I received a text early evening on 18th August last year: “Gongalves starts”. Former Hearts player, Jose Gongalves, was one of a handful of players FC Sion signed illegally in the summer 2011 transfer window and he had been named to start against Celtic in the Europa League qualifier, first leg.
As a contest, the tie was over. There followed two matches with considerable effort and drama from both teams but the eventual outcome was, literally, never in doubt, the courts would have their way. Sion would be expelled from the competition and Celtic would progress to the group stage.
Today Celtic’s only remaining competitor from the chasing pack for the SPL title is up in court to face the HM Revenue and Customs. The courts will have their way again but although you may feel the outcome of Rangers tax case is inevitable (I do), the impact on this season’s league championship is less assured. Should they lose, Rangers have the option to appeal, postponing any negative impact on the company until next season at the earliest.
If Rangers have, or can generate, enough cash to keep the lights on this season the league will be nip and tuck until the end of the season. The tax case will attract most attention but if you are looking for indications of how the season is likely to go, keep an eye open for cash related incidents.
Well done to Rangers’ broadcast partner, STV, for their story this morning on SPL discipline. They report the Ibrox club have the worst disciplinary record in the league, having accumulated a total of 41 bookings, contrasting starkly with the cool class at Celtic Park who are best behaved in the league with only 20 bookings.
With Beram Kayal out for the season Ki Sung-Yeung is the Celtic player closest to a suspension, a further three yellow cards would put the Korean over the threshold. Rangers have Lafferty one booking, Edu and Bocanegra two, with Goian, Broadfoot, Bartley and Whittaker all three away from a suspension. Lee McCulloch has only been booked twice this season but shows enormous potential.
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McNair
Surely IF Rangers are found guilty, Ogilvie would have to resign from the SFA as he was party to the dodgy contracts that were/were not lodged at said SFA?
By Edmond Dantès on September 9, 2009 7:54 AM
Blantyretim
No. You’re the second person to ask me that recently.
I’m from Tenterfield, about 3 hours or so from the **** *****.
Been posting on CQN on and off for about a year now, but as Edmond Dantès for a month or so, after technical issues forced me to change. I used to be *********. I am sure I have had exchanges with **** ***** ***, or was it **** ***** ***?
What happened? Has he given up on CQN?
LMSAO
Daily Record headline
” Celtic did well to sign Mikael Lustig.. but Rangers have trumped that with Enar Jaager deal, says Aalesunds boss Kjetil Rekdal
Jan 17 2012
By Colin Duncan ”
We sign a player they take.a player on trial and that trumps us. They really are playing to their audience.
Summa
However if Whyte holds his hands up (nothing to do with me Guv, before my time), while they agree a settlement he has a wee window to raise some hard cash to get his money back before admin?
SofTunis -it was the late C.Hitchens, talking about the U.S tele-evangelist Falwell.
Serge
The Tao of Muhammad Ali is by David Millar not Remnick (still a great read).
I will look out for your book by Michael Watson.
I remember that fight vividly with Chris Eubank. A group of mates and I watched it in a bar with most wanting Michael to beat the pantomine villian of Eubank. It was a thrilling boxing specatcle. He was on the cusp of victory with Eubank out on his feet when Chris Eubank threw one last throw of the dice. I have a feeling that Chirs Eubank wish he had never won that night.
Michael’s recovery is incredible given he was in a coma for 40 days I think.
I have never watched boxing with the same enjoyment after that fight.
greenjedi – as a condition of the takeover the tax case is being dealt with by MIHs lawyers. Whyte has no input in it whatsoever. he just has to take the medicine when it is presented.
….and I can’t beleive I missed the obvious tie-up with A W-T………..
Think of the pictures!
I am planning to be in Scotland for 3 weeks in May around my son’s wedding, which means I hope to be there to see Celtic lift the SPL title. However, just realised he’s getting married on Scottish Cup Final day. How’s that for planning?
Kit – The press arer crippled with fear. Rangers are their meal ticket. Dont expect EVER to see the words “cheat” in regards to their antics. I have heard Keevins say “unfair advantage” in relation to it. That is the best we will ever get.
The big guy at the back….of Neil Lennon says:
17 January, 2012 at 09:14
Thanks for the info thought it was at lennoxtown
Gordon_J – verbal verdicts are not given prior to the written one in these cases. Unless there is a leak. It certainly doesn’t happen officially. The verdict will also no doubt be several hundred pages long.
By ******** J. ****** on October 16, 2009 6:18 AM
ST
I was originally **** and then *** before I withdrew.
By ** do you mean Edmond Dantes? I’m sure he was one of the ones accused of being me. I saw him on CQN yesterday while I was on.
RogueLeader says:
17 January, 2012 at 09:51
Added to this, and this is something Celtic should be keeping a very close watch on, is that if HMRC win the case as seems very likely, by proving that these were de facto contracts, then there is a very strong case (as in absolutely watertight) that orcFC players did indeed have two sets of contracts.
In FIFA, Uefa, SFA and indeed SPL rules, this is very much prohibited. If the orcs have competed in the SPL under false circumstances by not providing the SFA with the correct player documentation, then surely all fixtures covered by the EBT period should be nullified (or at least changed to a 0-3 reverse).* This could open up all sorts of receptacles of squirmy garden invertebrates.
Which then leads us to: could a Celtic lawsuit be the iceberg to the orc’s Titanic?
And if it could, would it/they?
glendaly
I like the picture you’re thinking.
The arrogance of one commentator who said ‘Fleck needs to play every week’ – can’t get a game for Ragers but they think he’ll play every week on loan at Blackpool.
googybhoy
They were wiped off the Stock Exchange last Tuesday, and the DR did consecutive big Ragers transfer illusions for the next three days, they are desperately trying to save dwindling circulation figures.
RogueLeader says:
17 January, 2012 at 10:16
greenjedi – as a condition of the takeover the tax case is being dealt with by MIHs lawyers. Whyte has no input in it whatsoever. he just has to take the medicine when it is presented.
…………….
He can’t even go we’re guilty?
Bloody hell Murray must think theres a good chance he’s going to jail?
Bobby Murdoch CUWP,
you grought back bad memories there of John McDonald, a serial diver in the late 70s.
Worst one I ever saw live was from the Celtic end late eighties when Paul Sturrock ran into the box to take a through ball with Derek Whyte coming across to slide tackle(ball was open), Whyte thinks better of it and holds his ground , Sturrock throws himself in the air with Wyte more than a yard away and no leg out. No pen(obviously) but no booking, just by kick. Always liked Sturrock before that. I put it down to him nearing retirement and compensating for the old legs.
hail hail
kitalba says:
17 January, 2012 at 08:53
Anyway, after doing a wee bit of reading it appears that what the significance of Darrell King saying that some Rangers players had two contracts is that it was not within the rules.
Does that mean anything?
That’s exactly what I tried to tell them on Clyde last night. irrespective of the result of the tax case, the existence of these letters, unless submitted with all other contracts to the SFA and SPL, is in clear contravention of the rules. ie. They cheated.
.
RogueLeader..
MIH Lawyers..Wow l did Not know that..Murray MUST Still be Pulling Strings..
Summa
I glanced at a workmate’s DR this morning. There it is, tucked away at the foot of page 11, a column measuring the size of a tea bag, the RTC. If anyone didnt know how pro RFC this paper is then you know now. The ‘thugs and thieves’ headline of 10 years ago really brought it home for me and I haven’t bought it since, and never will. This rag has surpassed itself with its unashamed denial of the biggest story to hit Scottish football EVER.
The Chomsky/Herman article on the underground really informs us how the media works and is well worth a read. We are obviously expendable in this country and our rivals are not. Thats it in a nutshell.
And last night we had the odious hypocrit Keevins spouting accusations of ‘hatred’ to a dignified and articulate caller (Mark). This man is leader of the pack and along with his Lieutenant Traynor and foot soldiers Jackson, Guidi and others, THEY are major cause of the hate divide becoming greater in recent years. THEY are the ‘keyboard militia’ Flanders mentions, NOT the new media like this excellent site, KDS, CU and Etims, all of which puts them to shame.
hh
RogueLeader:
unfair advantage = cheat
somewhere there is somebody who will take them all to task on it and I have a wee sneaky it will not be a Celtic Supporter either.
What are the City of London Police doing these days? Sitting about waiting for the Tax Cae to end and for all to fade away? Would they be doing their sworn to the crown and country duty if they were just to sit back and say “ahh!!! poor souls it’s a shame they got caught ?”
greenjedi says:
17 January, 2012 at 10:12
McNair
Surely IF Rangers are found guilty, Ogilvie would have to resign from the SFA as he was party to the dodgy contracts that were/were not lodged at said SFA?
Thats why we must highlight this to all & sundry. His post is untenable as soon as they lose the tax case. Will he go or do we (Celtic) need to push him?
Paul Sturrock was a really good player, a very dangerous opponent.
John Macdonald was just an annoying wee nyaff, the cashconverter’s Charlie Nicholas; like Fleckie is to James Forrest.
dirtymac – I think this is a moot point. If and when they lose the case they are finished anyway. Why go to the time and expense of raising a suit to join a list of creditors? If it seemed like the suit wasn’t going to kill them I am in no doubt the board would be ready to go at them from a loss of earnings point of view.
Whatever way this happens they should be having titles and trophies removed due to the “unfair advantage” copyright Spew Keevins.
Although I expect the argument to go along the lines of the Naismith argument as to why he wasn’t red carded on the stretcher. The stretcher is punishment enough….it is who the LL are setting the stall out already
.
I Have Said on Here time and Time again l Would prefer Rankers to Stay in the SPL BUT Be Penalised..
For the Record..MURRAY MUST BE STRIPPED OF HIS KNIGHTHOOD..
Summa ft LesterPiggottCSC
Rieperman:
apologies, I never heard you on Clyde but well done for being brave; the letters… if they are not submitted and they do exist… is their ommision a fraud?
Once again mate, good on you for trying to level the field.
The only reason Fleck was sent out on loan was to cut the wage bill.
Summa of Sammi – Murray isn’t pulling the strings as he doesn’t own MIH anymore….
RogueLeader,
Thanks. Seems like a leak is the best we can hope for in terms of knowing the outcome quickly, and the Tribunal has been pretty leak free so far.
Who said…………………………”I only know the first 2 lines of the sash. After that we’ve usually scored”
Kit – COL Police will be awaiting the judges verdict as to whether the scheme was conducted lawfully prior to opening any investigation they may have, assuming they feel it is worthy of investigation. If the rumours are true regarding the case I suspect they will have a peek at the case papers….
I’m hoping to get back to Scotland in May.
Riperman – were you the first caller last night?
Tom McLaughlin 10.17
If you don’t mind, drop me an email with your dates home, would love to meet as a thanks for Josh. His next plans…South Pole, applied for a 6month contract, or teaching English in Brazil for a year. Not much difference! He hopes to graduate in July.
bournesouprecipe says:
17 January, 2012 at 10:27
Look at the time.
bourn
bobby lennox
Drat.
Marrakesh Express – “The Chomsky/Herman article on the underground really informs us how the media works and is well worth a read”
Thanks for that