Yesterday the Scottish Football Association announced an independent inquiry into Rangers FC which will report to the SFA board within two weeks.
While it is welcome that the enquiry is independent, it is gravely concerning that the SFA refused to state the scope of the inquiry or indicate if the final report will be made public. An inquiry into the Fit and Proper status of Craig Whyte is moot. An inquiry into last year’s takeover of the club, or how it has conducted its tax business before and after the takeover surely cannot report within three weeks of Rangers going into administration and before the outcome of the tax tribunal is known. So what are the objectives of the report?
The important question the SFA must address is whether Rangers FC improperly registered football players. Rules on the legal registration of football players are clear and well established. All financial compensation offered to players must be part of their contracts, copies of which must be lodged with the club’s national association.
This audio file contains information from Player’s Union representative, Fraser Wishart, who correctly tells Radio Clyde listeners that “in football you’re only allowed one contract, all your earnings from football have to be on that contract”.
The same audio file has excerpts of football journalist, Darrell King, repeatedly telling Radio Clyde listeners that Rangers players involved with EBTs “had two contracts”. This assertion has not been subject to challenge by Rangers.
The major question for the SFA is whether, as alleged by Mr King, Rangers FC played improperly registered players from around 2000 until the expiry of those contracts, some of which are likely to still be active. While they are doing so, it would be useful to extend the inquiry to examine recent contracts.
My primary concern regarding the inquiry is the role of the SFA president, Campbell Ogilvie, in framing the scope of the inquiry. As we reported yesterday, Ogilvie was general secretary and director of Rangers until 2005. He will be able to answer many of the key questions and, as president, will not only have been able to influence the scope of the inquiry, but will be one of the few who receives the report.
Any SFA inquiry into Rangers FC must report on the key matter in this whole business, the proper registration of football players. Any attempt to exclude matters which could involve Mr Ogilvie must be resisted and would show the entire activity up as nothing more than a sham.
The sporting penalty for playing improperly registered players is a 3-0 defeat in each game. Sion have already tested national and international authorities on this matter and are paying a heavy price for trying to gain an unfair advantage.
The stakes are high for Scottish football. The SFA must demonstrate transparency and the highest possible ethical standards when an inquiry into a member club involves past activities of its president. It also has a responsibility to fans and member clubs to establish and report any improper conduct at the earliest opportunity.
My Ogilvie should step aside as a matter of urgency in order to provide evidence to the inquiry.
In a gesture which tests the boundaries of the word magnificent, the Celtic fan who paid £5000 towards the Vanessa Riddle Appeal for the signed Celtic jersey we auctioned last week asked us to put it back up for auction again.
Auctions are a magnificent way to help get Vanessa the lifesaving treatment she needs but the cost of participating at the business end soon gets out of the reach of many fans. With this in mind, we have started an eBay raffle; you can win the jersey for the cost of a £1, or the entire purchase price of Rangers FC PLC.
There are no excuses to sit this one out, Vanessa needs your help, you would like to own a signed Celtic jersey, and you too can afford the kind of money Craig Whyte used to buy Rangers. Click here to participate.
Thank you for the dozens of response to the request for writers for CQN Magazine. I’m still working through them, will be in touch soon. Issue six, our Fit and Proper edition, is set to become a landmark collectors item. You can browse the magazine online here but you can buy your own hard copy by clicking on the link below. Fill your boots…..
You can support the online edition by making a discretionary donation here.
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Heard fat Sally alking out of ibrox with Dave King, wits happening here.
mightywhite, thanks for that info on Derry City.
Celtic Mac, thank you for the correction.
navanbhoy, I think you need to register with eBay.
kelvinbhoy, thanks.
Nakagod, well done.
tooheys new, I really doubt that using an intermediary (an offshore trust) allows money to flow from club to player without breaking Fifa rules.
Árd Macha, cheers.
craigwhitesoptometrist, welcome.
Summa, what a good idea.
the long wait is over, tons more to come out on them, I’m sure.
Long wait:
Think you’re right but alas it will be to no avail
There is already too much water in the boat
& they’re using a bottomless bucket to to empty it but no amount of effort is going to stop it sinking into the sea of oblivion.
Wee Dawwell on talksport there, near to tears about wee Graigy bhoy selling the
neveralone says:
22 February, 2012 at 14:42
Dont burst there SNP hating ballon
Mr Mundell and Mr Donohoe two of ayrshires finest will in keeping with many of their constituency wishes be doing their uppermost behind the scenes in pressurising HMRC on behalf of Rankers, you wont see any letters of minutes of meetings they have though
huns Arsenal shares,so funny.
Paul67
Great piece and the right questions.
May the force be with you.
We still have the ineptitude ( and probable scheming ) of Gordon Smith to deal with.
Just come from a meeting in the City ahead of a Board tomorrow. Amazing how quickly news and interest in these events has taken root. As a little light reliefI have a 15 minute slot to update fellow directors on the Rangers ( in administration ) case. At the current rate events are likely to overtake me.
I guess my only area of uncertainty is who holds the titles for the assets of Ibrox, the car park and Murray Park.If he is main creditor he is playing high stakes. There will be men of violence watching closely.
I wrote a piece this morning and lost it comparing the Labour Party’s economic argument re investment v cuts post the General election and our position on the survival of Scottish football without them. Our position is that we want justice to be done and seen to be done. There are major forces at work trying to obfuscate. We need Rangers for the good of etc. part of the fabric etc.
Like Labour they struggled to get their message over. People had given up listening to them. We are in a similar place. You would say they need to be punished/liquidated wouldn’t you. We are failing to set out a picture of a healthy Scottish football scene without them ( for a few years ? ). Others have tried but harp back to the 80s. The negative message is in the ascendancy so we have to fight the good fight on many fronts
_
expose SFA on licences
Win the public argument on future of Scottish football
keep digging on tax case ( future scoops for journos )
keep up political pressure. No concessions from HMRC
ensure Europe authorities watch SFA
keep Celtic support united ( stop board blaming )
Simples,Paul- get on with it and good luck to the Celts tonight
–
Laird of the Smiles aka PMTYH says:
22 February, 2012 at 14:27
That’s rubbish!!
It was a small town in the south of France!
Someone posted that on here a couple of years ago. I retold it to a bemused table of fellow tourists in a restaurant off St.Peter’s Square in downtown Vatican City.
I posted it next door in RTC’s house a few weeks ago and there being there, it created a full night’s discussion on capitalism and related subjects, including mathematical anomalies.
It’s a good one.
Only the queen can eat swans
Another fine article Paul67. T
The big hoose is falling down round about them and the best thing for me is they are being slowly killed by self inflicted wounds.
Yourself ,Phil mac and RTC shone a spotlight on them like they had never seen the likes of before and like dazzled ,scared ,selfish ,self protecting rats they are lashing out trying to protect or move their self into a better light with the orc hoardes.
So when the final story of their demise is told many of their own would have helped expose the truth for whatever selfish reason they had.
I am sitting thinking about them and one day we shall sing songs on the slopes of paradise about how they were brought (moonbeams) Murray,all those at the sfa who over the years have turned a blind eye,the RATpack(too many to mention) media for their silence and manic protection of DM, Lizzy and her hounds at HMRC,Craig (OUR HERO) whyte and now take a bow Darrell (side letters) king.
Before the fat lady sings and the final curtain falls many many more names will be added to this list so to all Tims sit back be patient and wait for the bodies to float bye.
HAIL HAIL
Missed out the words DOWN BY
HAIL HAIL
I just want all the rules to be applied.
All the tax rules, the football rules and the legal rules.
Is that too much to ask when it comes to Rangers?
Sir Paul
After reading yer Revelation concerning Mr.Ogilvie’s former very
close Ibrox Connection..
Ah hid a Discussion oan the Subject wi’.. Nutsy..
Me: “If Ah hid anything tae dae wi’ it. Ah wid Recuse Mr. Ogilvie, fae the
Board of Inquiry.”
Nutsy:”That widnae woik. Fur That Oglivie Fellah wid jist Become a Recusant…oan ye”
Me:” A ‘Recusant’,ye say?
Whit ur ye oan aboot..?
Who said anything aboot him being a Pape?
..or Refusin’ tae Attend Church o’ England Services?”
Nutsy:”It wiz No Me!..It wiz YOU! . You Started It!”
Me:”Ah said we should Recuse Ogilvie, fae the board of Inquiry, because of
his Previous close Connections tae the Ibrox Club..
‘Recuse’, means tae Challenge his participation tae act in judgment ,because of his obvious Bias toward the Subject o’ the Enguiry.”
Nutsy: ” Ah know whit Recuse ,Means..D’ye think Ah am a Dummy?
Anyway, Ah looked up It’s Meaning, in the Dictionary..last night.. fur Ah jist knew ye wid be using it, the Day…and I stand by whit Ah Called Ogilivie
Because…
If He is Recused fae Participation, in the Enquiry.. He May decide NO tae Comply..
Then .. That wid Mak him a… ‘Recusant’,
Right?”
Me:”Hey, Waita Minute. Pal. Ah am no lettin’ ye Away wi’ that.. Ah am gonna check this oot..in the Dictionary.. Masel.
Hmmm. Let’s See..
Hmmmmmm.. Hmmmmmmmm.. Hmmmm..
Well, um.. er… Ach. Ah gotta Concede,pal.
Ye ur Right..
But, Heck…
Noo, Ah wish Noo Ah hidnae Brought the whole Damn thing Up!!!!”
Kojo
Still Laughin’…
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17116759
Derry City have been refused entry into next season’s Europa League competition by Uefa.
The European football governing body has taken the decision because the club went into liquidation just over two years ago.
That led to a European ban for three years and this is the final year of the Candystripes’ suspension.
Derry would have been guaranteed at least 110,000 Euros for participation in the competition.
The re-formed club, with support from the FAI, asked for the rule to be relaxed but Uefa refused to relent.
On paper, Derry’s third-place finish in last year’s Airtricity League Premier Division should have earned them a Europa League spot.
Derry City chairman Philip O’Doherty received the bad news in a phone call shortly before lunchtime on Tuesday.
“Because the new club has only been in existence for two years – not three years – we had to apply for a derogation of the rule,” said the Derry chairman.
Use accessible player and disable flyout menus”We paid a lot of football debts that were nothing to do with us, but from the previous club but apparently we’re not going to be accepted.
“I’ve just spoken to the manager (Declan Devine). He’s absolutely gutted as are the rest of the board.”
The club does have the option of launching an appeal to the European Court of Arbitration but O’Doherty said that this “hugely expensive option is unlikely”.
“We’re going to have a look at that when we get the statement but it would be unlikely that we would be successful.
“We did a very, very good application and the questions we were asked, they were answered positively.
“The amount of money we have spent taking care of previous responsibilities, I would have thought would have been enough to basically bend the rules.
“The players will be gutted as well, not getting the chance to play on a larger stage and with the success they had a few years ago and obviously the recent success of Shamrock Rovers.
“It’s a big, big disappointment for everyone involved.”
SSN footage:
McCoist walking out of Ibrox with Dave King
Paulus LXVII, Salve salve;- another very prescient article, if the SFA is to have any credibility at all, then Mr Olgilve should indeed step aside and the scope of the enquirey together with all it’s findings should be made public.
On another matter, with the sudden rush of these politicians riding to Rangers FC PLC (In administration)’s rescue, perhaps the following should be taken into consideration before deciding what is appropriate.
After listening to we Chico and Jabba’s spirited defence of disco Dave on Saturday when wee Chic announced that Disco Dave underwrote £ 80 Mil of Rangered (Not a typo :>))
debt, the following occurred to me
1) The Underwriting was to the tune of £50) Mil as I recall, also it was as far as I understand it transferred debt to another Disco Dave Co.
2) Big Ebt bill £49 Mil landed possibly to become due
3) Paye and NI £9 Mil due
4)Wee tax bill of £ 4 Mil due
5) VAT of £4 Mil on ticketus money Due.
Now let’s return to point 1) As I understand it MIH is now owned by Lloyds Banking Group as debts of £ 900 + inccurred were unable to be repayed .
Lloyds BG are owned by the tax payer so the £50 Mil originally underwritten by Disco Dave is now at public expense. If you add up the sums points 1) to 5)
you arrive at a total of £116 Mil.
This is a conservative estimate of how much this one club has benefitted from the public purse. What possible justification can there be for affording this particular institution any more largesse from the public purse. Assuming the FTT goes against Rangered???
Greenwells
Avarus animus nullo satiatur lucro
Optometrist:
The post split old firm game Is part of the tv deal- cannot see that being reneged by the spl.
Don’t know in & outs of tv contract legalities
Is the stipulation of 4 “old firm” (uuuggghhh did i just say that) games cast in contractual iron?
Divitbhoy, thank you, you are a gentleman, I’ll top up your ticket entry to the appropriate amount. We’ve sold 636 tickets in the space of about 4 hours which is just incredible.
Lord of the Smiles, not sure if Taggsybhoy jnr will do the draw, don’t think he’s talking to me for not taking him to the game tonight :-)
Is this the same Dave king seen at Ibroke?
David Cunningham “Dave” King (born 1955 in Castlemilk, Glasgow) is a South Africa based businessman
King arrived in South Africa in 1976 after being transferred by his employers Weir Group. His meteoric rise through the ranks in the country has seen him rack up an astonishing personal fortune estimated between £200-300m. He was an adviser for the Post Office and the Reserve Bank in his early stages before stepping up with a management company that won a contract to manage the treasury operations of Umgeni Water.
On 14 June 2002 BBC News reported that King faced eleven counts of fraud when he appeared at the Regional Court in Randburg, near Johannesburg. He was alleged to owe the South African revenue service almost £60m
—————-
It looks as if he and Craig W are cut from the same cloth
..
Premier LeagueRangersArsenal
Rangers chairman Craig Whyte sold off an historic shareholding in Arsenal to Alisher Usmanov, the Uzbek-born billionaire who owns almost 30 percent of the English Premier League club, severing a link that dates back more than a century, it emerged on Wednesday.
The tiny but symbolic stake stemmed from support offered by the Glasgow club to Arsenal when they fell on hard times early in the 20th century.
Rangers are now facing their own financial crisis, having gone into administration last week over unpaid taxes and with a potentially ruinous second tax bill hanging over them.
Usmanov bought the 16 shares last year through the market, a source close to the businessman said on Wednesday .
Usmanov has said he is prepared to pay up to 14,000 pounds per share as he seeks to take his stake in Arsenal from some 27 percent last May to 30 percent.
American Stan Kroenke owns a majority stake in Arsenal and Usmanov has been steadily building up his holding in the club through his Red & White vehicle as part of his opposition to Kroenke’s takeover.
Arsenal moved from their original base in Woolwich, South London, to North London in 1913 because of their financial problems and have gone on to become one of English football’s most successful clubs.
Fraser Forster being tipped for England call-up, but the story’s behind the Evening Times’ paywall. Anyone got access?
celticinthesun says:
22 February, 2012 at 15:01
I just want all the rules to be applied. All the tax rules, the football rules and the legal rules. Is that too much to ask when it comes to Rangers?
I agree totally; no more, no less…
Long time lurker, love CQN, and all that subscribe on the site, was watching the news here in South Australia, and there was a story of possible job loses at one of the mines.
The news reader and the camera crew were interviewing one of the mine representatives for answers to the job lose news.
The man was sitting in his office on the site and on the wall behind his head was a large wooden framed poster in cased in glass of Ibrokes, r*ngers and trophies blazoned all over it.
And right in the middle of this poster was the guy that was being interviewed, smiling with one Mr Whyte, arm in arm, I think he may have not long been back from Scotland, a once in a life time trip, and how he must be hurting now. a watershed moment, noo for ma jelly and ice cream.
A teenager has been cleared of shouting sectarian abuse at Rangers striker Kyle Lafferty and throwing a brick at his car.
Reice Harrison was found not guilty of both charges after it emerged that Mr Lafferty’s girlfriend, former Miss Scotland Nicola Mimnagh, had failed to pick him out at an identification parade held last week.
She arrived at Paisley Sheriff Court on Wednesday prepared to give evidence about what happened at Morrisons car park in Johnstone on November 21, last year.
But depute fiscal Margaret McCallum told Sheriff Derek Livingstone: “An identification parade at the behest of the defence was carried out. As a result of that the Crown are no longer prosecuting in relation to the charges of assault and sectarian breach of the peace.”
Mr Lafferty, 24, told the trial last month he was called “an orange c***” and “p****” by 16-year-old Mr Harrison.
The Rangers forward told the court the rear window of his Jeep, which he had just bought two weeks earlier, was smashed by a brick as his pregnant girlfriend, who has since given birth to a baby boy, sat inside.
Sheriff Livingstone convicted Mr Harrison of a breach of bail conditions, but admonished him as he had spent 35 days on remand.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/02/201221713140235319.html
nothing new but worth noting how they don’t pussyfoot around the type of institution Rangers are.
Re Dave king – does any one think he can help DerHun
Rangers director Dave King has been hit with a £250million bill after he lost a 10-year battle with the taxman.
A company run by the Scot have dropped their appeal against a South African court which branded King, a “shameless liar” and ruled the firm were liable for the huge unpaid sum.
Now proceedings are under way to collect the vast debt – and the 55-year-old tycoon is still at risk of being jailed for fraud.
Lifelong Gers fan King, from Castlemilk, Glasgow, arrived in South Africa in 1976 with only £10 in his pocket.
He turned the pittance into a £200million fortune as a high-powered financial consultant.
King bought three houses in Johannesburg’s plushest suburb – then bulldozed them to build a mansion.
He also had a seaside holiday home, a £165,000 Ferrari, £64,000 Mercedes-Benz and two private jets worth £14 million.
King also bought up vineyards and, along with golf legend pal Gary Player, ploughed £1 million into a stud farm.
But the South African Revenue Service were puzzled when the tycoon claimed to be earning only £5000 a year. In 2002, following a two-year probe, they hit him with a bill for £200million in back taxes – insisting he was in fact the richest man in the country.
The total has now grown with interest and penalties added on.
King’s defence was that nearly everything he had was owned by an offshore company called Ben Nevis, who are registered in the Channel Islands.
He even told SARS officials his watch and golf clubs were the property of the investment house and maintained the firm were run by a group of trustees.
But investigators uncovered a tortuous paper trail which led to the Caribbean, the island of Guernsey and then Scotland.
AWD and SJP caught up in Octopus EIS/Rangers saga
22 February 2012 12:45 pm
AWD Chase de Vere and St James’s Place both say they have a small number of clients invested in the Octopus protected enterprise investment scheme caught up in the Glasgow Rangers’ administration.
Octopus protected EIS invests in Ticketus, a London firm which has provided Rangers with “working capital” in exchange for future season ticket sales.
Last week, Glasgow Rangers’ administrators Duff & Phelps said it was unclear on the whereabouts of £24m advanced from Ticketus to the Rangers’ account.
However, the administrators released a further statement this week suggesting that £18m of the money has been accounted for and was used to pay off Rangers’ debt to Lloyds Banking Group when the club was taken over by current owner Craig Whyte last May. “The application of the remainder of these proceeds is subject to further examination,” says the administrator.
It adds: “We are investigating all the circumstances surrounding both the purchase of the majority shareholding in Rangers Football Club and the flow of funds which stemmed from the transaction and were intended to fulfil the purchasers’ obligations at the time of the sale.”
In a statement in the press, Whyte says: “The Ticketus deal was by far the best way to protect the club, given the circumstances in that they have no security over any assets. The only person at risk from the deal is me personally because I gave Ticketus personal and corporate guarantees underwriting their investment; the club and the fans are fully protected. In terms of exposure, I am personally on the line for £27.5m in guarantees and cash.”
Last week, Octopus issued a statement saying Ticketus is just one of a number of companies the Octopus EIS invests in. It added that Ticketus is the owner of the tickets and Octopus is continuing to work with administrators and Rangers on the matter.
An AWD spokesman says the firm sold the EIS as a higher-risk offering, through different tranches of the same EIS, to a small number of clients.
A St James’s Place spokesman says the company sold the product to fewer than 50 clients, including partners, and has an exposure of less than £1m. SJP says it is continuing to monitor the situation closely.
Chelsea Financial Services head of investments Matthew Woodbridge says: “It is disappointing and potentially damaging to an asset class when it is related to such a story. We await more communication from Octopus.”
Octopus declined to comment on the issue.
Tonight’s guests for the latest installment of the ongoing jelly and ice cream party are:
Gorbals Youth Cafe
Royston Youth Action
http://www.lugarboswellthistle.com/
Sannabhoy is escorting them tonight so expect a tannoy announcement for missing children!
http://www.thekanofoundation.com/
neveralone
Maybe getting a few requests about his and the SNP stance on this has flushed him out.
I will keep an eye on my in-box.
HH
Good article and I agree that if there is even a hint of the SFA accepting players registered with anyone other than the club they play for that must be part of the terms of reference for the inquiry.
However if the secretive S.F.A. will not tell the public what the terms of their enquiry are then that is not on.
I would suggest that any member of the public is at liberty to ask this question of the S.F.A. or the Inquiry Chair, Lord Nimmo-Smith as the use of public funds by the S.F.A. entitles us to know such things.
Perhaps the best way to find out is for the accepted heads of the fans groups such as Joe O’Rourke and The Celtic Trust, or Paul67, etc. were to write to Reagan and Lord Nimmo-Smith asking for this matter to be included in the inquiry.
It would be a good idea to copy Celtic F.C. in on this.
Dave King- another upstanding member of tge establishment club who has an allergy to paying tax.
What is it with them lot & their inability to comprehend the concept of a rule?
Fassreifen at 15:13
What’s the link, there might be a way to bypass it.
Mort
I thought Dave King was unable to leave South Africa at the moment as the authorities there are holding his passport.
How is he walking out of Ibrox today with Sally?
Anyone know when it is likely for letters to be sent out for Cup Final tickets??
Seven Fishes Four Steaks says:
22 February, 2012 at 14:44
***********************************
Cliftonville have had 2 winding up orders from HMRC. I could’ve swore that the 2nd bill was for almost 60k, well if i was listening right at that relevent members meeting.
Fassreifen at 15:13
Just found it, for ET stories, by going to the mobile version of their site you can usually bypass signing in access problems.
Fraser in line for England call-up
FRASER Forster today paid a heartfelt tribute to the man who has helped him get through his difficult move to Celtic – club goalkeeping coach Stevie Woods.
Forster has been one of the mainstays of a Hoops team that has, after recovering from a shaky start, been the dominant force in Scottish football this season.
The Englishman has kept a stunning 18 clean sheets in 34 appearances for Neil Lennon’s team – including four in his last four outings – during a turbulent 2011/12 campaign.
His inspired displays between the sticks have taken the Parkhead club, who play Dunfermline at home in the SPL tonight, to within touching distance of a rare domestic treble.
And the Glasgow giants this month opened talks with the on-loan Newcastle United player’s representatives in the hope of making his stay in Scotland a permanent one.
But when the 6ft 7in stopper first moved north for his initial loan spell last season, things did not go entirely according to plan.
Forster was beset by bouts of homesickness and it showed in some of his performances on the park; he did not impress all of the notoriously-hard-to-please Celtic fans with his performances.
Now the affable giant has publicly thanked Woods for being there for him during the hard times – and for helping him reach a level that has resulted in him being tipped for an England call-up.
“I have improved as a player since I moved to Celtic,” he said. “Woodsy and I have worked on every aspect of my game since I have come here.
“We have worked on the distribution side of things a lot for example.
“Woodsy is a just a really encouraging person, a very honest person. As a goalkeeper, that is what you need from your coach.
“When you look back on a game it is important that you say: ‘That could’ve been better’. You need that kind of person around you.
“He is very positive and as a goalkeeper you have got to be positive. That side of his nature has really rubbed off on me.
“He has really helped me settle in off the park as well. I don’t think I ever really settled last year.
“This year, though, I have settled in a lot more and he has helped a lot with that. It has been great to work with him. I couldn’t have more respect for him.”
Forster added: “Like any player, I have international aspirations. I would love to get a call-up at some point in my career. That is an ambition of mine and it is very kind of the gaffer to say I am capable of playing at that level.
“I have been pleased with my performances and the way things have gone over the last couple of months.
“If I keep playing well for Celtic then hopefully other people will think I am good enough.
“I don’t think anybody has been in this situation before, being English and playing up here and being tipped to get into the national team. Perhaps Thommo (Alan Thompson) is the only guy I can think of who has done it.
“Anyway, it is down to other people. I am just pleased to keep playing for Celtic and will just concentrate on keeping the ball out of the back of the net.
“It is important that I keep working hard and playing well at club level.”
With a permanent move to Celtic in the offing, and with his team having moved 17 points clear at the top of the SPL, Forster and his team-mates could be forgiven for resting on their laurels.
Picking up three points against Dunfermline, by far and away the least impressive of the teams in the top flight this season, should be a formality for the home team given their form during an astonishing 18-game winning run in domestic competition.
But the pain of his team’s late collapse last season, when they gifted Old Firm rivals Rangers their third consecutive Scottish title with an away defeat to Inverness Caley Thistle, remains fresh in the keeper’s memory.
And he will treat Jim McIntyre’s team – level with Pat Fenlon’s Hibernian, who have played a game less, at the bottom of the SPL table – with the utmost respect in the rearranged fixture. Forster said: “There is still plenty of football to be played this season.
“We are just focusing on ourselves really. We just need to keep winning games.
“Rangers being docked points for going into administration doesn’t change anything in our eyes.
“We just want to keep the run we have been on going.
“We would love to win the league. It doesn’t matter how you do it, if you play great football or win ugly.
“It is just important that we cross that line. Every game is going to be tough between now and the end of the season.
“It is important that we keep on putting in the work that has helped us go on this run.
“It is important that we don’t take our foot off the gas at all, that we don’t show any complacency. We need to keep winning.”
cavansam \o/ says:
22 February, 2012 at 15:24
Must’ve passed Craig Whyte going the other way in an underground tunnel.
Paul67
Great leader again.
Are Lord William Nimmo Smith, Professor Niall Lothian OBE, and Bob Downes offering their services free gratis to Stewart Regan, or will the member clubs indirectly pay for this?
I think we should be told!