SPL chief executive, Neil Doncaster, has until this week insisted that the inquiry he instructed Harper MacLeod to conduct had yet to establish if there was prima facie evidence that Rangers had, in flagrant abuse of league and SFA rules, operated a dual contract system for over a decade.
BBC Scotland’s documentary, Rangers – The men who sold the jerseys, established that at least 38 Rangers players had written agreements to pay them money in connection to playing football and that none of these agreements were registered with the SFA and SPL.
We have gone several stages beyond prima facie. Harper MacLeod can stand down, their inquiry is moot.
Fifa rules dictate that all national associations to hold records of player contracts in order that they can ensure rules are followed and a level playing field is established. These rules are reflected in the player registration process of the Scottish FA and the Scottish Premier League rules.
While every other club in the country was paying tax on player wages, Rangers were able to recruit more and better players for the same amount of money as Employee Benefit Trusts were not taxed. This enabled them to put better teams on the field, win games and win trophies, while their opponents played by the rules and on five occasions lost league titles narrowly.
Rangers told Ronald Waterus’ agent, in correspondence seen by the BBC, was told, using the trust was “in the interests of Ronald as it enables him to receive funds tax-free.
“I can confirm that we will not pay these amounts to [Ronald] unless they are made through the use of the remuneration trust.”
Our game has been rigged since at least 2000. The level playing field some of us were naive enough to believe existed was a mirage. The reach of this practice at Rangers is staggering. 72 staff in total, including seven former directors, one of whom remains president of the SFA.
For corrupting Scottish football on this scale, there can only be one punishment.
The documentary was a triumph of investigative journalism by Mark Daly, Martin Conaghan and the team, who were drawn from news and sport. The BBC is in a class of its own when it comes to complex projects like this. It is incredible that they managed to acquire side letters for 38 players. Perhaps a full investigation by the authorities will reveal more evidence.
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miki67
Trolls are always a good sign
Enjoy it buddy like a fine wine.
Once in a lifetime opportunities are meant to be excruciatingly slowly enjoyed
Hail Hail
I wonder if Campbell Ogilvie’s family are proud of him.
I wonder if Neil Doncaster sees a coward when he looks at himself in the mirror.
I wonder if Sir David Murray is ashamed that at the end of the day, when all is said and done, when the dust settles and somebody cleans the fouled fan, it will go down in folklore, history will record that Craigy Whyte put more money into Rangers than he did; albeit only one pound.
Meant to say I support the idea of not re-assigning leagues and cups to the runners-up. Leave them blank and let them be a permanent stain on that lot ‘s “unsurpassed dignity” and a reminder to Scottish Football to be honest.
As a Celtic fan I want an investigation into Rangers business practices during ALL of the Murray years – I get the feeling EBTs weren’t the start of the dodgy deals.
As a football fan I want an investigation into BoS’s involvement in Scottish Football.
And to complete the circle, as a taxpayer I want an investigation into the lending practices (and importantly the reasons for leanding) of BoS.
Could expose this corrupt and bigotted little country for what it is!
Rant over.
HH
Tombola
kitalba —–
Not only Rugby .
Basketball / Volleyball / tennis too ..
Huge numbers take no interest in ” corrupt ” football . Big rise in the number of people playing Rugby . Basketball , Tennis and Volleyball. Big rise in the number of people going to the Rugby etc. Big fall in the number of people watching football on the tele, Big rise in the number of people watching Rugby etc on the tele..
Many people have said stuff football — it stinks !
Ronald De Boer received £1.2m from the EBT scheme and the BBC have a side letter to show this was the case.
Speaking after the “legends” “fundraiser” De Boer said in reference to his wages:
“We did it just normal. I was just getting the money from Rangers and I’m not looking what they did with it. I get it in my account and we made an agreement and that’s it.”
Mort
Paul67,
That Mrs Paul67 , Martin42 and the kids emailed to ask if they are there yet ? ;-)
Your too good for this world bud !
Hail Hail
If anyone here is from Coatbridge and can get a hold of some old rangers tops to wash “down the plughole”, we potentially have a marvelous photo opportunity here:
Bank Street Basin
When the dust settles, it will become blindingly obvious that the very least Doncaster/Regan can do is to expel Rangers from the Scottish leagues. This is no longer internet bampot wish fulfillment – the long-term survival of the game depends on it.
The ball is firmly in Doncaster’s court now. The issue goes beyond ‘marketability’ and straight to the heart of why people pay money to watch football. Come out with the findings from the double contracts investigation, take the appropriate action, or start drafting your resignation letter.
Whether or not Celtic fans renew their season tickets is almost irrelevant. People who take or are considering taking more than a passing interest in Scottish football will simply stop going to see matches if they lose confidence in fair-play, and the game up here will wither and die.
A final point – If the worst happens, and Rangers are re-admitted to the SPL, Celtic will have a very strong case to gain the necessary approval to make their exit from Scottish football for the English leagues. From yesterday, it would seem Paul67 is thinking along similar lines.
Half Time Tombola on 24 May, 2012 at 12:01 said:
I agree …. leave them empty
I am hoping that the next program goes into the realms of referee, administrator and journalist bribery … probably paid in free match programmes
and phone hacking
HAil Hail
dksglen on 24 May, 2012 at 11:46
Thought that after I had pressed the enter key.
You’re quite right.
CQN is a better place than that- needless to say I won’t make the same mistake twice.
PS
The level of fixation on that particular subject throughout the hun sites is very bizarre.
savo01 on 24 May, 2012 at 11:44:
As I said before it will all come out if it’s true.
That’s what we all want after all. Transparency is everything. If you have that information you should pass it on to someone that will dig around. There is no place for cheating in sport.
Ronald is on the list but Frank isn’t. Does that seem odd to anyne else?
In case anybody is interested
I have every Rangers match program from 1998 – 2003
Dont as.
But if any evidence needs procured I will go through them forensically while wearing oven gloves
HAil HAil
ABERDEEN fans have threatened a mass boycott of Pittodrie season tickets if chairman Stewart Milne votes to allow a newco Rangers into the SPL.
From FF
Mark Dingwall
Updated Thursday, 24th May 2012
Is there anyone involved with the Craig Whyte saga who doesn’t have a cloud hanging over them?
‘Wednesday’s BBC documentary – Rangers: The Men Who Sold The Jerseys – fell into several parts. The first part – concerning the operation of Employee Benefit Trusts under the auspices of the Murray Group – I will leave for now except to say that in general it confirmed guesswork as to the beneficiaries of the schemes rather than presenting confirmation of an elaborate conspiracy.’
Stupid huns…
I see the spl and the sfa are holding a sponsored silence day to raise monies for the rangers fighting fund.
i’ll get my coat
HH
mike
Gordon_J
…….probably just Frank!
:)
DBBIA
Better ?
4 big match fixing scams busted in season 2011 -2012.
It tends to be assumed that all players / officials etc are puppets whose strings are being pulled by someone.
And in a recent poll of 16,500 Scottish fans, 95 per cent said no to Rangers playing in the SPL if they are liquidated.
GORDON J 1205
Different list for Frank.
His is under “PETTY CASH”
Petrol money,to be precise…….
South Of Tunis:
I’m not a great fan of Basketball though I do have a favourite team –Boston Celtics (and LA Lakers). I love beach volleyball, especially when…. I do like my rugby too, and, like Argentina, Italy are going to soon be a force to reckon with at the very highest level of the game.
Blanks
The trophy cabinet was full of blanks
Spaces borrowed from the banks
The price to pay when you’re caught
Trousers down that were too taut
Cups are scratched to delete a name
Un-engraved to remove the shame
Leaving blanks for the years to come
In remembrance of the cheating scum
.
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon on 24 May, 2012 at 12:05 said:
Ronald is on the list but Frank isn’t. Does that seem odd to anyne else?
I can’t find any trace of Mainwairing or Pike either and they were definitely on the list.
savo01 – Do 01!
Did anyone else recoil in shock when Blaxendale smiled to reveal a set of teeth akin to those on the doggy dentures advert?
If they slither back into the spl,the game is FINISHED.
I will always support Celtic,that’s a given,but we cannot,must not,take part in a completely corrupted league.
That road leads to acquiescent insanity,and endless mockery.
It’s just not on.
Any refs on an EBT?
Seriously- it makes you wonder how deep this all goes when you consider that these rogues were probably using “verbal agreements” as a kind of virtual contract most of the time.
“My notion of deep politics… posits that in every culture and society there are facts which tend to be suppressed collectively, because of the social and psychological costs of not doing so. Like all other observers, I too have involuntarily suppressed facts and even memories about the drug traffic that were too provocative to be retained with equanimity.”[
Peter Dale Scott.
Parapolitics & Deep Politics often mean that deeply buried certainties may never come into the open…such as in the case of JFK…the Rangers case may be the same in relation to Scottish football.
Gordon J
I think they could only published the names if those they got the documents for. There might be another chapter still to come, Rangers the 90s!!!!
Wot..you mean…..
Paul “Chompers” Baxendale…….
…and lets not forget THAT pipe!
Belter.
bankiebhoy1
After watching that, I really wanted to get a cool pipe this his.
Mort
SofTUnis -it’ll just be like professional cycling and ‘pharmaceuticals’, woven into the fabric of the sport, impossible to eradicate completely.
Anyways, how are the ole piglets doin’?
Serenity on 24 May, 2012 at 12:09 said:
>>>
That’s good! Let’s hope it comes true.
HH!
Were Gasgoinge, Butcher, Woods, Roberts, Hurlock, Wilkins, Walters, Stevens, Steven, Vinnicombe, Spackman & Mark Hateley on the list?
Surely there was enough there for celtic to issue a statement demanding action from spl and sfa over player registrations and lost european money over many years.
pile on the pressure celtic. come on
HH
moke
bhoy67
Naw.
SFA & SPL…..silence speaks volumes.
Complicit in corruption.
I think that it is now time for UEFA to step into the equation.
It’s getting far,far too messy now.
Doncaster and his incompetent crew are well out of their depth.
Intervention from a higher authority is what is needed to sort this pantomine out.
I would like to see the look of discomfort/anguish on SDM’s face when he is officially “probed”- probing is going to be the watchword for now on.
Something tells me Baxendale knows more than most about that kind of exploratory action.