Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson’s comments to yesterdays’ Herald are worthy of attention. During the summer, when United received a £1m bid from Rangers for David Goodwillie and Blackburn Rovers were hovering, Bank of Scotland, took an active part in the deliberations. Thompson told the Herald, “The bank wanted me to take £1.2m for him, but I said no to that. I had to stand up against the bank.”
Thompson more than doubled the money on offer for Goodwillie, allowing him to shave over £2m off their bank debt, but this exchange took place only a few months after the same bank told former Rangers chairman, Alastair Johnston, to accept the bid for the club from Motherwell born thousandaire Craig Whyte or the bank would demand same-day repayment of Rangers borrowings.
Bank of Scotland, part of Lloyds Banking Group (LBG), are significantly exposed to Scottish football and required a taxpayer bail-out two years ago, so although their interference in the running of clubs could seem overbearing, we shouldn’t be surprised at it. It’s business, and if you are employed at LBG with a responsibility to your taxpayer-shareholder, it’s necessary business.
Fortunately, Celtic are free from such interference, as are Rangers, thanks to their aforementioned benefactor, but if a liquidation event at a large club threatened income streams to the league I would be amazed if the Bank didn’t use the ‘Vote Newo FC into the SPL or repay your borrowings immediately’ line.
Stephen Thompson, who sits on the SPL board, might not have a choice on whether or not to vote a Newco FC into the SPL ahead of 30 Scottish Football League clubs, but he and his fellow board members will be able to set the tariff on any exceptional league entry to what would become a financially privileged football franchise.
12 seasons of cumulative benefit from financial mis-dealings should result in 12 seasons of penury at whatever points rate the league calculate benefit was accrued. For one scenario I have in mind, around 15 points per season sounds fair, with an expunging from the records of any trophies ‘won’ by Financial Doping.
This is measured, deliverable, is in the power of the SPL board to impose, and sets a minimum moral hazard to inhibit future mis-deeds.
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Auld Neil Lennon heid:
If fairness is to be become a vainist, idealised word in the future history of our game there must be two penalities.
1) Rangers must be made to pay back what that owe, in financial terms, no matter what the consequences to their team. Football is not just a business like any other. It is in the SPL/SFA’s hands that Rangers can be held to account for those debts, or not be permitted to reform. The law of the land can be upheld by our association.
2) They must be made to pay a footballing penalty for decades of cheating. The stripping of tainted titles or points deductions will be acceptable in the second case provided – and ONLY provided – the first criteria, the repayment of debt, is fulfilled.
If Rangers dodges out on the debts and forms again as a NewCo, in total violation of all that is right, then and only then must the league and the association’s punishment be as severe as it can be, and NewCo Rangers, debt free, must suffer the maximum penalty and have to start from scratch, at the bottom.
These are the ONLY two scenarios if fairness and justice are to be served.
Nothing less will suffice.
Thanks to Jungle Jim for the generous, and traditional, welcome.
To Auldheid: I agree that the survival of Rangers provided they pay the tax due including interest and penalties would preserve the integrity such as it is. I was only talking of the newco scenario. My preference would be for the extinction of the club with the sectarian signing policy to give scottish football a chance to rebuild itself but would have no complaints if they survive with all debts paid.
Ernesto…..
What do you suggest chum?
Day 12 in the Big Transfer Window household……..nothing happening
*stops bad Geordie accent*
Just a wee thought. Many on here have suggested that we should move to another league, Ireland, England etc. English Blue Square Prem would do me. One thing came to me the other day, I bet our Police would have something to say about that. Maybe to the point of not policing, therefore a finger up tae timmy as per.
Just a thought.
Auldheid
Not sure what you mean by reparation – visits to Ibrox by the Teosaich, huns weeping into radio phone-ins apologising for 120 years of racism, bigotry, and tax fraud? A sort of Glasgow version of Truth and Reconciliation?
What I would like to see is the same standards of sporting fairness applied to Rangers as would be applied to any other club in any other league in Europe. Sport is the one area where fairness, rather than favouritism and nepotism, rules above all else (and probably why it has attracted members of the working class immigrant communities, both here and in the U.S, who were otherwise handed a raw deal in their day to day lives). To paraphrase the Ginger Ninja, if you could run faster, jump higher, and kick a ball better you’d be in the team (one club excepted, of course) and if your team did the same they would come out on top.
What Paul67’s article confirms is that this won’t be the case any more. Everyone will know, regardless of any so-called punishment and humiliation heaped on Rangers, that we are in a league that has been gerrymandered in order to sustain the existence of one team – a complete joke, the footballing equivalent of WWF. No reparation could undo that in people’s minds.
ernie lynch says:
12 January, 2012 at 17:55
Barcabhoy says:
12 January, 2012 at 17:48
‘What if the other 10 will not vote to keep Newco out of the SPL, but would attach severe multi year penalties
What do we do then ?’
Threaten to resign.
They then have to decide which of us they need more.
If they chose them then we know we’ve done the right thing.
share
—————
Threats only work if they will be carried out…we resign, where do we play,
We will have to have a guaranteed invite to another League.
I have no problem with lower league England or Ireland. Further afield and we are tye ones being punished for being honest and ethical
TBB makes a good point, Rangers chose this situation. Murray exposed Rangers to death with huge losses and borrowings, topped off by a tax scheme that they cannot pay if it does not work
The board led by Johnston and Mclelland, decided that being prudent wasn’t a good idea. They could have taken £50 million from the wage bill cumulatively over 3 years, and still had a team to compete in the top 6
Which takes me back to a point I made months ago. Murray and every single one of that old board must receive alifetime ban for their part in this fiasco. It isn’t just , ego , arrogamce, financial recklessness, i am sure the tribunal will ultimately show it was deception , cheating and providing false information to the authorities.
Let’s keep Davie, AJ and all the previous Klan in the picture too……
Barcabhoy
That’s twice in one day that you’ve agreed with me. I’m getting worried.
I agree with you though :¬)
Livibhoy,
As someone who has lived 15 years or so in England, mainly in the North, but also for a few years in London, I have never encountered anything like the hatred of Celtic you talk of. I would agree entirely with derbyshirebhoy that any serious trouble we encounter we will have brought on ourselves by singing about the IRA.
Just nipped on to say
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
to my Dad,who doesn’t want to divulge his age. I think he’s getting that old,he canny remember it!
And,of course, to AWE NAW an’ a’,if you see what I mean.
Enjoy the rest of your day!!!!!!!!!!
Ernie, agree totally mate.
I just hope that those in power at CP are looking at every option if the “resigning card” has to be used.
I know in the past we have tried to gain access into the English leagues but I would honestly support a move into the League of Ireland and throw all our powers to grow this as a product.
We must be the masters of our own destiny here and make our mark in the sand so no-one is in any doubt of our feelings.
Let them know that anything other than their exclusion from the top league should not be accepted.
HH
/Bishop B
can feel a songs debate coming on,whooopie doo!
I fear that a Newco would be treated as a new club and would not be penalized for the Oldco’s misdemeanours
Canamalar, Bada Bing, The Exiled Tim, Blantyretim.
Thanks Gents much appreciated.
Blantyretim
I would be delighted for your nephews to get them. Can you get my email add & mail me & i’ll reply with the tickets asap. HH
I’m sure we can trust the SFA president to give us guidance should any club be found guilty
of using EBTs illegally.
Scotpatsfan
The Club sends the tickets to your email address so that you are able to print them. Very good and quick service.
serge email away….
Blantyretim
Tickets sent, thanks mate. HH
Serge
nothing attached …
A wee prediction,the huns will sell Jellylegs,and take John Sutton on loan fae the mini huns.
NewCo to the 3rd div. Then no stars and no titles.
This will do me.
Paul McGowan named player of the month. quality player, I have always been impressed with the young man. 24 only.
good luck to him
UC
Blantyretim
No Eticket.pdf file? I just forwarded the Email i recieved from the Club, I’ll download it, attach and try again. Sorry about that.
A treble and demonstrations in the car park ?
Aye Hampden car park and I expect our Board to be at the front of the demo.
If Celtic plc don’t oppose a Newco for the huns .I would fully expect them to oppose Real Celtic Newco a few weeks later.
Hertz can go bust and nobody gies two tuppenies ?
This is the end of the old firn unless they win their appeal or pay their tax.
If Celtic plc think that 1m pound salaries depend on that then Real Celtic Newco would deliver better bang for buck.
And if a third rate shyster like Craig Whyte can do it then so can we EASILY
If I was on our Board that would be my biggest concern at the moment.
I would make our position clear by ST renewal time.
The Old Firm dies and it will one way or another.
Your either for it or against
D.Day will soon be upon us.
HH
Parkheadcumsalford
I live in South London and regularly go out running 2/3 times a week in the Celtic bumblebee strip as it is the same breathable Dri-Fit material as Nikes running gear and it is High-Vis which is useful for running through streets/roads.
I never go a week without someone shouting at me from a van, a car or a pub window. Often it’s friendly, sometimes it’s friendly abuse (banter) and sometimes it’s snarling shouty abusive (usually from a vehicle then).
Im sure most don’t give a damn though.
Barcabhoy says:
12 January, 2012 at 18:05
‘Threats only work if they will be carried out…we resign, where do we play’
Same place we would have played if Bob Kelly had been forced to take down the Tricolour.
Official Celtic FC Match Programme
If Celtic resign from the SPL because a newco huns are allowed entry to the SPL, thereby making a mockery of any UEFA FFP policy, what attitude would UEFA take if we applied to join a league in another jurisdiction?
Ernie Lynch 18.33
Interesting, Good comment.
I think the panel on Snyde said there’s a rumour that Jellylegs buy out in his contract is £2.5 mil,embdae else hear it?
Ulster-Celt
I remember him playing really well ‘in the hole’ against St Johnstone in Mowbray’s penultimate match, and folk speaking highly of him just before the calamitous game at St Mirren, after which he didn’t feature under Lennon, save for a brief sub appearance against Hearts.
He’s a good player, perhaps not good enough for Celtic, but my feeling is that Neil isn’t keen on someone playing mainly behind the strikers – you rarely see it at Celtic, unless it’s someone occasionally coming in from a wide position.
What a shock; gers in trouble and stuck for cash so which company offers them money to show their cup tie with Dundee United live?
Good old BBC; and to think they will still crawl to cover this game and give them money at a time when Rangers will still not “co-operate” with them.
Pre and post match interviews should be hilarious.
Any why is wee Craigy allowing the BBC back in to cover this game after his ludicrous comments about zero cooperation with this channel?
Disgraceful behaviour, BBC
I’m sure Chic will soon break cover on this issue…….
or maybe he’ll do another puff piece on the ‘romance’ of the Cup in Ersha.
Then again he’ll probably just obfuscate and keep in with his real buddies.
Good evening friends.
Exactly a week ago I started Episode 1, Series 1 of Breaking Bad. It quickly became compulsive viewing for me and Mrs Baldie and we finished the series on Monday. Just purchased Series 2 (it’s half price in HMV). Weekend viewing sorted!
Jobo
Serge
Does CP charge for the ticketfast service?
The reason I’m asking is because of my shift pattern. I work every other weekend and my brother normally takes my ticket but he struggles to get it from me. This sounds like an ideal way to pass the ticket between us.
SPF
up_over_goal
he’s a very intelligent player, good movement and can see a pass, he plays that number 10 position extremley well.
UC