Rangers director Dave King’s remarkable statement today read like a manifesto for taking over a football club. I’ll leave aside most of his allegations, speculation and threats for now and discuss the central point to be considered by the Scottish Football Association.
King has asked the SFA if he would be deemed a Fit and Proper Person to run a football business. He has been a director of Rangers for the last 12 years, starting pretty much in tandem with the Employee Benefit Trust scheme which has precipitated so much trouble for the club. One of the key responsibilities of a non-executive director, defined by Wikipedia, are to:
“Satisfy themselves that financial information is accurate and that financial controls and systems of risk management are robust and defensible”
It was his responsibility to ensure that Rangers’ tax submissions were accurate and defensible. He was employed (and presumably paid) to carry out this duty on behalf of the thousands of ordinary shareholders. This particular duty has been subject to gross underperformance. Being a bad director is not a suitable defence.
Last year the Daily Record reported that a South African court judgement said: “In our assessment [King] is a glib and shameless liar”.
Adding he, “has no respect for the truth and does not hesitate to lie … if he thinks it will be to his advantage”, before ruling his company was liable for a £250m bill served by the South African tax authorities. The very mention of the phrase “tax authorities” should send alarm bells ringing at Hampden.
Even Craig Whyte has never been called a shameless liar by a court.
King served as Rangers director with SFA president and board member, Campbell Ogilvie, for five years. The SFA have yet to respond to his Fit and Proper Person enquiry.
You are beginning to see why the SFA president’s position is simply untenable. We have been plunged headlong into the biggest scandal in the history of Scottish football and he sat around the table with most of the people involved when many decisions were agreed.
SFA chief exec, Stewart Regan, might be tempted to issue another “Campbell is clearly conflicted with this…” comment but would be much better served by:
Making it clear that works like “glib and shameless liar” from a court do not make you Fit and Proper for Scottish football.
Calling an emergency board meeting and instigate an immediate and wide-ranging inquiry into Rangers – with an initial response before the end of this month.
Advising the president that he should immediately offer information to the SPL inquiry and do the same with the SFA inquiry once convened, and step aside until all related matters have concluded.
More on King’s self-serving claim that trophies Rangers ‘won’ during and around their EBT period are secure soon.
I would like to be the first to congratulate St Mirren on their League Cup win in 2010.
Issue six of CQN Magazine, the Fit and Proper edition, is set to become a landmark collectors item. You can browse the magazine online here but you can buy your own hard copy by clicking on the link below. Read with 20-20 vision…..
You can support the online edition by making a discretionary donation here.
171 Comments- Pages:
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OGLACH @13.54
You have sussed it there is a Blackadderesque that is so unimaginable that it has fooled everyone. The plan is there is no plan! We pretend that we are multimillionaire business men who know what we are doing but in reality do not have a clue but are good at soundbites to our pet journos. We then threaten the HMRC with Admino so they will back down and if that fails we appoint whizz kid adminos Dumb and Dumber who pretend they know what they are doing.
The reason we have no plan is that there can be no plan as the whole structure is falling around our ears and regardless of what we do it is going to collapse in any event. Simples!
Paul,
Do the same ‘Fit and Proper’ conditions not also apply to Paul Murray as a former Director of this auspicious club?
All these Uber Huns constantly telling us stripping honours is “academic” is the Nazi technique specialized by Goebbels: repeat enough and people will eventually believe its true…we just have to keep repeating and disseminating the opposite…
greenjedi on 7 March, 2012 at 14:20 said:
Gordon J
I mentioned that yesterday, if they go bye bye after the season Hunfermline would no longer be part of the SPL and what they thought would be irrelevent, although I guess the could sue the SPL if they didn’t get a reprieve.
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When does the relegated club lose its SPL membership ? Immediately on the last day of the season? or sometime before the start of the new season ?
Seeing Big Yogi’s 1967 medal on eBay is desperately sad. Would like to think the club would step in to save it.
Very sad to see such a symbol of a hero’s career under the hammer – especially in the context of the greed, lies, thieving and general low life we’ve all been talking about emanating from the cheats in administration.
its all gone quiet over at murray park,have the players and swally not sacked the administrators yet?
philvisreturns on 7 March, 2012 at 13:18 said:
Will there be a permanent memorial to Rangers FC?
Maybe a marble relief sculpture of John Greig receiving the 1972 European Cup Winners’ Cup in the Nou Camp toilet?
It could be called “Another Homage to Catalonia”. (thumbsup)
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Didn’t Dynamo Moscow win this game 3-0 ? (as per the rules)
you think the ebay thing is genuine ? isn’t there an established auction of football medals etc at a reputable auction house which is a big event in the calendar.
Jeg er Neil Lennon-Greeninbingley on 7 March, 2012 at 14:30 said:
Seeing Big Yogi’s 1967 medal on eBay is desperately sad. Would like to think the club would step in to save it.
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Totally agree perhaps Paul67 or an individual with access to the suits at CP could mention it. Place it alongside the big boys cup in the trophy room.
jock steins celtic on 7 March, 2012 at 14:33 said:
you think the ebay thing is genuine ? isn’t there an established auction of football medals etc at a reputable auction house which is a big event in the calendar
Saw the item in the paper this morning. Doesn’t mean its accurate of course!
.
James Forrest is The Emperor of Ice Cream on 7 March, 2012 at 14:12 said:
“Gary Player describes him as a very good man ….”
.
Ken Dodd and Sir Lester Piggott (Sir..Removed for Tax Evasion) Say he (King) is a Hero to them..
Summa
Firstly, does anyone know when the tax case decision is likely to be delivered?
Secondly, all those planning rangers newco after liquidation, is there anything to stop them buying a low league English club and rebranding them as rangers newco (in the airdrie utd/clydebank style) and playing home games at ibrox whilst playing in English league?
What are the players telling the Administrators to do today?
Is that poor boy still standing outside MP on behalf of Sky?
jock steins celtic on 7 March, 2012 at 14:33 said:
Had a quick look at the eBay post – certainly looks genuine, provenance verified by Christie’s.
ontheoneroad on 7 March, 2012 at 14:35 said:
Firstly, does anyone know when the tax case decision is likely to be delivered?
Secondly, all those planning rangers newco after liquidation, is there anything to stop them buying a low league English club and rebranding them as rangers newco (in the airdrie utd/clydebank style) and playing home games at ibrox whilst playing in English league?
I think your on the wrong road!!!
Every dog has his day, well
Every clown has their say……..
Whyte to make a statement about Murray’s statement about King’s statement
clear
p
If Rangers had drawn FC Sion this season what would the record books eventually show?
Oglach:
These shysters are so mired in short-termism its like an animal reflex…there is no plan…merely adaptation to the next crisis of your making- a crisis determined by the lack of foresight in their own double dealings…that is the problem with greed: it never considers future consequences…greed is desire out of control. Desire is still rational: it can suspend present gratification for increased future gains…but not greed.
Greed is the Leviathan.
Paul Murray intends to make a conditional offer to buy the club before 16 March.
What this means is, he can say he tried and go down as a rangers Legned…
How on Earth did the Board at Ibrokes work ? one directot from a good few years ago said he knew about EBTs but Mr. Adam just ignored them however,he says all the directors knew about them.Then we have King another director saying Murray was to blame and apparently he Knew nothing about EBTs and asking is he a fit and proper person to run Rangers.Then another ex-director Paul Murray just ignoreing EBTs and putting his plans together to run the club..Now these three guys sat on the board at various times and cant claim not knowing about anything that happened during there directorship as an excuse.These individuals along with others have a brass neck if Rangers are found guilty over the issues of EBTs they should be charged and jailed.The cut throats are jockaying for position of Rangers 2012 new co. directors.H.H.
ebay thing – oh well does seem genuine. sad.
on the one road – after MK Dons there are rules preventing that sort of thing.
neveralone on 7 March, 2012 at 14:35 said:
jock steins celtic on 7 March, 2012 at 14:33 said:
you think the ebay thing is genuine ? isn’t there an established auction of football medals etc at a reputable auction house which is a big event in the calendar
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Bhoys, Provenance could be easily established as seller claims it was purchased from Christies.
So Whyte has spoken again, to say he’s not getting involved!
He says he expects a CVA.
My (excellent) information is that HMRC will, under no circumstances, do a CVA with Whyte, so if he believes a CVA is do-able why does he believe that? Is there double speak from the Administrators, have they been nobbled by the Blue Knights?
My info is that HMRC have indicated that they ARE prepared to negotiate with the Blue Knights group.
Unless this is the biggest stitch up between them all that has ever taken place in the history of the planet this is edging closer to litigation and to there being no Rangers at all at any level for at least some period of time.
Every Clown has a dog and every day a dog bites a Clown…
Aw naw@ 14:22
I think Inspector Clouseau could do a better job than that lot. Add him to the list.
You will find him inn his hotel rhume.
It has a swimming pewl in it.
HH
j77 on 7 March, 2012 at 14:38 said:
If Rangers had drawn FC Sion this season what would the record books eventually show?
Three each on aggregate.
For F sake
I’m getting scunnered wi aw this.
Just F-ing die already.
god bless her majesty
Monaghan
Surely 6 each over 2 legs?
Not sure it’d be that simple, like dividing by zero :)
s, revenue & customs
jock steins celtic
This medal was previously sold by Christies in 2007 (along with other stuff from John Hughes) – Christies Auction All reached £6k
It seems that this is being re-sold now on ebay as tags match what Christies would have had.
Mort
After watching that crud “Debate” on BBC last night I do believe Rod Petrie is one of the Karma Police…
Ron Bacardi,
It’s not entirely clear when the relegated team ceases to be a member of the SPL. The Rules only say that it doesn’t require the consent of the board, it just happens.
As it’s effectively a transfer of a Share from the relegated club to the one promoted it could be assumed that the switch takes place as soon as the season ends.
The Blue Knights ??? They don’t exist.
What is it with der Hun and South African connections?
Monaghan1900 on 7 March, 2012 at 14:43 said:
j77 on 7 March, 2012 at 14:38 said:
If Rangers had drawn FC Sion this season what would the record books eventually show?
Three each on aggregate.
Minus 6 each on aggregate?
swindonbhoy on 7 March, 2012 at 13:45 said:
Sure will. Trying to drum up numbers for the event as it hasn’t been well advertised. Do you get down the Tap?
Just a thought but if the orcs are found guilty in the second contract scandal and King and Paul Murray were both directors during this period how could either possibly be seen as fit and proper persons by the footballing authorities???