Former SFA president George Peat was asked by the BBC this week what regrets he had from his time at the SFA. There should be an abundance of items on that list, but there was only one – that a club asked him not to change competition rules to help Rangers with their fixtures in 2008.
In 2009, during Peat’s time as president, the SFA were subject to a Schedule 36 notice from HMRC demanding Rangers players’ contract details to be handed over. This was the time HMRC were building a case against Rangers, who disclosed one contract to the tax authority and the SFA, but decided against lodging a second contract, for EBT payments with either body.
The SFA were in a unique position to counsel Rangers on correct process. Had they done so, Rangers would have been advised that they were in breach of SFA and SPL player registration rules, which required them to submit all contracts to the sport’s governing bodies.
The SFA would subsequently be obliged to forward these contracts to HMRC and the tax crisis, which ultimately liquidated Rangers, would have occurred when the club benefited from the support of Champions League income.
As it happened, George Peat did nothing, Rangers continued to play improperly registered players for a further three years, and Rangers sold for £1 before being liquidated.
Peat, an accountant, made his way through the SFA as a director of Airdrieoneans. Despite his financial background, Airdrieoneans were liquidated in 2002 after a legendary period of mismanagement. He was SFA treasurer and vice-president, and would have had to resign his position at the Association, but managed to cling-on after becoming a director of Stenhousemuir.
A year after Peat retired as SFA president, but when he was still at Stenhousemuir, his team were the only club to vote to allow Newco Rangers direct access to the Scottish Football League Championship. Peat did not get his wish and Newco started life in the bottom tier of the SFL.
Peat also had the misfortune to lose his Head of Referees in an inappropriate email scandal connected with the visit of the Pope to Scotland. The existence of the email was denied by the SFA until evidence reached the BBC.
Perhaps most regretful of all during Peat’s SFA presidency was the handling of the lies told by referee Dougie McDonald after a Dundee United-Celtic game in 2010. McDonald lied to Celtic manager, Neil Lennon and asked his assistant referees to affirm the lie.
It became evident that linesman Steve Craven was not prepared to do so and McDonald came clean to the SFA. Despite this, the Association conspired to hold the line, as Craven claimed the Association twice asked him to stick to the lie.
All of this was reported openly but it was only the Celtic manager who was lied to, so Peat found no reason to consider his position, or anything regretful in the actions of the SFA.
He was replaced as president by a recipient and signatory of Rangers EBTs, Campbell Ogilvie. Despite Ogilvie’s acknowledged “heavily conflicted” status, it is telling that he was considered more even-handed than his predecessor.
As it happens, the subject of Peat’s one regret was ignored, the season was extended to accommodate Rangers fixture congestion, but in a twist of irony, they lost the title to Celtic and Uefa Cup final to Zenit.
George Peat is a perfect example of dysfunction at the SFA. An accountant at a liquidated club who rose from Association treasurer to president. He should be a national embarrassment, a salutary lesson on poor governance. But he’s not. In fact, he is not even that exceptional.
Foundation preparations for winter
The Celtic FC Foundation work goes on all year but the winter months are critical for those most in need in communities in and around Glasgow. There are families with more problems than you or I have imagined, who are dependent on the Foundation for the most meagre of Christmases. The homeless and countless other vulnerable people are challenged by the winter cold more than is bearable.
I am doing the Great Scottish Run half marathon on at the end of next week to raise funds for the Foundation. You can get involved by donating here.
Thank you.
271 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- »
Aw naw! That’s BSR and Canamalar at it again…and I’m trying to get the weans tae sleep anaw!
When you hear & read about Peat it brings home the constant bitterness & prejudice that Celtic face and have always faced in Scotland.
The fact that we are currently going for 8 in a row and have just won two double trebles must sicken those Orange Barstewards to the core.
Now as a Supporter part of me would love Celtic to issue a major Statement calling out the cheating & corruption both past & present but I realise that our Board’s strategy makes that highly unlikely.
One could say they are either craven cowards or they are pragmatic clever businessmen who have built a dominant prosperous Club and our revenge is the laughter of our Supporters at every trophy we continue to win.
We as Celts are not short of enemies which is all the more reason why we should close ranks and stand shoulder to shoulder against them.
“ We will not be cheated differently “
John Reid
Simunovic? Available?
JJ
George Bleat
WBC-HH
Jj, I’ve nae idea mate but if he is I would play him along with big Fil and Dedryck.
If he’s gubbed again I would stick with Ajer, with it being Killie at the weekend Jozo would get the weekend aff.
Makes sense to me.
H.H
Anybody else hearing that the earth is flat?
Popuprumourmerchantcsc
BSR,
All you’ve done throughout this discussion has been to deflect from the questions , given up what, you never engaged it was simply a childish point scoring exercise for you
Just reading about the “effigies trial of 9 Celtic supporters that a Sheriff has just binned.
It makes for dismal reading, the attempts by the Police and the Crown to “stitch them up”.
A 2 year wait, 7 hearings and a lot of needless time and resources that could have been allocated to catch real criminals
Our Scottish government, our judiciary and Police Scotland are failing the people and wasting tax payers money on a political agenda.
HH.
Corkcelt…”We as Celts are not short of enemies which is all the more reason why we should close ranks and stand shoulder to shoulder against them.”
So very true!
50 shades.
Thanks.
JJ
Greenpinata
Where did you read that?
Peat was so “regretful” about what happened that he took ten years to mention it.
Or is there a particular reason that he is speaking about it now…..?
Dessybhoy,
https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/glasgow-news/green-brigade-effigies-trial-thrown-15169464
For the record,I am in nearly total agreement with Neganons post at 1.13.
My non agreeable bit,is where he does his usual,and has a go at Paul 67.
My agreeable bit is,just WTF are we doing about this.We are standing around impersonating punchbags,letting every useless fud have a swing.
PL,in this matter,do you have any cohones at all?In the current climate its time to make a move.For Gods sake,let us come out swinging.Not as if we dont have the muscle.
Neganon.This does not mean we are engaged,or romantically involved.
so i’m sitting here thunking do i watch INTER V SPURS or BARCA VPSV.i put INTER game on first and low and behold OWEN HARGREAVE is on.what did i do in my past life to deserve him.????????
so it’s BARCA thankyou very much.
Sorry just read it, thanks
Green pints ‘Pro loco et tempore’ – here and now!
Mmmmm – chance to come back again but I doubt it will happen, what total fubar by the prosecution.
Smileyknowyourenemything
The SFA are weaker than they have ever been yet still pander to the hun at any opportunity. We have a golden opportunity to blow the roof. It would only take one Statement from Celtic outlining the reasons why we have no confidence in the SFA. This isn’t about now, or about money or share prices or individuals. It is about decades of discrimination and corruption. Celtic supporters should not have to put up with it any longer and as such the Board should act accordingly.
GREENPINATA
The judiciary ‘binned the case’ because there was never a case to answer, and no facts available
The sheriff added: “In my view the appropriate remedy here is to desert the case and desert it pro loco et tempore.”
It’s PC Plod aided and abetted by SMSM in 2016 to blame for this getting two years down the line, not the judiciary.
David17
Are you sure it is not about money? Maybe Celtic plc would see that differently.
where have I heard voluntary agreement from before?
‘and has been forced to apply for an “individual voluntary arrangement”, which will allow her to avoid bankruptcy and manage the repayment of her debts over the next half-decade or so.’
from The irish times on katie hopkins
Of course it’s about the money for the PLC, it’s about the money and the bigotry for the rest of the game in Scotland, but riding high at the top of the list is the money, don’t kid yourself otherwise.
DESSYBHOY on 18TH SEPTEMBER 2018 5:45 PM
David17
Are you sure it is not about money? Maybe Celtic plc would see that differently.
————-
Those thoughts are my own. I am of the opinion that we have a Board who are overly concerned about Finance. I do not expect them to do anything. In my view our Board are part of the problem and until such time as they actually do something the footballing authorities and the MSM will continue to walk all over us. Ultimately in the end, it will be us, the ordinary supporters who will suffer.
…………………
:))))))))
;)
David 17
Yes and I agree with your concerns.
Ffs 2 lots of champions league games to fall asleep to ?
Celtic take a stance on anything and we see the true colours of our constituent clubs.
In scoddland it’s more Alan Hutton than Turnbull Hutton……..sadly.
It’s ourselves alone…
Champions League farce is back with Inter Milan and Spurs neither of whom are Champions. Its nearly 60 years since Spurs won a league title.
What exactly does the Club do in these circumstances?
Personally I’d love for the huns and their sleekit wee troll(s) here to be named and shamed and held up to intrusive public scrutiny and derision but once done imo the overwhelming scoddish narrative that sees us as the enemy goes into unfettered overdrive………Most of scoddland is prepared to put up with a bent game, sadly.
Where do we go, how do we get there,what do we do……….?
It’s fine to sabre-rattle from the comfortable perspective of a mistily remembered vantage point from yesteryear………some of the memories and reactions may even be genuine, (save for the wee sleekit, hunned-up panto klown) ,
but what do we actually do that doesn’t just blow the feet off us?
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 18TH SEPTEMBER 05.42 pm.
Agreed , there was no case to answer , but the guys had a nightmare 2 years at the hands of the Scottish Justice system. ( I would have called them defendants, but for some archaic reason , we don’t use that term in Scotland)
So I make no apology in calling the whole establishment gang, prosecutors, sheriff’s, et al ” The Judiciary ”
HH.
PS: I hope they all pay for their own wigs and gowns if they still have to don them, and it’s not the poor old tax payer subsidising them.
Corkcelt I am sorry but tripe. What is this great business strategy that Celtic have that involves colluding with those who want you to fail? Please explain.
As for standing shoulder to shoulder with a board who are actively undermining us and criminalising us are you serious?
Get a grip.
Turkeybhoy I require 3 dates before I allow someone to even get to first base and even then I am not sure I fancy you ( your just too angry all the time)………
I can confirm Brendan has resigned and is found new employment delivering Chinese food in and around Bearsden.
MWD
Bankiebhoy that is just appeasement. How will it every change if we continually let guys like peat away with it. We could utterly destroy him. What does it take?
The real problem is the board are up to their necks in ensuring the Huns survived and they are terrified we find out.
Bankiebhoy1,
Pretty simple really,
Report the SFA to the CFCB have them investigated, the outcome will make world news.
While the world media is fucused on the Scottish conspiracy, declare it.
If the desired effect of a restructure of the SFA and introduction of fairer and more transparent system is not implemented then do not apply to play in the Scottish or League cups. These are not mandatory. Advise supporters not to travel to away games.
All of which has been suggested before, and if implemented would bring the support out in record numbers in solidarity while demonstrating the power of the green pound.
I expect it would take two years to force change.
Naganon @6:57
“you not sure you fancy him” … what? you migh?
could neg and turkeybhoy be CQN’s next Hamilton Tim and the Minx…
or will they end up liike Romeo and Juliet …. two star crossed lovers kept apart by … the Board.
Negs
And what is Turkey agreed to go to counselling (couples and anger)? Would you consider taking the big galoot back?
I love a good CQN love story.