More evidence emerged today on how Rangers recompensed players through their Employee Benefit Trust (EBT) scheme in The Sun newspaper, who have a draft contract Rangers offered an unnamed player. The contract was a letter confirming a six figure payment as well as a £1200 per game appearance bonus.
An accountant told Sun reporters Paul Thornton and Ewing Grahame:
“I have been shown a contract of employment showing how much money players were going to get but also a back letter which I presume that individual has assumed is part of his salary. It seems like a contract.
“If the two documents are handed to someone together, is that seen as being his overall package? If the answer to that is yes then there is a problem because the money that goes into the trust really should be getting taxed because it is his salary.
“The fact it is there as a back letter at all suggests it is dodgy.”
Attention is obviously drawn to the potential criminal consequences of these tax arrangements but football fans throughout the country will be alarmed that Campbell Ogilvie, the man who was general secretary and director of Rangers when the EBT scheme started, is currently president of the SFA and would have been involved in scoping out the secret remit of the SFA inquiry into Rangers, which was asked to report within an incredibly quick two week period. Ogilvie is also one of the few men the inquiry will report to.
If the allegations in today’s Sun are accurate, Rangers have improperly registered football players for a period of around a decade. The penalty for playing an improperly registered footballer in any game is a 3-0 forfeit.
When the SFA president is in a position to confirm all of this, the association have all information they require to make a ruling on this, but despite these allegations being widely reported for many months, they have yet to even acknowledge there is anything to investigate.
Can you imagine the scrutiny the Football Association in England’s board and chief executive would be exposed to if this scandal was not being actioned?
Issue six of CQN Magazine, the Fit and Proper edition, is set to become a landmark collectors item. You can browse the magazine online here but you can buy your own hard copy by clicking on the link below. Read with 20-20 vision…..
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RON
I got the same message and closed but was ok when I logged on again.
Was surprising though never saw a message like that before!
NEW ORC RANKERS anyone?
ERNIE LYNCH 1121
Doubt it,for reasons previously stated.
Doc is Neil Lennon:
If you ask Paul to forward your e-mail I’ll forward you the PDF’s. Have to wait until tomorrow though ’cause it is now way past my bed time.
I’m guessing you lot are using Internet Explorer. You should try using a more obscure browser such as Firefox or Safari, no one bothers writing hacks for these cos they think no one uses them. Chrome is also extremely secure.
kitalba says:
27 February, 2012 at 11:27
Also meant to say, I remember Paul67s article regarding the data.
It was what I base my original answer on. The raw data is still available from the original sources. The SNP simply don’t want it in the public domain, it does nothing to “even things up”.
Back to work, for now.
Kitalba
Will do.
The sectarian crime stats they forgot to destroy
22
share
I’ve just caught Joe O’Rourke’s article on the Association site about the long-awaited released of statistics on sectarian crime in Scotland. Joe suggests that the data from 2003 – 2010 was has been destroyed by the Crown Office. I also hear that the Scottish Government will release entirely irrelevant ‘information’ today, specifically, where offences took place, not which groups were responsible or which groups were targeted by the offenders.
It takes a lot of effort to make sure you destroy data these days, you need to ensure not only that prosecutors permanently delete backups (which I really doubt they do) but also that the police similarly comply.
Fortunately all is not lost. While it’s just about believable that regional police forces across Scotland and the Crown Office have acted in symmetry on this issue, I could have helped the First Minister, Alex Salmond’s, search for clarity by pointing him in the direction of British Transport Police (BTP). The Transport Police are a separate force who operate across Britain and are run by the Home Office in London. They are also a lot less proficient at destroying data.
They previously gave me detailed statistics on all incidents they record in connection with Scottish football for season 2007-08. One of the most pleasing aspects of the information is the complete eradication of sectarian offences from all but one Scottish club, so the First Minister will be delighted to learn he has a smaller problem on his hands than he perhaps knew. According to BTP, 11 arrests were made for sectarian offences in total, 10 Rangers fans and one Northern Ireland fan.
You can see the detail figures for all recorded incidents here (the majority of which are for non-sectarian issues). From a total of 99 incidents (not all of which resulted in arrest), there were six involving Celtic fans, six for Dundee United, seven for Motherwell, four for Hibernian and five each for Aberdeen and Hearts. Rangers fans were involved in a total of 48 incidents.
The BPT figures also make it clear that most incidents occur when fans travel to away venues. The Force also confirmed that incidents surrounding the 2008 Uefa Cup final in Manchester were not included in these statistics.
To further aid Mr Salmond in his search for clarity on this issue, he can contact British Transport Police with a Freedom of Information request here, where they will be able to provide him (or you) with up to date stats.
Cracking article from Phil..
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/under-pressure-they-reveal-their-soul/#more-2183
There is a gremlin on Chrome for me.
I got a warning which I tried to copy but it wouldn’t let me.
I’m still getting the Page unavailable message regularly. Paul, you may want to investigate.
Bobby Murdoch Curled Up Winklepickers 11.31
Your welcomed.We don’t need any lessons from Scottish journalists.Slan
Paul67, anyone ?
I’m getting an error when I click to buy a hard copy of the mag.
Is there an alternative route ?
pigalle
ROGUE LEADER 1123
In all honesty,none was taken.
My ability to be a wind-up merchant and a pedant at the same time is a cross to be borne.
But also not to be passed up!
Back to the point,RL,I seriously believe they will have REAL problems reforming in time.
None of the divisions can operate with an odd number of teams,so the vacancy will be up for grabs.
Newco will not be organised in time unless someone puts in a MAJOR amount of cash.
Once they are gone,as I said,they are gone for good.
Paul 67
Think the site may have been hunfiltrated, Google?
does anybody know if a player can play international football if they are not registered as a player at a club?
i suppose cousin sort of did at the african cup of nations, but i would be lying to suggest i know much about his contractual situation.
i hadn’t ever thought about it before, and just wondered if anyone knows.
Rogue
Re your earlier post: That’s what I see. Either the side letters were included in the Registration bundle, in which case Rangers are doomed at Tribunal, or they weren’t, in which case there is a prima facie argument that these players were invalidly registered, with the sack of snakes that releases.
Invalidly registered for the SPL, the Scottish Cup, the League Cup, the UEFA/Europa Cup/League and the Champions League.
Given the extent of the issue, and the personalities involved, the consequences on Scottish Football are far more severe than an insolvent Rangers losing the Tax Case.
BRTH has also pointed out that players’ contracts must be in the form prescribed by FIFA. He asks an interesting question to that end: Even if the side letters were included as a paper apart in the Registration bundle, they don’t look like the FIFA prescribed form of contract do they?
I really cannot see a clean way out of this.
It’s a pity we don’t know what Nimmo Smith’s brief is, but I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see. Is it possible that the SFA now have documentary evidence on the above matters? But I suspect they are simply looking at transactions etc since Whyte came along. They couldn’t deliver against the bigger brief in a mere fortnight.
Hey ho. It is all coming out in the wash, and I suppose we’ll need to be patient like good bhoys and ghirls.
TBB
Som mes que un club says:
27 February, 2012 at 11:46
I was just about to post that article, Phil pulling no punches today, good man…
I hope all the so called Celtic supporters who regularly phone Clyde to say they would not like to see the huns die get a read at this today..
Lest We Forget…
SP
TBB – when these letters officially make an appearance, when the FTT rules, UEFA and FIFA will appear on the scene. I genuinely think due to the sums of money involved, and the contagion at the so called impartial governing body, this is going to end in a full blown Westminster Government enquiry and several high profile jail terms.
When they start lifting rocks at the SFA God knows what is going to scurry out.
Ciao tutti——
Lovely sunny day -way down south . Birds chirping , lizards lounging — feels like spring but still cold in the shade.
Eagerly anticipating lots of Bear on Bear action as the morally confused rush to make their ” It wasn’t me -it was him ” statements. . Indolence , assumption and knowing nothing about financial matters will be all the rage.
It is beginning to look like Scottish journalism no longer sees Rangers as being a sacred cow—– I await it’s views on the non -football parts of The Great Entrepreneur’s business… The man’s legerdemain relied on fooling the audience or giving the querulous good reason to be subservient..
Whyte got the gig because some people knew he was just the man for the job that needed doing.
Minty , Banks, The SFA —– just another 3 card trick
Post coitum omne animal triste est
i would like to think you’re right rogueleader.
i however suspect what’ll happen is hector’ll get his pound of flesh, then it’ll be “move along timmy, nothing to see here.”
UEFA, FIFA, the governments… none of them will want to tarnish the image of the football family, and thus like many families they will lock their inbred cousin in a cupboard under the stairs for a while.
they are truly the shame, and elected representatives don’t like having their shame bandied about in public.
Rogue
I actually can’t see a satisfactory way to address the problem comprehensively. What they heck do you do? Who does it? How does it solve the many issues?
It’s just too big for me to get my small head (6 3/4) around.
jock tamson says:
27 February, 2012 at 11:55
Don’t know about internationals. The interesting thing for me is that earlier in the season, Bocanegra had international clearance but was not registered with the SPL but managed to play in Europe, away, but was not eligable for a game in Scotland as he had no work permit and could not be registered. Now we have Cousin registered with the League but not the SPL. Please note the deal has been done, the contract has been signed, I would doubt very much that there was a get out clause if he couldn’t be registered. He will not walk away for free as he will have been registerd with 2 teams this year.
I use firefox and text on here got larger then smaller. No warning though. I assumed Id messed up somehow and just adjusted text size using control and right hand slider on my laptop.
jock tamson – this one could be so large and so in your face they will have no choice but to deal with it in the open. The only way now to keep this in a cupboard is if somebody appears with approx £120m to wipe the slate clean.
That will only clean the slate for now though. Paying off the tax debt is an admission that it is correctly due. If that is the case I am sure Celtic will have a case prepared regarding loss of CL earnings.
So it may be best if they lose the tax case and go bust as if somebody steps up, pays the £75m and saves their history they may very well find themselves on the fat end of another £40m bill for their past transgressions
TBB – in all honesty their best bet is liquidate in my mind, leave the contagion behind and start again. There is no clean way out. In fact now there may be no way out at all.
PLUS have just fined Rangers £50k for Whyte failing to disclose his prior naughtiness
yogiy@10.43
Sorry for the delay in replying,I am just back from my walk (to the campsite at Polis,through Prodromi and Latchi and back)
Weather is picking up a bit after a cold and wet (for Cyprus) winter.
I even managed a swim in the sea at Latchi yesterday.
Pity about your place in Peyia,it’s a lovely spot.I drive through there quite often on my way back from Paphos,through Coral Bay,Peyia,Kathikas and Drousiea.
Roll on the Summer
hail hail
medtim
I have been told by a Rangers fan that Ally McCoist has approached the administrators saying that the playing staff have agreed to take a cut in wages in order to stave off redundancies.I though that this was quiet a noble thing for them to do until he told me they wanted written assurances from the administrators that when the club were back on there feet that they would pay the sacrificed monies back to the players.Now if this is true its not so noble after all.H.H.
Dunno why yer a’ gettin’ yer knickers in a twist about possible virus attacks.
Just ask AWE NAW furrabitty advice-works for me.
Very reasonable rates too.
Mr15%notincludingtheEBTofcourseCSC
starry plough says:
27 February, 2012 at 11:56
they are what they are,
irrespective of what they sung last weekend or this one, they cannot change,
if im being perfectly honest I neither believed they would nor in my heart really wanted them to, and yes hands up that is very possibly a failing on my part, but my reasoning is that for them to adopt any change in the past week or so would not have been due to some inner examination and conclusion that their bile was indeed wrong, it would in my opinion have been a half hearted effort to seek support from the wider footballing community in their depths of despair,
when it was broadcast during an interview at the start of the financial meltdown by their then chairman Alistair Johnston that (paraphrase) “to use a phrase around these parts… no surrender” that in effect said it all for me, their chairman, the head of the club, the public face of glasgow rangers by his own words felt that to use a sectarian term to support his clubs current plight, this was evidence enough for me that they are riddled from top to bottom, interestingly I watched that interview with Mrs Che who just happens to be a rangers supporter, her reaction was as mine but she on this occassion used one or two more expletives, as much as I love my wife dearly and it pains her to see her club in the current state its in,
a sticking plaster will not heal their wounds, minor surgery is no longer an option, they require to be put of their misery and allow the rest of us to get on with it.
She understands my feelings entirely and may just becoming round to the fact that her clubs extinction may be the only course of medicine left.
Morning Ally
Morning Paul
Ally, about these redundancies……
Yes, yes, been keeping me up at night. Run the numbers past me again, what’s my options?
Well Ally, it’s like this. We need to cut a million pounds a month. If you were to take a player wage of £18k per week that’s a cost of £87,360 per month, that’s 11 players at that sort of wage you need to shed.
Eh, hawd on Paul, that’s not as bad as I thought. I’ve got a spreadsheet. £18k x 52 divided by 12 is £78k, that’s 13 players, and you say I only need to get rid of 11.
Sorry Ally, employer’s NIC.
What?
Yeah, thought you might say that Ally. It’s a payment most employers pay on top of employees’ gross wage.
That’s mental!
Yeah, David Murray thought so.
So you mean I’ve had 13 players for the same budget as other teams while they’ve only had 11.
That’s it Ally, you’re pretty sharp. Although the players weren’t paying tax either, so if you compare net income really it’s more like 13 players to their 7.
Eh, right, OK, well 11 players is a lot to lose, any way we can get it a bit less. OK Ally, pick just 7 top earners. That’s 28k per week. That would do it.
Eh, there’s only 2 on that sort of wage and if we get rid of the two of them the baw’s bust.
OK Ally, let’s leave the first 11 and go for a huge cull. 34 players on 6k…..
F@!£
OK Ally, stay where you are, I’ll get the nurse. Oh, what’s this, the FTT decision is in? Bad News? Ally, there’s one more option. It’s a bit like a needle and a balloon…….
RogueLeader @ 12:17,
Another bill for the big pile then.
What happens if they don’t pay? Shares are already suspended so is there anything else that PLUS can do to them?
ROGUE LEADER
Now you are doing a wee bit of digging and a wee bit of adding up,weighing up the likelihood of a White Knight-now there’s a couple of words which are forever tainted,Mr Hately-and the possibility of it all falling into place for them……..
What is your conclusion?
Mine has a lot of “f”s in it.
Rogue
What would the consequences be if a founding member of the International Football Association Board was dissolved?
Crikey!
More Jelly – Om Nom Nom
Joe Filippis Haircut says:
27 February, 2012 at 12:18
apparently deferred salary payments has been used in “similar” cases in engerlund
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS – I agree….
There’s yer dinner:
the lack of disclosure to other regulatory bodies further illustrates (i) that the failure to disclose was deliberate, negligent or reckless and (ii) Rangers FC’s lack of willingness to make an announcement in a timely fashion.
Joe Filippis Haircut says:
27 February, 2012 at 12:18
I have been told by a Rangers fan that Ally McCoist has approached the administrators saying that the playing staff have agreed to take a cut in wages in order to stave off redundancies.I though that this was quiet a noble thing for them to do until he told me they wanted written assurances from the administrators that when the club were back on there feet that they would pay the sacrificed monies back to the players.Now if this is true its not so noble after all.H.H.
————————————————-
It is true, Ally said this last week, but couldn’t put any figures on what they proposed, only that they would make a decision once the administartors gave them figures, ie it was an empty offer as he knows the administarors cannot guarantee backpay and the cut in wages would be too much for the players to accept