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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Timabhoy …… Have you just woken up from a long sleep…?
Budget-Smudget – fiddling while rome burns. tinkering around the edges.
the big danger is REGIONAL PAY.
This will hit people outside of the SE of England extremely hard.
Funny how when the rich are threatened with tax hikes they threaten to up sticks and go somewhere cheaper. Shouldn’t they get regional pay too????
And Philvis – you need to check your facts – Vodafone DID owe that money. Semantics is what you are indulging in there dear boy. You’re in a minority of 1%.
Goodbye
Have you heard about the big strong man?
67 heaven
dont tell me you missed me !
vota si quando el tiempo para independencia llegar
Gotta Go Oot.
Seeya…
Kojo
Laughin’ like Goodo
thomthethim
Sacred shawl was at Hampden?
My brother works in Duracell battery plant.
every night he comes home feeling drained.
stay positive I keep telling him.
Maybe little quizz?
Was the referee right?
goal, or no goal ?
Answered the door last night to a six foot beetle. He smacked around the head and told me to f**k off.
Turns out there is nasty bug going around.
I turned up for my first therapy session today wearing only cling film boxer shorts, my therapist said
Well………….I can clearly see your nuts..
Som mes que un club on 21 March, 2012 at 16:58 said:
Kenny Shiels @RealKennyShiels
As much as I would have enjoyed the banter on here, the respect for Liam and his father from Killie and Celtic fans is fantastic #RealFans
Retweeted by Phil MacGiollaBhain
______________________________________________Som mes que
Respect due to Kenny Shiels,a good man.
Neil Lennon is in the studio tonight on Sky Sports 2 for St Mirren v Hearts in Scottish Cup. Pre-match 7.30 KO 7.45
Apple …..was it’s name Declan..?
I’m Ticketus!
Timabhoy …. Thought the KKK Had got ye ..!!!!!
67
He’s from Glesga so it’s Aipple.
67Heaven
It had the same accent, not quite as sharp though.
Told him that I’d horse-whip him if I had a horse, that seemed to confuse him enough to leave.
Bournesouprecipe
Indeed my good man, Aipple and Celic sir.
Just because you are a supporter of a united Ireland it doesn’t naturally follow that you are a supporter of an independent Scotland. See George Galloway.
A maassive supporter of the cause in Ireland but says that an independent Scotland would be a nightmare for Catholics.
SffS
Timabhouy on 21 March, 2012 at 17:37 said:
Do you use an online translator? Your language is very odd.
(Your spanish is a bit funny as well. Boom boom)
Thought this worth copying over from rtc.
Barcabhoy says:
21/03/2012 at 12:01 pm
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/12/264&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
will this stop Uefa approving an HMRC pennies in the £ deal for Rangers
—————————-
Now that is a great spot. It describes what clubs are up to and states that they should not be offered state aid when the get into debt.
ANY HMRC deal could be challenged under EU law that it amounts to state aid as the state is the funder and the club would be using those funds to escape the indebtedness, cauised ironically by not paying the state what it owed in the first place.
the point about traeting a deal as state aid was raised before but this statement puts the issue firmly on the agend at a level that gives it authority way above the IB*category.
* IB = Internet Bampots :)
Scotland was independent for 1000’s of years without issue, it will be again.
Now, however, is not the time,
seven fishes four steakes
george is a good man
but dont listen to a word he says
Kojo @17-32
From the land of the free
introduces demographic voting and denounces democracy,,,,,,,,,,,,
GTF you economic supremacist nazi
Bournesouprecipe …. Yes, but I’m an (original) Castlemulk toff……I don’t use slang, unless sumthin’s wrang…!!!!!!
sparklegirl
no straight out of my head
67heaven
Castlemilk is it? Started my life 37yrs and a day a go doon the hill fae ye in Croftfoot.
Titter ye not but ye olde Twiiter turned 6 today.
Never has so little been said by so many.
Ga ga, ga ga ga.
Bournesoup….,
Sunday didn’t count.
Ard Macha was in Sharkey’s( the real one), where he has never seen us lose before.
Put it down to the Collum Effect.
Really hope we get to see the Pole this weekend, more so since they are going South.
No, wait, we are going South in a different sense.
Confused myself there.
Zbyszek on 21 March, 2012 at 17:41 said:
Was the referee right?
That would have been given in this country had Willie Collum been the referee.
Or maybe not. He would have booked the forward for deliberate handball then sent him off, and the press would report he had received death threats, referees would have gone on strike or even chucked it. Neil Lennon would get blamed, as would Catholic schools. Rangers (IA) fans would have sung a wee song about the Irish potato famine, purely banter of course, Kenneth Wright McAskill, cabinet Secretary for Scotland, would have praised the marvellous occasion. Darryl King would deny any knowledge of it whilst Hugh Keevins couldn`t comment for legal reasons. Spiersy would say the goal may have been chalked off 30 years ago but not these days. Chick Young would say it never EVER happened, Craig Whyte would have sold the rights for it to Sir Dupid Murray for one pound fifty. Campbell Ogilvie would have a good night out on it and Brian Kennedy would say he`d take it if no one else wanted it out of a sense of duty to his family. The word `hun` would become racist, bigoted and sectarian, Hector would forgive and forget, Celtic would get stripped of their European Cup win due to fielding 11 players and Brian Laudrup would become King of an Independent Scotland where Catholocism was outlawed. Alongside Channel 4 News. The year would be changed to 1690 and the Big Hoose would stay open. Hope that answers your question.
Great to hear all the Rangers callers the past few nights, resorting to type on clyde and venting against Neil Lennon. They are obviously bewitched,bothered and totally bewildered over what’s happening in the big hoose.
.
What do You say To a Scottish Wumin that Cleans her House to Much..?
HiJean..
Summa
Anyone in doubt about Sundays pen.
@justabhoy: @WillieKeane @PackieBonnerCSC from the rooftops ! http://t.co/QL5ZH46B
henr1k
Great shot,tackle from behind, clearly tripped him and was no where near the ball.
Never a pen.
Scotlands playing at wanting to be independent, keeping the Queen,keeping the pound,keeping the British army, keeping nuclear weapons, staying in Nato and what about the UKs permanent seat at the UN alongside the USA, France,China and Russia, does anyone seriously believe that we’d even be allowed to become independent on our own terms and have Engerland reduced to the equivalent militarily/diplomatically of, no offence Portugal, Italy or Spain , can’t see it myself. Wonder if we’d get a referendum on any of these holy cows?
The above excludes the realisation, on my part,over the last few years of just how ingrained sectarianism and racism is in this bigotted wee mono cultural country.
Gideon looks after the Tories
http://www.channel4.com/news/emma-harrisons-tax-bill-casts-doubt-on-50p-tax-analysis
http://www.channel4.com/news/no-banker-exodus-after-50p-tax-rate-hike
Clyde off after one minute,Celtic have hit a slump in the last
month.
Must have fell asleep through that.
RipVanWinkleC.S.C
Was away at the weekend.
What was the chants at Tannadice? Also, what panel member on Clyde was coming in for stick?