Walter Smith was not named by BBC’s Mark Daly as a recipient of an Employee Benefit Trust in the recent documentary, however, before this matter is put to bed I expect more names to emerge. As soon as Smith makes himself available to a proper journalist he will be asked:
Did he receive EBT loan payments from Rangers?
If so:
Did he repay those loans or hold his cash while the club ran out of money and died?
Was he in receipt of a letter from Rangers confirming he was not required to repay?
Did his then employers, the Scottish FA, know he was perhaps receiving money from a member club while employed by them?
Are SFA employees contractually inhibited from taking payments from a member club or required to inform the SFA board of any payments received by a member club?
Did his earlier employers, Everton FC, know if he was receiving money from another club while employed by them?
Was Smith contractually inhibited from taking payments from another club or required to inform Everton of any payments received from another club?
As manager of Rangers, was he involved in negotiations with players who had EBTs or was he another one who concentrated on administrative and legislative duties?
Was he one of the men SFA president, Campbell Ogilvie, suggested failed to reveal side contracts to the Rangers board?
Rangers’ liquidators, BDO, will forensically pour over most of these questions, so Smith’s answers will be verifiable.
No one who played an active part in Rangers EBT scandal will come out of this clean. The ramifications multiply if Rangers were discretely paying any senior employee of another club.
I simply cannot imagine the justification for a member club discretely paying a senior employee of the SFA. Frankly, it would be beyond every Celtic fan’s most paranoid fantasies. I am sure Mr Smith will quickly and easily be able to reassure everyone.
An interesting twist in Smith’s bid for the assets of Rangers is that if he is to inherit Green’s application for a SFA licence and take a controlling interest in the club, Green is obliged to do due diligence on Smith to determine if he is a Fit and Proper person. Perhaps Mr Green can use the above as his due diligence questionnaire.
One final thought. In the unlikely event that it is established that one senior SFA employee was receiving discrete payments from Rangers, we need an immediate and independent inquiry to establish how many others received such payments and what they were for.
As a matter of some urgency I would recommend Stewart Regan brings himself up to speed on this one. I am sure his president is banging the table as you read this insisting the chief executive gets to the bottom of this. It’s not as though he is heavily conflicted and the SFA is in dire need of an independent president to steady the ship.
My friends in Celtic, this just got interesting.
1,813 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- ...
- 48
- »
I see that our intrepid C4 reporter is on the case.
Pedantry alert: disgraceful typo, Alex!
——————————————————————————–
alex thomson @alextomo
If Smith’s got nothing to hide on EBT payments theb he can issue a ful disclosure today. Simple.
ASonOfDan on 15 June, 2012 at 09:42 said:
‘One of Green’s investors states it has cost them £10 Million to purchase rangers and if anyone wants to buy them out it will take ‘multiples’ of that figure to do it.
Well they did get a property deal worth £110 Million for just £5.5 Million. Who is going to walk away from that…’
The problem though is that it then looks like the sale to Green was a sale at undervalue which can be set aside by
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmLDf9XKMfk
Off topic, but you should read this! Orwellian. Been following this wee lassie’s blog for a while – brilliant for a 9 year old. I’ve registered a complaint with A & B cooncil.
http://neverseconds.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/goodbye.html
I think Green is playing a blinder here – there will be a small profit to be made in selling to McColl, Park et al. If I was Green, I’d say “£20million, or I pull the trigger.”
Looking forward to McColl and Park throwing their money down that large drain aka Ibrox.
And finally, can I just clarify for anyone still struggling with the concept – there is no Rangers FC, the 140 year history is at an end. Stop frustrating yourself. Scotland has a new football team – Sevco FC. The big question is – will they pip Peterhead to the 3rd division title?
Like many others so far, I feel any questioning of the one known simply as ‘Walter’ will not happen.
Walter is a legned, a dignified icon and his heroic intervention will be remembered for decades. :-(
Saint Stivs on 15 June, 2012 at 09:42 said:
Postcode update on Lantern lighting.
G77, G71, PA7 , G69, PA8, G64, G67
please add.
philvisreturns on 15 June, 2012 at 09:39 said:
LoL.
Stivs on 15 June, 2012 at
09:42 said:
Postcode update on Lantern
lighting.
G77, G71, PA7 , G69, PA8, G64, G67, KA7
please add.
Just watched new Irn Bru advert , just reminded me so much the huns.
St Stivs
There will be one from IV25 might be lonely but it’ll be up there
This whole saga reminds me of Animal Farm, ‘all animals are equal but some are more equal than others’ and all the propaganda.
GeorgeOrwellCSC
Will make you laugh, promise
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibuLgsVcQUY&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Saint Stivs on 15 June, 2012 at 09:42 said:
Postcode update on Lantern lighting.
G77, G71, PA7 , G69, PA8, G64, G67
Unfortunately I’ll be in a plane somewhere over Turkey at 10pm CPT, but I’ll ask the crew if they would mind awfully popping open the door and allow me to release a lantern…
RFC died yesterday leaving behind multi million pounds worth of debt to other football clubs, small business’ and the public purse and yet when you look at Rangers Media this morning they are proud of this “achievement”. No hint of embarrassment can be detected, only comments about how they got away with it and the usual bile about child abuse.
What kind of people are they ? No wonder this club was despised by the fans of every other club in Scotland. Their sense of entitlement was, in the end, breathtaking.
As for the new club that might emerge next season and it is a new club with absolutely no history. I will get a great deal of satisfaction watching them battle it out with the other clubs in the 3rd division of the SFL.
Rangers people had a saying “We don’t do walking away”. Celtic fans for years have also had a saying “Our day will come”. It came on 14th of June 2012 !!
Paul67 et al
In reporting from the wind up meeting yesterday Roddy Forsyth stated that he was there as a creditor, and though he did not further explain how and why he was such. One thing he did venture was that following liquidation the new company and club would be reformed as “Rangers Football Club”. Now usually when I have referred to them on here it is sometimes by that name, or probably more often as Rangers FC, which is an abbreviated version of the above. Point being that it is exactly the same name, but presumably, as a result of liquidation, it is no longer in debt to the Roddy Forsyths of this world, and similarly would not inherit any of the football related sanctions of the aforementioned RFC. Now, of course Roddy, who over the piece has shown himself to be a bit of a cheerleader, (and has used Radio 5 to that effect) may be flying a kite, (as opposed to a chinese lantern) but all of us need to be aware that this is part of the new campaign. Before you know it he will be referring to the Old Firm!
Brilliant as always Paul.
I might even hold back some jelly and ice cream to see this out come with TMWNS (the man with no surname).
Liquidation, the gift that just keeps on givivg.
HH
/Bishop B
Mr Green you are not wearing the required brown brogues, may I suggest you just hand over the club to Walter, now there’s a good boy, run along we’ll take from here.
Italy star Rino Gattuso, who had expressed an interest in returning to Rangers, is poised to join Swiss club FC Sion. (Various)
Has Rino got a thing for clubs that break FIFA rule?
Ernie
Selling the stadium as a stadium will make it worth about what Green paid for it, after all a Football Stadium has very limited use. However more money could be raised IMO by breaking up the stadium for scrap value and then selling the land while the listed building problem can be resolved as fire damage can be impossible to repair thus ensuring demolition is the only option!
Some people are never happy ——-
” Spain put on an exhibition of football against a rugby team ”
” Croatia will be a bull, Ireland were not even that , just a poor heifer .
” I was bored for a lot of the first half . Rolling with the tika taka dizzy ball just numbs me -it’s like a sedative -there is no sharpness , no kill.
Julian Ruiz -El Mundo 15 06 2012.
Sevco trading as the Rankers Football Club.
A trading name is just that – a name. Not an entity.
So if Smith sets up his own Zombie FC at Hampden there will be two newcos attempting to claim the right to Bigot FC.
Reminds me of the terrible Bucks Fizz name battle when there two groups touring claiming to be the original on the slim pretext that that each had one original member.
Here we are in the land of make believe.
Sorry if these points have already been covered, but I’d be EXTREMELY grateful if someone could clarify:
Why did BDO allow Rangers’ assets to be sold off for £5.5M when they are obviously worth more? I thought they would have tried to raise as much as possible from the sale of said assets.
Where is Craig Whyte? I thought (hoped) he would have lodged an appeal for an injunction on the transfer of the assets to which he claims a floating charge over.
What of the punishments that were to be meted out to RFC(ia) – firstly for bringing the game into disrepute and then for taking the SFA to court. Surely the only available appropriate punishment in both cases in suspension or expulsion.
Is it possible that the SFA could grant a licence and the SPL transfer the share that belonged to RFC(ia) to Zombie FC and then apply the sanctions i.e. suspension or expulsion for a period?
So many questions……
Starryhope
Credible Milan based fitba media stating that Gattuso has signed for Sion FC
Paul ,you say unlikely when referring to the possibility of a senior SFA member being discovered to have been the recipient of payments from rankers. Is this a typo or is it really unlikely?
starryhope
there was no liquidation at the point of sale. The administrators sold the assets. Can this deal be challenged by BDO? That is the interesting question.
Alex Thomson entered this whole saga with an open uncluttered mind.
After learning more about Rangers, he sems to despise them in the same way as we do.
(Which is nice).
Why are people so obsessed with their horrible history? They are going to claim it no matter what anybody says.
I’m rather more concerned about what happens now and in the future.
Will they be back at Celtic Park next season with their fans belting out the Billy Boys even more enthusiastically than before?
Stivs on 15 June, 2012 at
09:42 said:
Postcode update on Lantern
lighting.
G77, G71, PA7 , G69, PA8, G64, G67, KA7, IV25,
please add.
Headtheball on 15 June, 2012 at 09:54 said:
What even by HMRC, Strathclyde Police and The City Of London Fraud Squad, he’s just that good like Brian Laudrup???
Some phrases from the past which will embarrass the MSM;
Old Firm – one half is officially dead
Biscuit tin mentality – Now fiscal prudence and corporate governance
Paranoid Celtic fans – about to be consigned to the dust bin if I read between the lines of Paul’s lead. We live in interesting times.
Paul 67
How long will all this hun-stuff go on for ?
One day their deed – then they appear the next morning ?
The job that your ghoodself and, Phil Mac, RTC, and the rest have done, consistant every step of the way – can only be described as being – without peer!!!
YOU, more than most have brought TFOD to their knee’s.
I will be eternally grateful to you for that. But, at what point does the stake get driven through the beasts heart ?
Just get them to…………….PLEASE!!!
God Bless
Hail Hail
Confirmed G22 , good on the Milton bhoys .
Headtheball @ 10.6
“Will they back … belting out the Billy Boys?”
Well the SPL launched an investigation into their sectarian singing at Ibrox in February (!). Strangely, nothing more has been heard about it.
Gattuso said to have signed a 2 year deal with Sion . He will be able to drive there from one of his many houses..
Rumored that Del Piero might be joining him.
Has the cardigan moved now because rangers fc are a non entity now?
It was very frustrating yesterday afternoon on the way to Gatwick airport trying to work out just what had happened. But it was very funny to be standing in a queue for a Glasgow flight listening to others doing the same, making texts or tweets into stories.
And it was easy to tell the huns from the looks on their faces and the demented ramblings about the new club, the history Walter saving them.
I have a feeling a few more things will come out today. And the next stage will be court action, Or probably several court actions. I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks that Ticketus and Criag Whyte have not finished with this mess.
Lads do any of you have an email address for Alex Thomson ?