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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Apropos ticket prices and league reconstruction, with associated financial re-distribution, it surely must be a given that there is a standard cost for a ticket regardless of home or away and opposition. And they should be reduced across the board anyway if the punter is to be attracted back to football.
Paul67 et al
I noticed that the ESPN promotions on screen here advertised the match as;
Berwick versus Rangers. Surely some mistake there.
As for the sectarian singing, just a taster for England
when the new club enters the EPL
“inappropriate singing”!?!?! , Fair play to them for issuing the statement but call it what it is.
Inappropriate singing is a X factor audition.
If the Huns signing is so bad that they have to issue an apology while the game was ongoing
One would expect the FOCUS polis group to fill their boots ….or is it just the GB and Tims they hassle
Btw the Huns have been engaging in inappropriate singing all season …part of the no surrender defiance ….apparently
Sevco manage to confirm their reputation both on and off the park.
Favourable decisions on the park and embarrassing singing off it.
What would Ian Archer say…?
Being a new club, it will be argued that this is first offence.
They’re all FINALLY talking about ‘Scotland’s Shame’ ………. When are they actually going to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT ..? …..it’s been going on / ignored / condoned for decades ….sad hypocrits
Pfayr
Exactly, was just going to post something similar…..hope the institutional investors are looking in…..
an occasional disgrace and a permanent embarrassment.
Wullie Malloy @jimskiv71
It seems the FoCUS team have the budget to follow Celtic fans to Barcelona ,Moscow A/dam etc. In case of zombie banners ,but not for Berwick
Can you BELIEVE that comment on Clyde just then ?
They don’t KNOW what they are singing ? WHAT ??? Jesus H …
“it’s embarrassing” ….? ….. It’s disgusting / disgraceful ……and they’re saying the zombies are not to blame
PFayr (and others)
it was suggested above that since is game is south of the border it falls outwith FOCUS remit.
Is this true? Might this be treated differently because it’s a different police force?
Berbatov having some nice touches today, looks in the moood, scored a lovely goal earlier. Took them both to score, then Walters has penalty saved. Coupon down before it starts!
Don’t worry guys,I’m sure the sfa will hold a thorough inquiry into bile coming from sevco fans at the game today and prompt action will be taken just like they did after the kilmarnock game a year ago
wouldntholdmybreathcsc
Count down to Celtic being dragged into this
Bomber Brown ..from a mild mannered football gentleman in Barry Smith to an uncouth ned
I hope we smash them tomorrow …
Sparkle girl
What like Barcelona , Moscow and Lisbon ….
Can see the msm headlines
OF team in sectarian singing claim
PFayr, yes, I saw that later. Never mind
Bomba Broon now boss of “shoez the Dundeeds”
@SeanGartland: @GJS2010 ESPN announce live on TV they are reporting @RFC_Official to police for sectarian chanting. Newco Rangers – new history, same shame
The Zombies are saying this is the first time this season……Hahahahahaha..hunbelievable
Bomber Brown being given some SPL experience on his CV before being lined up to replace Ally?
Wee smiley thing.
James Forrest
McColl was the only one to make the remark – the others distanced themselves.
Have had the misfortune to find him joining the company I was in once or twice – he is without doubt a bitter individual who more than likely knows the words to all scum songs.
Sevco issue a further statement regarding their fans singing.
“We are extremely disappointed by some of the singing today.
Some of the tenors were a little flat and the basses had periods where the a little too loud. This is particularly disappointing in light of how splendidly they have sung the clubs anthems all season. Choir director, Alistair McCoist has promised to work on these minor lapses at choir practice during the week.”
The FA has today accepted the resignation of Paul Elliott from all roles representing the organisation: http://bit.ly/UU7AMd
When “disappointment” becomes “condemnation” along with a list, I’ll think they are serious about bringing their vile repertoire to an end.
Praecepta Ian McCall ain’t no bigot. Best mate was a good Tim, who Souness told him to stop hanging around with. He use to wind up the rangers bus driver that he hoped all the Glasgow teams won including Celtic.
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors
Next they will claim it as a world record.
Lisbonbhoy,
Any link to his alleged comments?
Oh I liked Paul Elliott. I know he missed his family/friends down south but sometimes I think that if he hadn’t left Celtic he wouldn’t have had his leg in the way of donkeyDean Saunders.
On Barcabhoy’s statement re apologies on Rangers’ putative verdict of Not Guilty, I am not so sure.
Technically, Barcabhoy is right. Anyone accused of serious crimes, who is subsequently found Not Guilty, in a fair and open trial, is due the presumption of Innocence and reparation for their inconveniences.
However, if I can tie this in to events such as the OJ Simpson verdict and the current Pistorius trial, then Lord Nimmo Smith is going to have to go some, to counter the weight of evidence that is already out there.
I am inclined to believe that they will not get away with it in the SFA court because evidence of side contracts are already in the public domain, lesser offences by other clubs have had benchmark punishments which should be exceeded greatly this time, and because they (Rangers) have been so careless in any attempt to stay within strict legal application of EBT requirements.
However, I also believe that the last criteria was also true of the EBT case and 2 of the 3 “judges” there ignored that evidence and, instead, settled on the “they tried to apply the legal rules in good faith but made innocent mistakes” line of defence. Those 2 men were, like LNS, also unimpeachable members of their professions. I do not believe they needed to be members of any secret or Masonic organisation to arrive at such a cowardly verdict, merely that they were inclined not to rock a boat.
I say cowardly, because they chose not to outline, in detail, the reasons for reaching their verdict, other than to state that they accepted the explanations and good intentions of the proponents of the EBT scheme. Knowing that the minority verdict was going to rubbish that naivety, they chose to stay silent and not advance their own reasoning for arriving at the majority verdict. Justice, needs to be seen to be done. It is not enough for a judge merely to say to the public, “I have weighed the evidence and I find it proven/ not proven”. They must also state the principles of law which guided them to that verdict. Those 2 tax lawyers failed on that point, which is why Rangers will get no apology from me on the EBT issues and so-called punishments thereof.
LNS will have to do a good job of explaining why all of this secretive activity was innocent and why their failure to follow strict SFA guidelines and regulations should not be punishable by more severe punishments than a match result overturned for a one off mistake, when they have been serial deliberate offenders.
I suspect, from the way that Barcabhoy framed his post, that he does not expect LNS to find them innocent or let them off and that his was a valiant attempt to establish his credential as someone scrupulous and fair in advance of a verdict which is likely to bring him, and us, some joy.
OJ Simpson got “let off” in my opinion, because sufficient water was muddied and because there was resentment over the tendency of rich white men to get away with lawbreaking, so as reparation a rich black man was let off. Similarly, Pretorius may be helped by police and prosecution mistakes and a public campaign inclined to be supportive of him. However, a South African judge, Desmond Nair, has shown worrying signs of being a judge who loves the limelight so lets hope the waters do not get too muddied there.
To summarise, if LNS can outline plausible reasons why all this Rangers activity was either within SFA rules or necessary for tax purposes and he can compel me to change my mind, by reasoned evidence, then I too will apologise.
I expect to fly to Ibrox on the back of a herd of pigs to deliver my apology to David Murray in person
If the sevco game had only been on BBC Scotland and in Scotland, would they have rushed out a statement ?
Mea Culpa
14:20 on
23 February, 2013
Sevco issue a further statement regarding their fans singing.
“We are extremely disappointed by some of the singing today.
Some of the tenors were a little flat …..
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Nice one.
I expect Green will be announcing that he is offering the use of Murray Park to the Milan Opera Company and will be sending the Blue Order to Milan. Another sign that Sevco is a global phenomenon.
Show me ra deeds of your home
I’m wired and I need to go to bed
I had a little drink about an hour ago
And its went straight to my head
HH
mihal
14:25 on
23 February, 2013
If the sevco game had only been on BBC Scotland and in Scotland, would they have rushed out a statement ?
======
There would have no need.
BBC Scotland is deaf when it suits.
Mahal.
No they would have been complimented for the boisterous support of their team.
Anyone heard from Pat the pen Nevin