I have two significant concerns about Walter Smith’s comments yesterday. He spoke about the events which followed Rangers liquidation in 2012:
“There was no necessity for Rangers to be put down into the Third Division.
“That will always stay in Scottish football. There will be a bitterness in the Rangers ranks. It will be a massive motivation for the club. It would certainly be for me.
“How can they forget what happened to them? Nobody could forget that.”
I’ve spoken to people at Celtic about security concerns ahead of the weekend. The game itself will almost certainly pass off without incident, but what happens on the streets of Glasgow and surrounding towns is anyone’s guess.
You will hear nothing even close to inflammatory from Celtic, senior fans groups, or anyone who cares about the club’s fans and wellbeing. Justifying bitterness due to (mis)perceived persecution ahead of this fixture is inciteful. I’m astonished Smith said this.
On his subject matter, let me give you an alternative scenario:
Newco Rangers are parachuted straight into the Premier League, hundreds of creditors are abandoned, they have a full squad of players and are not a penny in debt. They would have been out signing players within minutes of registration (they even tried to sign a player while still in administration).
With Oldco having won the league accumulating debts they would never pay in 2009, 2010 and 2011, Newco, free of legacy financial commitments, would have an excellent chance of winning again in 2013 and beyond.
This plan was one strand of Craig Whyte’s lunacy and it would have killed Scottish football. Celtic, and others, would have been left to consider, do we pay these millions of debts, or liquidate and spend the money on players instead? I had this very conversation with a senior figure in the game in October 2011, when the realisation of what Whyte was planning became evident. Utter mayhem would have ensued.
The damage done to the Rangers brand of clubs by allowing Newco access only to the bottom tier was huge. It’s consequences are yet to be appreciated by most fans. Newco may never win a top flight league.
But the question was not whether to impose a trauma on ‘Rangers’ or allow everyone to carry on as we had before, this was not an option. It was whether to allow the existing rules and processes to stand, allow responsibility for the enormous mismanagement of Rangers to be carried primarily by Newco, and have other clubs deal with the fallout, with or without a ‘Rangers’ club in the league.
Whyte’s plan replicated what he’d done in other industries, but it would have devastated Celtic in particular. We were beaten for years on the field by a team who could not pay their bills or correctly register their players, then we would be beaten again as they walked away from debts without consequence, which is why I wrote this article in October 2011 on the Prepack route for Rangers Newco.
Pretty much all of what I wrote about in that article came to pass, it had to be stopped (and you’ll never know the key movers in doing so). Smith should consider if the boot was on the other foot, if he would be happy to allow his club to be subverted in the manner he suggests would be good enough for others. It was simply never an option.
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Jamesganh
Is the clue not in his name? HUNtly ? 0:-)
HAMILTONTIM@4:49 – Re Fergus intending to sue the SFA. I would like to see your information on his intentions.
It is my understanding that if a club sues its home associations then all clubs in that country and even the national side can be banned from all UEFA/FIFA competitions, until the dispute is resolved.
If this is indeed the case, I’m sure that a shrewd man like Fergus would have deemed suing counter-productive, always assuming of course he had leave to do so in the first place.
And there you have it, everyone has to provide patsy with evidence he will refute anyway except those he dedicated his unquestioning loyalty.
Patsy is not a concerned Celtic supporter he is an unconcerned Crltic supporter
If indeed he is a Celtic supporter
Just annurra bloag-bashir………………..
bought an’ paid fur like “aw” his pal(s)…………….
Sickenin’ – oh aye………………that’s the point.
Farry left the arbitration hearing at the RAC on February 24, 1996 with no future in a game he had served across three decades because his own testimony destroyed his reputation. Even the SFA’s own lawyers, Burness Solicitors, picked Farry apart.
The case revolved around the wording of an International Transfer Certificate for Cadete, who joined Celtic from Sporting CP (Lisbon). Celtic forwarded the ITC to the SFA on March 7, 1996 with all other relevant paperwork having arrived two weeks earlier. Initially, the club believed the player was a free agent. He wasn’t, but that should have had no bearing on Farry registering Cadete. Celtic could not convince him of this because of a “conditionality clause” within the ITC. Under law, this was an irrelevance, which a fax from FIFA explained. Yet, it was not until Celtic lodged a third application to register Cadete at the end of March that Farry was eventually persuaded of that fact. Under the SFA’s 14-day clearance rule, that was too late for the striker to play in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers on April 6 – a match Celtic lost 2-1.
On March 29, Farry agreed to apply it retrospectively, only to change his mind the following day.
The Burness report exposed the extent of Farry’s bungling. At the arbitration hearing he “substantially damaged his credibility and the integrity of the Association’s case” by failing to produce correspondence from FIFA between 1994 and 1996 on the conditionality of ITCs. He “drew a warning” for “consistently” evading questions; was “unable to give a convincing explanation” why conditions in the second application “were unacceptable to him”; “indicated significant aspects…of registration fell to subordinates” “as he had been abroad”; “he gave evidence … not regarded as credible ….”; “he gave contradictory evidence on the powers of the Executive Committee”; “was unable to explain why retrospectivity of the ITC was not applied in this case” and “deflected responsibility to Mr (Sandy] Bryson (head of registrations] …. (on] certain executive decisions”.
Moreover, it had emerged that the day before his self-destructive evidence he had to be ordered to appear at the hearing by SFA vice-president John McBeth. Farry had intended to travel to Geneva for a conference.
The errors by Scotland’s supposed supreme football law enforcer resulted in Burness advising the SFA to settle. They did so immediately for fear of the further damage that could follow from allowing the arbitration to proceed to a conclusion. In doing so, they paid Celtic’s legal costs and gave them a 10,000 compensation payment – somewhat short of the 600,000 McCann demanded for the semi-final loss. Farry was suspended on full pay and removed from his post permanently two weeks later. He departed with a 200,000 pay-off that still rankles with McCann.
The downfall of the infuriatingly bumptious SFA secretary/chief executive of nine years is one that has to be understood in the context of the infamous workings of the Association. “Increasingly, he was running the Association as if it were his personal fiefdom,” one former colleague reveals. “He had a way that made it very difficult for other voices to be heard and meant there was no way of suggesting to him he could have made a mistake. He prided himself on his knowledge of the rule book, and had an impressive grasp of it.”
Centuries of Scotland’s problems encapsulated in one twisted sneering diatribe delivered by that bitter old tangerine-dreaming, goat-pumping bastard, Watty.
Every modern-day problem encapsulated by the incompetent hacks who sat there in defferential silence, either withering under the auld misanthropist’s glare, tearing their forelocks out their thick skulls or indulging in frantic onanism as the High Maister damned the phantom flan-flingers who were architects of his vile institution’s downfall.
Where were the sharp-witted journos to rebuke his fantasy and respond with queries about his interpretations of the truth, about EBTs, about unpaid Tax, about financial doping and a business model predicated on heavy debt?
Look at the old scumbag as he eyes the hacks – he’s one straight question away from tumbling into an anti-Celtic/Catholic/Irish rant, a classic Hun stream of hate and vitriol ready to trip off his tongue. But nothing; silence. Journalists? LOL. Reporters – that’s what they are; and in most cases no more than ugly PAs, taking dictation from their superiors.
So out their rancid pits Watty’s Orc-armies will crawl on Sunday morning, brimming with battle-fever, desperate for some fenian blood.
Somebody’s getting it.
Might even be me or my associates who’ll become entangled in some pub confrontations. Who knows? Been in amongst them enough over the years to know it comes out of nowhere.
Now the Hun Monkeys have got their stand-by orders delivered from the Witch Doctor, codified permission enough to wallow in hate and spill some ‘fenian’ blood; after all we’re ‘asking for it’ and ‘bringing it upon ourselves’; like Manchester… like Barcelona…
So with under four days to go it’s time to do some crash-prep and research – The Walking Dead, John Carpenter’s Prince Of Darkness, From Dusk Til Dawn, Lord Of the Rings trilogy, Aliens, and Deliverance.
Cheers Watty, ya deranged, miserable, scowling archetype of everything wrong with this mental country.
Chairbhoy,
he has been made fully aware of that fact, it is however not important compared to his unending quest to obfuscate and confuse. He speaks pomposity over substance, the bit that makes me laugh is he probably has supporters among the Celtic support simply because who he is arguing with, they will accept his logic contortions and diversion tactics, and when he has his pompous digs they think he actually got one over me, he knows it and depends on it.
Did Walter Smith get to keep his ” Protestant air of superiority “?
bsr,
like elanor rigby, he keep it in a jar by the door
Fair play to Superscoreboard yesterday! they criticized Smith for his inflammatory comments and allowed punters on to air their concerns! At one point Gerry reminded listeners that rangers were liquidated and not demoted! He recognized it was the fans of clubs who pressured chairman into ensuring sporting integrity won over financial impact.
Rangers fans are deluded because they are fed nonsense from many parts of the media and are not smart enough to see through people like smith , mccoist….these guys milked rangers for every penny they could during a time when they were skint! parasites and they know how to play the pandering uneducated fans.
credit where credit is due to Superscoreboard – obviously keevins was not on the show last night ;)
Sandman
Good post … agree 100%
I’m not going and avoiding watching listening and Internet updates….. will try to avoid the scum …. but if confrontation comes why way those deranged pussies will realise we don’t do walking away .
I predict a riot
CANAMALAR
He should be done under the OBA if he turns up on Sunday.
bsr,
he should be done whether he turns up or not
Efe Ambrose has won more trophies than sevco
CHAIRBHOY@5:28 I agree with what you say, in fact in the preamble to my ‘ten statements/questions’ post, I stated this:
From our perspective we know the overarching and relevant issues:
1) Rangers were approved for a Euro-Licence in 2011.
2) There was an outstanding tax bill that should have prevented this happening
3) Res 12 asks our board how this came about and seeks to have it addressed.
However to make any headway and hold people and/or organisations to account, which I presume is the ultimate thrust of the resolution, otherwise all we have is a debating point; we have to, through evidence, find out HOW these things happened – that is the basis for the ten questions/statements – surely not too much to ask.
You gave your perfectly reasonable reasons for getting involved, my reason was that I saw this issue being used as a blunt instrument to bludgeon Peter Lawwell and the board, by many on here – some looking to boycott matches, stage demonstrations and drum up support for not renewing season tickets – all measures that would have a negative effect on Celtic. In my opinion there was no credibility in their claims that Celtic were colluding with Rangers and the SFA to cover-up the act. That is still my view and I believe that my questions are reasonable and would need to be addressed, if and when, there is some kind of forum initiated to explore the case.
SANDMAN
Brilliant post
Hope your wee girl has fully recovered!
CANALAMAR
Maybe he was abroad on holiday when Sevco applied to join the League?
but we can expect the polis to head into the Celtic dressing room before the game and tell the manager, players must not celebrate goals and score no more than 2.
last week Celtic and Irish pubs and club were told not to celebrate the Easter uprising because its sectarian and racist.
And still there’s people who pour scorn on neganon2 for pointing out Scotland is an institutionally sectarian racist country., because they think its improved, improved mind not eradicated, enough for some.
Harry Forrester oot?
Excellent. We might escape with only a four goal doing!
bsr,
He might have been on a scouting trip for sevco, oh wait ebt’s were done by then :)
Pardon my ignorance but who is Harry Forrester?
Good Evening Timland.
Who’s Harry Forrester?
HAMILTONTIM@5:41 – Interesting piece, I thank you for that, although not specifically addressed to me. I was living in Northampton at that time, but tried to keep up as best I could. even at arms length.
Did you come up with anything on the threat to sue the SFA?
My hopes for Sundays cup tie are –
1) There is no trouble on the park.
2) There is no trouble off the park.
3) There is no trouble after the game anywhere.
4) Celtic win 8-0.
COYBIG
The bad news is that Craig Thoms HUN is fit and raring to go.
Have the media apologised yet, for reporting the bad news about Harry Galactico?
Tavarnier for England, or is he Welsh?
STEBHOY
You mention SSB on Radio Snyde, they also let a fan of the zombie club tell them his team didn’t need us evidencing their attendances since the journey started as proof, the panel lapped it up.
What they should have said was :
1. Only this year have fans really went back, not the 3 previous, glory hunters.
2. It is they who want to keep talking about the old firm, not us.
3. And the final clincher, where were they in 2012, easy to turn up now, but they let their club die.
SSB never challenge the SevCo fans on letting Whyte takeover and then Green play is slight of hand trick with the assets.
Notice how the media including BBC & Sky refer to to up-coming semifinal as Rangers v Celtic.
Are they at the psycological brainwashing ? Why are the lower league out-fit always named first?
Celtic is by far the more important team , champions of the top league etc and Celtic even has alphabetical priority……….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L279ANzMypI
Brendan O’Carroll or sometimes maybe better known as Mrs. Brown talks Celtic.
patsy..,
lets just go through the actual follow up questions rather than gloss over them,
What we don’t know and would have to prove is:
4) Did Rangers mislead the SFA about the tax bill?
5) Did the SFA mishandle the issue and fail to implement their rules through maladministration?
6) Did Rangers and the SFA enter into a conspiracy in order to ensure that the licence was approved?
7) Did the SFA and Rangers engage in an elaborate cover-up?
8) Were Celtic aware what was going on at the time and could they have intervened?
9) Did Celtic collude with the SFA and Rangers to ‘bury” the matter?
10) Why would Celtic want to be involved on a cover-up?
The above are all material circumstances of which we don’t have definitive answers and/or evidence – therefore pronuncements on them are, by definition, circumstantial and speculative. See below to dispute your drivel.
4) Yes we provided you evidence of this which you ignore
5) Yes we provided you evidence of this which you ignore
these two questions are the only ones that need to be answered
6) inconsequential question that does not need to be answered but yes evidence has been provided, obfuscation.
7) again inconsequential question that does not need to be answered but yes evidence has been provided, obfuscation.
8) yes and they did, they sent letter asking questions and were dismissed, they did not follow up the replies with further questions which the rule would have entitled them to.
9) inconsequential question that does not need to be answered, obfuscation, res12 made it impossible to cover it up.
10) again inconsequential question that does not need to be answered.
Why would you include 9 & 10 ?
“We wish the new Rangers Football Club every good fortune.”
Walter Smith 19/06/12
THE RESOLUTE MR PASTRY on13TH APRIL 2016 4:55 PM
JJHS@4:15 – Cheers for the support – I will let people make up their own minds.
RESOLUTION 12
What we are talking about is a licence being issued under disputed circumstances, not unlike the wranglings that go on when street parking-permits are issued to some who neighbours believe are non-residents to listen to Cana and others, you would think that we are grappling with the negotiations over the two-state solution in the middle-east.
===========
Oh that it was that simple. It’s not so because the people we want to argue with regards to metaphorical parking permits have taken two and a half years to answer the bell on the counter of their office.
What is interesting if UEFA get involved is how useless their FFP rules are if the parties who suffer directly as a result of observing them decide sod this for a game of soldiers.
The parties BTW exclude the SFA who would suffer indirectly.
A bit of a conundrum for UEFA who might argue though that their break even rules, if properly policed in the first place, would prevent the situation where ignoring them was to the direct advantage of two of the parties UEFA rely on for their rules to work.
Res12 is a lump of coal that under pressure of scrutiny could become a multi faceted diamond, but right now I’d settle for somebody answering the frigging bell.
From The Herald
CELTIC’S threat to take the SFA to court could result in the club, managing director Fergus McCann, or both, being suspended from world football.
The Glasgow club have threatened to ultimately sue the association if they do not deal with their complaints about comments from SFA chief executive Jim Farry and their handling of Jorge Cadete’s registration, to the satisfaction of the club. The suggestion that they might take legal action against the SFA comes in a week when a Spanish club chairman felt the wrath of FIFA, for breaking their rule that no club can take their national association to court.
Any truth in the rumour that old Rangers FC maybe about to change their name to Glasgow City FC.
Leigh Griffiths has taken 10 penalty kicks for Celtic and missed 50% of them.
I will take serious umbrage at anyone on here calling Murdo Mcleod a soup taker, a horrible term.
He is a fanny.
(That’s better. ED)