Nimmo Smith’s Black Cap

1213

I see a bit of debate on the blog this morning on Lord Nimmo Smith’s SPL Commission, which has retired to prepare its report.  In March last year former Rangers owner, Sir David Murray, insisted no Rangers players had “side contracts”, inferring there was no case to answer.  This line has not been peddled since.  Instead, various excuses are offered in mitigation.

BBC’s award winning The Men Who Sold the Jerseys documentary established that a large number of players received money in connection with playing football which was not recorded with the SPL and SFA.  Even Rangers counsel at the First Tier Tribunal conceded tax should have been paid on five of these players.

The real issue for Nimmo Smith is how to impose an appropriate punishment for illegal registration on this scale, which is consistent with punishments recently handed out to Spartans, Dunfermline and others, all of whom were kicked out of competitions, and fined up to a quarter of their annual income, for offences relating to single games.

For a couple of years now we have discussed the toxicity of matters surrounding the Rangers group of clubs.  Actions carried out during the Murray and Whyte eras put Rangers into liquidation with vast governance issues plaguing the game and the new club which inherited their player registrations.

On the assumption the SPL Commission concludes Rangers were guilty of fielding illegally registered players in hundreds of games, what would an appropriate punishment be?  Forget about stripping titles, or reclaiming prize money, both of which are merely consequences of the facts being established, not punishments.

I have total confidence Nimmo Smith will submit a report beyond reproach on whether Rangers broke the rules, but would he send for a Black Cap before handing out a sentence?  I’m not so sure.  Spartans and the rest might feel their 25% annual income fine for a single-match offence might become an embarrassment to some of the game’s administrators.

“Without fear or favour” was what we were promised last year.  Let’s see.
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  1. Ghuys,

     

     

    Re Murray reffing today’s game.

     

     

    One of the CQNrs previously explained that the SFL has agreed to use a grade 1 ref at any of the games televised live involving Sevco. Might not be a reasonable justification but this was the explanation given.

     

     

    Hail! Hail!

  2. 67heaven … i am neil lennon..!!.. ibrox belongs to the creditors

     

     

    13:18 on 23 February, 2013

     

    Bhuns singing “Craig Burley’s wife’s a w****” ………. They are the vilest of the vile

     

     

     

     

     

    You missed the wee dittys in the first half about the pope and our club and padophiles. It was only the large minority though :))

     

     

    Hail! Hail!

  3. .

     

     

    How can Anyone ‘Hate’ a Group of Peepol.. Because a Few Drunks sing a Daft Song..?

     

     

    A Song are Wee Serious..

     

     

    Have a Look Down at Your Hands.. Then Look around You .. And 99% will thank God Almighty for what they Have..

     

     

    ‘Hate’ is Worse than Racism.. And the Rest in My HO..

     

     

    Summa of Peace&LoveCSC

  4. The Battered Bunnet on

    I hear John Brown has been appointed interim manager of Dundee.

     

     

    What an odd appointment given Bommur’s recent gigs.

  5. estorilbhoy

     

    Just got this back from ESPN.

     

     

    Dear *******,

     

     

    Thank you for writing.

     

     

    The high volume of correspondence we receive prohibits us from personally acknowledging every email. Your comments, concerns and/or compliments are shared with our executives and other appropriate personnel and they’re appreciative of the input. If you have a specific question about ESPN’s programming or ESPN, Inc we will reply to you as quickly as possible.

     

     

    Thank You,

     

    ESPN Customer Care

  6. macjay1 for neil lennon

     

     

    13:04 on

     

    23 February, 2013

     

     

    Scotlands shame at it again.

     

     

    Let the hunchbacks sing their pash and bury their newco with fines they can’t afford to pay.

     

     

    Hail Hail.

  7. Rumour that John Bomber Brown is the new Dundee manager.

     

    He’ll get those players playing for the stadium.

  8. James Forrest is Neil Lennon! We are ALL Neil Lennon! on

    67Heaven

     

     

    Just heard that. Shameful. Sick, sick, twisted people

  9. Bomber will be a disaster at Dens.

     

     

    hopeless people manager, if anyone ever watched him in blue heaven about Murray park he was a disgrace.

     

     

    jim spence not complimentary just now on Shortbread

  10. Leftclick,

     

     

    Looks like a automated email on receipt of yours.

     

     

    Your email will be lying in their ‘junk’ box. :))

     

     

    Hail! Hail!

  11. ‘RANGERS Football Club has issued the following statement in light of events at this afternoon’s game at Shielfield Park.

     

     

    A spokesman said: “The Club is disappointed by certain outbursts of inappropriate singing by a section of the support at Berwick.

     

    “Our fans have been excellent this season both home and away and we do not want to see this tarnished.”‘

     

     

    Must be the first time this season there’s been any sectarian singing then. Must be these English people that don’t really understand.

  12. •-:¦:-•** -:¦:- sparkleghirl :¦:-.•**• -:¦:-• on

    Has Bomber accepted a job with Dundee or with Club12? Does he know it’s Dundee?

  13. Baku/Black Isle Celt on

    James Forrest,

     

     

    I’ve bought your book from Amazon having enjoyed your writing on CQN over the years, looking forward to reading it.

     

     

    Wishing you every success.

     

     

    MJM

  14. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”.

     

    Martin Luther King Jr.

  15. estorilbhoy

     

    13:38 on

     

    23 February, 2013

     

    Monaghan,

     

     

    ESPN must have put pressure on Sevco to issue that statement if it is true.

     

    ——-

     

     

    On the official Sevco website – honest.

  16. Have a club EVERY issued a statement during a game?

     

     

    Rangers FC Official ‏@RFC_Official

     

    STATEMENT: The club is disappointed by certain outbursts of inappropriate singing by a section of the support at Berwick.

  17. estorilbhoy

     

    13:42 on

     

    23 February, 2013

     

    Monaghan,

     

     

    Thanks for that.

     

     

    By the way, do you hail from county Monaghan?

     

    ———

     

    Nothing as exotic I’m afraid – grandfather was born there in 1900 – I now hail from Kirkintilloch!

  18. Keevins

     

     

    “Beggars belief RFC would offer Murray Park to Wales!”

     

     

    Bit of banter with Juve apparently

  19. Monaghan,

     

     

    LOL, same here. Father stayed in Estoril when he went to the big cup final hence my moniker in his memory. I’m from Garrowhill :))) what’s not to like :))

  20. ESPN UK ‏@ESPNUK

     

     

    Sincere apologies if you heard some inappropriate chanting/language from our microphones. Rangers have just issued the following statement..

  21. •-:¦:-•** -:¦:- sparkleghirl :¦:-.•**• -:¦:-• on

    notthebus @ 13:41 on

     

     

    Have a club EVERY issued a statement during a game?

     

     

    ————————-

     

    And yet they think the English are waiting for them with open arms.

  22. James Forrest is Neil Lennon! We are ALL Neil Lennon! on

    Baku:

     

     

    Much appreciated mate.

     

     

    Interesting statement from the Sevconians.

     

     

    My old man said Keevins has just predicted “mayhem” if they are found guilty on Thursday. Surely even he’s not been so irresponsible?

  23. James Forrest is Neil Lennon! We are ALL Neil Lennon! on

    •-:¦:-•** -:¦:- sparkleghirl :¦:-.•**• -:¦:-•:

     

     

    Nail. Hit. Head.

     

     

    This appalling display should be shown to EVERY English chairman.

  24. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    ‘Scotland’s Shame’ are alive and well…..pity their team isn’t

  25. James Forrest is Neil Lennon! We are ALL Neil Lennon! on

    notthebus:

     

     

    Lol yeah, I had a laugh when my old man told me that as well.

     

     

    I thought, when I heard they’d made that offer, “I wonder if the same hacks who told us there was nothing wrong with giving the training ground to Juventus will maintain that attitude here …”

     

     

    I guessed not.

  26. notthebus

     

    13:41 on

     

    23 February, 2013

     

    Have a club EVERY issued a statement during a game?

     

     

    Rangers FC Official ‏@RFC_Official

     

    STATEMENT: The club is disappointed by certain outbursts of inappropriate singing by a section of the support at Berwick.

     

     

    —————————-

     

     

    does that ambiguous statement mean there are other outbursts of inappropriate singing they are ok with ?

     

     

    Succulent Lamber is a hopeless communications director.

     

     

    hehehehhehehe

  27. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    sipsini

     

    13:27 on 23 February, 2013

     

     

    Just heard,to the tune of: “For he`s a jolly good fellow”

     

     

    The Tims are havin` a party

     

    The Tims are havin` a party

     

    The Tims are havin` a party

     

    The Tims are sha—-` weans.

     

     

    Like I say,mate,every song`s another nail in their coffin.

     

    This does not cause me grief.

     

    :-)

     

    We should expect an earnest statement of disapproval from C.Green soonest.

     

    HeeHee

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