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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‘While the root of the parsnip is edible, the handling of its shoots and leaves requires protective clothing’
.
I Have My Doubts About Neil Lennon making the grade as a Manager.. Base on two Quotes..
“Sammi will get me the Sack..”..”Gary Hooper is Worth 35Million..”
The Dude Cant be Sane..Can he..
Summa ft ThisIsNotTheSackThisIsWhoWantsTobeAMillionaireCSC
PS..Bourne..Should have Said..A iPhone Box..Only Kiddin.. 22..ffs..
philvisreturns says:
16 January, 2012 at 13:04
‘…he bought Govan’s greatest institution for £1 and I understand there’s several more where that came from…’
—
Aye, cheers. Now I need to get a screen wipe for my computer telly.
coffeeonscreenCSC
bournesouprecipe – :)
White Goodman: Go ahead, make your jokes, Mr. Jokey… Joke-maker. But let me hit you with some knowledge. Quit now. Save yourself the embarrassment of losing with these losers in Las Vegas, La Fleur.
Peter La Fleur: Alliteration aside, I’ll take my chances in the tournament.
White Goodman: Yeah, you will take your chances.
Peter La Fleur: I know. I just said that.
White Goodman: I know you just said that.
Peter La Fleur: Okay, I’m not sure where you’re going with this.
White Goodman: Well, I’m not sure where *you’re* going with this.
Peter La Fleur: That’s what I said.
White Goodman: That’s what I’m saying to *you*.
Peter La Fleur: All right.
White Goodman: …Touché.
(thumbsup)
Best line I’ve heard in a while, ‘enormous potential’, brilliant Paul.
HH all from a mild KY.
We can only speculate on the possibilitey of Whyte running out of money as no one has been able to establish his wealth or otherwise.If as some of the speculation say he is only a front man for King the running out of money suggestion is unlikely also if Rangers sign the two or three players being reported in the press this would suggest they still have funding.Everything they do is surrounded by secrecy and there is a lot of smoke and mirrors going on.H.H.
What would ol’ Chomsky make of this wee stooshie?
Google has hit back at Rupert Murdoch after he branded the search giant a “piracy leader”.
The News Corporation chairman tweeted that Google “streams movies free” and “sells [adverts] around them”.
In response, Google said that it fought pirates and counterfeiters “every day”.
Mr Murdoch was tweeting in response to the White House’s apparent opposition to some aspects of the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa).
If passed, the act would give content owners and the US government the power to request court orders to shut down websites associated with piracy.
A statement from the White House appeared to side with critics of both Sopa and Protect IP Act (Pipa) – a similar bill due to be put before the Senate.
In response to an anti-Sopa petition, the White House said online piracy needed a “serious legislative response” but that it must not “inhibit innovation”.
It added: “We will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global internet.”
The stance is likely to anger many companies who have publicly supported Sopa.
Among them is News Corporation. Mr Murdoch’s Twitter comments accused the Obama administration of bowing to “Silicon Valley paymasters”.
“Piracy leader is Google who streams movies free, sells [adverts] around them. No wonder pouring millions into lobbying,” the 80-year-old wrote.
He was referring to Google’s indexing of sites offering illegal downloading of movies and other copyrighted content.
‘Nonsense’
To back up his complaint, he later added: “Just been to google search for mission impossible. Wow, several sites offering free links. I rest my case.”
Google told technology website Cnet that Mr Murdoch’s comments were “nonsense”.
A spokeswoman told the BBC: “Google respects copyright – and we’ve worked hard to help rights holders deal with piracy.
“Last year we took down five million infringing web pages from our search results and invested more than $60 million (£40m) in the fight against bad ads.”
Google, an opponent of Sopa, said it believed there are better methods of protecting against copyright infringement.
The company suggested “targeted legislation that would require ad networks and payment processors – like ours – to cut off sites dedicated to piracy or counterfeiting”.
Backers of the bill say it will make it easier for content creators to protect their copyrighted material in the face of online piracy.
However, critics say it will hinder freedom of speech and innovation on the internet.
Some opponents to Sopa are set to partake in an internet “blackout” on 18 January.
Recommendation site Reddit is said to be on-board with the protest, while Wikipedia said it may also join the action which would see sites shut down for 12 hours.
Further debate on Sopa is expected this month, however it is unlikely a vote will be passed before the US presidential elections which take place in November.
dirtymac – You won’t be mirthfully expelling caffeinated beverages when The Famous Glasgow Rangers break open their emergency £2 coin to supplement Super Ally’s multi-pound warchest.
Be afraid, Timmy. (thumbsup)
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Cant Understand Why People are so Negative towards Rupert Murdoch..
Summa
Summa of Sammi:
I can’t understand why people don’t like cockroaches. And mosquitos.
But I am assured they are not popular.
philvisreturns says:
16 January, 2012 at 13:13
‘Super Ally’s multi-pound warchest’
That’s getting plagiarised.
Summa of Sammi…. says:
16 January, 2012 at 13:14
It’s because he’s an odious runt.
Hmmm, it would appeac that pact way thcough that post, two lettecs on my keyboacd have been swapped acound
Vanessa passes 80k in just five days
That’s better, all fixed now :-)
Did the Italian League strip Juventus of any titles or cups when they were demoted for naughty stuff? What happened to Marseille ?Any precedents anywhere for the removal of recorded titles or such like when a club has been punished for financial jiggery pokery or other malfeasance?
Why do they call it a Bounce game?
Blindlemonchitlin says:
16 January, 2012 at 13:21
In both cases, yes, titles were stripped.
I think you will find that with ongoing divorce proceedings Mrs Whtye has her hand firmly on the other pound in ole Craigie boys trousers!
BSR..was it when two teams played with no ref and just bounced the ball up to start?..
Mrs Whyte wants Murray Park to turn it into a health spa… ;)
dirtymac says:
16 January, 2012 at 13:01
I wonder, when the tax case finally nails Them, how the MSM will report it.
I’m thinking the answers, at best, will be: yes, no, no and no. In that order.
With thems down the crapper the target readership for these rags could move to be Celtic fans (as the next biggest target audience). Not likely in reality but how funny would it be to see the MSM contradict all the humbugGERy they have written in order to report for their new audience (e.g. non-Rangers fans).
QB
Doubt it is likely but the following just posted on Twitter:
Rumour on @kerrydalestreet we have offered Junior Hoilett of Blackburn a contract for August
bournesouprecipe – Bounce games were invented by Bouncer, the loveable labrador from Ramsay Street, after he ate some poisoned mushrooms.
Mrs Mangel didn’t approve. (thumbsup)
QuadBhoy says:
16 January, 2012 at 13:29
i think that particular well was poisoned long ago – there’s no way that toadying up to us will win back a sizeable replacement readership. My money will be on positive spin stories on NewCo and the status quo for us.
ernie lynch says:
16 January, 2012 at 12:36
If the result of the tax case is published in say, March/April and went against them. How long until an appeal is lodged, heard and it’s findings published?
johann murdoch says:
16 January, 2012 at 13:28
BSR..was it when two teams played with no ref and just bounced the ball up to start?..
+++++++++++++++.
And a Bouncey Bouncey game…. is that two teams and a Hun ref??;;
johann murdoch says:
And a Bouncey Beyonce game…….oops day dreaming…
googybhoy ♥ Celtic and Integrity – A bouncey bouncey game is what you play with Christina Hendricks when you are bored. (thumbsup)
In an age where we are often at end of a punchy soundbite, and media oversimplification, I have one of my own. I had been gently probing my hunnic chums with this for a few weeks, it seems to get a reaction. Try it on a bear near you, soon!
With a sad shake of the head, simply state;
RANGERS HAVE BEEN CHEATING FOR A GENERATION”.
Working for me.
Googybhoy…:)..does the MBB live in a bouncy bouncy castle then?
.
DirtyMac..
Do You Know what the Man (Murdoch) and his Family have Done for Charity..?
Summa
philvisreturnssays:
16 January, 2012 at 13:37
Now you are day dreaming…
Afternoon bhoys, cool, damp, dreich, but as ever hun free, so that brightens up the day no end.
Does anybody know what the FTT panel consists of, there is the prosecution, the defence and the judges, who are the judges, are they members of the judicary and does the tribunal have the same powers are a law court ?
johan
correct
philvis
Wee loveable Bouncer from Neighbours
Many of the darkside fail to realise / admit that even putting the tax case of the back burner – Rangers still need a cash injection of around £7m. Yes, they can sell Jellyfeet but for no more than £6m. He is relegation EPL candidate standard at best. Therefore how lovely would it be if they went into administration whilst still waiting on the result of the FTT
ripscotlandshameCSC
Dirtymac
Thanks.
Just for the sake of talking, then, if the Tax Case covers a period when Rangers won titles in the SPL, not the old Scottish League, I presume it would be up to them, not the SFA, to consider amending any historical wins achieved by cheating? Cups would be the SFA and the Scottish League respectively?
Do they need to be asked to take action?
Are there UEFA protocols compelling them to act or is it left to domestic bodies to take such steps as they see fit?
I suppose one Euro bonus of records being expunged would be that the ‘blitz’ of Manchester would be deemed to have never happened, making them once more the fun filled scamps welcome in all and any ports of call they happen to travel to.
Summa
Do you?
hun radar going beserk every time you post…