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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Friday fare in honour of the great p who used to be with us:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLVX2D-Ev20
Wouldn’t it be interesting to ascertain just how much money oldco received via BoS > sdm, and what % of that money came in the ‘back door’….
Good Evening.
I thought Celtic’s statement today was a good one. And here’s why!
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2015/11/13/staunch-dignity
TBJ…
It is still Hun heavy, it is slowly but surely getting into the twentieth century…roll on the millenium ;)
Lennon N Mc Mjallby
Am afraid not, their “history” and entitlement is what they live for, my bragging rights are supporting Celtic, the media love the “them v us” it’s what they thrive on, it didn’t sit well with me when Legia Warsaw got flung out of the CL for a definite administrative error, but that’s the rules, we should forget about sporting integrity and all that guff ….. Registration, Registration, Registration, every single EBT’er was registered improperly 3-0 defeat whether it’s the boys guild or the CL qualifiers like Legia Warsaw…….
Keep it simple
By the way as I said I didn’t want the the Legia verdict and I certainly don’t want their stinking tax evading titles, I had far too many a good night drowning my sorrows when we lost, as I said before some of my best Celtic nights have been in adversity !
Foggy Dew time.
Dan
Cheers for your best wishes.
By the way, always remember that when it came to blocking The New Loan Rangers out of the SPL, Paul67 wrote a blog about how Motherwell might well hold the balance in terms of votes.
Originally the Motherwell board came out and said they would vote yes to inviting them back into the SPL.
Their Fans trust went mental and ultimately the board reversed their decision saying they would leave the decision to the Motherwell fans by way of a vote.
The board counselled that while there had been an undoubted breach of rules, one had to balance that against economic expediency.
The fans said “sod that” and voted no.
The Motherwell Company Secretary at the time, who was an SPL board member as a result of holding that position, was Stuart Robertson — he is now the CEO of Sevco — and it was he who has now publicly called for some of The Rangers officials to now be given positions on SFA committees etc.
Mr Robertson is an accountant, a past football Co Sec, and so should be very well aware of what is required re compliance, disclosure, going concern status and open transparent corporate governance.
ROBERTTRESSELL
At first read I wondered if your question was rhetorical but I’m going to assume it’s not. The last straw and the camel is a good analogy, I’d say its back broke because it wasn’t able to offload any of the straws it had been loaded up with before taking on the last one. In other words, imo we have to somtimes just let things go or they’ll drag you down.
Of course sometimes things cannot be just let go, and if it’s important enough then you have to stand up and have your say in order to find some closure on an issue, but surely not all of the time? And maybe I could also say that if there are battles to be fought then try to pick the ones that you can win. Otherwise? Let it go.
None of the above is intended to be patronising in any shape or form, I just recognise the kind of situation you appeae to find yourself in at the moment, and that’s just kind if my thoughts on it.
Last thing… YNWA!!
Anyway, whatever’s up, all the best and Hail Hail,
KevinBhoy.
Mags,
You seem happy. Frivilous even ?
What’s up ? You would think the huns,are dying. Please control your frivolity. We are not used to it
HH
Nice one Clumps, and not for the first time.
Any guesses on when Statement O’Clock will next arrive?
Happy Birthday Richie hope you had a good one :-))
HH
This is crazy. Ireland playing in the foggy dew.
Fog has suddenly made the Ireland game more watchable.
Can’t see a bloody bit of the game now. Its getting a bit of a farce now.
Richie.
I was speaking to Zbyszek just now and he told me it was your birthday today I said to zbyszek that I didn’t know it was your birthday as I hadn’t been on the blog for weeks, I told him I’d go on and wish him all the best after I stopped conversing with you, He said that I should wish you a happy birthday from him as well (Zbyszek),
So all the best on your birthday Richie,don’t get to drunk.
See your internet still working then Oldtim
and if henrik’s headers had a voice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YDSeqMaV78
capedcrusadergreenhornetcatoyoocsc
Well I suppose if Der Hun is given a 0-3 per game for their indiscretions that will create another world record on goal difference deficits :-)
Jobo…,
I expect tiresome and unhelpful to get an airing from the SFA, right now there will be a conference call discussing how the statement can be misinterpreted as disrespectful and bringing the game into disrepute.
roy croppie on 13th November 2015 8:23 pm :-))
oldtim67 hope your feeling better
HH
Jobo
Did the same thing , earlier this year. Really set the tone for a romantic night away ????
blantyretim is praying for the Knox family
Daughter had problems with her phone today as well but seems to be working now
HH
Happy Birthday Ritchie
Cracking podcast with Brendan Sweeney on Celtic underground
Absolutely first class ,if anyone is wavering in support of the club as some have for various reasons I would urge them to listen
The struggle to get the club ,our club up and running , the fans actually building the ground, recruiting players etc
It is indeed a fairytale club as Cesar said.
Stick with the club bhoys and ghirls
CELTIC -A PEOPLE AND A CAUSE
Brendan gives great insight to the Celtic story which he is now a big part of
Just stuck a quid on Ireland in-play at 6/1. But cannie see it……….
Ireland sneaked on another player
Old Tim…
Good to see a post from you. HH
Cheers Dena
Hello again all you young rebels.
That was a very well thought out statement from our
club it reminds me of the kind of scene when a bad guy says
” are you threatening me ”
and you say.
” thats not a threat thats a promise ”
Maybe i watch too many John Wayne films.
Off down the peninsula now to our wee Celtic caravan Sat.
is practise day to see how pashed we can get on the Sun. at our
Mornington bash, but i’ll still be checking your best Celtic eleven
plus three subs from 1965 onwards in my sober moments, thats
if you get a chance to think about it with all this goatfiddlers
bumfoolery going on .
Our club committee have decided to donate all funds received from
this weeks bash and our xmas bbq to the Frankston hospital sick kids
appeal.
Doesn’t that make you feel so proud to be a Celtic fan.
H.H Mick
Superb
Alternative Glibby statement
https://twitter.com/rlMarx1/status/665223485350891520
blantyretim.
Yes, My internet is working, pity I can’t say the same about my head.
Jobo, watch you don’t clean out them bookies;)
Not really a punter myself, so good luck mate.
Just a thought….I wonder if someone wants to sit up tonight and make a start on composing an e-mail,letter or text to the FBI inviting them on board as surely they would take an interest as one of their citizens was on board at Ibrox at the start of the EBT’s. I am quite sure if they can reach out as far as Switzerland their hand can reach out to initiate proceedings down Govan way
Anyway back to CIN……and some of you think you have been dealt a rough hand in life
fits i suppose
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbO2_077ixs
secularismisamythconsumerismsthefalsegodcsc
mon the hoops
HamiltonTim
didnt see the programme at 6:30pm
how did it go?
HH
23 minutes to go have no idea what is happening accept it’s still nil all.
blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on 13th November 2015 9:08 pm –
:-))
HH
Melbourne Mick
Great gesture. Credit to our club. Hope the wee Mhans footballing skills progressing
HH