sevco fans seem awffy upset about a couple of guys who mismanaged their – err – “holding company”…..?
Calm down – it’s not like they did anything to your CLUB, is it….???
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Haha! Nail on feckin’ head mate!! What causes their angst??
Doc
I thought you got a promotion ( no idea how you managed that mind)
So you should be able to manage your own Diary
Get it organised, and get behind the Bhoys :-)
Ya Roaster
When is the new lunch club be re-launched ? I even seen that Paddybhoy on the other night :-)
iPad has been fine for several weeks only started playing up 2 or 3 days ago, so could be something Winning Captains can fix ? – a gremlin in the system ?
Better he knows issues being caused
Hail Hail
CRC, you would struggle to sell air:-)
Bundoran Bhoy, last time CRC ordered more of his, and I still won:-)))))))
CowieBhoy, they made me manager and send me all over the country, hopefully will manage to get to one or two tops. Tickets bought now btw. I have a worthy standby if I can’t make it, that also means Miss Doc gets along too.
Madmitch
Put a rocket up the GB’s erse. Either they are CL class or they disband and return to the St Als common room where they belong.
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Return? Belong?
I don`t think so.
At one time (let’s say circa a few years ago) it may have been appropriate to state that all funds received from transfers will be reinvested in the team. Financial situation changes, so now some of the funds need to be used to sustain the club. Falling attendances, lack of CL football, inflated market, demise of oldco all factors.
It is my understanding that the statement that was made was that we will ‘aim’ to come out of each window stronger. Obviously there is a bit of generalisation in that statement. So for example, if we lose the best centre halve that we have had for many years, it it fair to say that on some occasions we might not come out stronger. Also have to factor in whether Ronny though he could get better than we have in certain positions. Not always easy. Arsenal have £200 million available and made one signing. Some managers think if they can’t get better then stick with what you’ve got and wait till later.
Anyone feel like CQN is a bit like this; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnTmBjk-M0c
I’m sorry, I keep posting these youtube clips. Too much coffee and time on my hands, better get aff tae bed before the wayne wakes us up!
All I would say though is, just enjoy the demise of Rangers. It’s a great thing to witness.
Natknow, brilliant analysis of the state of modern football. I think the answer is a hybrid of traditional football and modern integrated marketing principles. Get a strong identity and make sure its reflected in everything you do, on the pitch and off it.
NEGANON2 on 2ND SEPTEMBER 2015 10:38 PM
And isn’t it lovely to laugh at the Huns. Dos that way we can pretend we don’t have our own major problems.
Unbelievable nonsense here tonight softball chief amongst them I’m afraid to say.
The need for cqn to pay back its masters never more obvious.
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Possible to both laugh at the huns and criticise CFC. Maybe you’re posting on your phone and have limited functionality. The phone that is – not you. Obvs…
CRC
I’m buying of you, a FD we can trust :-))
Natnow it’s the iPad spell checker thing. Hate it. But doesn’t change what i meant.
Crc
Here’s a report which uses quotation marks and PL’s own words:
1) “In terms of investment our policy our commitment is that every penny that comes into the club will be reinvested, it will go back into the club. I do not think we can be clearer than that. There is no pile of cash sitting there that we could look at, watch, feel and touch. It doesn’t exist. It is fantasy.
‘We have a wee bit of cash reserve, which gives us stability, and we have money we can invest on the right players. We can do it at the right time and we have a track record of doing that.”
Compare that with your claim that he would be “Re-investing all monies earned back into the team” and show me where he said team. Unless you believe club and team to be synonyms, I think you have twisted the words.
2) Again in quotes, for what that is worth:- “Every transfer window we get to we aim to be stronger at the other end. January is not the best time to be doing it, but our intention will be to come out of the window stronger, and if that means finding some value in the market then that is what we will do.”
Compare that with your claim he said we would be “Coming out of each transfer window stronger”
You have transformed an aspiration into a commitment and before that you have narrowed down a promise to re-invest in the club to re-invest in the team.
Why would you do that? There is already enough to tackle in what he did say without inventing or twisting words.
Cowiebhoy jeez a bit harsh calling CRC a fud.. hes only trying to sell more badges n cufflinks than Doc or me hahaha
Neganon2
You need a break mate.
Please take this in the spirit it’s meant…
Bundoran Bhoy, agreed, harsh………… but fair:-)
Thetimreaper. Brilliant so it’s all bollox eh. Good ole Pl can’t be held accountable for anything.
It’s so dumb it fashionable.
Well done dumb dude.
Maybe if you keep saying it it will make sense.
HT, this petition is to try to make the UK government do something to alleviate the plight of those fleeing war and horror. I don’t often put this sort of thing here, but this matters.
https://www.change.org/p/rt-hon-theresa-may-mp-no-more-drownings-immediate-sanctury-for-those-fleeing-from-war?recruiter=21773849&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=mob-md-share_petition-reason_msg&fb_ref=Default
W
Sorry for the long link,buit this petition is important, people are dying trying to escape war and horrors that we are lucky enough to find difficult to comprehend. Don’t click this if you are likely to be upset by distressing images.
Neganon@10.26
See above reply to crc and tell me where I have lied or told half-truths.
If you are going to attack someone, do it on the basis of what they actually said not what you think they said or how you want it to be interpreted.
And if you challenge someone to a debate, try to sound at least as if you are willing to listen to the other side of the argument, without declaring yourself the winner in advance.
No BCW my spellchecker needs a break. If I am really annoyed at the lies that sftb and Auldheid are now posting what it tells me is that Celtics propaganda Machine via cqn is in panic mode.
It’s now making up stories and reinventing history.
But somehow it’s me that’s now mentally ill for feeling unhappy (courtesy of Auldheid).