The report on Rangers on tonight’s Channel 4 News by Alex Thomson put meat on the bones of what has been going on at Rangers over the last decade or more. Former chief executive, Martin Bain, was revealed to have written to then-chairman, John McClelland, in late 2003 asking that his pay rise is paid through the club’s Employee Benefit Trust, which is not subject to Income Tax or National Insurance.
Bain goes on to make a sinister note to McClelland, “at the end of the meeting I gave her back the letter addressed to me from you that stated my contractual increase for her to shred.”
Shredding documents? Oh dear.
Bain declined to answer questions from Channel 4 but yesterday offered to drop his contractual claim against the club, suggesting his issue was with Rangers new owner, Craig Whyte. It was the most self-serving drivel I have read in a while.
If this was how he behaved as Rangers chief executive Whyte was right to suspend him last year. How Bain had the front to pursue Rangers for over £1m knowing the consequences of his letters to John McClelland beggars belief.
I wonder how HMRC view instructions to shred documents that could inform a view on a tax claim? These documents prove Rangers directors knew how EBTs worked, understood what they were doing and the consequences.
Paul Baxendale-Walker walked straight out of a Carry On movie to give a great cameo performance. In a couple of years some poor casting director is going to have to try to find actors to play Baxendale-Walker, Whyte, Bain, Paul Murray and Zsa Zsa himself. Could any actors do justice to these bizarre individuals?
I’d be interested in your suggestions. Zsa Zsa for Sir David is a given.
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Margaret McGill on 31 March, 2012 at 04:36 said:
After the other 10 SPL traitors opted to not include Celtic in discussions on how to split up Celtic fans money I was wondering what would the bored do about Newco since its obvious the sorority of 10 are keen to do business with a weak Newco?
Then I realized that Newco implies Liquidation. Liquidation implies HMRC won the tax case. HMRC winning the tax case implies that EPL doors are going to be knocked on south of the border which means chaos for the EPL. Maybe the Donut is waiting for this scenario and the Celtic cash cow now being “invited” by the English greedies. Who knows? Just thinking “allowed”.
………………….>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> …………………….
Howdy,Mags.
Lovely thought,the best GIRUY ever.
“Not only have yer team gone mammaries-up,but you opened the door for our dream move!”
Oh,I can just see their faces,hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!
Good morning friends from a very bright and pleasant East Kilbride. Another rollercoaster of a weekend awaits. BUt first breakfast, a scroll back and a Parkrun.
creatureofhabitCSC
Jobo
Before I nip off to my cot for a pre-bevvying nap,there is really only one thing important at the moment,IMO.
GET WELL,STAN,AND SOON.
Macjay1 @ 05.55 that is a brilliant article and well worth a read mate. Gotta be a Tim but excellent anyway.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/brown-ready-to-lock-nicholas-out-of-title-party.17187123
Our captain is beginning to talk, as well as play, like one!
Well said, Broonie!
HH
Summa of Sammi…. on 31 March, 2012 at 05:48 said:
Weans …..whit would you dae wae them?
:O)Good morning one and all.
could we not tell sky and espn that those two muppet ex Celts are not welcome at paradise…
morning bhoys…
.
VougePunter..
If Ye Knew Ma Olde Da..You would Laugh even More..
He has Never Criticised Celtic (In Front of Me Anyway)..
6 Grandchildren Only 1 Rangers Fan..He is Loosing 5-1..Ha..
Summa.. Still Laughing..
A bright, but decidedly chilly morning here in North Ayrshire.
Good luck to Stilyan.
RTC latest
http://rangerstaxcase.com/2012/03/31/evading-avoidance/
Nice sunny morning here in Lenzie.
Anyway a quick trawl of the papers online and there is no mention of Channel 4 program and Bain contractual payments paid via EBT to avoid tax and NI. This needs to involve the Police now and I am pretty sure criminal charges will be forthcoming. Also I would expect John Greig ( Lenzie based ) to spill the beans to the Police to avoid doing time , as he was a director as well. It would not be fair to have Rangers greatest ever player in the other big hoose.
Later today after I have perused the papers with some coffee, I will send recorded delivery letter to Stephen House Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police. Also will wonder out loud why Alex THomson of CH 4 can find this out in one week , while glasgows finest are still on the Craig Whyte case. For good measure a letter to Sir Paul Stephenson of the Metropolitan Police is in order. We have seen with the MSM that it took a southern media person to obtain the facts. I would not be surprised if the Glasgow police are in a similar state of denial.
Good Morning,
The big hoose starting to look like a tsunami has hit it.
Hardly any of the laptop loyal reporting the revelations from last night, choosing instead to keep putting the boot into Neil.
Daily Mail has ran the story but chose to leave the part about shredding documents out.
No wonder Bain dropped his case there would have been alot of uncomfortable questions from Whytes. lawyers.
Have a good feeling we will have our party tomorrow.
HH
Summa of Sammi…. 05:48
Haha, Im with an Ozzer who had keep on questioning me about the Champagne in the frigo, I said it was for Liquidation Day and kind of tryed to keep it quiet as its hard to explain. It sounded like I was a bit of a jake….
Turns out she was asking not to suss if I was a Jake but because she has met rfc supporters previously and wants to share the bottle/party when rfc die.
Ozzers are majic.
EN
merseycelt lmfao as the big house door slams shut on 31 March, 2012 at 07:42 said:
Thanks for posting that link mate. Love Broonie’s comments. Would love to bump into Nicholas, Nevin or Burley…. Remember Burley let me buy him a pint in Temple Bar about 8 years ago, he was on the beer with Tommy Johnson and Mark Burchill.
EN
wasn’t interested until you said she…you are a darkhorse bhoy…. 0))
Morning Bhoys and Ghirls!!!
Scott Brown speaking as a captain and Celt should.
blantyretim if your still about do you still work for the DWP?
The difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion is the thickness of a prison wall.
Denis Healey, The Economist, Volume 354, p.186
Big nan
Obviously a man with an eye for a bargain, but after selling Glasgow Rangers for £1, I wait with bated breath to see what he is going to do with the other 60p.
The mind boggles….any suggestions – kit sponsorship for the newco !
Morning all
Mick
no. WRO now, gamekeeper turned poacher…
still a few friends who do though..
Hi Paul,
Spot on re:Mr Bain, how D&P could agree to pay all his litigation costs is beyond me.
They may be reluctant to pay the Police, their Footballers and other Football Clubs but the British Legal profession have no such concerns.
If Mr Bain managed to evade paying all his due Taxes mis-using Off-shore trusts and shredders it may not be civil court where these events are examined. We may see the Whyte Knight vindicated once again.
A little time back I read ex-Chairmen Johnson praising Mr Bain’s Stewardship and having another pop at Craig Whyte, this time it was regrading CW increasing the RFC overheads by negotiating new contracts with some top players, after the old Board had managed to control the costs through fiscal prudence.
Well me thinks that Alisdair has forgotten a few things, firstly the big tax bill fell upon RFC when he was at the helm, he seems to have done nothing to mitigate the existential risk to the club, in fact he allowed millions of pounds to be spent on players that the club couldn’t afford.
So callous was his profligacy that the LBG who the club owed 30Million+ too were alert to the dangers and took the extreme step of placing their own men on the Board. It was these new Directors who embarked on a serious cost cutting measures including an embargo on transfers into the club. The old Board and Coaching staff were furious and went to the press to pressurise the Bank with bad plublicity.
The Bank did not desist in their plan and due to better cost management and some incredibly good fortune on the pitch, European Football was assured and the debt was almost halved.
Of course if you listened to the old Chairmen you may get the false impression that it was they (AJ, MB & Co) who were reponsible for reducing the debt to a managable level.
Now if it turns out that Craig Whyte had to re-negotiate players contracts because they were non-compliant &/or illegal and that the club has further debts 50Million+ to the Tax man confirmed when all the time the directors, managers & legends had their hands in the Cookie jar. Mr Whyte’s assertion that he “…..got to Ibrox on his own coin”
may seem somewhat poignant.
Sorry don’t know what wro is?
Was looking for advice,I’ve an appointment on Monday and have disclosed I’ve shares in Celtic.My dividend payments amount to £16.00 a year but just concerned they might think I’m loaded,in my favour I’ve always payed my taxes ;-)
Welfare Rights Officer… get you now
Mick
WRO(welfare rights)
i rep folk who appeal against DWP decisions…so any probs drop me an email
blantyretim
Thanks alot I took the liberty of getting your addy last night.Will mail you later.
HH
legally, the FTT does not have to report back until January 2013
take-yer-timeCSC
“my increase was to be non-contractual put through as a discretionary bonus…”
Now if that’s a smoking gun the remainder of the quote is a Howitzer.
“…as I do with PLAYERS, COACHES and more recently JOHN GREIG.”
And this quote is a battery of Howitzers firing away in synch to bring down THE BIG HOOS THAT MUST STAY OPEN.
“at the end of the meeting I gave her back the letter addressed to me from you that stated my contractual increase FOR HER TO SHRED”.
As I was sat in a friends car last night I listened intently to some of SSB after 7pm. Listening to Graham Spiers clarify incessantly that none of Alex Thomson’s info was new and that all the same questions had been asked over the years of Rangers and the SFA I found myself shouting at the radio (as you do with SSB, the main reason I don’t normally listen to it) “WILL SOMEBODY JUST ASK HIM – WHY DID YOU NOT JOIN THE DOTS AND WHY WERE YOU NOT BRAVE ENOUGH TO REPORT ALL THE ANSWERS HONESTLY AND TRANSPARENTLY”.
It is though, funny as feck that while Graham Spiers, whom is probably one of the more honest and less sycophantic sports journalists in Scotland, was floating his own ego on air to a relatively small audience in this backwater, Alex Thomson was at the very same time being transmitted into the front rooms of UK households not only opening the wounds of RFC PLC(ia) but fumbling around in the cavity looking to find the root cause of Rangers fall from grace.
We all know that had the MSM investigated and reported on information that has been coming out slowly over the last six years, information that many of us previously suspected as being available, then their club would not have ended in the sorry state it is in now. For that I thank them, to a journalist, one and all.
Just a wee note to Graham Spiers. Are you sure that Alex Thomson after 3/4 weeks of interest and investigations into Rangers FC PLC (in administration) has come up with nothing new? If you still believe that to be the case can you please point us to the articles were you have reported these quotes pulled from the letters Alex detailed, or for that matter direct us to any other of Scotland’s journalists who has investigated and reported this?
MWD
Great post, MWD
esp the the bit about thanking the journos
:)
lucky cody on 31 March, 2012 at 08:18 said:
Theres two of us in Lenzie?
dearie me the Council will initiate an in depth investigation to see how we both got through immigration.
Martin Bain wrote: “at the end of the meeting I gave her back the letter addressed to me from you that stated my contractual increase for her to shred.”
Headline news.
No?
I am flabergasted that not one of the Scottish newspapers has picked up on this story.
Speirs last night went off on one of his protectionist rants when Terry phoned Radio Clyde to provide yet annother droll reminder of what is happening at Rangers. Speirs again retorted that Celtic supporters only want to see Rangers liquidated and stripped of titles as they hate Rangers.
That is true Graeme. I hate Rangers. We shouldn’t need to repeat that Rangers where guilty of never employing a Roman Catholic for decades until around the time the Berlin wall came down. Up until the age of 13 I was given the message that Rangers were not for me. How could a Roman Catholic of Irish decent ever get a chance at Rangers, never mind my name which is a give away of my lineage.
Rangers ended this policy by signing Maurice Johnstone. The circumstances of this were intended to change the policy and mortally wound Celtic. There was no apology. Souness and Murray knew the damage they had done. There was no apology to their own supporters for not having ended this policy decades earlier when it was apparent that it was a doomed strategy to ignore a gene pool that was now becoming a very successful part of Scottish fabric.
Year of tub thumping, media manipulation, triumphalism and ignorance of scandal followed. Rumours of Rangers player hi jinks were ignored by the press as Rangers battered their way to 9 in a row. Meanwhile Celtic struggled through a metamorphisis, hampered by nagging self doubt which was sponsored by a media only too happy with a continuance of biscuit tin analogy. Refereeing decisions as ever did not help and there was the Cadete afair.
Fast forward to 2012. Several former Rangers employees have now worked for both the SFA and the SPL. Those employees are now the subject of an investigation that could mean that Rangers have cheated for around a decade using money they did not have.
I read of cyclist David Millar this week. David was guilty of doping and has so far been banned from this years Olympics. David now has a gnawing sense that even if this were to change he would need to review whether anything positive would come about from him competing. I certainly hope that Rangers carry the same sense of contrition and reflection but I doubt it.
You see Mr Spiers, people hate cheats. They hate them even more when their suspicions have been confirmed as the Rangers supporting medias allegation of paranoia becomes a joke.
If hate is what this feeling of gnawing suspicion is then I certainly hate Rangers.
Martin Bain wrote: “at the end of the meeting I gave her back the letter addressed to me from you that stated my contractual increase for her to shred.”
Morning! is this not the official ” nae huns in Europe day” ?,it is 31st March and no signs of audited ( or even a scrap of paper) from that lot. Or have we all been told that today has been delayed thanks to “due process”.
I am getting well pissed off with all the delays, I am not a patient man but have been saving the bubbly and cigar for L day for 3 months now after beng sucked in by all these promises of tomorrow it will happen. I even got them ready for last Sunday and that ended in tears.
In all honesty, and I know it is stretching things to incredible limits, they have had a “good” week. Beat us, delayed the inevitable,delayed the HunFA and SPL enquiries, the Kilwinning tosspots will probably walk next month to a lifetime of free beer in Hunland, Baldy Bain frees up enough cash to pay the wages this month,they get a bumper crowd last night,Fat Ally scores, and the HunFA continue to send letters to their nemesis.
So , all looks rosy for them? Not a chance. I believe that their death rattle is over and it started last night with the C4 coverage. I also believe in fate and think that their recent good fortune is over, it will see them drop points today,we party tomorrow and before the end of the week the L word will now be accepted as the only route for them.
Off to the park for some exercise to avoid the early arriavl of the Orcs. Looking forward to the week
Hail! Hail!
macjay1 for Neil Lennon on 31 March, 2012 at 05:55 said:
Absolutely fantastic article from Australia ……… Put’s their whole sorry mess in a nutshell
We rest our case…. Truth and justice prevail
They rest in peace… For cheating the sport of football
Mullet and Co on 31 March, 2012 at 09:00 said:
Don’t be flabbergasted …..just smile contentedly …… They have been rumbled big time, and they know it…
after match interviews with the Legends were taken pitch side,
“it was great to hear the stands in full voice with the songs resonating around the old stadium, hairs on the back of neck stood up, then to see Coisty score the winner for us was something special, was great to be back home,”
Said last nights match official Hugh Dallas
Top Corner
Cheers.
I’d love to meet them, shake their hands vigorously and buy them all some Jelly & Ice Cream.
But then. That’s because I’m a ZEALOT!!!
MWD TALALAF
mullet and co
thanks for reminding us and being honest, justice is coming
Well worth a read on a Sauturday morning:-
http://rangerstaxcase.com/2012/03/31/evading-avoidance/
and this which is my short comment on it and related issues (and which may well not be worth a read) –
http://scotslawthoughts.wordpress.com/2012/03/31/saturday-musings-on-rangers-ebts-and-directors-after-c4-news/
Che on 31 March, 2012 at 09:06
Where did you get that from? seen the quotation marks!
I have been searching for a word to describe the angry mobs demeanour during all of this and at last think I have found it- POMPOSITY
or do you have a better one?