Improper player registration. Where are we and what next?

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It is 13 days since Celtic Quick News first raised a concern that the SFA were not investigating the alleged improper registration of football players by Rangers FC for a period of over a decade.  Our central concern was:

Allegations of players having two contracts had been repeated in the media but it was not known if both alleged contracts were submitted to the SFA in accordance with Player Registration Rules.  As fans, we had no authority to check, but with an SFA inquiry into Rangers convened, this seemed like an excellent opportunity to demand answers.

We had two secondary concerns:

The scope of the inquiry led by Lord Nimmo Smith was not made public, nor was there any commitment to make the findings public.

SFA president, Campbell Ogilvie, as a SFA board member, was due to receive the report and could have been in a position to influence the scope of the inquiry.  Ogilvie was general secretary and director of Rangers from 1978 until 2005, presenting a clear conflict of interest, which the SFA had not acknowledged.

Subsequent events have moved beyond the association:

The SFA have confirmed Nimmo Smith’s report will not investigate the alleged improper registration of players at Rangers but they have left the door open to a future inquiry into the matter.

The Scottish Premier League have not been so lax and will now investigate the alleged improper registration of players.  We can perhaps imply that only one contract per player has been lodged with them.

The Sun and Daily Mail have produced a redacted (second) contract and evidence from a former Rangers director respectively.

Despite the issue being reported throughout all media channels, no one from Rangers, past or present, has denied the existence of the second contracts, or claimed player registrations were valid.

What next:

We await the SPL inquiry.

If found guilty, some punishments are clear.  Playing an improperly registered player in any match invalidates the result of the game.  A 3-0 win is retrospectively awarded to the opponent.  Always.  Just as your history books do not record Ben Johnson as Olympic 100m champion for 1988, Scottish football records would be changed.

An offense such as this would be “literally off the scale” to borrow a phrase.  The SPL and SFA would need to decide on an appropriate penalty.  Sport does not provide many good reference points for behaviour on this scale (Johnson was banned for three years).

The HMRC v Rangers tax tribunal and current financial plight of the club remain huge issues but, if found to be valid, the improper registration of footballers over such a long period has the potential to be the biggest story in the history of Scottish football. The SFA must initiate an immediate inquiry.

Everyone else must simply wonder, what next?

I would like to be the first to congratulate Dundee United on their 2008 League Cup win.

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686 Comments

  1. traditionalist88 on

    No footage of greetin huns at Ibroke or Murray Park yet?!

     

     

    Patiently awaiting the next quote that wil end up on a green t-shirt!

     

     

    HH

  2. Joe Filippis Haircut on

    One person who I think leaving Ibrokes that would put Fat Sleekit Ally into a spin would be the ex Celt Kenny McDowall as FSA relies on him constantly during the matches.Just watch the next hun game ( if there is one ) anf you will notice im sure McDowall giving the fat one constant instruction. H.H.

  3. BABASONICOS71 on

    Time to collect khids from school and nursery.Keep the fun pouring in fholks.Laters. ;-)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

  4. i’ve heard some opinions, but nothing definitive…

     

     

    if the players get made redundant, forced as opposed to voluntary… are they not due redundancy pay?

     

     

    now where i work this is predictably a pittance (1 weeks wages per year worked.)

     

     

    i have however also heard the opinion that in the case of rangers, with players on fixed term contracts, that the club would need to buy out the remaining value of the contract. does anybody know for sure how much, if anything, it would actually cost rangers to get these guys out the door.

     

     

    apologies if this has been covered before. i work all night and sleep all day and i can’t always get my cqn fix. i know, three hail marys and an our father.

  5. Dead and Loving it on

    JFH

     

     

    dont think that he will be much of a loss to fplg

     

     

    looking at his record of late

  6. MWD

     

     

    First there’s the walkers (who do not walk)

     

    Then there’s the ones that have to be pushed…

  7. Alasdair MacLean on

    Sally’s managerial record would read along the lines of:

     

     

    Scottish Cups – zero

     

    League Cups – zero

     

    Leagues – minus six

  8. BlantyreKev - Parcel=> on

    There is no way the game on the 25th will go ahead.

     

     

    Wylde and Celik together is about £36k of the £1m a month they need to save. That’s 3.6%. Puts into perspective what is about to come.

     

     

    Celtic (Champions elect) versus Rangers U19’s in disarray? That isn’t a good idea, there is no good outcome to that, if you know what I mean.

  9. Correct in saying released players can sign for nay club prior to 31st of the month then they need t owait for summer transfer window?

     

     

    EPL for the Captain and McSh@gger then…

  10. Lafferty next to be “escalatored” away (they don’t do walking) whilst doing his C3PO…sorry for that. I actually liked that robot…

  11. brimmer at 14:48:

     

     

    @Pmacgiollabhain Kyle Lafferty is walking about MP shaking his trousers.

     

     

    Pmacgiollabhain credibility is in question. I would believe him if he said: Kyle Lafferty is diving about MP shaking his trousers. Laffery can’t walk.

  12. ASonOfDan on 6 March, 2012 at 14:56 said:

     

     

     

    Correct in saying released players can sign for nay club prior to 31st of the month then they need t owait for summer transfer window?

     

     

    —————————————————————–

     

     

    Q: Can the player being released from Rangers sign for another Scottish or English club?

     

     

    A: The transfer windows have now closed in Scotland and England. So, even if a player is out of contract or has been released, they cannot be signed to another club unless it is approved by the association they are moving to – and, if Fifa approves the move.

  13. wonkyradar on 6 March, 2012 at 14:39 said:

     

    nps mucker ;)

     

    like queen (tehe) says. just waiting for the hammer to fall…….

     

     

    is it me or are they ALL desperate tae walk away.

     

     

    sooooo many bedsheets wasted for nothing.

     

    the dole it a beckons…….walk on!!!

  14. Silas on 6 March, 2012 at 14:59 said:

     

     

     

    Was Davina McCoist waiting outside the big hoose to console them as they left

     

     

    —————————————————————-

     

     

    if she was, she’s going to struggle to compile a 5 minute video of mervan celik’s best bits!!!

  15. Like that BBC link, Half way down the page Headline reads “Gregg Wylde and Mervan Celik leave Rangers as administrators ” next to a picture of McCulloch & Davis, I take the first two never played at the same time!

  16. Sean Laverty ‏ @SeanLav7

     

     

    Reply

     

    Retweet

     

    Favorite

     

    · Open

     

     

    BREAKING NEWS – Broadfoot told to go back and wait outside. Administrators dealing with playing staff first..

     

    Retweeted by Jas Cameron TCN*

     

     

    Celtic fans, funniest feckers in the world. Loving it :)

  17. I’ll ask again, if 5 have asked to leave why did two names appear instantly and then nothing since?

  18. greenmaestro on

    There is probably an exclusivity deal with Chick Young, and once he’s said “you heard it hear first” then it becomes public.

  19. Another cracker from FF

     

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    Quote:

     

    Originally Posted by blueintheface

     

    People were going to be made redundant, so for Wylde to stand up and take this voluntarily without asking for another penny is a sign of class from the guy.

     

     

    It’s a pity that this show of class and dignity (the cornerstone principles of our club) will not be appreciated by some and that it comes upon his departure

     

    ————————————————————————————————

     

    HAHA

  20. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    JFH 1449

     

    Said before,I’d have Mcowall back in a minute.

     

     

    He has erred,we forgive,and he’s a blinkin’ excellent coach,IMO.

     

     

    Willing to accept being outvoted though,as it’s a contentious subject.

  21. Kyle Bartley is on loan at Rangers from Arsenal. Leaving Murray Park this afternoon he said: “Talks are still ongoing but I’ve just decided to go home and come back tomorrow and see what happens.”

     

     

    Walking away? I hate that bitter nugget after the things he said last season about Broonie and that pash after the New Year game.