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.
You can continue to read CQN Magazine FOR FREE, or can subscribe for £10 or £20 and our sponsor, Executive Shaving, who offer an enormous range of grooming products, are offering readers a £20 voucher for all £30 CQN Magazine subscribers.
[calameo code=0003901711e92eb7539d6 lang=en page=16 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
785 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- ...
- 21
- »
philvis..,
oh, and I thought it was an historical subject, never knew it was just a film, theres me thinking history was a serious issue and the accuracy was a wee bit important.
For someone who claims to be the font of all wisdom your rubbish at it:o)
Duff and Phelps ‘rescued the business’?! -don’t let them anywhere near Thunderbird 2, then
Far from being ‘rescued’ the business was liquidated and a new business set up in its place.
theweegreenman
The dual contracts investigation like the FTT announcement will drag on and on until we all die of old age
===============================
a bit like Jarndyce and Jarndyce
SOT 16.40
How about some mercy? You can’t leave that wound undressed.
Maggot infested steel wool held in place by glue (Bostik, I suppose) should do it
The quality of mercy……is overrated.
Gordon J….
think about the children, why wont we think about the children.
get off you high wheelchair
Akbw1888
Seems we were all wrong about the level of interest in the CL …..I tried to get a couple of packages today ..sold out
The guy at the TO was very helpful , but , ultimately there was nothing he could do to help ..
He did advise that he thought there would be some tickets available from the sponsors section …on a game by game basis only
Delighted for the club if a little fed up for myself
Justice for the 96.
Everytime I see any programme on this, my heart sinks. The police treatment of supporters at the time, was disgusting, and ultimately led to the disaster.
The night we were in Nottingham, was my own worst experience.
On the road down we were stopped about 6am , outside the city, and kept with a number of other buses, near to a services location.
Parked up were easily 40 Police mini vans , fully loaded, and scary with it, there was no banter with them, and everyone felt really uneasy during the wait.
I was ticketless, and when we got there i walked from the town to Trent bridge, by chance an old glasgow guy who lived there, asked me if i was looking for a ticket, one which he had collected vouchers from the paper for. He gave me the ticket, wouldnt sell it, gave me it. I told him about the police.
He told me he wasnt going to the match, as he fully expected major trouble.
The police had been collected from all over, and he talked about the Miners situation, and how Police were getting practice in for what was to come.
He warned me also not to walk about on my own, as there has been strong NF recruiting at Forest games, and someone would get hurt.
I found out on the way home, a guy we knew from Greenock had been slashed very badly just outside the shopping centre, and his small group badly attacked.
As daft as it seems i also got a 2nd ticket for the Celtic end this time from a car passing by full of glasgow bhoys with a spare. I passed on the forest one to another guy from our bus.
At the town hall as well, late afternoon a real battle erupted when the celtic supporters were attacked by a big group of the NF.
None of this was reported at home.
At the match , aggresive policing was very evident. On the bitterly cold night , the police did the exact same thing, opening a gate at the Celtic end to relieve congestion outside. I was allready in the ground, but getting in had been horrible, and not because of bad behaviour or drunken fans, but because of a narrow corner of turnstiles with police on horses pressing fans against the walls.
When they opened the gate, the allready congested pens of the terrace became overloaded very quick. I climbed the pylon, along with dozens of others, and felt truelly terrified, with all sorts of fears going through my head. The only thing that stopped it getting worse was the fence at the front, allthough high , was climable.
A horrible horrible night.
The English press did indeed report it as “crowd trouble”.
see the pictures –
http://www.thecelticwiki.com/page/1983-11-23%3A+Nottingham+Forest+0-0+Celtic%2C+UEFA+Cup+-+Pictures
Gordon_J
ok. Wrong term. Apologies for any offence. None was intended
So,
has anyone any idea why the Scottish courts will be announcing the EBT investigation verdict if its not a legal case
Newco ‘own Rangers FC’ because they bought some property from them?
Are they for real?
Can we rely on BDO to sort these fraudsters out?
HH
Gene’a bhoys name
That may prove to a lot expedient example than what we have playing out for the benefit of TFOD everywhere.
Hunbelievable:
An inquiry into whether Rangers breached football rules through their use of a tax avoidance scheme to pay players will continue later this year.
Following procedural meetings this week, the Scottish Premier League (SPL) confirmed its independent commission would hear evidence in the case from Tuesday, November 13.
Solicitors from both oldco and newco Rangers had raised points about the process with the panel chaired by Lord Nimmo Smith, which led to it scheduling the hearing dates for November on Wednesday.
In an announcement, the SPL confirmed both oldco and the Charles Green-led newco Rangers would have the opportunity to be represented throughout the process.
The panel is considering whether Rangers fielded ineligible players between 2000 and 2010 by paying part of their wages through offshore employee benefit trusts (EBTs) during Sir David Murray’s reign at Ibrox.
The SPL statement read: “Oldco and Rangers FC, who are named in the issues contained in the notice of commission and alleged to have been in breach of SPL rules, will continue to have the right to appear and be represented at all hearings of the commission and to make such submissions as they think fit.
“Newco, as the current owner and operator of Rangers FC, although not alleged by the SPL to have committed any breach of SPL Rules, will also have the right to appear and be represented at all hearings of the commission and to make such submissions as it thinks fit.”
The initial hearing dates set aside last until Friday, November 16, although both November 20 and 21 have also been allocated should it require more time.
SPL lawyers have to lodge a list of witnesses for the hearing by October 19 and has any other relevant party who wishes to be represented at the hearing lodge their intimation to do so by November 1.
Earlier this week Rangers chief executive Mr Green the newco owners would not be cooperating with the SPL inquiry, and claimed it would have no legal effect on it. One possible outcome from the investigation would be the stripping of Rangers’ titles during the time it used EBTs, although Mr Green claimed Sevco had bought the titles and could not therefore lose them.
This came as the First Tier Tax Tribunal confirmed it expected to return its verdict on Rangers’ use of EBTs next month.
It is part of a long-standing separate appeal by the Ibrox club against HM Revenue and Custom’s £49m tax bill it hit the club with after deeming their use of the tax avoidance scheme was against the rules.
I see loads of dodgy handshakes going down as one try’s to flog a dead
horse that will eventually collapse again it’s like buying an old car and
throwing good money after bad which will eventually end up in the
knackers yard under permanent scrap
O.G. Rafferty.
It is hard to believe that the Sunday Mail would post such pish but there you have it.
“By HUGH KEEVINS
THE signing of Claudio Reyna from Wolfsburg has turned Rangers into one of Scotland’s biggest and most generous employers. With an annual wage bill of £23million – and rising – the Ibrox club shell out enough money in a year to buy a small country OR keep a company like computer giants IBM at Greenock in business for 12 months.
Ibrox chairman David Murray is paying out what it would take to keep 2000 manual workers and their families happy on wages of £11,500 a week.
He confirmed last night there’s no end in sight to his spending- despite the fact that the Ibrox club are reported to be around £12million in the red.
The chairman also conceded, though, that a summer clear-out is inevitable.
SERIOUS
Murray reckons the massive wages bill is the price he has to pay to have 20 international stars on his staff. He insisted: “That’s the kind of money it takes to run a major football club today.
“Rangers are competing in the market place with Manchester United and Arsenal, so I can’t afford to concern myself with profit and loss.
“Michael Mols agreed to leave Utrecht and sign for Rangers rather than go to the Premiership with Sheffield Wednesday.
“That’s the way I want it to be.
“I don’t mind losing a player to Old Trafford or Highbury but I won’t have Sheffield Wednesday being thought of as a bigger club than Glasgow Rangers.”
Celtic are about to lose Phil O’Donnell and Simon Donnelly to the Hillsborough club and they also face a game of catch-up with Rangers during the close season.
istanbulcelt – Why would that concern me?
Because before you know it, you’ll feel a large moustache tickling the nape of your neck.
Oh, and my knowledge of Southern U.S states is a little more refined than the movie Deliverance.
No it isn’t. Based on what you’ve written, you’re entirely ignorant about the place. (thumbsup)
canamalar – I just don’t care about the Middle East all that much.
Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy taking sides in international affairs, because it makes the news a lot more interesting when you have a team.
So I generally pick plucky little Israel as my team. But to be honest, I just can’t get worked up about it the way some people do, like George Galloway for example. The whole region is depressing and lacking in lulz. (thumbsup)
THE signing of Claudio Reyna from Wolfsburg has turned Rangers into one of Scotland’s biggest and most generous employers. With an annual wage bill of £23million – and rising – the Ibrox club shell out enough money in a year to buy a small country OR keep a company like computer giants IBM at Greenock in business for 12 months.
———————–
that is funny, given McClellands previous .
the truth will out when its safe to say it..
It’s the way Hugh tells em!
D&P suggest Green purchased the honours of RFC….how much for?
Where they available or general purchase ?
Did D&P get the best price for the creditors ?
philvisreturns
16:34 on
12 September, 2012
istanbulcelt – Debating isn’t your strong suit. The funny cigarettes are taking their toll. (thumbsup)
Ha ha,
Two computers on the go in different offices at work… didn’t know that the first post had actually gone through.
Busy as, trying to read this stuff and fit in a wee bit of work.
(thumbs up) HH
istanbulcelt – Two computers on the go in different offices at work
Show off. You should get two podiums a day. (thumbsup)
Peter Cummings fined £500,000 and banned from banking for life.
Chickenscominghometoroostcfc
Saint Stivs-Queueing to get in the City Ground that night was terrifying.I was lifted off my feet in the crush and facing away from the turnstile for about 20 minutes before getting in.A policeman squeezed through the gate and collapsed clutching his chest,I started to get him in the recovery position and was loosening his tie,when one of his colleagues grabbed me.He thought I was attacking the guy,he was in fact asthmatic and once I got his inhaler from his jacket,he came round.Love St a few years previous, was much the same for a midweek SC replay.
Because before you know it, you’ll feel a large moustache tickling the nape of your neck.
No it isn’t. Based on what you’ve written, you’re entirely ignorant about the place. (thumbsup)
!!!!!!
Deary me, Well look at you!!!!! (thumbs up) HH
philvis..,
which is exactly why its in such a mess, and such a threat to the globe, because people like you dont really give a funkeys muck about the truth. Ready and happy to accept what ever lies the propaganda machine blurts out you will accept and even try to use as evidence in discussions you now admit are way over your head.
Most the problems in the middle east are directly related to the decision to renage on the Kurdistan agreement. The rest are to do with the partition of Palestine.
All the problems are cause by British lies.
Doncaster et al where told there was evidence to support the claims that there was dual contracts at IPox during Daly’s documentary back in February??
Why does it need To drag out until November before a decision is made??? FFS if this was ant other organisation they would be hung out to dry.
They are a feckin joke.
The FTT they have been dragging that out since the end of last year with promises of it will be announced in February, Easter blah blah blah.
What the deck are they waiting for? Do ticketus/octopus have some sort of hold over the SFA to get their money back is that it? In the meantime we have to pit up with all their crap concerning the Zombie Fc?
Rant over.
Kjam.
Think it must have been edited out.I couldn’t find it on the podcast.hh
Big Nan…
“Rangers are competing in the market place with Manchester United and Arsenal, so I can’t afford to concern myself with profit and loss.”
Yes, why would a successful international billionaire industrialist bother with such piffling details like profit and loss?
The more you read Murray’s bombast from the 1990s/2000s, the more you wonder why it took so long for the whole shebang to fall apart. Clearly he was little more than a showman wildly gambling with someone else’s money.
Saint Stivs @16 52.
Nottingham was a truly horrible occasion .
Feckin iphone
Yes ItaliaBhoy he certainly was gamling with someone else’s money……..ours as it transpires!
Show off. You should get two podiums a day. (thumbsup)
Don’t want to take the shine of the guys that crave the adulation. HH
“Most the problems in the middle east are directly related to the decision to renage on the Kurdistan agreement. The rest are to do with the partition of Palestine.
All the problems are cause by British lies.”
I’ve read some rubbish on this site, but that is up there with the most risible.
So it was all sweetness and light before the Brits turned up, was it?
Childlike naivety…
….PFayr
16:51 on
12 September, 2012
Akbw1888
Seems we were all wrong about the level of interest in the CL …..I tried to get a couple of packages today ..sold out
The guy at the TO was very helpful , but , ultimately there was nothing he could do to help ..
He did advise that he thought there would be some tickets available from the sponsors section …on a game by game basis only
Delighted for the club if a little fed up for myself
Good to hear that the Club sold out all the CL packages although sorry to hear
about your problem I heard that they are still selling individual Benfica match
tickets darted around the Stadium also check back around Friday the 2nd of
November for the Barcelona home match returns although I hear that match is
already sold out however I’m sure there will also be some spares floating
around the Stadium on the Evening of each individual match there always is
As for the Spartak home match check the TO around Friday the 30th of
November 2012 to see if the TO has any returns it’s best to deal with them
face to face rather than over the telephone if not then try on the Evening of
said match which is on Wednesday the 5th of December 2012
Good Luck & keep me posted in how you get on, don’t give up hope.
Also, check other Hoops minded blogs there was a poster on here who’s
selling an Adult ticket for the Benfica match if you read back through the
post’s on this topic he has also enclosed his email address
Also ask around your Hoops minded friends to keep their ears open.
reading this again on the celticwiki –
Review
From the Celtic View:-
When the Celtic players ran to their fans at the end of their UEFA Cup match in Nottingham it was not to take a salute but to salute the supporters of whom the club has become so proud.
Such is their loyalty to the club that these fans travelled from all over Britain and Ireland to cheer the bhoys in green and white hoops.
In the stadium there were many strange accents wearing Celtic scarves but when they all joined together the one voice took on that familiar Celtic tone. It was loud, it was enthusiastic, it was continuous but above all it was sporting and respectable.
New chants are always to be heard Celtic play and the one along the lines of “You’re Supposed To Be At Home” showed some of the pride the supporters had in the way that their team had the home side pinned down to defensive play.
There were signs of danger, too, during this match when too many Celtic fans were crowded into the small “pens” at City Ground.
Stories have reached us of Police opening a gate and sending people into the ground through it – ticket or no ticket.
We have had a great number of tickets passed on to us by fans who did not need to use them. Still intact, with the stub to be handed over, some of these tickets did not even leave the owners’ pockets.
Local fans could tell us after the match that they had room to walk about at their end of the stadium. Space was obviously very scarce at the Celtic end and the Police action made things worse.
When fans did spill onto the pitch, things were made to look much worse by the number of stewards and police who rushed to the area. After the spillage, police stood around the Celtic support as if they expected trouble but all they witnessed was that unique blend of enthusiasm, humour and loyalty that is associated with the Celtic support.
Many Celtic fans, having travelled from Scotland for the game, decided for their own safety to leave the Park at half time.
Happy 31st Birthday to Margaret Mc Gill.
Many Happy Returns
HAil Hail
italiabhoy,
thats a great argument, your obviously well educated in the problems of the middle east pre and post war, why dont you enlighten us instead if making stupid statements
Anyone seen the wording of this piece of mince off the STV website ,
Solicitors from both oldco and newco Rangers had raised points about the process with the panel chaired by Lord Nimmo Smith, which led to it scheduling the hearing dates for November on Wednesday.
In an announcement, the SPL confirmed both oldco and the Charles Green-led newco Rangers would have the opportunity to be represented throughout the process.
The panel is considering whether Rangers fielded ineligible players between 2000 and 2010 by paying part of their wages through offshore employee benefit trusts (EBTs) during Sir David Murray’s reign at Ibrox.
The SPL statement read: “Oldco and Rangers FC, who are named in the issues contained in the notice of commission and alleged to have been in breach of SPL rules, will continue to have the right to appear and be represented at all hearings of the commission and to make such submissions as they think fit.
“Newco, as the current owner and operator of Rangers FC, although not alleged by the SPL to have committed any breach of SPL Rules, will also have the right to appear and be represented at all hearings of the commission and to make such submissions as it thinks fit.”
Are this mob serious ?
canamalar – which is exactly why its in such a mess, and such a threat to the globe, because people like you dont really give a funkeys muck about the truth.
True, I genuinely don’t care about the place, but that’s not the reason it’s such a mess. Middle Easterners aren’t sitting around in their fezes and pyjamas, smoking funny cigarettes, wondering when Philvis will care about them so they can stop being backward. That’s just silly talk.
It’s a mess because of its inhabitants. These are the societies they have created.
Frankly I’m shocked at your cultural imperialism in believing it’s all down to some 21st century White Man’s Burden.
Perhaps you need sensitivity training.
(thumbsup)