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…..
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If McGregor, Davies and Whittaker are not payed through RfcIA this will surely be found by investigation right away. Maybe hence why top earners cannot agree cuts as they are not paid through administrators payroll.
Any thoughts from the more knowledgeable among us.
From a cynic’s point of view – for that is what I most certainly am – it appears to me that the SPL are in a no-lose situation with regards to Rangers.
If they are heading for liquidation (stop that cheering at the back, ah’m trying to make a serious point here), then now would be the ideal time to initiate a swift investigation, followed by a severe penalty, say for example, expulsion from the SPL. All of this could happen before they go down anyway.
Then Newco comes along with Newco/SFA/SPL all able to say, “Oldco has already been punished for what they’ve done. Now let’s put this nasty business all behind us and get back to shafting you taigs, the way we’ve always done.”
It all seems the timing is all just a little too convenient for a cynic such as me.
Regarding the ongoing fiasco over job cuts. Can’t help thinking that all concerned now know what has to happen here. The main point of the “negpotiations” is who will incur the wrath of the peepil.
Ktf.
SSN ticker “Highest earning Rangers players offer to take 75% pay cut in final proposal to Administrators”
Despite the Administrators telling them on 2 separate occasions that EVERY player would have to take a 75% pay cut for there to be no redundancies, they still don’t get it
Expect this offer to be rejected in the morning thereby ‘painting’ the players as heroes
I predict at least 11 players will be shown the door tomorrow morning
God evening Bhoys and Ghirls, just when I thought things could not get any better, they just did. The SPL investigation into their alleged malpractice is bigger than the big tax case. If as expected the big tax case goes against them, it can only help the SPL case.
I am curious though as to how the SPL will go about their investigation. Yes, they will ask questions of current and former employees, including Directors. However, they have no jurisdiction on compelling individuals to cooperate.
Interesting times indeed…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
James Forrest from earlier: superb dissection of Traynor’s incoherent piece.
Hamiltontim
A creditor such as HMRC can petition for removal of administrators – have to show that it would benefit the administration.
The fun is really starting when we here of people like Craigan or whatever he is called showing their complete ignorance with statements like he has made……
Maybe at the end of this whole process a competition to see just which oof the old media have made the biggest idiot of themselves might be a good idea…
Why would an administrator see value in adding cost and creating a bigger barrier for a new buyer in ‘back pay’……..
How thick are these folks….how easily taken in are the pathetic followers of rangers to believe it all….
We really do have too big a mainstream media, with too few informed and capable folk employed to communicate with their audience……
Sadly as a country we seem to have made an entire industry of this self serving pathetic and virtually talentless circus…..almost as big as the football itself….
who is this plonker on snyde?
Ever noticed that Keevins likes to roll his “r”s to amplify his point. Quite pathetic really.
Monaghan1900 on 5 March, 2012 at 19:42 said:
Thanks for that.
Surely the fact that D&P have been in place for in excess of 20 days and have done practically nothing to reduce expenditure would give them reasonable grounds to request their removal from the process?
Ten Men Won The League on 5 March, 2012 at 19:41 said:
SSN ticker “Highest earning Rangers players offer to take 75% pay cut in final proposal to Administrators”
is it 75% cut for both contracts?
Steinreignedsupreme at 18:06:
Are you comparing Caledonias red top hacks to those scat scavenging rodents we call squirrels? Red or grey? Greys eat red- don’t they? What does a squirrels turd look like after its committed squirrel cannabilism?
These are tantalising questions- certainly unheard of at follow follow.
Jabba the jobby jabber…what nuggets will he uncover with his pencil poking…the mystery is like treacle…
Does jabba shake his head in the morning to see how the bits fit back together?
I reckon that sleekit Ally is probably holding court, giving it…
“pure honest boayz, without a word of a lie, that Paul Murray telt me that if we awe stick the gither furra cuppla weeks, there’ll be jelly an ice cream for everybody – who wants another slice a pizza?”
Now I can see why thick Ally would spin this line – just not sure why the Administrator is indulging him.
Meanwhile, HMRC sit, wait and don’t really give a monkeys until the FTT findings are published…
snyde depressin show
wonkyradar on 5 March, 2012 at 19:07 said:
Tomthetim:
Is their legendary “dignified silence” a euphemism for their “skullduggery” or is it the converse? Does it matter? Their cheating bas…
share
*******
No. Their “dig sil” is incorporated within their “skullduggery”.
Dig Sil is a file, which rests in the “skull…y” Folder.
pheersy on 5 March, 2012 at 19:47 said:
is it 75% cut for both contracts?
___________
This is the root of the administrators’ problems with playing staff, isn’t it? The most expensive ones aren’t actually being paid by RFC so there aren’t really huge savings to be made.
Are these players ‘owned’ by RFC or by another WhyteCo? I ask because,
iffff, as has been suggested, they were sold to countries where the transfer window is not closed, where would the money go?
So der huns highest earners offer to take a 75% cut to help admin guys.
How many are the highest earners 2, 3, 4, who knows.
Lets say 3 AMcG, SW and SD.
Let us see how this benefits der hun.
Say £25,000 a week each.
Thats £75,000 less 75%
Is £18750
So that saves £56250 a week or £225000 a month.
Still abit short of the £1M.
Looks like the kitman still has to go!!
So if Whyte’s company actually employs a few players, then how much have they been paid? Thousands a week for however many months since their new contracts – anyone want to have a guess at the total?
I’m just wondering if it happens to be anywhere near the Ticketus money minus the sum paid to Lloyds?
There is no case for HMRC to pursue former Rangers players for unpaid tax, because they have already billed Rangers for the tax not deducted from staff salaries during the lifetime of the EBTs. If anything, it would be down to Rangers to try and recoup the money from ex-players.
I’d love to see them try.
Horrible little kitman epitomises the whole ethos…….
His cameo role at full time on Saturday was one of many highlights at thevweekend…..it would have only been bettered by an improved camera angle to see more of his bitter wee coupon….
Turn off snyde, turn this on, a Celtic show for Celtic supporters.
http://www.spreaker.com/page#!/show/hail_hail_media
Hamiltontim
A creditor would need to show that the administrators decisions are not legitimate or are biased (towards another creditor e.g.)
Guys its time to chill
So what if Duff & Duffer are running up a huge bill – the huns will have to pay it
When the huns go in to liquidation – then their history is gone – over – kaput
When the 2 contracts are proven – then the appropriate punishments will follow follow!
All the titles and honours won while fielding illegible players will be struck from thee record
Leagues can be retrospectively decided by working on the premise that all games are rescored 3-0 against the huns
Cup are more difficult as the huns should not have progressed beyond their first round involvement
Then we will have the investigations in to the SFA/SPL and individuals like Campbell Ogilve
This will all take time – so lets just sit back and enjoy
HH
Even on what looked like being a slow news day, the RFC story still has the power to shock and awe us all.
By the day, they are becoming more and more toxic to their would-be political saviours.
By the hour, the possibility of rescue by a drunk/insane/suicidal billionaire recedes.
By the minute, the chances of parachuting a crystal-clean NewCo into the SPL disappear over the horizon.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is what we in the Marines call a “cluster- ****”.
And who knows where it will end? And now the question has to be: is this the end?
The real, actual, definitive “end”?
The “end times” that mad Americans talk about?
Is the possibility now being broached that for RFC, in any guise, this is… drumroll… the end? Forever? Gone? Disparu?
The bravado and ignorance and self believing hyperbole of the hun players is beyond belief.
My hope is that the administrators get there big gun out and do what they are paid for.
No more negotiation .
Bin them.
Celtic Mac on 5 March, 2012 at 19:30 said:
Big Nan
Thank you for posting the link to that article, bona fide journalism with integrity. First time I have read it too.
thomthetim
Thanks for drawing my attention to it, for like yourself that dark day lives long in my memory.
*******
I would go as far as saying that of all the fine posts that have appeared on here over the years, none has more significance, or sheds more insight into what RFC were/are capable of ,than Big Nan’s post today.
Thank you sir/madam.
i hope were not all hoping for a monumental decision against rangers ,. it wont happen . Yes they will get sanctions against them , but they will be the lightest that can possibly be handed down , and you can take that to the bank , Every single one of us has seen it all before . CW getting to appoint the administrators . the SFA/ SPL managing the big enquiry . The constant delays , No eufa guidance in all this . Im afraid to say i fear were not going to get the result that we should be looking for . Time to dust down the dossier peter .
jimtim
Hayley McQueen @HayleyMcQueen Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
The Rangers players have agreed 2 take paycuts 2 avoid redundancies at the club Highest earners 75% cut, mid 50% & lowest 25% details on SSN
I wonder if Kyle Hutton is one of the ‘lowest’ earners
Let The People Sing @LTPS1888
Rangers have kept the money from the sale of Poppy’s sold at Ibrox – Tomorrow’s Daily Record.
thomthethim on 5 March, 2012 at 19:57 said:
Celtic Mac on 5 March, 2012 at 19:30 said:
…………………………………………….
I still have the ticket for that game as I missed the boat through too much celebrating. I could have been in it too as I didn’t wear colours and used to go sometimes with a Rangers friend and in those days you could go in Ranger’s end and walk round and I used to do the reverse and meet up again in a pub at the Ranger’s end. Was it the Widaes?
Sad affair but avoidable according to the Sheriff.
Despite many promises there is still no corporate manslaughter law.
celtfish on 5 March, 2012 at 18:33 said:
Tic Tock
just mailed you…
celtfish….nothings come through, could you try again…
cheers
tic tock
MayoD
is that true
when tax and ni were not paid the last 9 months would this not show on each players pay slip or were deductions shown which therefore would be fraud.
Kayal33:
The follow follow stuff must be made up.
If it was true then how would such an individual adjust themselves to the norms of society…how could they function in healthy everyday life if they demonstrated such intellectual incompotence?
Said remarks reminded me of Agincourt…the rat infested trenches of Verdun…Churchills cigar…the Luftwaffe over the White Cliffs…Cromwells cod piece…the bakers shop.in the Great fire of London…the Free Hanseatic League…Jeremy Paxmans nose hair…Tudor underwear…the Duke of Cumberlands sausage…my heart swollen and a tear in my glass eye as I listen to Land of Hope & Glory!
Its jolly spiffing to be a Brit in these green and pleasant…what what…
As good as any tweet, but there are a few tweets surfacing with the same message.
If Rangers go into liquidation prior to the FTT verdict, it makes no difference to HMRC. They can still take any NewCo to court for the big tax bill, although they would probably have to accept a reasonable agreement for them to pay a certain amount per year, even if it takes 10 years or more.
The new Huns would be financially crippled for a very long time to come.