There has been a pattern for me in recent days. I’ve read a statement by a current/former football club director, then I’ve gone looking for corroboration, just in case the report is a sabotaged attempt to make the author appear foolish.
A statement was released by former Rangers chairman, Alastair Johnston yesterday, discussing the current SPL Commission looking into how his board administered football player contracts. I agree with him that any “capital punishment decision” should not be left to the SPL, but the SPL have no authority to impose capital punishment on a football club. The decision to terminate a football club can only be taken by the SFA (I am discounting the reckless behaviour of directors), and is perhaps a reason the SFA decided to delegate this inquiry to the league. It is interesting timing for Johnston to put this on the table.
Johnston’s main thrust is in connection with the SPL Commission, saying “the SFA wrote to us asking for more details about the public speculation concerning our financial and tax situation. The latter obviously referenced the impact of the EBT schemes as creating a potential taxation liability.
“The club responded accordingly and provided details, as it had done in previous years, by declaring player salaries, bonuses, benefits, etc., but also payments made to a Remuneration Trust. The SFA compliance officers must have known, both from the description and context of the reports, that such expenditures had some connection to player compensation.
“However, without any further investigation at the time, Rangers FC received its SFA license to compete in the 2011/2012 season. Rangers, therefore, were entitled to believe that they were not in breach of any SFA regulation requiring reporting of player compensation.”
Mr Johnston clearly implies that the SFA were in receipt of sufficient information to ascertain if Rangers correctly registered players (and considering the SFA president was on the board which sanctioned these decision was have to wonder), but the key point is missing from his testimony.
While disclosing this information to the SFA did Rangers reveal the existence of the alleged second contracts? For the purposes of the SPL Commission, it doesn’t really matter how much players were paid, or if they received this money through a Remuneration Trust, what matters is: were contracts submitted and players correctly registered? If not, then it doesn’t matter what else the club submitted to the SFA.
Sir David Murray, then Rangers owner, vehemently denied the existence of second contracts as recently as March this year, so it would appear unlikely that Rangers revealed these allegedly non-existent contracts at an earlier date.
Labouring this point slightly Johnston said: If the SFA now decide to adopt a more focused evaluation of the data they request from its members in order to be granted a license, they should ensure that the legislation upon which they rely for enforcement and the corresponding sanctions are more transparent and predictable.”
For clarity, the information the SFA requires in order to grant a club licence is not being changed in any way. The SFA and the SPL do, however, require clubs submit player contracts as part of the player registration process. It is not the club licence which is in doubt here, it is the registration of players, Mr Johnston, we have to wonder why you are trying to focus away from this matter.
Our own club was brought into the issue: “A lawyer representing Celtic recently was successful in having charges against that club dropped because of the inadequacy of the SFA’s prescribed rules, regulations, and sanctions. The same principle should apply here.”
Perhaps time is playing tricks on Mr Johnston’s memory. Paul McBride ensured a punishment imposed on Neil Lennon (not Celtic) was enforced in line with SFA rules. Johnston also meanders on the subjects of match fixing and financial doping, distancing his former club from both, but neither charge is of any consequence.
Despite his extensive diatribe on the subject, at no point does the former Rangers chairman deny the central allegation – that for over a decade Rangers gave dozens of players second contracts which were not registered with the SPL or SFA. Like Charles Green the previous day, he never suggested Rangers have been wrongly accused, he just complains about the club being accused.
There is a degree in Cognitive Bias in this matter if anyone is looking for material.
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I wonder how Thatcher felt about it?
————————————
didn’t care about them or their families
frankly the rest of the uk should get independence from london – appalling bunch of narcissistic thugs
THE EXILED TIM
20:03 on
12 September, 2012
I’m sure, I have a digital and a normal thermomiter, both read as near as damit the same.
The car reads a couple of degrees less for some reason, cheap German motor them BMW’s.
Exile, I’m still hear, your having a laugh cheap BMW’s they are good well built vehicles
So then it must have been really scorching then
By now you must be use to the climate where you are?
No frost, excellent because over here the winters of 2009/20010
where Siberian Winters it was like living in a Igloo in the North Pole
Coldland is a sad joke as regards to the weather it’s on par with
the likes of Greenland, The North & South Pole, Siberia.
No wonder you moved to Spain
I’m just waiting to see the Polo Bears & Penguin’s moving in here over
the next three months when the climate drops.
Well I hope, Lord willing we don’t have too much of a cold winter
because we did not have much of a Summer over here
This site has been rancid tonight with frankly abhorant anti muslim sentiment. It makes this site no better than follow follow.
Ignorant comments form the usual suspects are to be expected, but I expect better from Canamalar at 20:53. “islam tell the world that the Christ was a lunatic”.
That is total bullshit.
In Islamic texts, it is taught that Jesus was divinely chosen to preach the message of monotheism and submission to the will of God. He is revered as a prophet.
“CQN – where religeous ignorance and sectarian lies are peddled by an ignorant, but vocal, and well respected group of posters”.
Remind you of any other football clubs blogs?
Am away, nighty night.
P.s. in an article in the 1970’s, Ian Archer was forced to end it by saying he wasn’t a Roman Catholic, such would be the reaction to his anti rangers article.
So if anyone is wondering I love the bevvie and the bacon too much to be a muslim.
setting free the bears
You have summed up wonderfully the tragedy of Hillsborough. Sitting here with tears in my eyes thinking of those poor families.
HH
Funny to see that quite a few on here were present at the same games
Brockville ’74 was truly scary
Tynecastle was always dodgy
Personally I could never understand how the huns were able to get away with having only one exit for the entire Celtic end
Never liked the terracing or the stairs at Ibrox- always thought they were much narrower than the ones at CP
Though Janefield street could be a bit of a crush after any big game!
Canamalar
I am hearing about the exact same thing happening in Syria, but from our friends the Rebels no less. The Anti Assad faction, being supplied and trained (cough) by the West are abti-Christian as well!
AKBW1888
It is down to the individual, Not the medium that this would apply and to be honest I agree with you, but censoring is not the answer. Have you been watching the news? Would you trust our Police/Government?
Things you learn on CQN.
Apparently I’m a narcissistic thug…
theweegreenman
20:59 on
12 September, 2012
AKBW1888
I am hearing that it was actually an Al Qaeda attack anyway. The clown who posted the movie could have used any medium to transmit this but chose YouTube.
Censoring ain’t the answer.
To coin a phrase
“Opinions are like a**eholes and we all have one.”
You can’t go through life thinking everyone is the same as you and I. Life would be really boring then, Eh?
I think folk in the Middle East have a lot more to worry about at the moment than some Richard Cranium with a movie camera in the US.
So what do you reckon is the overall answer then to the problems in the Middle East?
theweegreenman
20:11 on
12 September, 2012
I see YouTube have pulled the offensive video from the US that slated Mohammed.
Dangerous precedent IMO. Is YouTube now censored?
What is the criteria to get censored?
Do they only take this recourse when it is pertinent to Islam?
~~~~~~~~~~
Just Wait Till Our Wonderful BBC Screen The ‘Mohammed Version’ Of “Jerry Springer : The Opera”…..
In The Face Of Widespread Protests And Legal Challenges From Offended Licence Fee Payers….
I’m Sure The Odious Stewart Lee,Oor Ernie’s Favourite Stand-Up ‘Comedian’..
Is Just Completing The Screenplay….
At This Very Moment….
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Springer:_The_Opera
~~~~~~~~
Then There Was The Small Matter Of The Gratuitously Offensive Cartoon Commisioned By The BBC In 2004,At Great Expense…
But Was Never Broadcast….
‘Popetown’….starring such Catholic luminaries as Matt Lucas And Ruby Wax..
Was So Insulting That Even The BBC Didn’t Risk Showing It….
Perhaps They Were Concerned That They Could Face A Legal Case For Defamation..
As One Of The ‘Characters’ Was Clearly Based On Bishop Devine Of Motherwell…
BBC Did Try To Sell The Series To An Italian Satellite Channel…
But The Latter Organisation Pulled Out Of The Deal At The Last Moment….
Shameless BBC Released The Series On DVD….
‘Different Strokes For Different Folks”..
Tcc
I’ve skipped the comments from today about the middle east etc but just saw yours.
Islam does indeed revere Jesus as a prophet but they don’t see him as Christians do, as the son of God.
hamiltontim
20:57 on
12 September, 2012
*******************************
Just thinking how if I had been unlucky on 1 of my away trips and been involved in a situation some person in authority would try to blame me because I had been drinking.
They even tested the blood/alcohol level of a child in an attempt to smear the supporters.
TootingTim
21:10 on
12 September, 2012
Things you learn on CQN.
Apparently I’m a narcissistic thug…
——–
Aye I’ve always had that impression about ye :-))
AKBW1888
You obviously didn’t read what I posted.
We have seriously hard frosts here -15 to -20 in the winter.
I said on the coast no frost, and not too hot in the summer, very much unlike where I am.
AKBW1888
Aye, very good. If I knew that I wouldn’t be doing a 9 to 5! :-)
I would start by getting all the British and American troops out of there for a start.
Where do you think al the US troops from Afghanistan and Iraq are going? Home? Nope. Most are being re-deployed in Jorden, Israel and Saudi. Why is that?
I think that may have a lot to do with the attack on the embassy today don’t you?
bundoran bhoy
need to pull out of Bucket collection for wee Oscar
sorry mate..
theweegreenman
20:11 on
12 September, 2012
Of course Utube and the Internet should be censured…….young people should not be exposed to the ‘extremes’ of human perversion etc ……. Sorry, but I hold the strong view that, for money alone, the communication industry has lost all responsibility / morality / governance …… We live in sad times where human beings are being exploited by ‘the scum of the earth’ ……this is a personal view, in response to your comment, which I don’t want to ‘debate’ on this forum ……
St John Doyle
I’m not anti polis but I do think that many of them are of a particular mindset when dealing with football supporters.
The difference is that the general public are far more aware of their rights nowadays and to some extent this negates the power of the police and their ability to abuse the law.
BT
They are in talks according to El Mundo, looking like buying a 75% stake, nothing confirmed, could just as easily fall through.
1974.Hampden.European cup final.St.Etienne v Bayern Munich.Raining cats and dogs.North enclosure.Half time,go down for a p..s and a pie.Three Brigitte Bardot birds bedecked in green and white asking a big polis “la toilette?” He switches off his walkie talkie and looks down at the mesdamoiselles and says “there’s” nane hen”. Never got that pie or a lumber! And…les vets got beat 1-0.
TootingTim
Lawks who would say such a thing?
You know what they say, nail one guy to the floor!!
The discussion re stadium safety as well as our recent jousts with Benfica take me back to 1969 and as a 9 year old leaving the stadium with my old man delirious after an emphatic 3-0 victory. Anyway we were in the Celtic end near the main stand and left towards the exit stairs but as am sure many will remember the embankment was next to the stairs and the heave of the crowd took me away from my dad and on to the embankment, then someone tripped and fell so there was a major crush.Well i thought my tea was oot until my dad appeared from nowhere to pull me out. I will never forget that so thank God for the Taylor report…..HH
Dan
21:00 on
12 September, 2012
I was just about to post it was 3-2 then noticed your post. I was outside when the first goal went in and missed the next when going for a jimmyriddle :_)
The Comfortable Collective
Excuse me, I am highlighting the hypocrisy of the situation and the dangerous road we are going down with censoring.
Les Verts,even.
BT
Can you drop us an email at weeoscar4life@gmail.com so we have it on our list etc?
Cheers mate
HH
Talking of the Ole Narcissistic Thugs…
Cybertims @Cybertims
we’re not huns. we’re the sweeney. listen to first 35 seconds ;) http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KS1fICIkUYQ …
View media
67Heaven
I disagree with your view, but respect your stance none the less. :-)
Part of the Liverpool narrative, that I haven’t seen mentioned, is how Scousers were perceived by the rest of England. They were often seen as only one step up from the Irish – not to be trusted and speaking a barely understandable English, whilst the city itself has always been a thorn in the side of the Tories, especially under Thatcher.
Added to the fact that Liverpool fans caused Heysel and there was a sense natural justice at play. If it had happened to another club’s fans it wouldn’t have taken 23 years to find out what the dogs in the street knew the next morning
So iPhone 5 has been launched …….. Another example of rabid marketing …… What a load of old nonsense
TCC,
I am not anti islam never have been, never will be, I am anti fundamentalist, anti death squad.
I do not condone the vid published on utube and wouldnt think of even looking at it.
If the Christ is as revered as much as you say why is his message rejected, why do they adopt the judean teaching of eye for eye.
Islam teaches the Christ became a lunatic who claimed to be god, that is why they reject his message and call him a lunatic.
The RC church is the most ridiculed church in the world, there are more slurs against the RC church than any other yet there is rarely a peep of protest.
Islam is repeating the mistakes of the crusades the only way to stop it is to face it and defeat it. Appeasement is never the way to overcome a bully it only delays the inevitalble carnage, appeasement makes the bully stronger,
Any oldtimers remember Clyde v Celtic,mid fifties,Championship of the Eastend? You must remember that the bully wee were a fine side in those days.I could not attend as had to serve at benediction and could not get a swap.From memory Celts won 3-2.
BB
email sent..
once again I apologise..
o.g.rafferty
I think that you’re bang on with every point there.
TCC has made a strong point.
He did not argue in favour of censoring anti-Islamic views.
He merely pointed out that we have been guilty of stereotyping the religion of Islam as a violent, thin-skinned, special treatment, anti-western values and generally regressive entity.
Now, there may be a few Muslims who fit that stereotype but there are many, much larger in number, who will find that portrayal lazy and offensive.
TCC pointed out that FF will often criticize the majority faith of Celtic supporters as bead rattling, victim seeking, kiddy fiddlers. If we can recognise the stupidity of generalisations directed at us then we need to be more aware and sensitive to those who are not the same as us.
How would a young Muslim Celtic fan reading CQN today view our inclusivity?
We are not and should not be like that.
theweegreenman
21:28 on
12 September, 2012
No problem at all, me bhoy ……. Neither of us is going to change the world, more’s the pity….. Think we would be too late anyway …….LOL
The Comfy Collective….
Will You Still Be Burning Poppies At The Cenotaph In November….
Along With The Loathsome Anjem Chowdury ….
And His Motley Crew…?
hamiltontim
21:20 on
12 September, 2012
*******************************
I agree about the Police and how they deal with supporters of our national sport, Hillsborough would have been entirely different if it had happened during a Rugby cup semi, where it is deemed acceptable to drink in the car park and then drive home.
At football the Police would criminalize our support for having a beer many miles from the stadium.
Football fans don’t get a fair deal in this country
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors
21:29 on 12 September, 2012
So iPhone 5 has been launched …….. Another example of rabid marketing …… What a load of old nonsense
aye and version 8 is ready to go…….but if they issued that now they wouldnt get the mugs buying version 5, 6 & 7 first….