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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Six fit two no less
Here’s a thought. Our National Association stumped up cash and sourced other investors for the redevelopment of Hampden…and allowed an amateur club to retain ownership of the stadium…to whom they pay rent…
The SFA are cheats. But as the above point proves, they are also a bunch of diddies, and their lies and deceit will be easily deconstructed in the course of an inquiry.
There must be a wide-ranging inquiry into Scottish football in general. The EBTs were just one part of the systematic rigging of the game.
Even in Italy when rubentus were relegated for match fixing two of their titles were stripped from them
That statement from the Spineless football association was no surprise at all
There is no difference between hampden and ibrox they are one in the same
AULDHEID on 6TH JULY 2017 12:24 PM
Just to be clear about what I consider the bottom line is.
I don’t care whether or not the football authorities accept the same club lie. It seems clear that they do.
I don’t care whether titles are stripped are not. They won’t be.
What I do care about is what Celtic do about these matters.
I don’t think I’m asking for much, just for Celtic to condemn the cheating and corruption. Whether that leads to any remedial action or not is, to me, irrelevant, or at least secondary.
It’s what Celtic do that matters.
If they say nothing, if they do nothing, they’re complicit. If others want to support that, fair enough, but it’s not for me.
There’s been some amazing events/results this year and some of the freinds i’ve made on CQN were part of them …..but tomorrow is the biggie … “THE JANNY ” is getting married to the lovely H.
Just incase we dont get manage over , i just thought i’d say Good luck and hope all goes according to ……the way H wants it !!! lol.
https://youtu.be/laWIZvdP8W0
Davidopoulos
Wee blazer wearing bigots, the type you would find in ‘Stoneybridge’:)
These wee bowling club Napoleons need a reminder of their stupidity.
They have never been challenged really…..watch what happens when they are held to account.
A mob of snivelling wee morons who think they can treat a great club like Celtic, and all our wonderful supporters, as if we are nothing.
Lets see about that.
Im breathing fire.
Sleeves rolled up, ready to go:)
HH
” wee bowling club Napoleons..”
:)))))))
Step forward Most Worshipful Brither McRae……….
https://youtu.be/e7qQ6_RV4VQ
Had this tune in my head all day, hope it comes to fruition.
H.H
Paul 67
When the SPL Board met to discuss the LNS Decision not all agreed with it and the question of the SPL Board appealing against its own Commission was discussed and there was a case that they could.
However what swung the decision not to appeal was the legal advice given to them. They were told Rangers had argued that if the EBT details were required to be disclosed the reason they did not disclose them was because of an error by them in understanding what was required to be disclosed
Rangers further argued that in any event they had secured no competitive advantage from not disclosing since the tax position would have been the same whether they disclosed to the SPL/SFA or not.
We now know from the CW trial (and other documents) that side letters were deliberately withheld from HMRC in 2005 and this caused HMRC to accuse RFC of fraud at worst negligence at best. This failure to disclose went on for a number of years so the idea that it was simply a misunderstanding on their part (when one of the chaps responsible for players contract paper work from 2004 was Andrew Dickson, recognised as an excellent football administrator) and not ten years of dishonesty simply does not hold water any longer because it was the dishonesty at play in 2005 that shows there was intent and motive not to disclose.
The second bit about the tax position being the same regardless of revealing side letters is challengeable and it is surprising (no its not) that it was not challenged. Had side letters been admitted from the off to SFA, it would have made it impossible to hide their existence from HMRC and RFC knew that side letters were not part of the ebt arrangement they had been advised on.
(In that respect what SDM said yesterday and what was said at the FTT might be worth revisiting)
SFA might (I know) have asked questions about these side letter and got on the dog and bone to HMRC to question if they were OK. (I know I know).
In terms of competitive advantage if the scheme became known to other clubs then they might take the risk RFC were taking and use them to nullifying the wage advantage RFC had from their use. The tax position might have been the same from disclosing but not for long and had the side letters been disclosed the unlawfulness of their use would have been exposed much much earlier.
The point here is that the SPL Board were swayed by this argument not to appeal and if a review takes place it is on these points alone that LNS should be set aside and a new enquiry instituted taking the unlawfulness of ebts as RFC used them and the dishonesty to make ebts work for the stated purpose RFC used them for over ten years into consideration.
LNS said ” There may be extreme cases in which there is such a fundamental defect that the registration of a player must be treated as having been invalid from the outset”.
If ten years of dishonesty AND using a scheme to pay players more than otherwise could be afforded only made possible by that dishonesty is not an extreme case I don’t know what is.
LNS simply cannot be allowed to stand.
The Green Man says SACK THE Board on 6th July 2017 1:09 pm
=====
Celtic must compile a vido or a vidayo of complaints so Maigret can present it to the committee…
‘Ensuring an illegal sporting advantage’.
I don’t think so.
An unlawful sporting advantage, breaking the laws of the sport concerned, certainly.
But not illegal.
PedanticCSC
ernie lynch on 6th July 2017 1:05 pm
Me neither which is why I’m putting so much effort into them doing the right thing.
I WANT to feel they reflect my values, but until I see evidence its back to the grind.
And strip the titles.
Rangers (IL) 47
Celtic 48 (soon to be 49)
Sandman
‘Maigret’: ‘We would like to welcome Dave King of Africa to Stoneybridge’
Lock up your Piggy Banks:)
HH
Paul
Another excellent article that highlights the problems every Scottish football fan, not just CFC ones, face this morning.
We have an administrative elite ensconced at Hampden which works for the benefit of one club rather than the game in general!
The Scottish game needs to be cleansed of this contagion or it will never ever recover. On the park we enjoyed an historic season and like many others, for the first time in years I enjoyed the experience of going to games again. However my parents, God rest them, did not raise their children to sit quietly and meekly accept being cheated. The club has played a long game on this issue but I’m sure that realise that they must now ensure that this scandal is thoroughly investigated and that those who are guilty of bringing the game in to disrepute and properly punished. I’m also sure that they will be working with like minded and progressive elements from other clubs to accomplish this.
The redevelopment of Hampden has been a disaster for Scottish football. The ground is a disgrace on three sides and only the privileged few are catered for on the other side. Even worse was coming together of the SFA and SFL officials. The culture and ethos of these people was revealed by the Dallas email scandal. These people are bigots pure and simple and the game needs to get rid of all of them if it wants to flourish.
As supporters we need to be willing to make sacrifices to help things along. I know that many supporters of all the clubs in Scotland are experiencing financial difficulties and I’m no different.
My ST costs the best part of £600, I’m on the HTS,take tickets for away games when I can and last week spent another £100 on two jerseys for my two teenage girls! I would be willing to join any efforts to crowd fund action if the football authorities will not act. Should we fail to address these breaches of the basic sporting principle of integrity, then with a sad heart I will walk away from Scottish football, as I will not be part of a rigged game. For decades we knew that we were not getting a fair crack of the whip but we could never really prove it. We now have incontrovertible evidence of cheating on an industrial scale that cannot be ignored!
HH
I just can’t see where support from other clubs is going to come from.
The clowns that were there in 2012 are still there. The ones that have gone have been replaced by other clowns.
Surely if the clubs had wanted change these clowns would be long gone?
Aberdeen fans group have issued a statement…….it will snowball believe me
Paul 67
Good article apart for the banana republic bit, scottish football is a banana republic, what makes you think otherwise ?
HH
………………………………………………………
Auldheid
Talk is cheap, action is needed.
HH
Withdraw the Green pound from the clubs and you will see action, it’s the only answer, as long as they have our money they don’t give a feck.
Boycott them.
Clean the Stable
Strip the Titles
Jotters for the wee blazer bigots
Hootsmon having a poll on whether oldco should be stripped of titles. Fill yer boots.
Every little helps!
.
*After 10 and a Half Years of Litigation..Imagine asking Your Senior Counsel..Junior Counsel and Brief..
Q: How long can this go for..
A: How Long is a Piece of String..?
They say in Harmony..
Then watch Senior Counsel arranging a Golf Game with the ‘Rouge Senior Counsel’..He said is ‘Hard to Beat’..
#MoneyForNothingAndChequesForFREE #CanOfWorms
001
Ernie … well said sir.
SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: ‘The tax default and reporting rules are an integral part of maintaining a fair league competition.’ Failing to add not if it involves Rangers (IL), of course.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2847706/Scottish-Championship-Livingstone-deducted-five-points-tax-breaches.html#ixzz4m3R5yveB
Summa
A piece of string’s length is the distance from it’s centre to it’s end x2 ;)
The SFA are gambling on there being no desire to open this up as it will get to the core of who is conflicted and what they did,this might involve other clubs, football is finished here without an independent inquiry into the game with nothing off limits , no plea bargains or immunity offered.
Scotsman poll:
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/rangers/poll-should-rangers-be-stripped-of-their-ebt-titles-1-4496550
I think the Celtic statement is very clever, (in being SURE the SPFL will revisit the issue), and would not have been made without first consulting other clubs’ boards to gauge their opinions.
It may take time and a lot more hard work but justice is coming.
Eurochamps67
Everyone will need to brace themselves for the zombie backlash but they must persevere to ensure justice is done. It won’t be easy and every man and his dog will be threatened with violence but it is absolutely necessary to see through reform of our game, or else we won’t have a game.
Per aspera ad astrisk…
BCW
That poll is 50/50 currently, a lot of morally bankrupt bears about.
Just off the phone to the SFA. No phone messages allowed, the public relations department is ‘unavailable’. The girl on the switchboard says all correspondence needs to be via email. She was having a wee chuckle when I was telling her what I thought about Regan and McCrae, she must be a Tim.
She said the phone has been red hot.
……red (white and blue) hot ?
;)
On the Hootsmon…….
They’re “On The Journey”. Perhaps, best we don’t help them along the way with our blessed clicks?
Bankiebhoy
Why mate ?
The more publicity this travesty receives the better.
SFA is made up of member clubs and associations. Supporters are not members.
However, Supporters can lobby their clubs and even other clubs and associations and SFA committees to raise the issue with SFA.
The court of Public opinion can be also used to good effect.
Now we know that SFA, SPFL and the media are all Rangers friendly and won’t want to raise the issue. They want that to die with the old Rangers company.
However, they seem to think that Rangers the club is too big for a company that has went into Liquidation and Rangers the club,has been transferred to a new company. Crap I know!!
Celtic cannot ensure this on their own but they need to take the lead, as I have said, for the SFAssociation will only listen to members and other member Associations.
Petitions and open letters won’t have any effect. The Scottish media will be no help, we need to spread this outside Scotland.
UEFA has some ex SFA bodies in their ranks. David Gill and Jim Boyce (NI) are no friends of Celtic and we know Ogilvie and Dallas are involved with them. Can we appeal to UEFA?
It has been said that taking SFA to the courts is forbidden for association members, but does anyone know if Celtic could take SFA to CAS?
Big Cup.
I agree with the publicity bit. It’s clear tho’ whose side they are on.
Our support via Clicks directly supports and legitimises their stance.
They are no friend of Celtic and Celtica.
However, feel free to give them your virtual patronage, my advice is just a suggestion.
HH.
CROPPYBHOY on 6TH JULY 2017 1:19 PM
Paul
Another excellent article that highlights the problems every Scottish football fan, not just CFC ones, face this morning.
We have an administrative elite ensconced at Hampden which works for the benefit of one club rather than the game in general!
The Scottish game needs to be cleansed of this contagion or it will never ever recover. On the park we enjoyed an historic season and like many others, for the first time in years I enjoyed the experience of going to games again. However my parents, God rest them, did not raise their children to sit quietly and meekly accept being cheated. The club has played a long game on this issue but I’m sure that realise that they must now ensure that this scandal is thoroughly investigated and that those who are guilty of bringing the game in to disrepute and properly punished. I’m also sure that they will be working with like minded and progressive elements from other clubs to accomplish this.
The redevelopment of Hampden has been a disaster for Scottish football. The ground is a disgrace on three sides and only the privileged few are catered for on the other side. Even worse was coming together of the SFA and SFL officials. The culture and ethos of these people was revealed by the Dallas email scandal. These people are bigots pure and simple and the game needs to get rid of all of them if it wants to flourish.
As supporters we need to be willing to make sacrifices to help things along. I know that many supporters of all the clubs in Scotland are experiencing financial difficulties and I’m no different.
My ST costs the best part of £600, I’m on the HTS,take tickets for away games when I can and last week spent another £100 on two jerseys for my two teenage girls! I would be willing to join any efforts to crowd fund action if the football authorities will not act. Should we fail to address these breaches of the basic sporting principle of integrity, then with a sad heart I will walk away from Scottish football, as I will not be part of a rigged game. For decades we knew that we were not getting a fair crack of the whip but we could never really prove it. We now have incontrovertible evidence of cheating on an industrial scale that cannot be ignored!
HH
………………………………..
Chapeau!