Since Stewart Regan’s letter to the 93 SFA member clubs was uncovered by STV yesterday evening I’ve read what feels to me like unfounded concern at the news. Regan asked clubs to declare “any written agreement(s) falling within the scope of Article 12.3 which has/have not previously been lodged with the Scottish FA in the previous ten years, in respect of any current or former players of your club.”
The most pleasing point is that the letter was dated 9 March. A look at the chronology of events is perhaps useful.
Rangers troubles with HMRC have been public knowledge since 2010 but it was only on 22 February this year that questions were first raised (here, of course) as to whether the club registered the Employee Benefit Trust (EBT) payments with the SFA. Everyone knew Rangers players had EBTs, we knew HMRC were contesting that these should be taxed, but there was no reason to believe Rangers did not to declare them to the SFA (unless you count the “sniff test” on Sir David…).
The EBTs were noted in Rangers audited accounts so it appears clear that Rangers at least notionally believed they were both legal (which they were) and legally executed (which we will soon find out). When we took a shot in the dark on 22 February and posed the registration question, there was no reason to assume the SFA board had even considered the issue. I’m sure they hadn’t and like the rest of us, were caught cold by the question.
Earlier that day the SFA announced an inquiry into Rangers headed by Lord Nimmo Smith. His report was considered by the board on 8 March, when they presumably decided to send letters out to the member clubs the next day. In short, this issue has been active at the SFA every day since it was first raised.
Had we known this at the time I suspect our view of the (apparent) SFA inactivity would have been different. Maybe a PR lesson there.
Several friends and one brother have suggested that Stewart Regan’s letter is a prelude to an amnesty. I doubt this. The SFA chief exec does not have the authority to offer an amnesty and in his letter Regan says, “the Scottish FA reserves the right to refer any Club to the Compliance Officer, which might result in proceedings before the Judicial Panel”.
The letter is an attempt to establish if the problem is prevalent in one, or more than one club, a perfectly reasonable step at this stage. I’m guessing around 90 clubs will be able to respond within minutes.
As a result of this letter, the phoney war is over. Comments like “there were no double contracts” can no longer be reported as though they have some validity to questions over unregistered payments to players. Even those reporting from the back of the class will now have to recognise the validity of the questions we have been asking for weeks.
More on the nature of these questions later, specifically, is it cheating?
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Remember Niamh Curry. She could do with a wee bit of help.
http://www.justgiving.com/NiamhsNextStep
Text CURE50 £x to 70070
VP
BT is jealous because you’ve had Peroni on a school night.
bournesouprecipe
now that was funny
thank god someones
got a sence of houmour
irate
Bad jokes is it?
When Mme DeGaulle was asked what she was looking forward to most now that her husband, le Grand Charles, had retired, she replied “Appiness”.
Timabhouy on 21 March, 2012 at 19:41 said:
jihady
not a stupid joke but a funny joke
like your poster name
Glad you find it amusing.
You might have spelt it right.
Big Nan on 21 March, 2012 at 19:44:
I am not surprised that the Judge has issued a statement that he cannot issue guidance in this instance. It doesn’t really mean he thinks they have no case.
It is more likely that he does not want to put his neck in the noose. The reason he cannot give guidance is more likely to be his reluctance to set a precedence. Judges do not like to set precedences per-say. He will be well aware of the implications of any decision he made, which ever way it went.
If he did and Ticketus lost, which I do not believe the would, they would take it to the High Court, that there is no doubt.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
bournes – they’re great, keep them coming :)
Zbyszek on 21 March, 2012 at 19:44 said:
jhilday
I know, mate. I thought “not funny” was right and correct term and should stand in my previous post. Stupid jokes are sometimes funny.
They are indeed.
Keep posting Zbyszek. You are an asset to this excellent site.
God bless.
sparkleghirl
*encouraging face*
settingfreethebears
does telling a naughty joke make me
a non (genuine )snp wanting independence
type of chap
BRTH
Donated last night but forgot to put CQN in the message. Another great cause you`ve highlighted. As for your (tremendous) posts, next time you are ready to unleash one you should hold us all to ransom, threatening only to post it after x amount has been donated to the appeal. So should James Forrest, and Paul67!
As the regulars will know,I keep a watchful eye behind enemy lines on FF and report back.I have seen some baffling keech in my time, but this post takes the biscuit
_____________________________________________
STV News at Six tonight
Watched the sports bulletin there and STV were talking about Sale owner Brian Kennedy and how he was discussing his takeover with the administrators today.
They said, “Kennedy seen here driving away from Ibrox today…..”
His Range Rover had a tax disc dated Dec 2012.
Now either his tax disc is out of date or the STV footage is 3 months out of date?
You decide
1) Matt-E
Sappenin?
2) bobbyrussell
Stoap rippin the piss
3) Timabhuoy
Get a life
jihady
i coudnt spell it right as i was to busy laughing
at it … l.o.l..
Timabhouy
I was thinking more on the lines of finding foreign sounding names to be funny was , perhaps, doing a dis-service to the SNP.
Jabba abhors a vacuum
That’s why his army of child word killers are trained to vent their most gaseous
Copy in a more easterly direction.
As the wind goes, so flies he in puterified ignominy and security like a lesser corpulent Rush Limbaugh in weight if not intellect.
Where the feck is Jabba?
Clown town Jackhun is a story told too far in the jackanory fables of fairy tale
Compilation, his kiddie pals their Jabba taught scribblings.
HH
notthebus
They don’t do driving away?
notthebus on 21 March, 2012 at 20:17 said:
His Range Rover had a tax disc dated Dec 2012.
Now either his tax disc is out of date or the STV footage is 3 months out of date?
—————–
I’m still working on this one
Timabhouy on 21 March, 2012 at 20:18 said:
jihady
i coudnt spell it right as i was to busy laughing
at it … l.o.l..
Hunaboy…………feck off
notthebus
Maybe they’re just surprised to see someone pay their tax in advance.
Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Kano 1000 on 21 March, 2012 at 20:05 said:
Remember Niamh Curry. She could do with a wee bit of help.
http://www.justgiving.com/NiamhsNextStep
_________________________________________________________
good shout BRTH
I’ll get onto ot now. C’mon Boys and ghirls, lets get going and get this sorted.
Celtfish
notthebus
:)))))
Why the hell is Embra getting the faster broadband speeds?
When did it become an important city? :-)
Lennybhoy…Supporting Neil Lennon and CFC until I die on 21 March, 2012 at 20:08 said:
Is the Court of Session not the supreme civil court in Scotland?
Question for Mr Custard?
If there are two serious bids for RFCIA, will one be known as NewCo and the other NewCoco?
Timabhouy on 21 March, 2012 at 20:18 said:
jihady
i coudnt spell it right as i was to busy laughing
at it … l.o.l..
I suspect you were too busy to acquire an education.
Erm, LOL!
SFTB
To give them a chance at the friday night quiz
31003
ive got one, but if no one has a
sence of houmor, should i be
lambasted because they dont
understand a naughty joke !
31003
Hope your typing with yer left……BobbyRussell rippin the P?
He’s a stand up guy!
Paul, have you seen this article where you have been mentioned several times, keep up the good work :-)
http://chrisgraham76.wordpress.com/2012/03/21/the-anatomy-of-a-rangers-rumour/
SffS
One of the great things about being Scottish in the 90’s is you know your team are going to win f̶e̶c̶k̶ all.
Hibs fan Irvine Welsh
sparkleghirl on 21 March, 2012 at 20:20 said:
notthebus on 21 March, 2012 at 20:17 said:
Maybe the hoards are so upset with what’s going on that they’ve decided to fast-forward to 2013?
Somebody put a joke on here that wasn’t funny??
Copyright laws pal – expect a lawyers letter!!
notthebus on 21 March, 2012 at 20:17 said:
———————–
Would that be the “wee, wee” tax case?
bournesouprecipe on 21 March, 2012 at 20:26 said:
How did you get the strikethrough? Any time I try to use html code it just ignores it… or is it BB these days?
Kenya – Premier League
23:23
FT Gor Mahia 1 – 1 Rangers FC
Zbyszek @ 17:41.
Our very own Henrik Larsson had a very similar goal disallowed against Villareal (I think).
Hope you are well & will write soon.
Saint Stivs on 21 March, 2012 at 19:13 said:
there is a brilliant picture of kinky celebrating at ibrox at final whistle in 67 in the daily mail. its a cracker i have never seen before
================================================
And to others who commented:
The picture (and it is great) is NOT from the 67 title clinching match at Ibrox. The DM got that very wrong.
As anyone who was there would tell you it absolutely poured all day from the heavens.
The picture in the DM in on a bright sunny day! I think it is from a League Cup Sectional match (1968, I think, maybe 69). Think Whispy Wallace scored a couple that happy day.
In those days the league cup section games started the season so I’d guess it was in August.