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?
1,674 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- ...
- 45
- »
Almore
Good luck on Monday. That Brady away goal is vital.
Haven’t a clue how they played 2nd half. :)
DELANEYS DUNKY on 13TH NOVEMBER 2015 9:47 PM
Almore
Haven’t a clue how they played 2nd half. :)
Dont think any of us know :-))
HH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMOUCpoLB_8
Paolosboots
Good to see you back on :-)
If you’ve got a spare hour like Sipsini, you could scroll back to see the best 11 since 1965 in the Aussie Bhoys view
It’s the team that’s been namesd on 4 occasssions :-))
Hail Hail Bhud
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9udxbvHiqGw
Into the Valley
The Skids
whatasadsadworldCSC
YNWA
World gone mad.
God rest the 18 souls in Paris.
Sad, bad, mad days.
God help us all please.
Watching Paris live on Al Jazeera here, simultaneous attacks, automatic gunfire, explosion near Stade de France, hostage situation in a nightclub ongoing, 18 fatalities reported to date, dear God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfK-WX2pa8c
London Calling
Dena
Hope my favourite Lurgan ghirl is well.
Scunnered wi the news fae Paris. :(
I posted this 3 years ago on CQN and another Timmite blog…..
“While growing up in the land of my birth I never had the courage to listen to the live scores on a Saturday afternoon. Unless I attended a Celtic huns game I couldn’t “bear” to listen to it live. So many dissapointments. So many heartaches. So much cheating.
So many big gaping holes. So much turning on Celtic themselves for being so shite.
When I left Scotland same story. How many penalties did they get? Was there an opposition red?
More often than statistically probable I was proven repeatedly correct. Cheating bastards.
Cheating bastards always. Cheating bastards in the past present always. Cheating bastards
off the park too. Cheating bastards still. My paranoia was in fact not.They are now proven scum.
No guilt. No apologies. No remorse. No shame. Weera peepil still.”
so my dear fellow Tims tell me what has changed in the last 40 months?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFzViYkZAz4
Edith Piaf
YNWA
was going to post the first spanish goal today … brilliant …. but just saw the Paris headlnes, and just doesn’t feel right….
Terrible news from Paris, shocking start to the weekend.
Cheers Cowiebhoy, hope you are well, you were missed at the last hootenanny heard you were in sunnier climes. Doc was shocked you didn’t cancel the break and the word “roaster” was heard :-)
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTrGt88WIAAX45H.jpg
The Huddle
spaceforatimCSC
In the real world the CoS have ruled the Oldco cheated and thereby should be stripped of all titles, MA is taking legal action to prove DCK is not fit and proper and big hands CG is in court for Sevco to pay his legal costs. However enter the bizarro alternate reality of Scotland and all you get is bullies and eejits threatening anyone who dares speak the truth. We have indeed regressed to the likes of the old DDR.
Revenge for that animal killed by a drone today ? 60 hostages held .. God help them.
Paolosboots
Thought you where going back over the water?
Bowie comments on glibby trying to appease big Mike.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz8jEVXoMIw
Putting out the fire with gasoline…..must try harder!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTrGgu0WcAAr-kH.jpg
EBT free
weescumbagCSC
Death is their honour!!! Sick bastards!!! We have some worrying years ahead of us imo
News from Paris has put a dampener on things OK. God be good to all affected by the outrage.
DELANEYS DUNKY on 13TH NOVEMBER 2015 9:52 PM
Dena
Hope my favourite Lurgan ghirl is well.
Scunnered wi the news fae Paris. :(
-I’m fine DD …. horrific news from Paris
HH
BT a week monday. Cant believe PP offering cash out on hibs at this stage? is your bookie doing the same?
Mags,
That’s better :-)
SFA
HH
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTeo2nKWcAAyrA0.jpg
New Beginnings
SOEXCITINGCSC
Terrible news from Paris.
Also watching pundits after Ireland game and Eamon Dunphy confirms his gobshitedness by conveniently forgetting to criticise Wes Hoolahan whom he has repeatedly used as a stick to beat MON’S “unimaginative” teams with because of his superior skill and English club status.
Paolosboots.
Not yet it’s sky so they won’t offer anything for a while
Horrible news from Paris, 26 people dead and 65 taken hostage.
I hope they all are freed unharmed.
Horrible.
Sorry ,just catching up ..did not know of the tragedy in Paris.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CTeoEixW4AQOUnY.jpg
ha ha I’m warning you…
feedthebearCSC
Goodnight Timland
havent the stomach to even lurk with the news from Paris
be good to each other
HH
Carnage in Paris.
Goodnight troops
YNWA
HH
Thoughts and prayers with those in Paris tonight.
Good night all.
30 dead.
I stand corrected Wes Hoolahan is actually what Ireland needed tonight according to Dunphy which must explain why he was the first guy subbed tonight
Quonno,
sorry I could not answer you earlier,I have been sitting firmly on my hands all day long..
Sky supporting my drum banging for a boycott by showing the game live.
C,mon,who really wants to go to that dive,Hampden,when you could be watching the game in the pub with your mates,or in front of your telly,and getting it right up the SFA.
Boycott the semi final.