I enjoy Roddy Forsyth’s articles and broadcasts but I’m staggered at today’s article in The Telegraph. The initial headline read “Scottish clubs fear bankruptcy if Rangers are stripped of titles for tax avoidance”, but was amended to “SPL (sic.) clubs fear they will be hurt financially themselves if Rangers stripped of titles”.
Justification for this claim lies with the fact that clubs who lost a cup final to Rangers during their tax evasion (not avoidance) era, may have to pay a win bonus to players, which would be enough to tip them into bankruptcy.
These clubs would, we are told, prefer to sit tight as runners up, than be awarded a cup win. One chairman told Roddy, “Celtic might be able to afford that but nobody else could”.
Nobody else could afford a win bonus, so let’s not impose the unwelcome burden of winning on them! Consider what that makes supporters of these clubs!
Another chairman told Roddy, “my view is that the EBT scheme was questionable and maybe even reckless from the start but they were given expert advice and they acted on it”. “Questionable”, “reckless”, I think the word you’re looking for is illegal. Paul Baxendale-Walker’s expert advice was only one aspect of his flamboyant commercial undertakings.
Documentation was also hidden from HMRC, the SFA and SPL, and as ‘Mr Black’ told the Tax Tribunal, the ruse was designed to recruit better players. Who win more trophies.
Falkirk, Queen of the South, Dundee, St Mirren, Dundee United, Motherwell and Ayr United all lost finals to an EBT-fuelled Rangers, as well as Celtic, of course. Let’s hear from any of them who don’t want the matter formally examined. And let the door slam on their backside on the way out of competitive sport. Forget what’s happening in Russia, this is going on TODAY in Scotland!
If any of these clubs are campaigning for Rangers to keep their EBT trophies, it’s important their fans know about it. Roddy doesn’t suggest his two chairmen-sources come from any of these clubs, in fact, he describes them as “SPL” chairmen, the former name for our top flight.
So who are they?
Celtic, Aberdeen, Dundee United and Hearts can all be excluded from consideration. Think what you like about any of these clubs, but I cannot imagine any of their chairpersons considering this nonsense. Which leaves:
Kilmarnock. Michael Johnston is no longer chairmen, that role is fulfilled by Jim Mann.
Partick Thistle: David Beattie.
Motherwell: Brian McCafferty.
Inverness: Kenny Cameron.
Dundee: Bill Colvin.
Hamilton: Les Gray.
Ross County: Roy MacGregor.
St Johnstone: Steve Brown.
To the horror of Accies fans, in 2012 Les Gray said “SFL clubs should not be put in the position to vote on something which may destroy Scottish Football”. I wonder what Les is saying off the record now.
The Brown family have chaired St Johnstone through many issues, but their fans were off the mark quickly in 2012 to let Steve know their thoughts the last time Scottish football faced a decision to follow the rules, or not.
Roy MacGregor bristled with irritation when others tried to influence him in 2012. He has a reputation of knowing his own mind.
I don’t know anything about Bill Colvin, Kenny Cameron, Brian McCafferty, David Beattie or Jim Mann, but I suspect the names of both Roddy’s chairmen are on this page.
You’ll never read a better insight into why corruption was allowed to fester in our game than the glimpse available in today’s Telegraph, or that it remains endemic. Scottish football cannot be a comfortable haven for lawbreaking.
Maryhill Foodbank
Remember, there’s a Christmas toy collection for Maryhill Foodbank at Wild Cabaret, THIS Saturday, 14 November, from midday to 4:30. Families who don’t have money for food don’t have money for Christmas toys. If you have something you can donate, drop it in. There’s mulled wine and mince pies on the go.
You’ll find Wild Cabaret at 18 Candleriggs (0141 552 6165).
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P67
“To the horror of Accies fans, in 2012 Les Gray said “SFL clubs should not be put in the position to vote on something which may destroy Scottish Football”. I wonder what Les is saying off the record now”.
I have known Les for a long time – trust me, Accies not his only love!
RWE @ 12.49
Great number! Great live album!
I came late to John M but catching up now!
TK
(Apologies in advance for the length of the post.)
About two years after the Sevco implosion I spoke with an elderly lady in Scotland (and in-law twice removed) who is the matriarch of a family that traditionally support that club (but sometimes pretend that they don’t if you know what I mean)
The train wreck club was a minor topic in our chat that day, but she had an opinion.
“It’s that Craig Whyte you know. He’s a bad man. Everything went bad when he took over Rangers.” she said.
This is what she believed a full two years after the liquidation – because it is the narrative that the DR, Radio Clyde, the Telepgraph, the Herald, the Scotsman and other media outlets promoted with help from Level5 etc.
When I pointed out that David Murray had driven the club to bankruptcy while at the same time he introduced and personally benefited from to the tune of 6 million, a tax dodge scheme – she disagreed. I continued and explained that SDM had technically given the club away to Whyte on condition that he pay the remaining 18M debt, in the full knowledge that financial disaster was imminent, and further, that the club was very obviously dysfunctional before Whyte took charge. She was equally dismissive.
The “Fabulous Murray Years” narrative was and remains so strong in the minds of so many that they refuse to believe that they were duped. Their mindset cannot allow them to review and revise their own gullibility, even when the evidence is in front of their eyes. They also suspect, as she did, the motive of the messenger.
Now the legacy and continuation of that narrative haunts us all. It asserts that the blame for that club’s demise is a combination of many things “external” to the club AND especially the cultural and religious antipathy towards the club from jealous competitors …
It wasn’t the culture at that club, it wasn’t the EBTs, it wasn’t the falsifying of players registration details, it wasn’t the placement of club executives within the SFA and SPL, it wasn’t the failure of SDM to invest any of his own money in the club, it wasn’t that SDM increased the debt to staggering levels, or that he had a special arrangement with HBOS to allow this debt figure, it wasn’t the failure of the SFA or the SPL, it wan’t the culture within Scotland or Scottish Football, it certainly wasn’t the fans or the team or the managers…
To accommodate this betrayal she had to rely on the next lie in the same narrative.
“It was Craig Whyte’s fault.”
Today, she still believes this, and if anything she is more entrenched in this view than ever. She has added Charles Green to her list of shame, but still exonerates SDM.
“I mean it’s Green and Whyte that’s going to court, not David Murray.” She said with a hint of relish.
For her, this legal development justifies a whole tranche of theories that absolve that/those club(s) from any responsibility for the state in which it now finds itself.
Roddy Forsyth continues the same exculpatory narrative today. So for his sake, let me make my position clear. I do not want your tainted trophies. We win trophies on the field of play supported by an organisation that pays all taxes and register all our players legitimately. This is not about paying bonuses to players who were cheated out of a medal 15 years ago. But Roddy knows this but continues to fly his kites.
My recently deceased brother in law had a saying that I used as the initial hook in his funeral address.
“In life you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate.”
Of course the truth is that by negotiating, we actually DO get what we deserve; I knew what he meant though.
We are all negotiating for what we “deserve” in this shoddy Scottish society, especially in the football community.
I just want the record set correctly, and to show that those who cheat, lie, conspire and connive should not be credited with any legitimate win. Remove their name from the record of winners.
By failing to change the tainted records, ALL previous and future winners of those trophies are rendered pretty meaningless. “Cheat as long as you can get away with it, and if found out then lie about the cheating” – is the message that the Forsyth’s of the world want to use to market Scottish football and society. Under that regime any win becomes worthless, just like winning a medal at the Olympics means so much less when the drug culture of the winners is exposed.
In peddling this Forsythian nonsense, they actually discredit and devalue their former club’s record of trophy wins, which were not (as far as we know) won by defrauding the SFA, HMRC, UEFA, creditors and fellow clubs with a secret tax evasion and financial doping scheme.
When that club and its officers are brought fully to account for their cheating they will simply be getting what they deserve.
The rest of us will be getting justice.
HH
it’s blowin’ a hoolie in Shangri Lite.
please tell me why the pair of them work for the same company at the court
I’m thinking the appeal is a myth, I can’t see anyone appealing, the time will be used up well from now until then, with radio phone inns avoiding awkward phone calls, newspapers headlines pre and post on Celtics AGM, and sky doing the old gymnastics in tv journalists avoiding a good story, yes, level5 will be very very busy, and you know what? I hope they keep it up, as the sheet they are turning out is hilarious, amateur night to say the least, and has that fat illegitimate Traynors paw marks all over it.
ICT refuse to toe the Private Frazer line by announcing a record profit.
OMG, another absolutely staggering statement from Dave King apparently… Difficult not to read this stuff with anything other than your jaw in “dropped” position:
Thursday, 12 November 2015, 16:30by Rangers Football ClubShare:
It is disappointing that a debate has re-emerged around the subject of Rangers’ history in Scottish football. It must be especially frustrating for the Club’s supporters who again find individuals within the structures of Scottish football unfairly targeting the Club.
As the one individual who was a major shareholder and director throughout the period that gave rise to the HMRC dispute, and again find myself in a similar capacity, I believe that I am uniquely positioned to make three important observations.
First, irrespective of the final outcome of the tax appeal (which might take several more years) the football team had no advantage from any tax savings from the scheme put in place by the Murray Group. Throughout the period in question the shareholders were committed to providing funding to the Club. The tax scheme may have reduced the need for shareholders to provide higher levels of funding so, as I have tried to make clear in the past, any advantage gained would have been to the company and its shareholders, not the team. Certain players may not have signed for the Club without the perceived benefit of personal tax savings but there was no general advantage for the player squad, or the performance on the pitch. We would still have signed players of equal abilities if one or two had decided they didn’t want to sign under different financial circumstances.
Secondly, Lord Nimmo Smith has fully and finally dealt with the legitimacy of the continuity of the Club’s history. There is no more to be debated on that issue.
Finally, it is extraordinary that representatives of other Scottish clubs – who admit the damage done to Scottish football by Rangers’ removal from the Premier League – should even wish to re-engage with this issue. It is time those individuals, who represent other clubs, recognise their legal and fiduciary responsibilities to their own clubs and shareholders rather than submit to the uninformed ramblings of a few outspoken fans to whom attacking Rangers is more important than the wellbeing of their own clubs.
This is a misguided attempt (that will ultimately fail) to rewrite history and defeat Rangers off the park when their teams could not do so on the park at the time. The history of many other clubs would have to be rewritten if this illogical argument was to be consistently applied.
Having reviewed documentation that has become available to me I believe that Rangers was harshly and, in some instances, unfairly treated in the period leading up to demotion from the Premier League. However, that is now history and I have publicly stated, with the full support of the recently installed board, that we wish to put the past behind us and move on in partnership with all clubs throughout Scotland to improve and restore the image and quality of Scottish football as a whole. This will be to the benefit of all clubs.
For the avoidance of doubt, however, I wish to make one point clear. If the history of our Club comes under attack we will deal with it in the strongest manner possible and will hold to account those persons who have acted against their fiduciary responsibilities to their own clubs and to Scottish football.
Meanwhile, in a galaxy far, far away Hugh Dallas has announced that Scottish referees are ‘amongst the best in Europe’
Grandstanding by King there
Will they ever stop?
Just remember all you Ladbrokes punters – you are paying Jabba’s wages.
Get the fans to boycott Ladbrokes and we might hear a different tune – or at the very least we might get “The Sounds of Silence”,
Loving the court room drama today. They are going to go into absolute meltdown!
Two wee points.
1. On Roddy Forsyth’s article this morning. Surely Rangers (2012) have already committed themselves to paying all football debts relating to Rangers (1872)?
2. When David Murray took over Rangers in 1986 – he took over the club and all its assets. It was still the same Ltd Co, the one that went bust in June 2012. So from 1986 to 2011 – when he sold to Whyte, there was a different owner/operator for the ‘club’ – then the same again from 2011 to 2012 – but it was always Rangers Football Club Ltd. The club was able to transfer between owners for whatever deal was agreed and was always Rangers Football Club Ltd – as appears on those gates.
When this company went into liquidation in 2012 it was not possible to separate the club from Rangers Football Club Ltd because they are one and the same.
The Court of Session is about to explain this to them. Brilliant!
If Green wins today this could push Rangers (2012) over the edge. If not this then Ashley’s actions. If not that then the forthcoming trial, if not that…the list goes on.
Dearie me – that Dave King proclamation is like something broadcast from Hitler’s bunker.
What King forgets is that many clubs have made more money without them, so that’s a really empty threat.
Anyway I’m of the opinion that he knows the game is up and has made a series of statements specifically designed to antagonise, in the hope that nobody will try to save them, thus enabling him to blame anybody but himself for their eventual demise.
King, rallying the the storm troopers, to cover up his clubs insolvency, rather predictable, absolute wind and p.sh, the guys lost the plot, reminds me of another King.
http://youtu.be/g2gqtmLchGM
King should have added a post script :
PS I would like to give you more, honest information but I have to prepare for a contempt of Court appearance.
The funniest thing about King’s statement is that it appears to contradict last week’s statement that what happened at the CoS was nothing to do with them.
Same club when it comes to trophies, different club when it comes to not the financial consequences of their actions.
Unless they pay every creditor in full, there really is no way out.
And of course, that would still leave them facing the sporting consequences of the hidden side letters…
Can anyone do a plain summing up of the Court Case today, please ?
JJ
Also, not sure it was entirely clever of him to start his diatribe by pointing out that he was on the board of the “club” during the EBT period…
Going to watch a new film this weekend.
A German language movie with subtitles all about “a journalist in post war Germany who investigates a massive conspiracy to cover up the Nazi pasts of prominent public figures.”
It’s called
“Labyrinth of Lies.”
Am I entering the Twilight Zone?
Perfect book title.
Mrs RWE dreads subtitled movies as it means that I usually want to see them twice – once for the visual and twice for the complete dialogue. For her twice the torture.
HH
Touch oor titles and yeez’ll all get it.
Kings latest statement really is an outstanding piece both breathtaking & worthy of a man who has totally lost control of the situation he is in & sends out contradictory messages every other day. keep em coming Davie the hole your in gets bigger by the day
That statement is just so good. I’m away to read it again. What a day. What a time to be alive!
I think we can assume by the tone of the recent statements, plus nuggets like the use of “demotion”, that professional PR people aren’t writing this stuff.
It’s just needlessly incendiary and guaranteed to anger the very people they desperately need on side.
As a long-time lurker on FF, I’m guessing one of their high heid yins is writing these releases.
DBBIA,
that’s because the referees are good at what they do – subtly manipulating games to achieve a desired end result. Some of them have been doing it for years. And that’s why they get games outside Scottish football, the kind of games that need to end in a certain way or games during which certain pre arranged things need to happen.
Hugh Dallas may well say Scottish referees are among the best; however his words will mean different things to different people.
The Culprit :)
https://twitter.com/TheTributeAct/status/664817574929035264
Terryk
Cheers. I bought the DVD for $5.00 on Amazing :o)
Someone borrowed the original and never returned it.
HH
Mon The Pesky Individuals!!
Tiresome to some but here it is again..
Mr King is
“a glib and shameless liar who will not hesitate to lie if it serves his best interests and should not be believed on any matter unless supported by objective evidence.”
SARS case judge on King
Now read his new statement again.
If this laughing has not worn off in four hours please consult your nearest medical emergency unit.
MurdochAuld andHay
That is excellent.
JJ
” Nae buddy bettur come tae ma hoose tryin tae take any a mah medals”
Alex McLeish the first time title stripping was mooted.
Jungle Jim
Here’s the John James update on proceedings today.
“The Elephant in the Room
In a previous article, The Reservoir Dogs of Rangers, I outlined the testimony of the colour-coded ciphers in the final appeal by HMRC. A new colour has entered the Rangers lexicon, namely Mr Jonathan Brown. Readers of my article (Greens litigation cover could include defending an investors class action suit re IPO) published September 25, will not be surprised by Mr Brown’s opening gambit that the “prospect of future litigation was specifically mentioned in the IPO prospectus.“
Mr Brown continues by stating “The risk that someone might seek to unpick this transaction was clearly anticipated.“ At this juncture, there is a surprising development. Mr Brown has an ace up his sleeve. Apparently the solicitor that drew up Mr Green’s contract of employment, also acted for Mr Coulsen. The implication here is that the contract could withstand legal challenge by anyone choosing to refer to the Coulson case precedents. Mr Brown then presents to court a contract between “The Rangers Football Club Ltd” and Charles Green from September 2012 which has been backdated to June 1st.
Mr Brown then moves on to “the vexed question of the mythical concept of the club.” Lord Doherty states that the “articles of association show Rangers started as a club.”
Brown responded that this changed when Rangers incorporated in 1899. Brown continued: “Sevco Scotland did not buy the club they bought the business and assets of the club.There is a difference between the company and the business assets, but not between a club and a company. A club is an undertaking of it’s owners. As it has neither capacity of personality, no-one can be CEO of a club. The idea that someone can be CEO of an undertaking is just nonsense.”
Brown continued: “I realize that Rangers being the same club is a matter of life and death to some, but it wouldn’t be a proper legal case without the elephant in the room getting mentioned.The team are paid by Sevco, play at a ground owned by Sevco, trained by a manager who is employed by Sevco, fans buy tickets from Sevco. Rangers was a basket of assets that could be sold, but these were not indivisible.The players went one way and the ground another, where is the “club” then?”
With these statements Mr Brown refutes the concept that the club continued with new operators or a new holding company, which was the preferred narrative of the RIFC legal team. He concludes that the team playing at Ibrox is Sevco, not Rangers.
Mr Brown pointed out that Mr Green was happy to depart the scene without fuss, but if he was dragged back in “you pay the lawyers.” The wording of the indemnity agreement shows “it was to be as wide as possible.” The costs decision can not wait until the criminal case is over, as “The rainy day has arrived.” Jonathan Brown then finishes his submissions on behalf of his client Charles Green.
Mr Wolffe then rises to rebut by making a few short points.He agrees that Green is “entitled to the presumption of innocence” on the criminal charges. Mr Wolffe suggests Lord Doherty can “draw an inference from the criminal indictment” which he refers to as his “ fallback position.”
As proceedings draw to a close, Lord Doherty gives leave to Mr Brown to have the last word.The Court is told that Mr Green is seeking funding for senior counsel, junior counsel, solicitors and any experts senior counsel wishes to call.
Lord Doherty adjourns the case to consider submissions. His verdict will be provided in writing at a later date.”
.
ItaliaBhoy on 12th November 2015 5:12 pm
They read so like some of the stuff I’ve read on Sevco Media, that I’m wondering if DK has done a bunk. Seriously. The tone of these is so unlike anything that’s emanated from Ibrox before, that I don’t think he’s been near them .
RWE
Will they treat me for Whooping Laugh?
Glib and Shameless statement in a nutshell: Let us cheat, or we will stamp our feet.
Somebody should tell that halfwit to GTF.
What a fecking idiot he is.
They should be shunned by the rest of Scottish Football….boycott the cheating bigot halfwits.
HH
follow follow reckon GASL latest is up there with Gettysburg Address,he has showed us Tims that if you mess
with him he will sort us oot… 8 pages of admiration all end in WATP
RWE
Thanks.
I noticed Sevco are not playing this weekend. How many Internationalists do they have?
In their absence, a Hibs win takes them to within two points.
JJ
David Cunningham King makes the Pavilion. http://youtu.be/U0LfRcV842c
When will the verdict be announced?
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