The Scottish Premier League has acted with clarity, issuing a statement today that they have instructed an inquiry into the alleged non-disclosure of payments to the league by Rangers since the inception of the SPL on 1 July 1998.
The SPL statement refers to rules to “impose a prohibition on players receiving payments for playing football or participating in an activity connected with football except where such payments are made in accordance with a form of contract approved by the SPL and require that all such contracts are submitted to the SPL within 14 days of being entered into.”
They helpfully link to The Rules of the SPL, which is sure to be one of the most read regulation documents in the world this week.
Compare and contrast this action with the goings-on at the Scottish Football Association.
SFA chief executive, Stewart Regan, told Scotland on Sunday the association president, Campbell Ogilvie, is “heavily conflicted” on the subject of the investigation into Rangers and as such would not be a party to conclusions, saying, “Campbell won’t play any part in any meeting, discussion or conclusion on any activities surrounding Rangers”.
It would, of course, be helpful for Mr Ogilvie to tell his SFA colleges exactly what went on when he was general secretary and director of Rangers. His evidence should be an integral part of the investigation, unless his memory is less effective than fellow ex-Rangers director, Hugh Adam.
Regan spent some of last week dismissing demands for a comment on allegations that Rangers have improperly registered football players for over a decade by suggesting matters concerning the club were under investigation, headed by Lord Nimmo Smith, which is due to report this week. However, it appears that Nimmo Smith’s secret terms of reference do not include the most important question surrounding the club. On the subject of improper registration, Regan said, “The board will meet to discuss it within a week or maybe slightly longer. Very, very quickly the board will get together to consider the facts.”
Scotland on Sunday’s Tom English induced a variety of reactive quotes from Regan. Asked if the SFA would hold an inquiry into Rangers contracts, he said, “That will depend on the board’s view of the facts and what information is there. The situation is changing daily and new information is emerging all the time. We’ve got our hands on certain pieces of information and we’re exploring it and we’re asking for further information. By the time the board meets we will have a fuller picture and if it’s the board’s opinion that they want a fuller investigation then that will be an option. If they feel they have enough facts to draw some conclusions then that will be their decision.”
So now we know that Lord Nimmo Smith’s report is likely to ignore the main issue surrounding Rangers. Without SFA clarification, we can only guess it will address the Fit and Proper suitability of Craig Whyte to own a football club, surely a complete waste of resources.
We also know that the association might still decide against investigating the evidence of Hugh Adam, The Sun newspaper, and various other journalists, that second contracts exist.
The SFA cannot be dragged along behind the story like this. Like the SPL, it should issue an early statement of intent to investigate the serious allegations made about Rangers during their president’s time on the club’s board.
Step up, Mr Regan.
Issue six of CQN Magazine, the Fit and Proper edition, is set to become a landmark collectors item. You can browse the magazine online here but you can buy your own hard copy by clicking on the link below. Read with 20-20 vision…..
You can support the online edition by making a discretionary donation here.
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now this sounds a wee bit better…
STV
Former board members at Rangers could be questioned as part of the Scottish Premier League’s investigation into the “alleged non-disclosure of payments to players”.
SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster has told STV those who previously held office at the club, including former owner Sir David Murray, could be asked to give evidence.
RE Previous post.
The fact that the article employs the word “moral” sets the tone for an attempt at philosophy on the writers behalf.
What follows is a mind numbing rant that defies logic. This leaves the reader in awe of his mangled attempt at formulating his point and bringing his prose to a healthy conclusion. Juggling the facts in a dubious sequence does nothing to add to the credibility of the article.
Imagine one of the fat, tattooed, shaven headed hordes trying to make sense of this? Oh dear.
What is evident is that there are those who have taken time to read the opinions expressed in the online sites mentioned. They are hurting and their rag is hemorrhaging subscribers.
So, has Ogilvie gone? I’m sure those upstanding progenitors of integrity and justice, our dearly beloved Scottish sports journalists, are calling for his head.
I won’t be holding my breath.
Thursday night special tuition will be given in all Masonic Lodges throughout the U.K. in how to keep quiet if you are asked anything about Glasgow Rangers in the last 20 years.Grand Masters will be telling them how to say no comment and how to spell no comment if they are asked to write a report.H.H.
Is Sone Aluko a player or a creditor?
How much money do rangers owe that Nigerian village?
These are the REAL questions that need answered…
In the 21 days of administration D&P have yet to make a major decision
The Manager refuses to make tough decisions on his playing staff
The ‘Owner’ made one decision to flee the country
Yet they don’t do walking away?
What is it that they do do?
From last thread.
RogueLeader on 5 March, 2012 at 16:07 said:
Anyone remember when wee Nacho Ratface was convicted and fined at court? Remember when he told said court his wages were paltry? Do you think said court took his word for it or saw a wageslip? Do you think wee Ratface was actually being paid paltry amounts?
They are finished
——————
I seem to recall that there was a Rangers fringe player, relatively recently, who was charged with some middling offence (speeding or drink-driving maybe), but pled poverty in court because he was seemingly on a really, really low wage, maybe £20,000 or so?
I remember everyone laughing at how skint the huns were.
Can anyone else remember this?
Also, does anyone have a link to the table of Scottish competition winners with Rangers removed?
It was doing the rounds on twitter the other night.
My how the mood has changed…..
A hun friend in my office, whom i consider one of the better ones, stated this today on hearing the SPL investigation
Enough is enough….Rangers should be pro-active in protecting the history therefore we should accept defeat, offer the SPL/SFA to close the club down either immediatly or end of season PROVIDING past record of Rangers is ring fenced and protected from investigation. Rangers can then be packaged up, closed and archived. Newco then starts in div 3 and we build new rangers club. The way this is going i would bite your hand off for that right now!!
Silver City Neil Lennon on 5 March, 2012 at 16:00 said:
iki on 5 March, 2012 at 15:38 said:
If he had two contracts, would Boyd’s goals record be nullified?
Am I getting greedy?
———————————-
Not nullified, but the number of goals scored would have to be divided by the number of contracts he had.
He certainly had the look of 2 men about him :)
could , would , may, possibly, investigate, monitor, claim, assess, appraise, survey, study, look over
Its time we were seeing some results
Away day Boycott ….. make our intentions clear … hose down the throat and gas full on NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hail Hail
Paul67
Now that the 2 contracts issue is effectively confirmed – what’s the betting on who will be first to sing (spill the beans)?
In the needs must category; Henry, Goram, Gazza?
In the stupid category; Ricksen, Hately, Gazza (fits both)?
In the axe-to-grind category; PLG, Negri?
Kittoch @ 16:29
“……..if Ratners were to go bust before the verdict, would that then render the verdict pointless, ie no precedent set, no rules with which to apply to future tax cheats, this might explain the inaction at poundland at the moment.”
I think so it’s getting to the point where only the old board want liquidation as ulysses mcghee @ 16:28 said: “…..Will the SFA and the SPL investigate a dead club”
Just watch the bodies float past:-)
Kittoch on 5 March, 2012 at 16:29 said:
Chairbhoy
”That is a very valid point, after the amount of time effort and expense that has gone into the big case by the HMRC, if Ratners were to go bust before the verdict, would that then render the verdict pointless, ie no precedent set, no rules with which to apply to future tax cheats, this might explain the inaction at poundland at the moment.”
No.
If McCulloch wants to play for the huns for no wages,he will need to be insured for the opponents he will injure.If that policy happens,you will hear the big bell in Lloyds of London from London Road.
Just had a thought!
Remember rangers announced opening that new office in London and appointed some guy to establish commercial links abroad.
What a f**king lonely job that must be! Is he still picking up a wage?
HH
Somebody get on the phone to Agent LeGuen: he’ll testify in any enquiry.
His phone number is VAT69.
From KDS;
Rangers FC company secretary Gary Withey has left Collyer Bristow
for “family and personal reasons”, the firm has confirmed
Withey, a partner at the firm, had become embroiled in the Glasgow football club’s administration,
after advising businessman Craig Whyte on his takeover of the club last year.
Collyer Bristow has confirmed that Withey left the partnership and the firm
on 1 March and that the firm does not know of his whereabouts.
“We’ve been in contact with him and he is no longer a partner of the firm,” a Collyer Bristow spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said that the firm has been in e-mail contact with Withey for the past 10 days,
but had not made any attempts to trace his location using his IP address.
It is understood that Withey did not attend a meeting on 29 February,
the day before his membership of the firm ended.
Meanwhile, Taylor Wessing restructuring partner Nick Benson and Mark Phillips QC and Daniel Bayfield at South Square Chambers have won roles for Rangers’ administrators, Paul Clark and David Whitehouse at Duff & Phelps, on a successful application to the High Court to transfer £3.6m in client money from Collyer Bristow to Taylor Wessing.
Duff & Phelps said in a statement: “We can confirm that following the court hearing Collyer Bristow paid approximately £3.6m to our lawyers, Taylor Wessing, to be held securely by Taylor Wessing until the High Court decides whether or not it is the club’s money.
“Collyer Bristow will also disclose to Taylor Wessing details of the payments of funds out of their account on behalf of the club since May 2011. The High Court in London will hear further representations on the administrators’ claim to the money and our request for further information from Collyer Bristow on 8 March 2012.”
Are these administrators incompetent,or part of Whyte’s plan?
John @stgriswalds Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
@MattMcGlone9 @huddleboard @celticrumours @CQN SPL board to call up SFA president during investigation – tsunami esque tidal wave thru SFA
Retweeted by Paul Brennan
In my experience if you want to keep a secret ,the more people who are in on it the less likely for it to remain so. 15 years of subterfuge, with how many protagonists. And I use the word protagonist deliberately. They are all up to their necks in it. How long before one of the foreigners breaks ranks, not having been brought up in the craft, and start to spill the beans.
There’s this little guy who updates the History Books.
He’s waiting for a phone call.
He knows in his heart it will be coming soon.
Then he’ll delete the entry that used to sit between Range Rover and Rank Cinema.
That’s how it goes.
pigalle
is campbell ogilvie still in a job?
RogueLeader on 5 March, 2012 at 16:19 said:
Paul67 – Never thought I would ever say the following sentence….
their Liquidation is now a sideshow.
===========
yes, exactly.
Left work a bit deflated today having seen nothing about players leaving. Get home to read this – like so many have said in the past week or two, this is better than any of us could ever have wished for
the whole sorry mess is more twisted and rancid than could have been imagined and I am loving every minute of it.
The only thing I still fear is that liquidation will be the way out, a way to cast off the sins of the past.
It is now obvious that the devalued/tainted title jibe is not going to go away. I cannot imagine it being beyond the collective, imaginative wit of Celtic supporters to find a way to use this particular taunt against its propagators.
Some old timers like myself will recall the perverse pleasure to be obtained out of beating THEM by a toss of a coin in the old Charity Cup days.
Awe Naw, you make a very good point, Emperor.
RogueLeader, “their liquidation is a side show”, ha! True.
ASonOfDan, yes, it must have been an atmospheric meeting with Rangers in attendance.
up_over_goal, it is hard to know what an appropriate punishment would be.
Battered Bunnet, thanks also to you for your research and persistence.
St Martin De Porres, yes, incredible how the realisation has sunk in.
praecepta, my money’s on Captain Braveheart to spill the beans first, if you allow me a delicious pun.
How easy it be for some junior hack to simply plough through a list of disgruntled and hard-up former rangers players.
Ask each of them to snitch re EBTs. It’s simple.
So many birds would sing.
Why aren’t journalists doing this?
Went for an afternoon nap only to come on here and find out the SPL are now investigating the second contracts!!! They really are screwed aren’t they? :-)
So the spl are now investigating dignity fc ,how many peepil is that now .
I wish I owned a paint factory ,I would have the workers on treble shifts producing white emulsion .
whitewashes till the are gone .
hail hail
Folks the more the adminstrators drag this out the more that is going to be revealed so expect more cheating to be confirmed.The fact at the moment that Sir David Murray is being kept out of it cannot last the spotlight of investigation will eventualy show him in the bad light of chief culprit for much of the cheating.H.H.
Maybe it’s time to take a leaf out of Kenny Dalglish’s book
Traynor objects to the anonymity of forums like this.
Someone should invite him to come along and spout his poison in say the supporters club in London Road.
is the players themselves admit double contracts would they themselves be liable for extra payments ?
With a company under investigation by at least 5 bodies ,Is it not strange that they can seemingly send a cart load of paperwork away to get shredded in broad daylight
Surely any former player who freely admits to the multiple contract is potentially incrminating themselves w.r.t. tax evasion?
If true, can we really expect anyone to voluntarily break ranks and start singing like a canary?
Would it not be more fruitful to pursue some of the dubious court room salary claims regarding Goram and Novo?
I suppose Ogilivie is also a good place to start…
My dear,dear,dear,friend..Jello and Gellato
So Ye noticed,that. tae.. Pally?
Huffer and Duffer.. were Ridikikilus.. Appointees.. in the Foist,Second and Thoid .Place..
They should Bin Forbidden tae Participate,in taking oan the Ibrox.. joab…by the Authorities.. who oversee the Appointment o’ Administrators..
Whoevah.. THEY UR!
Naebuddy,seems tae Know.. where tae find the
“Who the Heck.. Appoints. Administrators” Department.
So Huffers and Duffers.. Slipped Thru the Net.
Fur, Those Folk hid Previous Tie-Ins..wi The G.A.
and wur. also.. Well Known Members of the Guid Old Boys
Fraternity.
Anyway…
Huffers Duffers,hiv turned oot tae Be a loatta Bluffers..
They.. Cajole too Much.. fur Ma Liking…
An Administrator should nevah… Cajole.. wi’ those he is Investigatin..
An Administrator should .. not Fraternize.. He should
Dictate.. No.. Vacillate.. Which Huffers ,Duffers and Bluffers.should be daeing… but .are No
Daeing.. That’s, tae DICTATE..no.. Vacillate.. Ah am meaning.
Yep..
Something,is Amiss, Miss..Wi these. Very Cozy and Friendly.. Appointees… As Ah wis jist Saying tae Miss Virginia.
Am Ah surprized..??
Mair like..
SHOULD…Ah be Surprized?
NA…Ah am No Surprized in the Least.. Really.
Kojo
yer pal..who likes ye ,already.
What I can’t get my head round is that if there were all these players with two contracts, then surely the agent involved in every transfer must have known and been complicit?
So therefore ever player, their agent and the directors involved could be accused of illegally breaking tax rules?
However, what if they have written confirmation from a company confirming that these EBTs were legal? (Assuming RFC didn’t just think this EBT plan up themselves). Are the directors still culpable if they followed good advice?
I am a company director and follow advice given to me by Accountants, Solicitors and Surveyors. All professionals who know more about their individual area than I do. I have Directors indemnity insurance, would this cover this sort of event?
Tim Malone Will Tell – Nope. Remember they each have the letter of comfort received from Rangers regarding Tax Liability or as I prefer to call it, the smoking gun
Bang – Head shot
‘Tis hard to believe that the hordes of football writers employed in Scotland never knew about the two contracts thing.
You would think that at least one of them might have had a clue about it.
Kind of makes you wonder if they’re real journalists at all.
Paul67
Captain Braveheart would need to get more of a fee from the rags than he would need to pay in back taxes.
I see Sir David Murray spilling the beans as part of a plea bargaining arrangement
Hail Hail