So much happened yesterday, I’ll be as brief as possible:
Newco Rangers sent their counsel to the Court of Session to protest Charles Green’s contract with the club, stating it should pay legal expenses, now crystallising ahead of his forthcoming criminal trial.
In opposing Green, James Wolffe QC raised various objections, but as is often the case when people speak on behalf of Newco, included an arbitrary insistence that Newco operated the same club as the now liquidated Rangers.
Green’s QC, Jonathan Brown, put his pit boots on before stating his client’s case, but tantalisingly, before lunch informed the court that he would return to the same club/new club debate later. And didn’t he. Brown explained that Sevco Scotland purchased the assets of Rangers, not the club itself, with poetic prose adding:
“The team are paid by Sevco, plat at a ground owned by Secvo, are trained by a manager who is employed by Sevco and fans buy tickets from Sevco. That is the business that is being carried on.”
Adding that Rangers were “a collection of assets”, “What if the players were sold to one person and Ibrox to antoher, where is the ‘club’ then?”
I had to look away from court reporter, James Dolman’s Twitter feed at this point. It was like watching an acquaintance being humiliated. Not something you want to see.
Lord Doherty will determine if Newco should pay Green’s costs in due course, but this will be soon, as Jonathan Brown noted, “the rainy day has arrived”.
This next bit is really important:
Soon after court ended, Dave King was out with a rambling statement on the Newco website. If it was designed to play to the galleries, it hit the spot. If it was designed to influence what happens to his club, or how others will regard his input, it was surely an horrendous mistake.
It was a hard day to be chairman of Rangers International FC PLC. The court hearing only happened because the club objected to its contract with Green, so the unedifying episode could easily have been avoided. Despite this, sometimes you have to shut your mouth.
Sure, some Newco fans love a bit of grandstanding, but you know what yesterday’s statement will achieve. If the objective of the statement was to convince other Scottish clubs not to consider disciplinary action against Sir David Murray, or oldco Rangers, for their actions, it was an almighty miscalculation.
Threats seldom work. This one is unlikely to curry favour: “If the history of our Club comes under attack we will deal with it in the strongest manner possible and will hold to account those persons who have acted against their fiduciary responsibilities to their own clubs and to Scottish football.”
In short:
Don’t threaten clubs you are trying to influence.
Don’t grandstand to your own fans if you are trying to influence other clubs.
Keep a poker face. Keep your mouth shut, even if it means taking grief from your fans for the lack of public reaction.
King’s statement also addressed the sporting advantage issue from what we now know was an unlawfully operated tax scheme. While the EBT scheme saved tens of millions of pounds, and King earlier intimated this did provide a sporting advantage, yesterday he insisted the advantage was financial, that the shareholders were “committed to providing funding to the club” and would have done so, if required.
Here’s the thing, in 2012 another King statement revealed, “I have made a claim of £20m on the basis of non-disclosure by the then chairman, David Murray, of Rangers true financial position as far back as 2000.”
That commitment to further shareholder funding seems predicated on some controversial information. According to King, of course. Controversial enough to launch a £20m claim, but not to inhibit investment.
For the war-chest hunters among you, if you read this article covering King’s 2012 statement, you’ll find a strong clue.
One other quick but important point:
Some media are attempting to portray questions of sporting advantage as Rangers being punished for spending money they could afford, a travesty, as so many other clubs have done likewise.
This must surely be a deliberate attempt to misunderstand the issue and manipulate the debate.
No one suggests Rangers should be punished for spending money they could not afford. The questions are straightforward:
Did Rangers break tax law, break SFA rules and break SPL rules, when contracting football players?
Did they disclose matters openly with authorities (in other words, inadvertently make mistakes), or did they conspire to subvert the rules by hiding incriminating information?
Spending like the Borgias? Time to move on. Conspiracy to subvert the rules? We have a problem.
Don’t be distracted by potential ramifications to these questions, they are irrelevant for now. We should consider no more than did they break all of the above rules, should any the rule breaking be interpreted as an oversight, or does evidence of conspiracy to subvert the rules exist?
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ireland captain does a Broonie!!!!
Very good statement from Celtic.
Nuanced. It reads, first time, like a four-par statement of nothingness.
But then go through it and highlight these words:
…subject to appeal
…Courts… Scottish football authorities… uphold sporting integrity
surprise… SPL Commission… sporting advantage
This is the press-release equivalent of producing a gun at a knife-fight.
or in other words wrong is wrong !
morality is universal.
Pay your debts.
Pay your taxes.
Show humility.
Admit you died…it’s obvious.
stripthetitlesCSC
Another day and another attempt to slander the Bampots. Do you get the impression that these people are starting to crack under pressure?
http://thecelticblog.com/2015/11/blogs/radio-journalist-slanders-all-non-sevco-fans-as-pressure-for-inquiry-increases
Sipsini
Why is it bigoted to object to unfair financial advantage ?
Everything is boiled fins to religion with that mob ….inverted bigotry ..
Not like MON to play the likes of Robbie Brady and Wes Houlahan in same team
Does he have injuries?
Ireland v Bosnia……looking at this as someone who hoped Scotland would be there.
We are surely better than either of them?
He does BT, plenty of them.
A wee fright there for Ireland. Still scoreless.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJIoDTcPGds
The Pogues
White City
HH
Thanks Corkcelt
Here’s hoping for a clean sheet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QFYP9Dhmwg
Broad Majestic Shannon
HH
JMcC…,
I think the results and finishing positions prove Scotland are in fact worse than both, else Scotland would be competing, no ?
Does the away goal come into play
in the Euro qualifiers?
Thank’s in advance for anyone who can be ersed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIZdjT1472Y&list=PLnG56ODjnHyIcALeFlZQozuHldfLzwzgB
The Killers
Human
HH
Yes Nye it does.
Nye………………….
Nae idea mate!
Canamalar
Fair point, I think the first leg in all of the ties will be a cagey affair.
Have no wish to see Irleand fail, just feel it will go that way.
corkcelt…….cheers pal,managed to pick that up
from the commentator during a ceasefire in the
never ending war between my serene wife and
beautiful daughter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxpSqX4DUTA
Fr Murphy
HH
Nice statement CFC
That’ll do for now
These Hun nonsense statements need nailed at every turn ….short concise pointed retorts are all that is required
Evening folks,
Been an eventful, interesting but most of all amusing last few days watching the RFC IL and Sevco car crash go though the courts. It’s bringing back so many memories from 2012. Isn’t it amazing how history repeats itself time after time all over the world.
In our wee corner of the world, we have a Chairman in control of a football club playing out of Ibrox who is a criminal (passed the SFA fit and proper test), we have most of the MSM in Scotland reporting events from a parallel universe on all things Sevco. Not daring to ask the hard questions either through fear of the consequences from the unsavoury elements of Sevco’ support, or through self interest or through their allegiance to one football club. Little journalism shown, rather they just take their daily dose of level5 medicine to make it all better. (Same dross, just different PR company, but with same agenda).
SFA still controlled by the blazers with questionable Corporate governance and bending of the rules to suit one club. Fans who support a new club out of Ibrox in total denial.
I remember a comment I posted on here after the LNS verdict and Celtic’s statement at the time. I believed that was the time we should have been more vocal to challenge the statement that “no sporting advantage ” had taken place. I still believe the club should have had a stronger statement than they did at the time.It would have helped to appease and re-assure Celtic fans at the time that the club agreed with the majority of us. I think it was a tactical mistake by the club and many fans stopped going at the time because of a perceived soft attitude by the club.
However I believe the club have learned from that mistake and I agree with the statement today. Wait a couple of weeks until the appeal date has passed and then we can be stronger in our statements after this as events will unfold.
BRTH
All the best for tomorrow night well done to all to raise awareness of the awful plight of the homelessness.
HH Dan
Celtic’s statement is a much as they can say at this stage. It’s as clear a message as could possibly be sent.
I’m not a fan of the board but I understand the rules of such games, being involved in similar myself on a working basis – you cannot always state up front exactly what your position is as clearly as you would like. But you can do it as clearly as you can.
On another note a couple of things happened to me this week. Things I cannot stand. People going over your head and behind your back rather than fronting up with you and a spot of begrudgery. Two different parts of my life. But does anyone ever experience things that in themselves, when you rationalise them are not life changing or even major issues in any way but they just feel like they are a nudge in a certain direction if I’m to be optimistic about it or the straw that’s gonna break the camels back if I’m more honest about how it really feels.
I’d love to get off this stupid frickin treadmill.
I think I’ll make for the fridge……
I believe someone will seek approval to appeal, be given the 42 day deadline then withdraw.
Dont know if this has been posted already Celtic in talks with ex-Juventus right back a possible 1 year contract with extension option the player is currently a free agent sorry I cant remember his name. H.H.
BCW/PFAYR…
I was a bit taken aback when he actually spoke to me, when I saw him approach, I thought feck, need to sort another Hun monkey job.
Pissed myself laughing as he walked away.
On a lighter note…two blokes started in the office a few months ago, I was at the keycard after work, I had heard one of them had a season book at Celtic park. Feck it…heard you’re a Tim mate, how you settling in?
Not bad, we’re both tims and know you are :)
Funnily we were just saying to each other how most of the shop floor blank us.
Time for me to educate these bhoys.
It’s been proved officially they cheated,the game and the taxman,are there no huns out there with the maturity and integrity to say they don’t want the titles?
We know why the media are fighting tooth n nail,because they are up to their necks in it,every bit as guilty as the dignified implementers,the perks and party larks that chain them to the beast but why are there no ordinary fans who’ve had enough and can exercise some proper dignity when every other fan elsewhere is laughing at them?
Half Time in Bosnia. Still Scoreless. I’d take that at full time.
Ireland hanging in there. No shots on target. We will have to up our game in second half although 0-0 wouldn’t be a bad result.
Robert Tressell. Fella it happens to all of us Life just aint fair so try to forget about it and enjoy your week-end. H.H.
Just spent an enthralling 2½ hours watching “12 Years A Slave”. Not many jokes in that film, I tell you.
needadrinkCSC
Half time and return to one of my favs from our very best dj.
Love Boolavouge RC
Had a wee look at hun media(I also smoke
drink and gamble) anyways they are beyond
redemption, there will be no middle ground
here,it really is us or them.
Sips
I’m my time there were very few tims in the office jobs – after myself and Davie c got in there Peter l got a job 8m planning but I can’t think of any others
RT
Enjoy your weekend mate
——————————————
My mobile phone doesn’t seem to be receiving incoming calls or texts
Any ideas bhoys iphone5
JAMES FORREST on 13TH NOVEMBER 2015 8:06 PM
Another day and another attempt to slander the Bampots. Do you get the impression that these people are starting to crack under pressure?
http://thecelticblog.com/2015/11/blogs/radio-journalist-slanders-all-non-sevco-fans-as-pressure-for-inquiry-increases
———
Thanks for sharing the link to the excellent Celtic blog.
Margaret McGill on 13th November 2015 3:55 pm
was out in the afternoon and couldnt stop singing this with a big stupid smile on my face
HH