Following RangersTaxCase’s information that Rangers-HMRC First Tier Tribunal report was in the hands of both parties’ solicitors on Friday, I subsequently heard the report runs to in excess of 300 pages. It will be published by the court authorities in due course but I don’t expect anything this week. Any attempt to spin or release excerpts from the report could be considered contempt so it is likely that we will hear nothing formally until then.
Once the report goes live you can expect an already-prepared summary with plenty of focus on what the FTT denied HMRC. HMRC will not achieve a clean sweep, some matters were dealt with correctly, but there will be no surprises on these pages for the thrust of the findings.
I’m looking forward to an entertaining and final dose of bombast from one of the parties, hopefully in keeping with some of the all-time favourites from March 2000, “Rangers are moving on to another level from the rest of Scottish football”, “the Glasgow giants are setting an agenda that no other Scottish club can match”.
That famous article in The Herald asserts “The Ibrox chairman [Sir David Murray] has spent several months and many sleepless nights piecing together the plans which will eliminate Rangers”.
It does, of course, insert the word “debt” into the end of that sentence but sometimes fewer words paint a more accurate picture. While we’re on a related subject, well done to Sports Direct FC for reaching the summit of the Third Division on goal difference. That manager’s definitely worth keeping. Ashley’s money is being wisely spent.
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The Gallagher crap about wee fergus and Monaco reminded me of the story around Stubbs when he signed for us. It’s referenced in the summation of his Celtic career below, taken from my first love, Not The View……..
Worth a wee read.
so farewell then…
allan stubbs
So farewell then Alan Stubbs. After six years at Celtic Park he leaves with two league winners medals, a league cup winners medal, two serious bouts of cancer and the best wishes of the majority of Celtic fans.
Some may feel that he should have stayed to fight the good fight with Celtic, rather than replace the 93 year old Gough, wear a blue shirt and listen to the insane rantings of Wattie and Erchie. But, with the best will in the world, we certainly didn’t miss him too much last season and he’s no spring chicken.
Stubbs was a big news signing in the summer of 1996. A player who had been linked with Man. Utd. and Spurs, among others, and an England hopeful into the bargain. Tommy Burns had landed a real catch.
£3.5 million from Bolton saw him sign on the line, but no sooner was the ink dry than he got a taste of what to expect from the media pack up here.
The next day the papers were gleefully suggesting that Stubbs could be banned for life before kicking a ball for Celtic. His crime? Allegedly using a non Fifa registered agent.
In the end of course the story was a classic non-story; the agent was fined a nominal sum, no action was even threatened against Stubbs or Celtic, but that hadn’t stopped the press from camping outside his door and attempting to upset him and his eight months pregnant wife.
Things weren’t to improve quickly either. Stubbs had been signed to replace Yogi Hughes, who had performed far above expectations the previous season. TB figured that a repeat of that season wasn’t very likely, and a more permanent solution was needed. Enter stage left Alan Stubbs.
Season 96-97 was anticipated like no other. 95-96 had seen Celtic play their best football for nearly a decade. We had only lost four games in all competitions, but worryingly three of those had been to the huns, who had not only given us our only league defeat but also put us out of both cups. Van Hooijdonk had been a revelation, Thom had done well (when fit) and Cadette had been signed at the tail end of the season. Add to that the close season signing of Di Canio and it was hard to see anyone foiling that attack …as long as things went smoothly.
But of course this is Celtic in the 90s. ‘Smoothly’ wasn’t in the vocabulary. Oh and just to add some spice to the mix, did I mention that the huns were going for 9 in a row?
Day 1 Pittodrie. We take the lead in the first half and threaten to overwhelm the Dons, but a mixture of poor finishing and bad luck keeps the score at 1-0. Midway into the second half Duncan Shearer gets between our central defenders, Stubbs tackles, the ref. gives a dubious penalty. Better yet he gets out his red card!
The Dons duly score, and then take the lead (Radio Scotland’s commentator was so over come he actually said “Celtic’s season is in tatters!”, this is the first day of the season remember). The papers had a jolly time with that.
Come to think of it his first season couldn’t have been much worse; the huns won the 9, we were duffed out of the league cup in disastrous fashion at Tynecastle, and beaten by the less than mighty Falkirk in the cup semi. Add to that his numerous injuries and some less than scintillating form (not helped by TBs increasingly eccentric tactics) and the only word that springs to mind is misery. Writ large.
That summer saw the perm breeze into Celtic Park. His main contribution to Celtic was some organisation. Under him we played a rigid 4-4-2. Stubbs was paired initially with Boyd, but in October Rieper arrived and the defence was as solid as it ever had been (faint praise I know).
Reiper’s arrival allowed Stubbs a bit more breathing space, and he finally began to look like a player. His confidence in defence improved, and with that he began to pass the ball just like TB had promised. Accurate 40 – 50 yard passes were certainly not beyond him, and he even began to get the odd goal, most notably a last gasp equaliser against the huns at Celtic Park.
That goal proved to be crucial. In the end we won the league by two points, with an inferior goal difference, so if that goal hadn’t gone in… It doesn’t even bear thinking about.
On the day the league was finally clinched Stubbs gave a memorable on field interview. He commented that over the past few months the team had been called losers, and bottlers. Looking straight into the camera he said “But I’ll tell what we are. We’re champions”, and he ran off to join the party.
The next season, under Dr Jo, was probably his best. Which in a way was surprising given the turmoil of the time. Not only did his defensive partner Reiper miss most of the season with the injury that would ultimately end his career, but he also lost most of the other defenders too! There can’t have been too many defending champions who have had to call on two loan players to help them retain their crown, but we drafted in goalkeeper Tony Warner (goalie in the 5-1 game, nice one), and Scott Marshall (culprit in the 0-3 debacle). No surprise really that we failed to win anything. But Stubbs had established himself as a mainstay of the team.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about his time at Celtic is his low goal tally. It’s surprising because he was very assured with the ball at his feet, as his goal at Ibrox that season proved. Rangers failed to properly clear a corner, it fell to Stubbs outside the box, and having had time to balance himself he easily swung the ball into the top corner.
For all that though, he could still come unstuck in defence, as we also saw in that game, letting the less than impressive Tomato head in the equaliser.
But the end of that season soon gave Stubbs bigger fish to fry than mere form. He was heading for serious tabloid pasting after the cup final. He collected his losers medal, before turning to the huns support and made a Gareth Hunt style hand gesture that suggested they should all go and have nice cup of coffee. Unfortunately this was all captured in glorious Technicolor and broadcast to the nation.
However, right after that he was required to give a urine sample and something wasn’t quite right. At first the rumour was that one of the players had failed the test, but soon the truth emerged. Stubbs had testicular cancer. Meaningless hand gestures were quickly scrubbed from the tabloid agenda.
The silver lining to the not inconsiderable cloud of cancer was that he missed out on the Barnes fiasco. OFM’s arrival coincided with Stubbs’ return, and he slotted in quite nicely between Mjallby and Joos. But in late October came the news that nobody wanted; he’d had a relapse.
Celtic immediately offered him a one year extension to his contract to ease the pressure on him. It remained unsigned but was always available to him. His recovery this time was far quicker, allowing him to come back toward the end of the season and fight for a cup final spot.
He has said that once he heard Everton were in for him that was it, and that’s fair enough. We can hardly rejoice at the likes of Neil Lennon getting the chance to play for the team he supported, and then criticise Stubbs for doing the exact came thing.
We wish him all the best with Everton, although that is tempered with our feelings for his new management team.
But most of all we all hope that the biggest health worries he faces in the future will be of a more mundane nature.
AB Murdoch
Exiled Tim,
Wembley Arena on Sat,
12 hours long,i’d better take a piece.
Sannabhoy,
you’ve a text:)
I fancy we will score first. Whats the odds??
Jude2005
No, Ernie was correct. It was Gordon Brown.
theweegreenman
23:30 on 22 October, 2012
That’s the politics of fear and despair.
My Dear,Dear Kojo….
Effe Does Appear To Be An Excellent Player…
But A Central Midfielder….
When We Can Spare Him From Central Defense…
Howeva….Joe Is Naturally Left-Footed..
And His Right Is Not Just For Standin’ On
As Rare As Hen’s Teeth….
Ultimately….Brown Is The One Who Should Lose Out….
And Any Sentiment Put Aside….
Pinkety…?
theweegreenman
23:37 on 22 October, 2012
‘Jude2005
No, Ernie was correct. It was Gordon Brown.’
It was actually Peter Lawwell who told him to do it.
I see 5 soldiers appeared in court today charged with the murder of an insurgent. Anyone been charged with the Bloody Sunday murders yet?
Ernie,
can I butt in and guess?
Andrew Dewar Gibb said it.
zimmerman
Now I remember.
Enjoy, will be a long day, sure he will tell you something you haven’t yet heard.
What was it Ted Heath said when confronted about his activities ????
Icke, he’s crazy……end of investigation….shamefull.
Exiled Tim,
Spot on,
uncle eddie (as Jimmy Saville used to call him)
p.s. whole event is available live online,and to watch for a month afterwards.
Right, it’s well into tomorrow, up in a few hours, plane to catch…..
Barca here I come.
Take care and god bless Timland
HH
KTF
Got a good feeling about the game, we will not get humped, that will do for me.
On the subject of getting some kind of result
If It was up to me I would play the system 8-0-2 tomorrow night.
I still have the thought that is you play a narrow 4 in defence and another 4 midfielders sitting deep in front of them that is the key to making life more difficult for Barcelona.
By playing two strikers off the shoulder of the last barca defender you get full backs thinking of defending more.
Every time a celtic player gets the ball don’t look for the short pass. Just a big scottish Hoof and i mean at every opportunity do this. No massing about trying to play football just hoof it up the park.
This won’t happen but I’d love to see any manager in the word try playing this system of defence.
Tictalker talking tic
Been working all night ( the joys of self employment and a taxi!! ) just like to wish all the lucky bhoys and ghirls in barca tomorrow a safe and happy night
Unfortunately I’m stuck in manc this week and going to salou NEXT WEEK!!! As its the school holidays…… I don’t remember the school holidays ever being this late in October so I will be in a taverna somewhere next week possibly the only one in his hoops cheering on the bhoys next week in Spain lol
Hail hail
zimmerman
Aye, will be worth the watching.
HH
Ernie
Perhaps. Maybe the 300 year old marriage to the UK has made me that way.
I would like to try something different other than the status quo Ernie.
Speak more tomorrow.
Good night all.
My dear,dear,dear,friend.. The Singing Detective
Broonie.. is No Much Use tae us..
if.. He hiz.. a Bum Hip.
Right?
So.. Yeah.. Ah believe that Broonie, could be the wan tae tak the Fall.. and get oot the Bed… which Wid Allow
Efe, tae strut his Wiles..in the Middy.
Kayal.. is a guid back Up..
Ah liked Him a Loat bettah agin the Saint Mirren.. than Ah did in his Previous Outings.. He may Be coming Back tae his Initial Excellence… as .. Ah see.. Mr. Izzy is Daeing, the noo.
Izzy, is almost There.
Which is . Great By Me.
So, yeah ,Palomine..
Ye goat a .. Pinkety frum me.. regarding .. the Broonie Fellah
He appears tae be awe washed up..
Kojo
Yer pal…who thinks Ye swell.
Still, Laughin’
Gotta Go Joe..
Good Night Scotland
Good Night Ireland
Good Night Wales
Good Night England
Good Night Canada
Good Night New Zealand
Good Night Australia
and
Good Night…Hamish Macdonald. wherever you are..
Still Laughin’..
Celtic 1 Barca 0
and. ye kin tak that tae the Bank.
2-1 to Celtic Bhoys 100/1
With Hooper 1st goal scorer it then becomes 265/1
MWD
THE EXILED TIM and zimmerman
It’s all about connecting the dots. . .
Sorry
225/1 rather than 265/1
MWD
MHARK67
You always know when the October school holidays are when the see the cost of the air fares. Disgusting rip off merchants and Thomas Crook is up there!!
This has been a Party Political coded message on behalf of the CQN National Socialist Party.
Thank you for listening.
We play barcelona in the nou camp tonight…. Come on you boys in green ;)
Night all
Keep the faith
Watched the Spain v France game at Vicente caulderon stadium last week.
As I stated at the time, although Spain are not Barcelona, their style is very much barcelonaesque and France gave them serious problems through the height of the French team up front and the caused serious problems to Spain’s back four.
Neil has built a young big team, we are no pushover.
My tip, we will win, remember you read it here first.
Moonbeams WD. Kano 1000 \o/ Supporting Neil Lennon 100%. Champions. C’mon Wee Oscar.
23:55 on 22 October, 2012
2-1 to Celtic Bhoys 100/1
With Hooper 1st goal scorer it then becomes 265/1
_________________________
That would mean that you were taking just over 6/4 for Hooper to score the first goal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIu_4AwYrZE
God Bless the Tories, they are doing a hard job under difficult circumstances.
http://tinypic.com/r/20jicfo/6
Green puts death threats in context !
WTF
“They wanted to kill me but now I understand where these superb fans are coming from and I just want to hug them all”.
The Sevconians do funny like no other…..
Victor Wanyama:
“We are here for football reasons and there is nothing else on our minds. Celtic is one of the biggest clubs in the world with a history in this competition and we have a responsibility to do justice to that.”
Efe Ambrose:
“Personally, I will do my best to see that I stop Messi from scoring goals against us, but getting good result in the game is the priority and that would be a collective effort from the team.”
Apologies if posted before. If you have a computer try Sport Lemon and you should get the match. A bit truncated at times but better than nothing.
Meant to add obviously broadband is required. You can hook the computer up to the flat screen tv if you have a HDM1 cable
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOCOAUFWXX4&feature=related
Wow, just watched that trump golf course docu, highland clearances all over again and still the scots are most active evicting their countrymen.
Media House
The commander in chief is lock tugging, what’s that all about
A taxin question – Richard Wilson- Sports writer. The Herlald
The big tax case was, for a time, the very heart of the Rangers crisis.
The club could not conceivably move on while the First Tier Tribunal determined whether or not Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs were justified in charging £24m in unpaid tax, with additional penalties and interest, from Rangers’ use of Employee Benefit Trusts. The verdict is now thought to have been delivered to the two parties, and should be made public in the coming days, but what will it mean?
In some ways, nothing, and in other ways, everything. A judgment on a period of Rangers’ history certainly will be made if the club is found to have misadministered the EBT scheme and left itself liable to millions of pounds of unpaid tax. It was Murray International Holdings, Sir David Murray’s company, that initiated the EBT scheme and made the appeal to the FTT against HMRC’s bill. So the verdict will be a reflection on the way Murray ran Rangers.
At hearings in October 2010, April, May and November 2011, and January 2012, the tribunal considered evidence about every individual EBT administered by the club, with some thought to include side letters detailing payments which HMRC considered evidence of the scheme being used for remuneration. The payments, made in the form of loans from a trust, should be discretionary to keep the tax avoidance scheme valid. The likelihood is that the tribunal will find in HMRC’s favour for some of the cases, and in Rangers’ favour for others.
The size of the bill, and any additional interest and penalties, will be significant if only in terms of revealing the scale of any misuse of the scheme. The liability falls to Rangers Football Club plc, the company that went into administration and which will soon become the subject of liquidation proceedings once the accountancy firm BDO formally takes over. The Rangers Football Club, owned by Charles Green’s consortium and which bought the business and assets of the club during the summer and now owns the team, will not be liable for any of the tax owed.
Green can, in effect, ignore the verdict. It will have little effect, if any, on the share issue the club has just launched, since the tax case was wholly the concern of Murray’s reign and the EBT scheme, which ran from season 2000/01 to 2009/10. Craig Whyte, who bought the club for £1 in May 2011 – while paying off the £18m debt to Lloyds with money borrowed against future ticket sales from Ticketus – ran up an additional £9m of unpaid taxes in his own short reign.
Yet others will be more concerned by the outcome. In theory, if the bill is not for the full amount but a figure that might have been payable over time, Rangers could have traded their way out of their financial difficulties. Due to Champions League revenues, and cutting costs, the club reduced the debt with Lloyds from more than £30m to £18m. Ultimately, paring down the wage bill would have undermined the team’s ability to win the league, and without the Champions League revenue no profit would have been generated to pay off significant amounts of debt, but Rangers could have cashed in on their playing assets.
The likes of Allan McGregor, Steven Naismith, Steven Whittaker, Steven Davis and Kyle Lafferty could have been sold to cover a manageable tax bill, instead of all leaving for free during the administration process. The big tax case played a defining role in Rangers’ fate, though, since the threat of the full £24m bill, plus penalties and interest taking it up to £54m, then £75m according to administrators Duff & Phelps in their last report to creditors, made Rangers effectively unsellable.
Without it, buyers might have emerged before Whyte appeared with an offer to take the club off Murray’s hands. Whyte admits now that he considered administration inevitable, despite comments to the contrary at the time, and was merely waiting for the FTT verdict. When the club ran out of money before that happened, he had to initiate the insolvency proceedings himself.
Even if it is likely that the tax bill will still be large enough to have prompted administration, the FTT verdict will not be merely a historical footnote. It will influence the reputation of those who ran the club then, and in some ways will deliver the final judgment on Murray’s approach to owning Rangers, which was at times recklessly and heedlessly ambitious. Yet there might be more significant consequences.
When HMRC voted against the Company Voluntary Arrangement proposal made by Green’s consortium to take oldco Rangers out of administration, they reasoned that the liquidation process would deliver the greater return. “[It] provides the best opportunity to protect taxpayers, by allowing the potential investigation and pursuit of possible claims against those responsible for the company’s financial affairs in recent years,” HMRC said in a statement.
Once BDO move in as liquidators, they have the power to investigate the conduct of previous directors, and criminal prosecutions can be sought, although no criminal allegations have been made. Losses can also be pursued in the civil courts if office holders have failed in their legal duties, and directors can also be disqualified. HMRC may also seek tax repayments from players and directors who benefited from the EBT scheme.
The FTT verdict should, in theory, have no effect on the inquiry being conducted by the SPL’s independent commission, headed by Lord Nimmo Smith, since it is investigating alleged breaches of registration rules in the way that Rangers’ administered the EBT scheme. If some players received side letters detailing payments, the commission must decide if they constitute contracts and so should have been declared in the players’ registrations. Yet the side letters issue are key to HMRC’s case, and the detail of the verdict may provide some indication of the evidence being considered by Lord Nimmo Smith and his fellow commission members.
However, if the big tax case was once central to Rangers’ fate, it is now of greatest concern to the reputations and peace of mind of individuals, as well as being a judgment on a moment of time in the club’s history.