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.
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In one of my drunken rambles months ago, I mentioned McColl.
Now there’s no debt, he is there with the grand wizards of scotland, like a ringwraith descending on its prey.
Well, build yer new club.
Let’s see it.
We’ll take it on, like we took on scotland rfc, and won.
Paul67,
Lovely track. Was Smith really serious, or trying to protect his reputation before it is totally decimated? obfuscating as much as he can.
I want that Worshipped Idol smashed a lot more than Murray now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG27qGTMXa4
Apologies for last link – language is terrible and not for kids.
When all the dark clouds roll away And the sun begins to shine I see my freedom from across the way And it comes right in on time Well it shines so bright and it gives so much light And it comes from the sky above Makes me feel so free makes me feel like me And lights my life with love
Chorus: And it seems like and it feels like And it seems like yes it feels like A brand new day, yeah A brand new day oh
I was lost and double crossed With my hands behind my back I was longtime hurt and thrown in the dirt Shoved out on the railroad track I’ve been used, abused and so confused And I had nowhere to run But I stood and looked And my eyes got hooked On that beautiful morning sun
Chorus
And the sun shines down all on the ground Yeah and the grass is oh so green And my heart is still and I’ve got the will And I don’t really feel so mean Here it comes, here it comes 0 here it comes right now And it comes right in on time Well it eases me and it pleases me And it satisfies my mind
HH
roy croppie, fantastic stuff. I’ll see you that and raise you.
Heard this for the first time live in 1985. Was singing the song after the concert from weeks. Didn’t even know Celtic were mentioned until I heard it again some time later.
Petec, he was indeed serious.
You remember our friends at Bloemfontein Celtic? Their passion, joy and songs. They’ve only gone and done the huddle.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdk80DwX-uQ
I’m sure others will have complained about Burley’s casual prejudice against Celtic during commentary on the Sweden v England Game on ITV. For what it’s worth, here’s the complaint I submitted:
Dear Madam, Sir
I wish to make a complaint with regard to your coverage of the above match. It relates to Craig Burley’s comments regarding Yann M’Vila, a Rennes player who, he claimed, dominated the midfield against Celtic in two UEFA Europa League ties. Not, he stated, that that would be difficult. I feel I should point out that, in fact, Celtic drew 1-1 with Rennes away from home and won 3-1 at home; a quite impressive 4-2 aggregate score. Mr Burley, admittedly more commonly on other channels, seems to be hyper-critical of his former club, Celtic FC. It is almost axiomatic to note that the norm on British TV channels is to talk up British domestic or national teams. In that context Burley’s comments tonight stand out like his peroxide blond hair in the ’98 World Cup. I am sick fed up of listening to Burley’s inaccurate and biased comments in respect of Celtic FC. They come across as automatic and almost unthinking. I know that I and many others find it very difficult to listen to such ill-informed and, seemingly, prejudiced comments and as a consequence many of us either delay the TV feed, mute and listen to a radio commentary or (probably the less IT-savvy majority) turn off entirely. I have no problem with critical comments regarding Celtic FC, any other Scottish team or indeed the national team; we are not, nor are we likely to be, world beaters. But casual and inaccurate dismissal of a British team should be challenged. Sadly, it is my belief that such comments about an English club team would have been challenged. Come on, ITV, is fair comment too much to ask for?
Best wishes,
Stephen Madill
PS although this should not influence you unduly, at least not over issues of fairness, it may nonetheless be in your interest to consider that Celtic is rated as the 13th best supported club in the world. This is likely to be an underestimate, due to the worldwide Scottish and Irish diaspora.
God bless the Green Brigade for taking something like this and raising it.
Horto Magiko
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0rMe2Vyb9E&feature=player_embedded
Bloke109 is Neil Lennon
I don’t know the song but they have that Jungle Spirit. I hope they are witnessing a Maestro in front of them who is despereate to play for the Celts.
Awesome link.
PercyVere
As sevenfishes I think pointed out earlier, M’Vila didn’t play in the away leg and was sent off in the CP leg. Pulled the strings from the stand and the dressing room no doubt, and makes Burley even more of a clown.
Paul, I’ll see you and raise you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ybcgc8BQlQQ
Hail Hail :)))
petec
I love those fans. It was I think noel90 who first posted them on here. This was the first one I saw of them. Would love them at CP.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLLw0dA-b18
Congratulations to all (including Paul) on the demise of the old RFC but also raise a glass of Congratulations to Neil Lennon & Celtic on winning the SPL !
THEM & Van Morrison – It’s All Over Now Baby Blue (1966)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=D7WJHdE0__I
So we have a zombie rangers supported by zombie huns
Will they chant we are the dead people
We’ve been crying now for much too long And now we’re gonna dance to a different song I’m gonna scream and shout til my dying breath I’m gonna smash it up til theres nothing left
Oooh ooh smash it up, smash it up, smash it up Oooh ooh smash it up, smash it up, smash it up
People call me villain oh its such a shame Maybe its my clothes must be to blame I don’t even care if I look a mess Don’t wanna be a sucker like all the rest
Oooh ooh smash it up, smash it up, smash it up Oooh ooh smash it up, smash it up, smash it up
Smash it up Smash it up Smash it up Smash it up Smash it up
Smash it up, you can keep your krishna burgers Smash it up, and your Glastonbury hippies Smash it up, you can stick your frothy lager Smash it up, and your blow wave hairstyles
And everybody’s smashing things down I said everybody’s smashing things down yeah
HH
Bloke109,
And it came from a wee seed planted a while ago now. Imagine what it is going to be like in a few years. And a few years after that. And a few years after that.
We may not have been winning in a corrupt League but we were making sure we were growing as a Club by helping others around the World.
Great links. Thanks.
Time for much needed beauty sleep. HH
estorilbhoy,
best wished to yer ma, get well soon mammyestoril
hail hail
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX8vt-7N4j0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kI4ny-6Rn4
Willie Maley
Goodnight BHOYS.
It beggars belief. It now looks like the SFA knew about EBT’s. What a charade.
By induction that means the SPL did too. That means that Everton and Blackburn Rovers can now sue the SFA for complicity in a gargantuan fraud over transfers from the huns. What next? …and the SFA have the temerity to investigate clubs finances….
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18367348
The SFA remind me of the warden in the Shawshank Redemption.
I like to think the last thing that went through his head – other than that bullet –
was to wonder how the hell Andy Dufresne ever got the best of him.
estorilbhoy
All the best to your mother – take care mate.
AWE NAW
Since you#re around,when are you gonna post your address on here so that we all know where to go for THE GRAND LIQUIDATION BARBEQUE?
Actually,scrap my invitation,AWE NAW.
Not that I wish to sound ungrateful but LIQUIDATION BARBEQUE just reminds me of the liquid burgers served up outside Celtic Park in the 70s and 80s.
But don’t let my absence detract from a great occasion!
Awe_Naw….,
am only commin if philvis is there
When your latern goes askew, this is not a good idea, however it does remind me of Wattie!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAagFKdsSNs
candle in the window, night night!
Awe Naw
I’m only comin if BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS is comin
Favs so far
stupid huns – tomtheleedstim
hunguffery – dbbia
We can all smell the reek of keech wafting out of Hampden and Ibrox.
Don’t you think it stinks of the same auld keech?
Complicity, Collusion, Corruption.
Whatever happened to
all the hunnos
all the EBTos
They watched their Rome burn
Whatever happened to all the hunnos?
Whatever happened to all the hunnos?
Whatever happened to dear old Ally?
and dear old wally?
They got a Celtic
That made their ears burn
No more Rangers anymore
No more Rangers anymore
No more Rangers anymore
No more Rangers anymore
No more Rangers anymore
No more Rangers anymore
No more Rangers anymore
No more Rangers anymore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B4bsqYxwo0
Lanterns over Kentucky:
http://db.tt/r6VyLhBV
http://db.tt/hY9lwwG8
http://db.tt/MGF7FG6N
Will post again in AM, HH!
Question for all you learned people out there: The SPL are currently investigating the alleged use of EBTs (by the club with a history but no future) dating back to the inception of the current SPL incarnation in 1998. I believe that is the only date they can investigate back to. The SFA are not investigating the use of EBTs at all, because they are the Appellate Body if an appeal is raised against the SPL’s ruling.
Does this mean that the SFA have absolutely no intention of investigating the possibility of similar payment schemes prior to 1998?
Aipple on 16 June, 2012 at 03:59 said:
Lanterns over Kentucky:
Like it Aipple!
Houston lantern launched into the big Texan sky…
RIP Eddie.T…for you mate…
TC45
thehuddlehound on 16 June, 2012 at 04:39 said:
They’re huns!
I’ll give you 3 guesses.
MargaretMcGill – do i need to use all 3 guesses?
lovin it Aipple. Been thinking about all those places all over the World with the green lanterns and seeing your photies made it real . Hail Hail. This time will live forever as one of the best times in my life even if we eventually play “The” in the three or four years. I expect SPL to get real , they don’t need The and the chances are that things will get better for any one or all of them. Mags you’re a stranglers woman in black. You remind me of a very special friend , Liz , she would have loved to have been here for this moment but will have to make do with belting out Hail Hail in the next world. I can hear her laughing big time and what a laugh. Sun going down and I am wishing I had a green lantern to send up express to my pal Liz.
Neil Lennon
@OfficialNeil
A certain ex player is belittling the club and under minding our achievements.