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.
T-SHIRT STOCK UPDATE: Remaining stock as follows….Small 2 left, Medium 3 left, Large ONLY 1 left, XL 11 left and XXL 8 left. There won’t be a re-print so order now if you want the t-shirt (£14.99) or t-shirt and book (£19.67) at cqnbookstore.com
808 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- ...
- 22
- »
The Masonic Hand That Rocks the Cradle
Dial M for Mordor
II would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who offered prayers and kind thoughts on the occasion of the deaths and illness in my family. I will remember all of you in my prayers.
Jamesgang: this is truly a place where ‘we laugh with those who laugh and cry with those who cry’.It is truly great to have the Celtic family round one at these times. God bless all on here.
Noted that BBC were very kind to the person giving testimony today. It appears it “wisnae his fault”.
Billy Liar
Looking forward to the game tonight with memories of the last Youth Cup final against sevco in 2015 when we pumped them 5-2.
Aiden Nesbitt scored a hat-trick and I can remember KT strolling through the game in a left wing back role.
Similar performance and scoreline would do nicely.
HH!!
No sporting advantage my arse
Murray on EBTs: “Gave us the opportunity to get players we otherwise couldn’t afford”
157 replies 1,286 retweets 900 likes
Reply 157 Retweeted 1.3K
Like 900
SFTB
I have read that you have suffered a loss.
I am unaware of the detail.
You are in my thoughts.
TT
Mutiny on The Minty…
Schindler’s EBT List
Reservoir Dobs…
The Succulence of the Lambs
Dumb and Dumber
The Huntouchables
Hope not…
Tangled
Isn’t life great?
All the big bad huns are finally going to jail.
With reference to Rangers 1872 (IL)…
One Hun dead and one damnation
The Blues Bigots
The Departed
One Flute over the Cuckoo’s Nest
7 clubs for 1 Engine Room Subsiduary
MWD
Monkey Business
S.F.A Confidential
Pirates of the Copland Road
Raiders of the Lost Title Deeds
The Plan that Fell to Earth
Truth or Consequences New-Co
Fillums you say?
Triple bill of
C*A*S*H
Sweet Smell of Excess
and for Paul Schrader fans, Blues Collared
Goodbye popcorn, hello jelly and ice cream
Dr.No Surrender
City of Fraud
DOS Point Blank
and any 70s taxploitation movies. ;))
Who framed Craig Whyte
MWD
Born on the 12th of July
Minty and McIntyre have holed the SFA / Regan below the waterline re the. The UEFA license and this will be repeated as the Donald cross examines all the underlings.
Options for the SFA
– do nothing , let time just meander on and on and ride this out
– take the hump with previous custodians at Ipox and ban the directors sin die , this would affect Paul Hairdo and Dave King
– take the hump with the SFA officials who waved this through so a few sacrificial lambs at dept level , followed shortly thereafter with CEO exit
Supreme Court next up , should be even funnier …. SFA may wish to hit ex Ipox directors hard before the title stripping question needs to be addressed
I’m expecting a behind the scenes deal announced that the SFA have withdrawn dodgy titles , 12 July would be my preferred date to announce this gem
IKI I was guilty myself of it and apologised , when you put it like that makes me feel bit of a twat
Downfall.
Especially this bit.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6KDyEDKwZik
Clockwork Orange b######’s
Reporting Scotland’s piece on the Whyte trial was actually a Party Political Broadcast for David Murray – Pathetic!
Billy Idiot
snakes on a private jet plane
From Monaco with Love
Can feel a list coming on….