Here’s the problem: this is a can of worms. If contagion was limited to Sir David Murray and other Murray Group executives, there may be more “appetite” to analyse what went wrong and what to do about it.
Rangers were a rogue football team, operating a tax scheme out with the law, failing to disclose appropriate documentation to HMRC, the SPL and SFA. Legal responsibility for the club’s actions lies with all directors, not just the majority owner. They have collective responsibility to ensure business is conducted appropriately. David King, Paul Murray, Alistair Johnston and former SFA president Campbell Ogilvie, were all Rangers directors during the EBT and DOS years.
The SPFL (formerly SPL) are also implicated. They set terms of reference for what became the Lord Nimmo Smith Commission, then amended those terms to only include matters which were, at that time, regarded as legal, explicitly excluding matters already confirmed as illegal.
They then failed to present evidence to Nimmo Smith of the five matters Rangers admitted guilt on during the First Tier Tribunal process, preferring only to present matters that were in dispute, but (temporarily) found in Rangers favour.
Having done this, they instructed their lawyer not to ask for an opportunity to appeal if the pending HMRC appeal was upheld. Instead, closing the book on a procedural appeal.
The SFA executives side just along the corridor from their SPFL counterparts. Yesterday they issued a remarkable statement:
“Specifically, Senior Counsel was asked to anticipate whether a determination in favour of HMRC, as announced today, could imply that there had been a breach of the Scottish FA’s Disciplinary Rules as they applied at the time of the EBT payments.
The clear opinion of Senior Counsel is that there is a very limited chance of the Scottish FA succeeding in relation to any complaint regarding this matter”.
I refer you to SFA Disciplinary Rule 71, Article 94.1:
“No recognised football body, club, official, Team Official or other member of Team Staff, player, match official, or other person under the jurisdiction of the Scottish FA shall bring the game into disrepute.”
They are asking you to believe that Senior Counsel told them no Rangers official brought the game into disrepute as a consequence of this matter. A matter which has left over £100m debt and hundreds of creditors unpaid, saw 55 players incorrectly registered, and one of the largest clubs in the country liquidated – the consequences of which will be permanent, no matter your view on Newco/same club.
All for an issue which Rangers directors gave evidence in court that the EBT scheme was undertaken to allow them to sign players they would otherwise be unable to pay. Ensuring an illegal sporting advantage.
Possible SFA sanctions for this include fines of up to £1m and/or expulsion from the game.
Sorry, but this is not a tenable position. The game was massively brought into disrepute; to issue a statement claiming otherwise just adds the stench of cover up to an already dreadful state. And bringing the game into disrepute is just scratching the surface, without going into consequences of the club’s actions on competitions.
I question the scope and remit given to Counsel, which was clearly limited in order to make it possible to deliver this statement. Who issued that scope and why it blinded Counsel to the clear matter of disrepute is another question to answer.
Executives at Hampden will have scoured news coverage this morning in the hope that this this will blow over. Scottish newspaper, TV and radio coverage is irrelevant. Instead, they should be looking to establish a recovery position for our game. This is not finished.
Those implicated by the contagion – the “heavily conflicted” do not get to decide that no action is to be taken; Scotland is not yet a Banana Republic.
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NEGANON2 on 6TH JULY 2017 9:54 PM
What’s crazy about a boycott? This issue is far too Important.
I have no idea what it is with you,to try and take money from our club.You are a total roaster.By all means boycott the other grounds,but you seem to want our club in the gutter as well.You are an absolute ballooon.
for godsake demand action from our board dont let this slip or forever stay at the back
My word some are getting a tad impatient,
It has been one day since the decision.
Get a grip ffs.
HH
A total boycott of every away game.A total boycott of every SFA cup game.Thats the only way to hit them.Only the teams that speak out against the cheating ,absolved.Hit them where it hurts.Never mind,the”I want to follow my team”nonsense.Fill Celtic park every week.Let the rest die.
The Celtic tail should wag the SFA dog.
Its not going to happen.
DIXIEDEANS on 7TH JULY 2017 12:04 AM
Actually it’s been about 18 years
Naw over a 100
TURKEYBHOY on 7TH JULY 2017 12:05 AM
Good idea
Let the rest die and Celtic can play rangers every week
I’ve just hired a Powder Dry Room. If anyone looking to store their powder safe in the knowledge it will be the driest powder never used, I’m your man.
£1888 a year storage and safe keeping charge per annum. £1967 for the super dry one off lifetime storage special.
MWD
Burnley78
None of the other Clubs will speak out, most of them aren’t bothered and the Clubs that are wont out of fear of retribution whether it be violence or withdrawal of the blue pound. I wouldn’t trust the judiciary in Scotland as far as i could thrown them. The reality is we have our Chief Executive Officer on the Board of the SPFL. We are in a position to influence decision making. If that fails then look at other options but as it stands we wait and see what the SPFL has to say about the matter.
Why the F—is anyone listening to,and agreeing with that imbecile Neganon.His whole strategy,right from the start is to starve Celtic of money,by whatever means.Boycott Celtic Park,ect.That will really sort out the cheating scum.Leave us skint and in the same boat as them.Is it only fekin me that sees the lunacy of this?.
Neganon is a lot wiser than many on here.
I hate his pessimism but love his honesty.
A true Tim in my belief.
HH
TURKEYBHOY, you are going overboard about neganon what he means is stop giving celtic so they will do somthing instead of nothing and i think you know this.
I asked last night if any other club made any statement in light of yesterdays supreme court judgement. I’m still unaware if that’s the case.
Any boycott if it comes to that should be well thought out tactically based on what other clubs do in light of yesterdays judgment. Calling for a blanket boycott e.g. of all away grounds would potentially strangle clubs who may speak out. The two caveat I would have would be all cup games and Kilmarnock.
So, has there been any response other than what we saw yesterday from Celtic?
I’d happily see the game in Scotland die before just accepting the “lets just all move on” which is what the SFA / SPFL want.
My boycott of Celtic would begin if in time that turned out to their stance.
Neganon, you’ve already boycotted everything Celtic so you have feck all to offer in terms of removing support.
Hope you are well btw.
Strip the huns of their cheated honours as they were gained in a dishonourable way
Neganon makes a lot of good points, the Fat Lady has cleared her throat, nearly finished the encore, the Board have had enough time to prepare for this day.Time to step up and represent the fans , the Club , and have rules fairly applied.
Worst still is paul67. He loves to talk about these issues but never about the Celtic boards role in it. It is quite frankly selling us all out. It disgusts me.
From Neganon
Well just GTF and don be disgusted anymore.Fekin do one.
ACGR
#Strip the cheats titles.
DANSO_1888 on 7TH JULY 2017 12:24 AM
TURKEYBHOY, you are going overboard about neganon what he means is stop giving celtic so they will do somthing instead of nothing and i think you know this.
What?.Bankrupt our club because the scum cheated?.You can GTF along with that imbecile Neganon.
Turkeybhoy
The truth is best for the soul.
Timreaper, if other clubs don’t speak out then that’s where the anger of our support should be targeted.
They may speak out once they have empty away stands in their grounds and no money flowing into their bank accounts.
The hun support threatened to do this in 2012 but didn’t have the capability or organisational skills to try to see it through. I think Celtic supporters if properly motivated like they were in the dying days of the old board could force change.
We done it at a club level and we can do it again.
Has anyone seen the mythical dry powder?
Is this just another fantasy like honesty and transparency in the Scottish game?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny2yqpCKDkc
MARGARET MCGILL on 7TH JULY 2017 12:09 AM
TURKEYBHOY on 7TH JULY 2017 12:05 AM
Good idea
Let the rest die and Celtic can play rangers every week
Neganon and Mc Gill.Two cheeks of the same Arse.Look at me,I”m a malcontent.Twats.
We know that Celtic don`t do megaphone diplomacy.
Ergo we don`t know what steps Celtic have or have not taken .
Like others , I live in hope , but confident that our Board have the matter well in hand .
A spokesman said: “The board of the SPFL notes today’s judgement of the Supreme Court. We will now take time to examine the judgement in detail and to consider any implications for the SPFL.”
This seems to be the Review that we’re hoping sorts out the industrial scale cheating in Scottish football.
‘…and to consider any implications for the SPFL.’ (Does that sentence fill anyone with confidence?)
Why not… ‘Implications for Rangers (Sevco) and the Honours awarded while bringing the game into disrepute by the operation of a unlawful tax avoidance scheme. As determined by the Supreme Court’. (Wishful thinking, I know).
The Term of Reference are non existent.
What about the Clubs? The Supporters? Sporting Integrity? Cheating? Ongoing concerns about the dodgy dealings/competence of Directors at Sevco/SFA/SPFL?
We can guess what’s coming.
There again maybe HMRC’s new Football Compliance Unit might sort out the cheating?
________________________________________________________________________________
On another note my son’s 5 pals have just arrived over for the Shamrock Rovers game from Glasgow.
An expensive trip for a Pre-Season Friendly.
We owe it to their generation to have these cheats and bigots sorted now we have the evidence. IMO,
HH & Nite
DELANEYS DUNKY on 7TH JULY 2017 12:23 AM
Neganon is a lot wiser than many on here.
I hate his pessimism but love his honesty.
A true Tim in my belief.
HH
Is he.Aye.
ACGR
The Dandy Dons are leading the way.
We are in their slipstream just now.
#Strip the cheats titles.
TURKEYBHOY, im already on record of saying do a belfast celtic i would rather disband the club than play in a cheaters league SO TURKEY BOY YOU DO ONE AND FORK OFF
ACGR I am fine. Hope you are too mate? We want the same things. Hope we can get there but it will,need our board to do it. It’s gonna be a hard road and if we lose we lose big.
Turkeybhoy try and grow up eh?
The only boycott with any traction would be a boycott of Ibrox which would only be effective with the cooperation of the other SPL clubs.
Course then there may be a retaliatory boycott by Rangers supporters of away grounds.
Can`t see other clubs supporting it .
The ole hip pocket nerve .
Non starter.
Turkeybhoy, I’ve had my moments on here with Neganon and understand your frustration but you need to cool yourself pal, he’s a Tim with a different outlook from you. Some of his ideas may be off the scale mental but to call him a twat is a bit unfair. I know a lot of twats and some of them are ok.
Now that Maggie McGill………hmmmmmmm
Murderator
Murderator !
I’m being abused!
Turkeybhoy
Aye. I believe Neganon is a good wise pessimistic Tim.
What’s your problem?
Neganon is an absolute twat,and anyone who backs him up,can join his club.
How fekin stupid do you have to be,to support a clown who only comes on to sow disharmony in the ranks whenever it suits him.I have said many times,how many times after a great result have you heard him?Zero.
If you get taken in by his bullshit,then switch across to Hun Media,they love gullible idiots on there.
Speechless at how stupid people can be.That includes you TGM.
Turkeybhoy after reading a few pages on CQN….
Macjay, that makes no sense. A boycott of ibrox would have a minimal impact. They would then boycott CP and we’d end up in a situation where we have home support only at these games (a situation I’d be all for).
Boycott and kill any club that does not see the merit in calling out the systematic cheating that occurred over the “known period” EBT cheat years.
The game needs cleansed and without cleansing it will die anyway.
DELANEYS DUNKY on 7TH JULY 2017 12:36 AM
ACGR
The Dandy Dons are leading the way.
We are in their slipstream just now.
#Strip the cheats titles.
Just how are they”Leading the way”Have their board uttered a sound?.
Maggie doll, stop greetin to the murderator. I’ll abuse ye wi drams if you get yer arse over here in a timely manner.
Timely manner = before I drink it awe
HH
Turkey
Dear oh dear oh dear.
Breathe deep then exhale.
DANSO_1888 on 7TH JULY 2017 12:36 AM
TURKEYBHOY, im already on record of saying do a belfast celtic i would rather disband the club than play in a cheaters league SO TURKEY BOY YOU DO ONE AND FORK OFF
Your Honour,I rest my case on idiots.