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.
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Ron67
Gamboa won’t start and if PC lustig is fit he’ll play
according to our club webpage we have
4 goalkeepers
11 defenders
15 midfield
3 forwards
in our first team squad.
GENE on 18TH SEPTEMBER 2018 9:09 PM
Ron67
Gamboa won’t start and if PC lustig is fit he’ll play
we need pace and legs not hats and plodders
Ron67
we certainly need pace and movement but IMO Gamboa won’t start or even be on the bench
but what do I know
GENE on 18TH SEPTEMBER 2018 9:13 PM
only selected CG as we don’t have many options for right wing back role , we could play KT on right and EI on left.
Perhaps we should introduce a new piece of kit for the players to wear- the dog training collar
Every time we pass back or across – zappp
Running at defenders at pace , instead of stopping , turning back and passing back to a midfielder who passes it back to a defender who passes it back to the keeper, who rolls it out to a defender etc ,etc (repeat until comatose).
These CL teams just don’t understand how to play the game-))
Canamalar @ 10:26 am
“I suspect he did not exit immediately for two reasons first because he has a contract that allows the Plc to sue if he walks out without notice and secondly the Plc would be aggressively against such action as it would demonstrate clearly to the whole Celtic support that he was not being supported by the Plc, however I expect some would still take the Plcs side and blame him for deserting the club in its hour of need whilst claiming it’s never been better. There is also the consideration that you’ll damage the club and your own reputation with the Celtic support if you walk away could have been used, it’s ehularly used on here as a stick to beat dissenters.
So if he leaves at the end of the season I maintain this will have been the source of his ire.
If he does not I expect we will see improved performance by the CEO in supporting him by getting his selected prospects in the door.”
First of all, thanks for answering all of the points I raised and not ducking any.
However, I remain unconvinced by the scenario thet you “suspect”.
If he was so disappointed by the transfer approaches taken, he could have served notice and he could be gone by now (not sure how lengthy a notice period is in his contract, are you?). The fact that he stayed and, despite today’s rumours, is still with us, suggests that, whatever his level of disappointment it was not enough to force him to quit.
Maybe he has given the club one more chance to do better in January before he acts on his feelings but, there is at least an equal maybe in your final acknowledggment that a better window next time might see him continue.
There are other reasons why Brendan may leave though.
He has already re-surrected his reputation in having an Invincible team and doing reasonably well in some CL ties (Man City in particular). He may not be able to earn much more kudos in a quest for a “bigger job” by staying here. He will earn only a grudging “meh” if we defeat the rest of the SPFL including Stevie G’s Galacticos, but he could lose a lot if celtic were ever to lose a league or even fall from the level of double trebles.
Gordon Strachan did not earn many job offers in winning 3 iar but, when he lost his quest for 4iar, he was completely off the radar for any larger clubs. Brendan must be acutely aware that there are a lot of risks and precious few rewards in this job as even our own much-indulged support are beginning to get very tired of the lack of shine on his 2 year old bling.
There are Pull factors involved here as well as the Push Factor of the last window.
Steve McManaman makes my blood boil.
Whinging squeaky voice.
I would gladly throttle him.
TT
It seems there is rising discontent at the slow paced,Lateral,impotent football that we play.
Brendan has to take responsibility.
He has had ample adulation when it was going well.
Time to really show that his salary is justified.
Yesterday has earned him some slack ,but it won’t last forever.
TT
***Last Man Standing 11 update***
Flippin blast from the past……..
Tooting Tim has just joined LMS11.
Surely you other lurkers aren’t going to miss out and let Tooting Tim grab all the glory and the winnings :-)
HH
CRC
So Sallah plays a sideways ball and PSG score from the miss placed pass, lessons to be learned Brendan.
CELTICROLLERCOASTER
Not a problem letting TOOTINGTIM win all that cash. He’ll need it for my beer in a few weeks.
” Virgil Van Dijk didn’t tackle quickly enough ”
Steve McManaman
£75M CSC
FATHER JACK on 18TH SEPTEMBER 2018 9:45 PM
So Sallah plays a sideways ball and PSG score from the miss placed pass, lessons to be learned Brendan.
……………………………………….
Don’t sign Sallah :))
Absolutely unrelenting pressure from Liverpool, with BOTH full backs overlapping non stop, pays off big time. PSG nowhere.
Congratulations to Liverpool
Great game. Long time since I enjoyed a non Celtic game so much.
sign Fermino
Gene
Ach he would struggle to get on our bench
If Brasil had played Liverpool players instead of the Paris players they might have won the WC, or maybe not
Hope BT Sport aren’t going down the Sky TV route, with a fixation for the deadly bears. Twice mentioned them and Chelsea playing but not a word about us. Continue and that’s another £27 saved
Corkcelt you don’t bring a knife to a gunfight. If you don’t realise what the Celtic Huns thing is all about then more fool you.
This isn’t and has never been about football. It’s about racism. It’s about keeping Irish Catholics in their place.
It’s about how that generates money and it’s the singular reason for all that has unfolded.
If you want to watch football and not give a damn then fine. But no matter what you think it’s what drives all the behaviour you see. That and of course greed and love of money.
As for your criticism of my spelling well boohoo. I personally blame Ipad spellchecker but really that was pathetic.
There is such a thing as moral courage though. There are plenty of examples. How about nelson Mandela?
Really enjoyed LIverpool v PSG tonight and a fine performance from Andy Robertson. Well deserved win.
Off now for my 2nd last sleep (not literally, I hope but, of course, I have no control over that!)
Gee whizzzz whit aboot us much maligned scottish catholics
I feel young Robertson is moving ahead of KT through playing at a consistently higher level of the game, though I suspect even Kieran would shine in this Liverpool team, the style would suit him greatly…
And the occasional long ball is good, keeps defenders guessing…all in all, a good game of football at Anfield…
PB
Met a lovely lassie fae Prestonpans at Richard Ashcroft/Liam Gallagher gig at Old Trafford Cricket Ground last month. She told me she was into fitba and music. My kinda girl I thought, till she mentioned that she had a season ticket for Ibrox.
Ach well. What coulda been. ;))
DD,
Know a few Hun women from this parish however none you would consider, even drunk. Due you a handsome Hun…….
Do…even ?
PB
I was very,very drunk. ;)
Neg
“Its about keeping Irish Catholics in their place ”
Really? Really?
Its fecking football. And how does Celtic managing to become one of the most successful sporting institution on the planet tie in with this latest lunatic theory of yours.
Get a life.
DD…
Could be worse she could have been a Linfield season book holder.
Don’t be so fussy mate.
If she’s a nice person that’s all that counts.?
Robertson also puts in a very tasty cross which also puts him slightly ahead of Keiran as an all round footballer.
It’s not bad spelling Neg it’s knowing the difference between moral & morale.
Re the racism issue what exactly are all your rants trying to achieve.
The way to beat racists is not to get into a dog fight with them or else we become two sides of the same coin.
If you outline a sensible coherent strategy to deal with racism then yes I’d back that.
However spicing up your arguments by just repeating key words like Racism, Greed Corruption & Collusion doesn’t really achieve anything.
One thing I will concede to you is you know how to entice an opponent into a Barney.
SIPSINI
Bollox. All that counts is that she has a pulse and says yes.
BMCUW
If she’s a zombie , she won’t have a pulse.
Jobo
“Two more sleeps before the Hoops play next” and you are sorted!
Don’t tempt fate :-)
HH
CRC
DD,
That explains it, on a serious note this is really a Hertz zone with a reasonable sized supporters bus. The Hun’s don’t even run a mini bus anymore I think. Their demise coincided with that of the OO here, which is nice, once upon a time we ran a full 54 in the Mon days. Down to a mini now but economically viable with money in the bank Prestonpans CSC is safe for many many years to come✌️