SPL Commission, where are we?

897

We’ve not really discussed the enormous political and disciplinary matters hanging over Scottish football since before our Champions League campaign got underway but it moves to the fore today, as the SPL Commission, headed by Lord Nimmo Smith, sits to consider charges levelled by the league against former member, Rangers FC.  The Commission is expected to conclude by the end of this week.

Rangers are charged with improperly registering players by allowing footballers to enter into contractually binding agreements to receive money in connection with the game, directly or indirectly, without registering these agreements with the SPL or the SFA.

Playing an improperly registering footballer voids the result of a match, no matter how innocuous the registration impropriety is, as Spartans discovered 14 months ago to their cost.  They saw their Scottish Cup win over Culter overturned because a player’s registration form was dated only once, not twice as required.

As well as being awarded a 0-3 defeat, the improper registration of players will cost the offending club any prize money ‘won’ and will result in a disciplinary measure being imposed.  Spartans were fined £4000, approximately 20% of their annual income, and were suspended from the competition for 12 months.  A steep tariff for leaving a box on a form empty and fielding a player in one game of football.

Lots of speculation has centred on the so-called ‘stripping of titles’ but in the event the Commission upholds the charge the voiding of results will happen as a matter of consequence; it should not subject to speculation.  What is more interesting is the size of prize money the league would seek to reclaim, and redistribute, and any penalty imposed by the Commission.

SPL teams receive prize money based on their final league position, funded by the league’s TV deal, which for teams finishing in the top two positions is well in excess of £1m each year.  Any ‘stripping of titles’ is likely to be a headline grabber, but the repayment of prize money and disciplinary measures will be far more significant, for some.

Sir David Murray, who owned Rangers throughout the period of alleged improper registration of players, insists the club registered all contractually binding payments players received in connection with playing football.  SFA president, Campbell Ogilvie, was an executive director of Rangers for some of the period under investigation and may have been responsible for some registrations.

Charles Green rejected an offer to limit the consequences of the charge being upheld in return for his company (then called Sevco 5088 Ltd) acquiring the SFA membership vacated by Rangers.  We will soon discover if he is master of the Cunning Plan or an over-ambitious gambler.

I expect calls for SPL and SFA rules to be upheld without fear or favour to be met.
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897 Comments

  1. Like I said last week we’ll need a strong ref against Juve or it will be stop start for the whole game,Giovinco is particularly bad but there are plenty of them who like a “tumble”.

     

     

    Looking for free kicks around the box all the time.

     

     

    Juve equalise 91mins.

  2. Caption comp

     

     

    “Jist aff the ‘phone tae Bomber Broon – didnae unerstaun’ a wurd he said, he wis p****d again. Whit a character – it’s only hauf 8!”

  3. Not that I like Lazio by the way just dislike them less than Juve.

     

     

    Juve miss sitter 94 mins open goal.

  4. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    TET,

     

    right, his remit right

     

     

    see what you can do big man, sorry

     

     

    while yer looking for loopholes keep it pedantic, any bad grammar or spelling and the SFA will throw it out as an insult to their intellegence.

     

    Investigate SPL membership qualification and compliance irregularities, identify and recommend restitution and punishment details against each breach of rules :oD))

     

    aye right

  5. Can you name the Celtic player on the CQN Magazine Facebook page?

     

     

    Also – next issue in production now, we are covering two more matches before publishing. Home match v Killie tomorrow and the first ever CQN seven a sides on Thursday.

  6. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    Feck me…….Juve have missed 2 sitters

  7. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire

     

     

    21:26 on 29 January, 2013

     

     

    ********************************************

     

     

    On the GB I met with a couple of the guys after I met with the senior Police officer. I gave the 2 GB members a view of what the take the Police have on harassment at Celtic Park.

     

     

    The 2 GB members were interested in the issues that I had discussed with the Police, the main point from the Police perspective is that the SNP act gave them a far greater prospect of obtaining convictions and banning orders.

     

     

    I offered some advice on what I thought tactics would be in the short to medium term and ways to circumvent these tactics.

     

     

    I also spoke to people in the press with a view to a story and a journalist has made contact with the GB and had interviews with them. I also made some enquiries with some academics and legal advisers to try and get some debate of the legal issues (ECHR etc) and see if a civil rights or discrimination could be pursued to challenge the SNP act.

     

     

    I notice this weekend from a post on here that a senior lecturer has criticised how the SNP pushed through the act and how the lack of convictions shows how in-effective the act has been.

  8. Caption Comp

     

    ” Ye’ll be fine. Jist tell them we don’t do walking away. They love that patter. And the second ye finish talking tae them, run like f@&$.”

  9. Just watched the Juve match……exciting. They lost.

     

    One of the commentators, in relation to Juuve’s current form said, ” Celtic will fancy this. ”

     

    Y’know what? He’s correct.

     

    HH!

  10. Philbhoy – It’s just the beginning!

     

     

    21:35 on 29 January, 2013

     

     

    Can’t argue with you on that. Especially after Sunday’s performance. I would expect quite a few changes for tomorrow. Watt in particular should be in the starting line up. I’ve never really been convinced by young Dylan and fear he might be a bit part until moving on.

     

     

    Twardzic needs a run of games but the competition ahead of him is limiting his opportunities. NL must feel he isnt better than the players currently occupying the positions he can play. After Sunday, this is the perfect time for the younger players with ambition to break into the first team and become regulars have to show it in training.

     

     

    Chances are though that NL will give Sunday’s line up a chance to redeem themselves.

  11. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    StJohns…,

     

    WTF was that, seriously, read it and tell me you’ve no become a politician

  12. ElDiegoBhoy.

     

     

     

    chicken.

     

    lemongrass.

     

    Kaffer lime leaves.

     

    Galangal.

     

    Shallots.

     

    Coconut milk.

     

    A green chilli.

     

     

    I might have missed something,if it comes to me I’ll let you know.

  13. timmy7_noted

     

    Mair chance ah beaten Juve than Raith Rovers,the way results have gon this season, Oh me of little faith.

     

    Awerabest PJ

  14. Marrsio on Victor Wanyama: “ … a player who would clearly prefer to play in the English Premier League … .”

     

     

    How do you work that out? Have you any quotes to back the assertion up? Have you any evidence that John Park is being chased by other clubs?

     

     

    Too many value judgements in your piece, in my opinion.

  15. winning captain.

     

     

    We used to have five a sides before the hibs game.I enjoyed giving them my support.