The trickle of allegations that Rangers failed to properly register football players has turned into a flood. Today’s Daily Mail is the latest to run the story, with evidence from former Rangers director, Hugh Adam, that offshore payments to players “weren’t included in the contracts. They definitely weren’t.
“That was the whole point of them. If they’d been included in the contracts, they would have had to have paid tax on them”
“All the directors heard about them but didn’t take them seriously because they didn’t appear in the books.”
Mail reporter, John McGarry, writes, “Adam’s revelation suggests a clear breach of the SFA rulebook – and is a potential embarrassment to current SFA president Campbell Ogilvie, who had a 27-year association with Rangers, many of them spent as secretary.”
Despite being implicated in potentially the most serious scandal in the history of Scottish football, Ogilvie remains in place as SFA president and is one of the few who will be issued with the private report into Rangers, due next week.
Although it is thought Rangers started their Employee Benefit Trust in 2000, Adam told the Mail he believed a scheme paying players off-contract was in operation from the mid 1990s.
I would like to be the first to congratulate Motherwell FC for winning the Scottish League, Premier Division, in 1995.
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Fantastic article Paul. For the past 3 weeks I have came into my office, turned on my computer and headed straight for this hallowed portal. Every morning with each paragraph brought a wee hint of sunshine but today feels like I’m back in the glorious heatwave I lasted felt in Seville.
I feel…justified. I was NOT paranoid. They DID cheat……
Ex-players are usually very keen to sell stories to newspapers. Why then have we not read a thing from a player who was signed under the two contract scheme? There must be many out there, including foreign ones, who would fancy a few bob for their story.
So where are they? Have any of our intrepid reporters tracked them down and asked them?
twists n turns
not surprised, if the game on the 25th goes ahead I can see it all coming to a head for them. We just have to get in, party, then get out and let them riot in their own ground before it gets bulldozed!
HH
What an even better history we could have had if….
David Hay
Billy McNeill
Liam Brady
Lou Macari
Tommy Burns
Wim Jansen
Dr Jozef Venglos
John Barnes/KK
Martin O’Neill
Gordan Strachan
Tony Mowbray
Neil Francis Lennon
all competed on a level playing field ?
Paranoid my erse – CSC
Hail! Hail!
Will we have to get the Pools Panel in to decide the last 10 years of cup winners in Scotland?
Well, well…
All the timmy “paranoia” about what Rangers were up too was 100% right after all. They have deliberately cheated the taxman (which, given what taxes are spent on, means everyone in the UK), their footballing competitors, & the football authorities for the best part of 2 decades. Ogilvie’s position is wholly untenable, & he must go, now.
All of Rangers actions were I am sure done with the great dignity that such an august institution, with an exemplary history of acting with class & decorum, prides itself on….
This should mean that Rangers are stripped of everything the have won for the time they have been operating the 2 contract system, & if by any miracle the club survives (which looks increasingly impossible), its kicked down to the lowest division, & denied promation for about 5 years.
But, this is Scottish football we are talking about, so who would bet against a newco being promoted by all the usual vested interests as not being tainted by the previous practices, & the “Scottish football needs a strong Rangers” merchants succeeding in getting their favourites back in to the SPL immediately?
Che
If only, however, wee eck referred to them as the ” fabric of society”. He and his ilk are threads woven into said fabric, and nobody wants to put a hole in their own threads do they?
I am no fan of the old-boys network that dominates Scottish life—Lord Elgin when Grand Master Mason of Scotland once said “The Craft is part of the warp and weft of Scottish public life”, but I have to say I feel a bit sorry for old William Austin Nimmo-Smith.
As a member of the small elite but very powerful Speculative Society he probably took this gig as a fraternal favour for fellow member Angus Grossart whose pal SDM was having a bad press.
Nimmo-Smith probably thought that a two week inquiry with a report some months down the line would give him some welcome good publicity.
The eventual report of several dozen pages would probably blame MBB or prisoner number 56789 as he will then be.
No way did he see the shit-storm that is heading his way, which could be the biggest football scandal in the history of the game.
I bet our stout leader didn’t see it coming either when he made his remarks about the Rangers being part of the fabric of Scot’s society.
Oh dear!
This just gets better and better.
Just listened to last night’s Shortbread podcast with a wee bit of astonishment.
Jabba has effectively calls PL a liar as regards the forward payment arrangement for the Rangers game and suggests the weblink will be pulled – as indeed it has been.
Begs the question – what will PL do next having had his integrity so publicly challenged?
I hope they fold before the old firm game as they will riot and someone will get killed. Its can’t happen. Everyone knows it and the police will pull the plug because of lack of payment. ; ) thats what i hope. This is not an ordinary game of football with fans they are animals bhoys so before we all talk about partying is it worth getting stabbed,riots,crushing, the police wont be able to contain them if they blow and we will suffer.
KLV
…..mind you, der hun is already running aroon’ wae nae erse in their troosers….
There’s no way to clean up the Augean stables that is the SFA.
The rot is too pervasive, deeply entrenched and long standing.
Abolish it and establish a British/U.K. Football Association.
HazeyJamie on 2 March, 2012 at 10:22 said: Fantastic article Paul. For the past 3 weeks I have came into my office, turned on my computer and headed straight for this hallowed portal. Every morning with each paragraph brought a wee hint of sunshine but today feels like I’m back in the glorious heatwave I lasted felt in Seville. I feel…justified. I was NOT paranoid. They DID cheat……
HazeyJamie, tell it to everyone you know, Hun, Tim, Don, Jambo, Hibee or a rugby fan.
They cheated, they are not worthy to represent Scotland at any level.
tainted titles? Every one they have won since they have been using two contracts.
We were never paranoid!
Re Traynor’s comment. Could he be trying to divert the discourse?
And people wonder why we wouldn’t trust them by paying money up front!
twists n turns on 2 March, 2012 at 10:26 said:
Che
If only, however, wee eck referred to them as the ” fabric of society”.
Cloe; they are and have been the stubborn, brown stain upon it, which people like Paul, RTC and many others on here and elsewhere have us on the verge of finally scrubbing away.
Congrats to St Mirren on their 2009 league cup win.
Will the Rangers fans turn on their own players this weekend versus Hearts??
Have the players not been given a moral predicament by the publication of the offer on the table by the administrators?
How will the fans react if 11 players are paid off today? That will mean that whichever 11 starts, were not willing to take a paycut of 75% to save an institution.
How will the fans react if 6 players are paid off today? That will mean that whichever 11 starts, were not willing to take a paycut of 50% to save an institution.
How will the fans react if no players are paid off today? That will mean that whichever 11 starts, were willing to take a paycut of 75% to save an institution but must have been gettting paid too much anyway and thats why the club is in this state.
Either way the players are now to blame in whatever happens, very bad position to be in for them.
Some fans were already saying that Broadfoot and EDU were only worth 25% of what they were reputedly anyway.
Wow 2002-03 was a truly amazing season now when you think about it.
Not only did we reach Seville but we also won the league and the League Cup!
Congratulations to Dundee on their Scottish Cup success also.
As the rancid mess at lodge SFA becomes more apparent, I have the fear that UEFA will put a blanket ban on Scottish teams participating in Europe next year.
Is that possible?
leftclicktic @10:17
I’d write to them.
UEFA
Route de Genève 46
Case postale
CH-1260 Nyon 2
Switzerland
Out of courtesty though I’d contact the SFA first, then go to UEFA. That’s what I’m going to do anyway.
HH
offtoworkcsc
Lads stop being paranoid. Untill we have evidence from someone involved its all in our minds….. oh wait!! Thanks P67 for working on this. As an aside i hope Joe Ledleys goal against thems is the last as the 25th will be carnage i have no doubt about it.
Im going to stick my neck out and say I believe that EBTs were introduced to Rankers at the same time that Graeme Souness became manager.
‘The Beast’ had vast experience of playing in Europe and would be accustomed to their player payment mechanisms. It is widespread knowledge now, as it was then, that countries like Italy, where the beast played, used tax avoidance schemes. It was and is widespread in these countries and has led to the current crisis in the Eurozone, affecting Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece.
The reason I mention the beast in relation to EBTs is that the most high profile player signed by him (Judas) gave us the first inkling of dodgy deals in an interview he gave a few years ago related to him signing for thems over us. It went a little like this: –
Interviewer: – You signed for your boyhood heroes one day but were paraded by Rankers the next day, what happened?
Judas: – Thats correct (long boring spiel)
(Int): – Was it money, did thems offer more than Celtic?
Judas: – No, I was offered the same by Rankers and Celtic
(Int): – If you dont mind me asking, how much?
Judas: – 5000 a week!
(int): – You were offered the same money by both clubs yet opted to sign for Rangers, why?
Judas: – THEY TOOK CARE OF MY TAX ISSUES…
and there we have it!
Everyone thought it related to some outsatnding tax issue between him and the French branch of HMRC but could it relate to an EBT???
Think about it, if you were offered 5k a week at a tax rate of 50% you take home 2500 a week. With the EBT you take home 5000 a week!
Its a no brainer.
Other evidence?
Graeme Souness played in Italy for Sampdoria it was widely known that footballers did not pay tax and were payed NETTO!
Tax was never taxing.
When Ruud Gullit came over from Italy to England his agent asked what he was getting a week he gave a sum and Gullit asked “Netto?” to which the response came “No, Grosso!”
Who was it said “Only idiots and poor people pay taxes”
Doesnt sound too far fetched does it???
They’re not dying quick enough my ice cream is starting to melt!
Did anyone seriously think that their contract wrangles started with the EBT? nah me neither.
I think someone on here pointed out last night that rangers (in Administration) don’t really have an equivalent of CQN. Not all my friends from the dark side are thick, but I have to laugh at just how badly informed they are. It has now come to ‘there’s nah talkin tae you aboot this’ – mailnly because indeed there is. I make them sit their and listen to the facts and realities that they don’t want to hear. They still have fingers in their ears.
Thanks Paul, Phil, rtc and all the CQNers, life is good at the moment.
T’is a rare day when you see ‘Accountancy Age’ reporting on the pages of NewsNow Rangers. :D
agree with the concerns over safety on the 25th. not concerned about in the stadium itself but in the hours afterwards as Celtic fans are celebrating.
Ciao tutti —-
Lovely sunny day [ pushing 20 at 11 am ] way down south.
Disguised remuneration .
Improper Registration of Players.
Liquidation looming —— at least Shieldhall is handy.
Neil Lennon is (and always will be) a Celtforlife (*O*) on 2 March, 2012 at 10:36 said:
If I remember rightly, there was only one employee of Rangers in 1989/90 on that sort of money and I doubt it was Mo Johnstone. Porkies me thinks.
Dominant forces
I was talking to ma wee maw oan the phone. She says, ” son, whit is that’s happenin’ wae Ragers, ah dinnae understand it, are they broke?”
Ah saiz ” maw, kin ye mind when WE were skint, and ye owed double rent, 3 weeks milk and ye cancelled the paipers n’ ma NME, Scorcher n’ score, Topper, Beezer n’ Dandy, cut ma hair yersel, fed me reheated stovies furra month solid n’ made me wear ma brithers haun me doon claes even tho they were too big furr me, made me wear gola fitba’ bits when awe ma pals hud Adidas, burnt ould shoes instead o’ coal, and then tae cap it awe aff, as a last resort, ye made me take 2 ginger boatles back tae the shoap tae get the money oan the empties??
She saiz “Aye son ah dae”
Ah saiz “well…………. they’ve nae ginger boatles left”
Ah saiz
Árd Macha on 2 March, 2012 at 10:11 said:
The inquiry needed here needs to be independent with international participation.
The scale is similar to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, by Lord Saville.
The above is not intended to trivialise the events of that day for the families of those murdered.
Árd Macha
……………………………………………..
Just logged on again.
Ard Macha, it’s unfortunate that you had to mention Bloody Sunday. No one has been murdered due to IbroxGate. There is no comparison. It is a scandal. Bloody Sunday was an unforgiveable, murderous massacre by the armed forces of the British Government against its own citizens – rather like what happened in Egypt, Lybia and now in Syria.
There are quite a few Scottish clubs have been cheated out of cups, titles and much needed money by the huns.
But their existence is good for Scottish football, we are told.
Doesn’t sound like it to me.
Thats what i think, i think either since dodgy or tash or both took over they started the ebts. Multi article day today Paul?
KLV
Tam Sheppards must be reallly struggling at the moment with that big joke shop over in Govan.
kitalba on 2 March, 2012 at 10:03 said:
Does anybody know if Grant Thornton were Rangers Auditors in 1989? Does anybody know if Grant Thornton have audited Rangers books since 1989 without break? Also does anybody know what the relationship was between Donald Charles McIntyre and Grant Thornton?
Kitalba – GT were auditors certainly from 1996 without break – not sure going back further than this but I suspect they were – would need to check Cos House for their accounts pre ’96 but I’m not spending one thin dime on R*ngers accounts! 1996 is when I have personal knowledge from.
As far as I know there was zero relationship between D McIntyre and GT. I’ve had a look at his career history on Linkedin – he was FC at MacDonald Hotels before RFC FD – a big step up (in my opinion) albeit going to a small turnover company. I don’t think MacDonald Hotels is audited by GT. Not sure where he did his CA – could have been GT, but I doubt it.
kit
the great moustachio may well have brought some err “foreign” financial practice to the institution, the real bonus in all of this would be HMRC investigating the benefactors and seeking recompense.
Judas at court again and not a stolen track suit in sight.
From Stunney on RTC blog:
“Look, caller, what evidence do you have?
“A national newspaper has printed a copy of a side letter it got from a former Rangers player.”
“Yeah, but apart from that, do you have ANY actual evidence?”
“A former director of the club admitted it in a national newspaper, on the record.”
“So I see, caller, you phone into the show and you start flinging accusations around, with nothing to back it up, and you’re saying Regan is part of a vast conspiracy and is full of lies.”
“I never said he was part of a conspiracy or was a liar. I’m asking him to investigate a potentially very serious breach of SFA and UEFA regulations.”
“So you’re saying that because somebody forgot to cross a t and dot some i’s, the whole of Scottish football should be turned upside down in some kind of anti-Rangers witchhvnt led by a few bampots on the internet? Wouldn’t it be more constructive to DEMAND that Celtic turn over the money they owe to Rangers to prevent the Ibrox toilet cleaner losing his job? I thought Celtic were founded for charity. But no, you insist on bringing up stuff from 20 years ago, like some kind of angry Neil Lennon MKII, with not one shred of evidence. Next caller! Hi, Billy from Larkhall, I take it you’re a Celtic fan hahahahahahahahaha…”
Paul67 –
Just catching up with the recent run of blogs. All of them have been fantastic. This is developing into the biggest scandal in the history of Scottish Football.
I get the feeling some people involved, presently or in the past, with Rangers (In Administration) may actually be hoping for liquidation as soon as possible.
What does Ray Wilkins know ? From FF :-)
rundgren
Todd Rundgrens Utopia Join Date: 09-05-2009
Location: glasgow
Posts: 1,155
Re: Daily Mail – Rangers accused of misleading SFA in secret contract deals
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What is it with the Adams family Charlie and Hugh trying to have a go when we need our side to help us …… Who’s next Uncle Fester !!