When asked on Twitter four years ago how Rangers were granted a licence to play European football in season 2011-12 when they were overdue with HMRC, SFA chief executive, Stewart Regan, replied, “If someone sends you a bill you disagree with then you do not accept it was overdue”.
Any business is allowed to dispute a tax demand, but former Rangers director, Donald McIntyre’s evidence at the High Court in Glasgow yesterday was clear, Rangers had accepted liability for unpaid PAYE and National Insurance claims in connection with the Wee Tax Case (DOS) in 2010.
If, as Regan suggests, Rangers misrepresented this fact to the SFA Licencing Committee in their March 2011 application, the Association now have action to consider.
If you have been around this story for the best part of the last decade you will recall a number of us writing on the perilous state of Rangers finances while the club was under the control of Sir David Murray. This was robustly disputed by the club at the time, but in his evidence McIntyre noted that, under Murray, the club appointed an insolvency expert to ensure they were not trading illegally.
Just one month before the sale of the club to Craig Whyte in May 2011, in an email produced by Craig Whyte’s counsel, Donald Findlay, Mr Mike McGill of Murray Holdings, advised that “it would appear forecasts for club have deteriorated, we will breach bank facility”.
Asked by Findlay if “HMRC were coming for the club and were after blood”, McIntyre said “Yes.” The directors of Oldco Rangers omitted this sentiment from their public comments at the time.
Rangers were a football club running a perilous financial strategy from the 1990s until liquidation was eventually confirmed in 2012. They established a mindset, not only in their own support, but in parts of ours too, that spending money you couldn’t afford on casino football was the only acceptable way clubs should behave.
You still hear the echoes of those times, from Willie Henderson’s request that Newco spend £50m, to comments a lot closer to home when Celtic fail to win a football game.
Please remember that while it is OK to report evidence discussed at court, you should not comment on matters pertaining to the charges against Craig Whyte.
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DAVIDO
The photo of the signing of the contract must be real.
You can see the tension in the room. Craigy mumbling under his breath, “sign it, feckin sign it”
DAVIDOPOULOS on 26TH APRIL 2017 3:18 PM
If Murray didn’t sign the Share Purchase Agreement and the photo was just mocked up for the press a week later. Who did sign it? To whom did Murray provide authority to sign on his behalf? His advisors? So it’s their fault?
If Murrays signature is on it, how can he say he wasn’t there when it was signed/concluded ?
if photo was a mock up, why has Murray never said anything about it ?
Big Jimmy
Apparently the final version produced by Findlay at the trial does NOT have Murray’s signature on it…
FFS…Who killed Cock Robin…it wisnae me says Murray………with a bow and arrow in his hands….we arrow peepil !
Murray shown an email from him to David Horn from 4 May 2011 (2 days before the takeover)
1/?
“we need to get this over the line…or the chance of stability is gone” there is no realistic alternative..nothing is perfect
“Any hope of future funding is lost….our season ticket and future playing squad details will not make good reading”
James Doleman
Murray shown an email from him to David Horn from 4 May 2011 (2 days before the takeover)
…..
“we need to get this over the line…or the chance of stability is gone” there is no realistic alternative…nothing is perfect
…..
“Any hope of future funding is lost…our season ticket and future playing squad details will not make good reading”
Who’s the feckin real Judge in this…Don Robertson ?
Nay kidding….so why feckin POSE for a photo….why has Murray never claimed the photo was only a stunt ?
Its a funny old game Joey…
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/428972/Rangers-star-Ian-Black-gets-10-game-ban-and-7-5k-fine-for-gambling
Big Jimmy
Even if the photo was only a stunt, that doesn’t mean that the SPA wasn’t concluded and effective. Murray could have given his advisors authority to sign on his behalf.
Findlay should ask him……………” Is that Club or Company season book money” ?
Poor Joey.
He will only have the Sevco severance payments to eek out for living expenses now.
Shame. :)
thetimreaper on 26th April 2017 2:51 pm
Findlay asks Murray about evidence he had settled the small tax case. Murray says “we had decided to pay it” but later Whyte took it on
———–
Sounds like it wasn’t “in dispute” then (on 31st March)…
Its easy to laugh at Joey Barton but watch any game today and you are bombarded by advertisements for betting companies.Its all about lifestyle,get an online account everyones a winner.I certainly think Barton has a point when he says,
“It is like asking a recovering alcoholic to spend all his time in a pub or a brewery. If the FA is serious about tackling gambling I would urge it to reconsider its own dependence on the gambling industry. I say that knowing that every time I pull on my team’s shirt, I am advertising a betting company [Burnley are sponsored by Dafabet
Dafabet now where have I seen that before?
Is Lady Stacey a looker ?…what age is she.?..I’m looking for a burd with a brain….just for a wee change you understand.
HH
Oh naw wait a minute…a burd with brains. ?..that’s a dangerous concoction. Been there and done it.
I’ll stick to burds with the same IQ as myself, it’s feckin safer.
HH
James Doleman @jamesdoleman 1m1 minute ago
Lady Stacey says agreement at pre-trial was documents be available on computer.
Findlay says “I don’t do electronics”
_____________________________________________
Spat out my coffee!
Having said that, documents being passed about seems to be a good strategy in the courtroom. I was a witness in a High Court hearing just over a year ago (a commercial case) and their advocate was producing documents in a lever arch file; at one point I had four very full files in front of me and he was trying to jump between them to create an element of confusion. It didnae work with me but some others found it difficult!
KTF
Murray constantly contradicting himself
So today Murray has tried to slopey shoulder a lot of things,as you would expect. Now for all the adverse goings on at the club in 2010/2011 he has basically said “It wasn’t on my watch, I wasn’t chairman at the time”.
Hmm. Is Alistair Johnston a witness at this trial? He’s going to have to find someone to pass blame on to in a similar fashion…
Oh, is Martin Bain a witness at this trial?????
CANAMALAR IT LOOKS LIKE OCD OBSESSION
It’s imposible to tell just one lie and the man has a lifetime of lies behind him, a stranger to truth he will be shocked by it!
Please God let the truth of this whole stinking edifice come out..
James Doleman @jamesdoleman 4m4 minutes ago
More
Findlay says no prospect of finishing questioning this afternoon, Lady Stacey sends jury home, back at 10 am tomorrow
_________________________
Sleep well tonight Minty!
KTF
Murray trying to say the huns were run by committee, is a chargable offence on it’s own
Am thinking Lady Stacey having a wee PMS Moments this week?
Thanks for all the updates lhads. Only thing missing is Lymmbhoy’s action replays. Great entertainment, however. And lots more to come methinks.
Knighted for his stellar business attributes, and knows f… all about what happened, says it all really.
Nobody has yet mentioned the court official who is interpreting for the neds.
William Samuel ‘Sammy’ McHunface.
HH!!
What time does the young Bhoys kick off.
Ta.
HH
Murray claimed today that it was a group decision to sell the club to Whyte ?
When got knighted for his business attributes etc…..was that a Group Knighthood ?
Who was the first GLIBBY….Murray or King ?
HH
DIXIE,
7.30 MATE.
hh
COYBIG.
Cheers BJ.
HH
Great entertainment, hun on hun action, and Minty squirming.It will only be worthwhile if CFC can use evidence after the verdicts.
Seriously, is it just me that has got this wrong /
Murray today in Court claimed that it was a Group decision to sell to Whyte /
Lets say for that was a LIE ?
With all the media coverage, and live stream etc….what is to STOP another other hun director from that time watching live stream etc, and then simply knowing what to say when they are called to give evidence ?
Have I got this all wrong ?
Help ?
HH
Murray DUPED Whyte….Murray DUPED the hun support…is he now trying to DUPE the Court ?
He wouldn’t…..would he ?
HH
Still early days.
Day 5 of an expected 11/12 week trial
Interesting watching Finlay slowly build his jigsaw, it is his stage.
i wouldnt be suprised if Sir87% is recalled as more witnesses (jonston/bain) give their testimony.
HH
I don’t think the expected six week lay off for Dembélé is as bad a blow to us as it seems.
I mentioned before that an average hamstring injury would take that time to heal, so the length of absence could have been anticipated.
Here’s the good news.
As a young player, in his position, he has had a big first season, playing at a standard far above what he was used to.
He is still physically developing, so the rest will do him good.
As a result of this rest, he will be rested and ready to go when pre-season starts.
This augers well for the qualifiers.
More good news?
He will be out of the limelight, away from predatory prying eyes.
Still more good news, is it?
Leigh will have the chance to get himself up to speed after his fractured season and also be in ship shape for the early games.
#alwayslookonthebrightsideoflifeCSC
It would be interesting to know which “ludges” the jury came from.
Sentence will be 40 hours community service methinks.
KINGLuBO
BIG JIMMY on 26TH APRIL 2017 4:25 PM
Seriously, is it just me that has got this wrong /
Murray today in Court claimed that it was a Group decision to sell to Whyte /
Lets say for that was a LIE ?
With all the media coverage, and live stream etc….what is to STOP another other hun director from that time watching live stream etc, and then simply knowing what to say when they are called to give evidence ?
——-
Jimmy, the Huns will have their stories in order. They will have got together behind the scenes to make sure they are all signing from the same hymn sheet. It’s up to the Defence to pick holes in them individually and collectively.
I expect today’s evidence and future evidence from Murray will see charges dropped as it becomes clearer that the wrong man was charged in the first place.
At the end of business today, I watched as Murray struggled from his seat.
The effort and strain was evident.
Cheap laughs at his disability are unbecoming of this blog.
Just read that Joey Barton bet on his own team to lose in a handful of matches. Truly disgraceful. What an insult to his employer and his team mates.