It’s less than four days since the SFA, SPL and SFL chief executives met at Hampden to devise a plan to destroy and rebuild Scottish football within three weeks, coincidentally, allowing a Newco access to the second tier of the Scottish league pyramid.
Just as the SPL clubs rejected Neil Doncaster’s strong advocacy that they co-opt Newco directly into the top tier, Scottish Football League clubs are already showing an unwillingness to be boxed into a corner.
Before today’s meeting of the SFL board Raith Rovers have already pinned their colours to the mast, “the board of directors of Raith Rovers FC is unanimous in its view that we shall certainly not cast our vote in favour of any integrated plan that in our view compromises sporting integrity by involving the admission of any ‘Newco’ directly into Division One”.
Earlier this year Raith were caused considerable cost and inconvenience after Rangers manager, Ally McCoist, publicly demanded to know the identities of the SFA Judicial Panel who penalised the club for not paying social taxes. Rangers already knew that a Rovers director was on the panel.
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Sandman at 13:28:
A solid big goalie who sadly only pulled on the Celtic jersey through reluctance, with his heart set on playing in England.
He’s English. Of course his heart was going to be set on playing in England, probably for his hometown club Newcastle. Not sure anyone can say it was with “reluctance” that he came to Celtic. He has always struck me as someone who has enjoyed his time here like many others who have come and gone.
Why we waste time on him when we already let the quality Croation keeper, Stipe Unspellablerightnow, slip away last summer is pretty irritating.
If Neil Lennon had been convinced by Pletikosa, Fraser would have been told, thanks but no thanks.
Football is a world with very little loyalty. If a better offer comes along for any of our players, most will take it and move on. Similarly if we are offered a better player, we’ll be sending the player he replaces with a “thanks for your efforts, don’t let the door hit you on the way out”.
Clubs are every bit as ruthless when it comes to players as players and agents are. Everyone is out to get the best deal for themselves.
Mort
Here’s a thought on the situation re RFC and the Appellate Tribunal.
Glennie reduced only the decision of the AT, not that of the original tribunal. That means that as things stand, RFC has been found guilty – and subjected to a 12-month transfer embargo!
As Glennie has ruled that punishment ultra vires, the punishment cannot be allowed to stand. However, the SFA does have a possible out. The original complaints in relation to which which the punishments were levied were against “The Rangers Football Club plc (“Rangers FC”)”, i.e. against the limited company.
If the SFA chooses not to reconvene the AT, it can only be on the basis that the punishment applies to a company that is now in liquidation, not to the football club previously owned and run by that company, but which has purportedly been sold as part of the ‘business and assets’ of RFC plc (IA). This issue thus goes to the heart of the endemic doublethink on the part of RFC supporters and the MSM in relation to the identify of NewCo.
It is a fact that NewCo can legally leave behind the debts of OldCo, however distasteful some people may find the process. However, from a purely footballing perspective, can NewCo’s purchase of the business and assets of RFC plc (IA), and thus (it is argued) the ‘club’ give continuity of identity in relation to honours won, while somehow exempting NewCo from footballing punishments imposed on the OldCo that won these honours?
Clearly, Charles Green and Rangers supporters everywhere – including the newsroom of the Daily Record – hope that is so, however inconstent it may seem to be. The SFA’s silence to date can hardly be encouraging to anyone who thinks otherwise. However, developments in the last couple of days mean that the SFA’s views may soon be subordinated to a more objective view of the matter.
Rapid Vienna’s recent complaint to FIFA regarding the Jelavic transfer funds takes on a whole new significance in relation to NewCo’s footballing identity. If NewCo is found by FIFA to be liable for a footballing debt due to its being “effectively the same club”, this would demonstrate conclusively that the footballing liabilities of RFC plc (IA) (as opposed to its general commercial debts) adhere to NewCo as a result of its purchase of the Rangers FC club.
The inevitable consequence of this would be the reconvening of the AT, as the SFA’s only excuse for not so doing, as set out above, would have been removed. That would likely result in the suspension or expulsion of Rangers/Newco from the SFA. If by some chance it did not, the disciplinary action in relation to invalid player registrations later this year will surely deliver the same result.
The way would still be open for a NewNewCo to acquire NewCo’s properties, start a completely new football club and apply for SFA and SFL membership. That club might play in blue and stage its home games at Ibrox, but it would definitively not be Rangers, nor would it have any claim to Rangers’ history.
Could it be that the next twist of fate in the Rangers debacle will be Celtic fans toasting Rapid Vienna as the club that brought justice to Scottish football?
gordybhoy64 / Miki,
Listen, I’m delighted the huns are deed!
All I’m saying is, I looked forward to the Glasgow Derby. I got nervous every game, waking up at 6am, putting the earphones into one ear so not to wake the wife and play the Celtic tunes.
It was a battle and I always looked forward to it, particularly when the bookies had the huns (RIP) at 3/1, the longest odds for years.
I’ll miss the Glasgow Derby. But am I sad that the huns are dead? No. Not in the slightest.
ASonOfDan – Jabba is a hysterical idiot.
You’d think he’d lose some weight due to the shortage of succulent lamb. (thumbsup)
Neil canamalar, 2012
Entirely your prerogative. However there have been many, many plus points to counteract that
Some laugh this Hun craic
It`s like a Gervais satirical comedy based around a football club takeover
Hun FC (insolvent) the gift that keeps giving
Absolute pash from the Evening Times. I take it these huge numbers want to pay at the gate seeing as no-one is buying season tickets…
RANGERS fans will continue to support the Ibrox club in huge numbers – even though they will not be playing in the SPL.
That was the defiant message from Gers supporters today after it emerged the club will lose its bid to get back into the top division.
Aberdeen, Inverness Caley Thistle and St Johnstone all confirmed yesterday that they will vote against Rangers newco getting into the league on July 4.
Dundee United, Hearts and Hibs had already declared they would give the thumbs down to the Glasgow outfit joining them in the 2012/13 campaign.
That means Rangers will be unable to achieve the 8-4 majority they need at a vote to be held at a meeting of the country’s leading clubs at Hampden next month.
It is still unclear whether the Light Blues will have to start off in the Third Division or will just drop down to the First Division.
But Rangers Supporters’ Trust board member Mark Dingwall is confident Ally McCoist’s team will still receive the backing of their fans wherever they end up playing.
He said: “I think the attitude of most Rangers fans is that we will Follow Follow our club wherever it ends up, in the First Division or the Third Division.”
Dingwall has also hit out at the decision by the SPL clubs not to allow Rangers newco automatic entry into the top flight next season.
And he has predicted tough times ahead for the nation’s top teams without the Glasgow giants involved in their league.
He said: “Fans of all clubs have suffered for the misdemeanours of owners.
“It is sad to see there is very little recognition of that in the deliberations of the SPL clubs.
“They seem to be driven by the politics of envy and hatred rather than a genuine belief in sporting integrity.
“I think genuine football fans like to see relegation and promotion decided by what their team does on pitch rather than as the side affect of what happens off the park.”
Dingwall added: “I think the actions of some clubs will leave a legacy of bitterness and sour Scottish football for decades to come.
“God forbid any of the clubs get into a predicament like Rangers have got into in the future because they will be judged by their behaviour in this instance.
“I include Celtic in this. No Scottish football club is financially safe in the medium to long term.
“Our view would be that you need to apply common sense at this time. There is no sense saying to a club: ‘We want you to continue playing football, but we aren’t going to let you sign players and we’re going to make you promote kids who aren’t up to the job’.
“I might be wrong, but I think the majority of Rangers fans would like the club to go down to the Third Division rather than the First Division if we have to go down. Then hell mend what is left behind. Let them deal with their self-created problems.”
Dingwall added: “We will come back up and we will come back up stronger.”
St Johnstone chairman Steve Brown admitted the Perth club could struggle without Rangers in the SPL – but insisted they were making the right choice for Scottish football.
A club statement read: “Any reduction in income will have a serious impact on this football club.
“But the board believes that sporting integrity should not be sacrificed in favour of economic expediency.”
Meanwhile, Aberdeen chairman Stewart Milne confirmed: “It is our intention to oppose readmission to the SPL for any Rangers newco.”
And Inverness chairman Kenny Cameron said: “We have listened to all our customers and taken the decision and we now look forward to their support going forward.”
Ex-club in Division One isn’t justice and isn’t sporting integrity
by J. Trainee
THAT seriously unfunny bloke Jim Traynor on one side and Moisty, Green, Leckie and Jackson on the other should be eternally grateful to Scottish football.
It’s because of our demented little game that this lot made a good living beyond any obvious talent or skill. Scottish football media’s erratic crusade to accommodate the ghost of rfc(il) has made us sport’s greatest laughing stock.
It would be some comfort for fans of the ex-club if there was reason to believe we are about to have some kind of closure but thankfully we are far from the end. This story of a bigoted club’s fall is from the dark, while illuminating light on a twistd tale of corruption and cheating could run for a while yet.
The next part comes a week tomorrow when the top flight meet to decide the immediate fate of sevco5088 and, of course, to honour the wishes of their supporters. (Stop reading if you are a supporter of the ex-team)
The bosses of the SPL clubs have listened to their customers, the fans, at last. They’ll say they listened and yes, they did.
While the MSM had the batteries from their hearing aids.
The messages have been coming in loud and clear from all across the land for weeks but only certain parts of the communiques have been understood by the band of media rogues, as no doubt we’ll hear on July 4. Independence Day in America but here in our own narrow-minded little world let’s just mark it an Incredible Day.
Or the day we find out once and for all that sporting integrity and natural justice have come to the fore in the Scottish game. Ancient and sturdy ideals that they are.
The club bosses took time to listen and to their fans and without jumping to rash decisions have eventually come to see that justice not only has to be meted out but has to be seen to be done.
Charles Green, who owns a football ground, a training ground and a car park by his own admission new there were hurdles in place and probably should have known his first stop would be an application to join the Third Division.
Being the only character in this sorry tale to so interfere bring the Scottish courts into what should have been decided by football law, then he must have known this was a rocky road.
It has been that, but his bullish arrogance has been the problem for those other chairmen who wanted to do the right thing for their clubs. Taking the time to think this through and coming out on the same side as their fans, who I have personally shown support for in their continued cries for a fairer league set up in Scotland, one where cheats don’t prosper.
Supporters are not internet bampots, much as I repeat this tag (but you have to realise that my livelihood is at stake). They must be given credit for supporting their teams on and off the park week in and week out and continually putting their hard earned cash into this support through the good times and the bad.
Real fan pressure can be applied to clubs, especially at this time of the year when season tickets are on sale.
They have rightly chosen the only real vehicle open to them in forcing their opinions through their clubs making it plain that the ex-club have no right to be parachuted straight into the top league.
This demonstrates well how the new social media can be used positively and intelligently by supporters to affect change. Without these valuable contributions club chairmen may have blindly voted on some mismanaged notion presented to them by the MSM.
The supporters are adamant that the ex-club is a new entity and has no right to an SPL share, or an SFA licence. Fans also think that the ex-club should apply for entry to the SFL along with the other deserving candidates, they are certainly not naïve enough hto swallow what is peddled in the tabloids and on the radio phone ins as expert opinion and analysis.
Quite rightly. Their considered opinion that there should be a “no” vote on the ex-club’s entry to the SPL. It sems the fans have been heard, it is crystal clear. Well done to all!
The SPL will say no to the ex-club – already six clubs have declared their intention to refuse Green’s club a share – in the knowledge that a side playing at Ibrox side will find it tough trying to win promotion at the end of the new season.
Job done. It may be necessary to sacrifice a TV deal for the overall good of the game and fair competition in Scottish football.
The fans of the other SPL clubs have seen Rangers implode and through their own practices there is a space in the top division. Supporters of the ex-club will probably latch onto anything wearing blue and playing at the same address, but let’s hope that starting fresh will mean they can clean up their act and lose the baggage.
They have known for years that so many supporters of SPL clubs despise them and didn’t care (as they would sing) and now it’s a case of what goes around comes around for this ex-club.
Is it too late. Well it looks like there will be nothing in the SPL for them and it would probably be best if they followed the normal processes and procedures each club abides by as they try to rebuild something new, they might apply for entry to Div 3 of the SFL along with Cove Rangers and others.
When they get together next week the chairmen should have their heads held high, at last they have done the right thing and may have saved Scottish football for all. A true result for integrity and justice.
They will vote, as they are obliged to do, in the best interests of their PLCs. They do so in the knowledge that their own paying customers want it this way.
They know the ex-club can apply for a place in the third division. It is only fair and just.
Like Mario Balotelli in front of England’s goal the Scottish football media themselves have missed a sitter, a gilt-edged chance to actually report fairly and truthfully on a massive story. But if they could just get rid of taste of lamb.
It isn’t too late to let their media know they are on their way out, with falling circulations and the seeming need to hit out like a cornered animal at anything which might take their place. Bring on the new media and the new power of instant communication and sharing through blogs, twitter, facebook and the like we have witnessed in the last 3 years a new maturity which can only be good.
They still have a week to get on message and make their apologies and move with the times..
It’s simple really. The question is, “Do you want a Rangers newco in the SPL?”, it should be, “No”.
There is still time to make the media who think they run our game find sporting integrity and justice. After all the same fans and supporters of the Scottish clubs, are the same paying people who are not buying the newspapers and not listening into the phone-ins.
End the MSM, end their shame.
philvisreturns on 26 June, 2012 at 13:43 said:
ASonOfDan – Jabba is a hysterical idiot.
You’d think he’d lose some weight due to the shortage of succulent lamb. (thumbsup)
+++++
There’s much to be said for a diet of deep fried spam and chips (bleurgh)
Re – SFL3 for Sevco.
One thing everyone seems to forget, is that they don’t even meet the rules for applying to SFL3. 3 years accounts should be required to show financial integrity (need to laugh at that) before an application should be considered, unless I am mistaken. They are lucky that they might even be allowed to apply there. I hope Livi take the authorities to court over their handling of this. HH
Moonbeams WD, 12:23
Some cousins, quite far away
Got my newphew his 1st season ticket, one of those £50 deals. Delighted I won’t have to explain to him why he can’t come to the derby!
Should mean an extra 2 games on his season ticket too, bargain!
Hail Hail
ballabhoy
JMS1888, 12:41
That clock is ticking…
BSR
hated playing RFC …hated being subjected to their bigoted bile at my home ground
delighted the derby is no more
MWD – Count me in for the small change for Oscar!
Delighted to hear the Div 1 clubs and fans saying NO! But listening to the Orcs around me they are in complete denial! Div 3 is too good for them!
new article posted.
Nessi next to walk away….ho ho ho all aboard!!
A thought on Steven Naismith, Steven Whittaker – would they have been paid on 30th of June?
Why did they go public? – I wonder if there was doubt and uncertainty before they decided to hold a press conference, on whether or not they’d receive payment, as I’m sure there is now.
…..and Jamie Ness walks away!
Anyone wanting to help fundraise for Oscar, there is a great girl Nikki at the Neuroblastoma Alliance who is good to talk to. Her no is 020 8202 9065.
If you would like a pdf or jpeg version of Oscar’s official appeal poster (UK or non-UK version), or sponsorship forms, or the little web banner the wife developed- or for anything else please drop us an email at…
teamoscar@hotmail.co.uk
Thank you everyone!
(R*ngers men in work raging this morning about not getting into the league next year! LOL. “We’ll remember this, we’ll remember!!!” <<< LMFAO
They will remember the football club they used to follow.
knoxy
This got posted on RTC. I thought I’d re-post it here as it applies equally to anywhere in ‘The West’. George Carlin(r.i.p.)’s ‘The American Dream’:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acLW1vFO-2Q&feature=youtube_gdata_player
OG…,
It’s not about prerogative, it’s about questioning lazy journalism when it’s evident.
Raising domestic abuse just to bring in the Celtic support stinks
dirtymac – There’s much to be said for a diet of deep fried spam and chips (bleurgh)
Due to my part-time modelling work for George @ Asda, I don’t eat carbs. It’s hard to Blue Steel it up on the catwalk when you’re a fatty lumpkin.
However, if I ever wanted to commit carbicide I would do it in Scotland. (thumbsup)
The bloke i sit next to brings his two grandchildren to every home game, league cup,friendlies etc, they are always there; the only exceptions were the home games against that club known as rangers 1872-2012. He would not allow his grandchildren to listen to the bile and hatred coming from the away end.
That is one good reason that they will not be missed next season. Celtic Park will be a better place without them.
Ballabhoy:
I was just about to say that Ness is the only player I would take from that squad. Excellent young player. Superb technique. Suits our style of play more than mastermind Moisty’s “punt ra baw up tae the strikers n’ by-pass the whole midfield” tactic. But you would have to question his ability to stay injury free.
again , I may be paranoid but isn’t that the ‘new’ oldco top that Lee Wallace is wearing on the photo (in front of an SPL crowd ?) ?
was the top issued before the end of the season ? has he been photoshopped – horror ?
knoxy2000
Did you see my earlier post abt my donation?
Hi Knoxy, would be happy to be part of the “small change” campaign. If still in time I think Paul may have my e-mail address or is there somewhere i register?
Mort on 26 June, 2012 at 13:33 said:
Hopefully, you are spot on regarding the challenge and increased incentives for the other teams, although I would much prefer the two Edinburgh teams and or Aberdeen/Dundee United than small wee pish like Motherwell or St Johnstone challenging. If the Dons/Arabs/Hibees/Jam Farts take the chance and kick on, we could have much more of a competitive league than everyone thinks. No I haven’t been on the glue. Full houses is what we want in Scotland’s four biggest cities.
On the lack of comment from Celtic regarding no to newco, I think we are playing it shrewdly. We don’t need to say anything yet. Also isn’t it interesting that the only part of Scotland that hasn’t had a SPL Club public announcement of NO to Newco, is south west Scotland. East Coast and Highlands tick. No surprises for me there though, as Lanarkshire and Ayrshire are both hotbeds of hunnishness.
Finally and this may stick in some folks craws, but it goes to prove that ALL of Scotland isn’t falling over itself, to aid the former Establishment team. Sure there are loathsome bigotted creatures in pockets around many parts of Scotland, and I know as i grew up In Aberdeenshire, that many Dons fans do indeed dislike us intensly, but their real venom is reserved for Der Hun. The way that The West of Scotland works with dodgy handshakes and other hunnish behaviour is NOT the template for the whole of Scotland. Sure there are masonic knuckle draggers in every city, but they do NOT represent the people of that town. I went to Dundee Uni, and the only time I experienced any sectarian aggro, was from students from Nothern Ireland with a Unionist persuasion. Dundonians themselves were/are hard as nails, but totally cool and the gang.
Next season we will undoubtedly be the team that EVERYONE wants to beat, and rightly so as we are THE CHAMPIONS and the biggest team by a mile. Now many opposition fans really do hate and us, and I dare say that the home grounds of Murderwell, Kilmarnock and St Mirren may indeed swell when we come to visit, as probably a few Huns will go along to cheer on those teams. But it doesn’t mean that EVERY non Celtic fan in Scotland is a hun sympathizing Catholic/ Irish hater, which some would have you believe. I think the actions of the fans of the other clubs which have propmpted NO to Newco, HAS to be applauded. While I’m sure most of them would like us to go as well, they are NOT huns in disguise.
Standing up for the good decent folk in Scotland.
Hail Hail Comrades
Pulls up last.
Big pals off again. He’s just heard abt Raith puttin the boot. And the guy sellin his S T for a pair of sox!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Foahtz9xnw8