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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BENJYBHOY MUL on 13TH NOVEMBER 2015 5:29 PM
Thanks for posting the link. I hope everyone on here reads it.
It should be mandatory .
Re-emphasises what a foul mouthed, despicable shower they are.
HH.
Celtic Statement “That will do nicely”
RWE
Hardly been on the blog all week, caught “Tony’s Walk” still enjoying the links to Tony’s Huddle, if you don’t mind me asking what kind of a player was Tony, as in position, just interested since you have caught my attention, keep at it, especially since I think you and yours get as much out of it as you obviously put in, as you say NOWA
I’m quite happy with the Club statement………………
No grandstanding – just a clear, concise, consistent opinion.
……………
“Yeez kin jist imagine if sum rebellious Tim hud bin a lout tae go wide oan thum an’ get tore right in wi’ the verbal claw hammer………….”
HH.
I read that statement as a warning to the SFA to get their house in order, mentioning shareholders is the real threat, shareholder have legal rights :)
Canamalar
Did you draft the statement for Celtic? ;-) Sounds like a synopsis of debate on here the last few days
Hail hail
Blue tie McKay on STV’Celtic wade into EBT row…..’
Turn that pish aff.
P67. Nailed it.
Remember the game where you have to pass a closed hook along a bendy piece of wire without letting the hook touch the wire ?
Watching Dave King try to blag Sevco to the top of Scottish football is like watching a drunk man with tourette’s and a tremor , standing on one foot on a wobbly table trying to get the hook along the wire .
happy with celtic statement.
The Club statement?
Happy, to the point and while obvious regarding the appeal being the role of the courts and the SFA for sporting integrity it brings ALL of the head the balls in the SMSM to task; that it doesn’t matter what they want/say it’s not up to them.
On another point but not unrelated we have had numerous estimations of the total amount in unpaid tax RFC (IL) they are liable for. But have we ever had an estimation (or in this case the exact amount) of tax paid by all the other football clubs in Scotland in the time period?
Watching U21 Scotland v Ukraine. BBC Alba.
Good game. winning 2-1 38 mins.
BUT.
Henderson and Cummings are playing. Do Hibs not have a league match this weekend while Sevco have postponed theirs?
Is anyone running a book on Fanny of the Year award?
:-)
Henderson looms every inch a footballer. But he did have a point blank sitter saved by the keeper.
looms and looks
See if Dodgy Dave No 2 the convicted tax evader in SA thinks the HMRC ruling is in correct why does he not appeal ? Is it maybe the fact that the football club is a different entity to the one that evaded tax through Ebts ? Why is it up to BDO ? All rhetorical !
Does not one Rangers/Sevco fan not even ask themselves why does Dave not just appeal …….
I think they call themselves “bears” would “ostriches” not be a bit more apt
Fred Colon on 13th November 2015 6:10 pm
I’ll raise you a bloke who has had a massive stroke, left with one working arm and very poor balance putting a fitted bedsheet on a double mattress
RWE..
King went to Alen Glens and worked in the Hun factory weirs pumps. HH
Good Evening.
On 6th November 1887 the decision was taken to form a football club that would make a difference.
Since then, Celtic Football Club and its fans have had their ups and downs, their periods of depression and periods of great joy.
However, no matter what, come rain or shine, the fans of that football club always believed that they had a purpose, could do someone somewhere a good turn and, yes, that winning and losing was not the be all and end all. We were always better than that.
Take a look outside your window, if you dare.
Tomorrow night, 60 of us will sleep out in that at the side of the pitch where our fathers, grandfathers, great grandfathers, sons, daughters, wives, mothers, grandmothers and even a few great grandmothers stood.
I have said before that on European nights the ghosts and souls of past generations come out of the very ground in and around Celtic Park. I for one, on those nights, feel the presence and the spirit of those past generations, and the duty to explain to kids, and in due course grandkids, about the raison d’etre of this football club.
About joy, about support, about doing the right thing for your fellow man — no matter who he or she maybe, what team they support, the colour of their skin, their religeous or political allegiance or their station in life.
Tomorrow we go to raise money for the needy, the poor, the homeless, the downtrodden and those who our modern society passes by, ignores and doesn’t even see.
The Invisibles as my pal Dermot Calls them.
I don’t want to take up a lot of room on the blog tonight as there are other things to discuss but when we played our first game in May 1888 we were not concerned with leagues or titles or cheats or whoever.
Walfrid and his crew just knew that from then on if there was going to be a show then Glasgow Celtic and their fans would be there and that he and we would raise some money for the very same category of people – The poor, the downtrodden, the starving, the needy and those who were passed by – by the Victorian age,
So, if you have any oul coins or even better notes lost down the back of the couch then please support us by making a donation here:
https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/jamesmcginley1
I know we are competing with the BBC’s appeal – when are we not competing with the BBC? – and I know that money is scarce but even the tiniest amount makes a difference to those who have – literally – nothing.
Lastly, I also know that traditionally Friday night is music night on CQN.
It may be a little early to start but here is a message that you will instantly recognise.
Please watch — Please listen — Please see — and Please make that difference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiWomXklfv8
Hail Hail & Thanks
BRTH ( On the Mooch )
Has this nonsense statement by King been nailed yet ??
Dear santy
My mum sais I huv ben a gud boy an shood get a presnt from you at krismas .
Here is wot I wont
1. Can you make sevco be likwidated like rangrs cos they shood go away
2. Can you nok down wher sevco play footy and mak it into a plase where I can play with my scatebored
3. Can you giv all the footy cups that rangrs wun to Cellic
4. Can you put all the bad men wot did the bad fings in jale cos they were notty an I meen the guy wot is the hedmaster of the SFA too
5. Can you giv all the muny bak to the other teems wot got them stole
6. An can I hav footy boots cos I want to pla fur Cellic
An anuther fing I will leev a can of beer for you and a caret for Rudolf cos I herd he likes carets an stuf lik them but don’t let him drinc your bere too cos carets and bere mite mak him fart
An my dad says rangrs are sumfin but my mum givs him a row cos it is a bad wurd or sumfin
Don’t forget me santy cos I am a gud bhoy an if I do a wee bad fing befor kristmas it was just a wee mistake
Wee Fred
Like others, slightly surprised Celtic issued a statement, but doing so at 4.30 pm on a Friday , sets the agenda, and makes it very difficult for anyone to grab it back over the weekend.
It will be interesting to see if anyone else comments, either on or off the record.
One final observation, depending on how this whole thing pans out, it does give us a very good opportunity to fall out ( if we choose to do so) with Scottish football
Good Evening Timland.
Celtic open their gob,nae doubt the hun will
be apoplectic,it’s bad enough for them these
day’s what way Catholic’s, Muslim’s,Hindu’s,
all walking about in broad daylight,my God
there’s even a black man in the White house,
where will it end.
Fred Colon on 13th November 2015 6:10 pm
how about JellyMan on a waterbed
If oldco didn’t adopt EBTs to gain a sporting advantage, why did they adopt them ….. ?
Coneybhoy,
The one I wrote was sent back, they told me ranting about being cheated and the CFCB might be a wee bit OTT for now :)
It would be really nice to see a few other clubs issue a similar statement. That would put some pressure on the SFA to do the right thing and also put the willies up the huns.
BRTH.
Good luck tomorrow night. Spent a few hours today on the “style.mile” in Glasgow, spent a few quid as well. My appetite for an inglorious feast was reduced by the sight of the poor wee fellow shivering in the rain outside Princes Square at 2pm today.
I do not have the words to describe the feeling in my stomach.
My pitiful contribution placed into his cup did not make me feel better, it gave me a fleeting moment of feeling like I have done something. No more than that, can I do more?
We cut short our trip to town as WE were feeling miserable in the grim weather, I cannot begin to think what the wee man from Buchanan St is feeling now..
Again..good luck .
HH
Nye Bevan,
That was a good one!
I’m off to Berlin tomorrow for a week so it will be one of Miss Prestonpans pals next to you for the Killie game ;-)
Allen Touissant RIP.
HH!!
If you dont let us film you and record all your details then you must be on your way to cause trouble.- police Scotland’s view of young Celtic supporters. Are the polis counting banner waving and serious disorder now?
prestonpans bhoys
Berlin,how very bohemian of you,have a great
time pal.
67HEAVEN .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I AM WEE OSCAR…… IPOX BELONGS TO THE CREDITORS on 13TH NOVEMBER 2015 6:46 PM
If oldco didn’t adopt EBTs to gain a sporting advantage, why did they adopt them ….. ?
Oddly enough that is a question nobody in the media wishes to ask.
I wonder why?
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/spending-like-the-borgias-time-to-move-on-conspiracy-to-subvert-the-rules-we-have-a-problem/comment-page-8/#comments
67 heaven
Nail on head
Prestonpansbhoy
Have a great time in Berlin. Used to love my work trips there. Orienburgstrasse being my favourite area for a night oot
Regarding reasons for setting up EBTs.
Surely to God the supra Royalist were no trying to slope her Maj.
Haven’t seen OLDTIM on for a while.
Hope he’s OK!